03.13.09

The Anchor Diocese of Fall River

Faithful get lobbying tips at workshop

F riday , March 13, 2009

By Gail Besse Anchor Correspondent

EAST SANDWICH — Citizens can lobby more effectively for life and family legislation if they ask for a personal meeting with lawmakers and give them some fresh insight on an issue.

That was some of the advice given to participants at a recent Lobby Training Day run by the Cape Cod Family Life Alliance and Catholic Citizenship, a statewide lay-run group that encourages Catholics to participate in the political process.

“Attitude and knowledge are everything,” said Tricia Doherty, an attorney and former lobbyist for Massachusetts Citizens for Life.

“Know your subject matter from A to Z and go in with a friendly, helpful attitude.

“Approach lawmakers as if you’re not just there to change a no vote to a yes; you’ve got something to add to the conversation. Explain that he might not have realized this piece of information you’re going to give him,” she said.

A face-to-face meeting is the best way to communicate, added Republican Rep. Jeffrey Perry of Sandwich. Written letters and phone calls on an issue are next best.

Turn to page 20

By Kenneth J. Souza Anchor Staff

St. Joseph the carpenter: A role model for today’s dads

By Deacon James N. Dunbar

OSCAR PERFORMANCE — Victor Pap, executive director of Catholic Citizenship, acts out a mock meeting between a legislator and constituents during a recent Legislative Lobbying Day held at Corpus Christi Parish in East Sandwich.

Boston Men’s Conference is April 18

NEW BEDFORD — For Eduardo Borges, putting aside his well-worn carpenter’s tools to become a “stay at home dad” because of the poor economy, finds him calling on St. Joseph for a whole new variety of skills.

“As a self-employed carpenter out of work I pray to the carpenter’s traditional patron saint, who was also a great family man, to help me become a better family man as I take on many domestic duties that I know I don’t perform too well,” said the 44-year-old owner of Ed Borges Construction.

As the March 19 feast that celebrates St. Joseph as the husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary, approaches, Borges said his devotion to the foster father of Jesus has become deeper over time.

Because his devotion to the Virgin Mary has always been strong naturally led to praying to the Holy Family and then particularly to Joseph, he said.

“The family has always been the most important thing for me, and so it is easy to pray to the Holy Family for help. But to St. Joseph I ask help in being a better father; to strengthen the virtue of chastity which is needed even by married men in a good and wonderful marriage; to be bet-

ter in my relations with others, being more sensitive to their needs; and most important for the virtue of patience,” he added.

His prayers are also for his wife Ann, who is an accountant currently working long hours and weekends preparing income tax returns as the family breadwinner. He also prays for his three children, daughters Cassandra, 15, and Carina nine, and son Christian, 10.

“And in the current situation I sure am learning about a lot of things I didn’t know before as I drive the children to school, do the laundry, shopping and taking care of things around house,” he said with a smile.

“Thanks be to God that we have a roof over our head. We have had steady income over the years and the mortgage on our house is safe,” said Borges, who has been out of work since last year.

Instead of seeing his employment as a devastating catastrophe, he realistically sees it as temporary situation as well as an opportunity to be a better husband and father and grow in the faith legacy of his Portuguese forbears.

The winter months from January through April are customarily “slow” times for those in the building trades in Turn to page 11

FALL RIVER — As Catholic men prepare for the feast of St. Joseph, anticipation is growing throughout the Fall River Diocese for the fifth annual Boston Catholic Men’s Conference on April 18 at Boston College.

The theme of this year’s conference is “In the Footsteps of Christ” and key speakers for the day-long event will include Jerry York, hockey coach for Boston College; Curtis Martin, founder of the Fellowship of Catholic University Students; Jim Stenson, author and one of the Church’s foremost experts on Catholic men’s issues; and actor Jim Caviezel, who played Jesus Christ in Mel Gibson’s “The Passion of the Christ,” and is making a return appearance after speaking at the inaugural conference back in 2005.

The annual gathering — which piggybacks with a Catholic Women’s Conference counterpart on April 19 — evolved out of a meeting of a Catholic Men’s Group at St. Paul Parish in Cambridge in the fall of 2004 and was established to help then-Archbishop Sean O’Malley rebuild the Church in Boston. But similar interest in reinvigorating the faith eventually spread to areas outside the archdiocese and the first conference drew more than 2,200 men on March 19, 2005 — the feast of St. Joseph.

In subsequent years, interest and attendance in the two-day conference has steadily increased — to as many as 5,200 men — and organizers are looking forward to another impressive turnout for this fifth outing.

Following the format of a one-day retreat, the conference includes the aforementioned keynote speakers along with music and video presentations, exhibitions and group discussions, prayer and Turn to page 18

News From the Vatican Pope coaches priests on evangelizing parishioners

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VATICAN CITY (Zenit.org) — Benedict XVI is encouraging pastors to help people see that the faith is not something of the past, but can show them today how be fully alive.

The pope affirmed this in a meeting last Thursday with parish priests of the Diocese of Rome, a Lenten tradition, in which he answered their questions and concerns.

He addressed the priestly desire to evangelize, to reach the “lost sheep,” to “go to the man of today who lives without Christ, who has forgotten Christ, to proclaim the Gospel to him.”

The pontiff noted, “The community of the faithful is something precious that we must not underestimate — even looking at the many who are far away — the beautiful and positive reality that these faithful constitute, who say yes to the Lord in the Church, trying to live the faith, trying to follow in the footsteps of the Lord.”

“It is very important,” he emphasized, “that these faithful really find in their parish priest a pastor who loves them and helps them to listen today to the Word of God, to understand that it is a Word for them and not only for people of the past or the future, to help them even more, in the sacramental life, in the experience of prayer, in listening to the Word of God, and on the path of justice and charity, because Christians should be the leaven of our society with so many problems [...].”

The Holy Father explained that this will help the faithful to “play a missionary role without words,” to “offer a testimony of how it is possible to live well on the paths indicated by the Lord.”

Our society needs these communities, he added, “that are able to live justice today, not only for themselves but for others.”

The Anchor

Benedict XVI noted that both the Word and a witness are needed for the proclamation of the Gospel.

“As we know from the Lord himself,” he explained, “the Word is necessary, which says what he has said to us, which makes the truth of God appear, the presence of God in Christ, the path that opens before us.”

The witness of a community of believers is equally important, the pope said, to translate “the words of the past into the world of our experience.” This witness, he explained, gives “credibility to this Word,” and makes it a reality, “a reality with which one can live, but not only this: a reality that makes one live.”

He continued, “With the Word we must open venues of experience of the faith to those who are seeking God,” as the “primitive Church did with the catechumens.”

The pontiff noted that it is important for the parish to provide a place where people can have this “progressive experience of the faith,” of the Word carried out in their daily lives.

He added: “We must not be a circle enclosed in ourselves. We have our customs, but nevertheless we must open ourselves and try to create vestibules, that is, venues of closeness.”

The Holy Father encouraged the pastors to “try to create, with the help of the Word, what the primitive Church created with the catechumens: venues in which to begin to live the Word, to follow the Word, to make it comprehensible and realistic, corresponding to real forms of experience.”

It is important, he affirmed, “to unite the Word with the witness of a just life, of being for others, of being open to the poor, to the needy, but also to the rich, who need to be open in their hearts, to feel that their hearts are called.”

OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER OF THE DIOCESE OF FALL RIVER Vol. 53, No. 10

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March 13, 2009

CIAO PAPA — Pope Benedict XVI meets priests from the Diocese of Rome during a recent audience at the Vatican. (CNS/L’Osservatore Romano via Reuters)

Number of priests showing steady, moderate increase, Vatican says

By Carol Glatz Catholic News Service

VATICAN CITY — The latest Church statistics show that the number of priests and seminarians around the world has been showing a modest, yet steady increase.

The statistics from the end of 2007 also showed that the number of Catholics remains stable at 1.147 billion people across the globe.

The sampling of statistics was released in connection with the recent presentation of the 2009 edition of the Vatican yearbook, known as the Annuario Pontificio, which catalogs the Church’s presence in each diocese.

The Vatican said the global Catholic population increased during 2007 by 1.4 percent,

which more or less kept pace with the 1.1 percent global birthrate that year.

For the past two years, Catholics have made up 17.3 percent of the world’s population, it said.

The number of priests in the world also rose, but just by 0.18 percent. At the end of 2007 there were 408,024 priests in the world, 762 more than at the beginning of the year.

The figure on the number of priests was showing a continued “trend of moderate growth which began in 2000 after more than 20 years of disappointing results,” the Vatican report said.

However, that growth has been confined to Africa and Asia, which showed substantial increases in ordinations with 27.6 percent growth and 21.1 percent

growth, respectively, it said.

The number of priests has remained more or less the same in the Americas, while Europe registered a 6.8 percent decline and Oceania reported a 5.5 percent decrease in the total number of priests since 2000, said the Vatican.

The number of seminarians increased by 0.4 percent in 2007.

At the end of the year, there were 115,919 seminarians. However, only Africa and Asia saw significant growth in priestly vocations, while numbers fell by 2.1 percent in Europe and by one percent in the Americas, the Vatican said.

The report said the number of permanent deacons continued to show significant growth. There were 35,942 deacons at the end of 2007 — an increase of 4.1 percent over the previous year, it said.

Throughout the Bible, he said, angels, “luminous and mysterious figures,” are sent in the name of God to help and to guide people, showing them the path to safety and proclaiming good news to them.

“Dear brothers and sisters, we cut out a significant part of the Gospel if we set aside these beings sent by God to announce his presence among us,” the pope said.

“Let us invoke them often so that they would support us in our commitment to following Jesus,” the pope said.

Pope Benedict also prayed that the angels “would watch over me and my collaborators” during their weeklong Lenten retreat at the Vatican.

At the end of the Angelus, the pope greeted a group of workers from Italy’s Fiat car manufacturer, who came to the Vatican to demonstrate their concern for the future of their jobs.

In addition to entrusting them to the protection of St. Joseph, patron of workers, the pope said, “I want to express my encouragement to both political and civil authorities as well as to business leaders so that with the cooperation of everyone this delicate moment can be faced.”

“A common and strong commitment is needed” to overcome the economic crisis, “remembering that priority must be given to workers and their families,” Pope Benedict said.

Pope highlights importance of angels, offers prayers for jobs

By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service

VATICAN CITY — Shortly before beginning his annual Lenten retreat, Pope Benedict XVI encouraged Catholics to invoke the protection of angels and he exhorted politicians and business leaders to give priority to saving jobs as they face the global economic crisis.

Reciting the Angelus March 1 with visitors in St. Peter’s Square, the pope spoke about the day’s Gospel story about Jesus being tempted in the desert.

But instead of highlighting Satan’s efforts to trick Jesus, he focused on the line that says the angels served Jesus during his 40 days in the desert.

March 13, 2009

The International Church

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Abortion results in excommunication for mother, doctors in Brazil

KEEPING ORDER — Mexican soldiers patrol the downtown area of the border city of Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. Nearly 5,000 Mexican soldiers and police have been deployed to Ciudad Juarez to restore law and order to the country’s most violent city. (CNS photo Tomas Bravo, Reuters)

As drug violence rises, Chihuahua bishops urge reconciling with God

MEXICO CITY (CNS) — Catholic bishops in Chihuahua urged local residents to “reconcile with God” during the Lenten period as they confront increasing drugrelated violence that has claimed nearly 400 lives so far this year in the northern Mexican state, which borders Texas and New Mexico.

A letter from the bishops followed the recent acknowledgment by federal officials that the ongoing war against drug cartels claimed nearly 6,300 lives nationwide in 2008 and more than 1,000 lives nationwide this year.

“It’s not only the government or the soldiers or prisons that can provide a solution to what happens. All of us, changing from inside, can build a new world.

Only new hearts will make a new society. And only God can, if we allow him, change our hearts,” the six bishops of the ecclesiastical province of Chihuahua said in a March 1 message published in local newspapers.

“We shout with the hearts of pastors: Repent and change your life. God is willing to forgive, but this forgiveness entails being willing to go back to repair the damages and withdraw from this activity of death,” they said.

The letter was signed by Archbishop Jose Fernandez Arteaga of Chihuahua, Bishop Renato Ascencio Leon of Ciudad

Juarez, Bishop Jose Corral Arredondo of Parral, Bishop Gerardo Rojas Lopez of Nuevo Casas Grandes, Bishop Juan Lopez Soto of Cuauhtemoc-Madera and Bishop Rafael Sandoval Sandoval of Tarahumara.

The violence has been especially fierce in Chihuahua, which security analysts say is a key corridor for cartels wanting to smuggle drugs into the United States and import weapons for turf wars and assassinations.

Things became so dire in southern Chihuahua that Bishop Corral declared in November that those killed in drug-related activities would be denied funeral rites.

In Ciudad Juarez, meanwhile, 250 people were killed in drug crackdowns in February, and the federal government ordered another 5,000 police officers and soldiers into Chihuahua and Ciudad Juarez, which borders El Paso, Texas.

In Ciudad Juarez, Bishop Ascencio used a pre-Lenten message to urge residents to depend more on God during the crisis.

“The evil is so large that, on its own, it makes us think that we need the strength that comes from God for overcoming the evil that there is in our own hearts and the evil that is around us,” the bishop said in a message published in Presencia, a diocesan publication.

TORONTO (CNS) — Americans elected U.S. President Barack Obama to fix the economy, not to change American society and culture, said Archbishop Charles J. Chaput of Denver.

Americans, including Catholics, “gave nobody a mandate to retool American culture on the issues of marriage and the family, sexuality, bioethics, religion in public life and abortion,” said Archbishop Chaput. “That retooling could easily happen ... but only if Catholics and other religious believers allow it.”

Saying he spoke as “an American, a Catholic and a bishop — though not nec-

essarily in that order,” Archbishop Chaput addressed Catholics’ responsibility to live out their faith in public life.

He spoke recently on the campus of the University of Toronto. Noting the strengths and intelligence of Obama, Archbishop Chaput said Catholics — however enamored by the president’s gifts — must be honest with themselves about some of his policies, including his pro-choice stance.

American Catholics need to remember that political leaders “draw their authority from God” as public servants and are not “messiahs.”

Archbishop Chaput warns against seeing U.S. president as messiah

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — A top Vatican official agreed with a Brazilian archbishop’s decision to excommunicate the mother of a nine-year-old girl who had been raped by her stepfather and the doctors who aborted the girl’s twins.

Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, prefect of the Congregation for Bishops and president of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America said, “It is a sad case, but the real problem is that the conceived twins were innocent people and they had a right to live and should not have been killed.”

Excommunication against those responsible for the abortion was legitimate, he said in an interview with the Italian newspaper La Stampa.

Doctors at a hospital in Recife, Brazil, performed the abortion March 4 during the girl’s fourth month of pregnancy. Abortion in Brazil is illegal except in cases of rape or if the mother’s life is in danger.

The girl, who weighed a little more than 66 pounds, reportedly had been raped repeatedly by her stepfather from the time she was six years old. The 23-year-old stepfather has been arrested and is also accused of raping the girl’s 14-year-old handicapped sister.

Archbishop Jose Cardoso Sobrinho of Olinda and Recife said the abortion was “a crime in the eyes of the Church.”

He told the Brazilian newspaper Folha de Sao Paulo that “it’s true the doctor said the child ran (health) risks, but at any rate, the end does not justify the means. The good aim of saving her life can not justify the killing of two other lives.”

According to canon law, anyone who

procures a completed abortion incurs an automatic excommunication, meaning there is no need for an official decree from Church authorities.

However, canon law indicates several conditions — for example, not yet having turned 17 years old — that would render an individual exempt from the penalty of excommunication.

Brazil’s President Luiz Ignacio Lula da Silva criticized the Church’s decision, saying the doctors had to save the life of the nineyear-old girl and, “in this case, the medical profession was more right than the Church.”

Cardinal Re defended Archbishop Cardoso’s decision to excommunicate the girl’s mother and the doctors who were responsible for terminating the pregnancy.

“Life must always be safeguarded; therefore, the attack against the Brazilian Church is unjustified,” Cardinal Re said.

Father Piero Coda, a professor of theology at Rome’s Pontifical Lateran University, deplored “the abominable crime the raped child has undergone.”

He told La Stampa that the rapist must be “punished immediately and severely,” but he also emphasized the sanctity of all human life.

“One cannot respond to one tragedy with another tragedy. Abortion is the wrong answer and should be avoided in every way,” he said.

Jesuit Father Clodoveo Piazza, a missionary in Brazil, told La Stampa that there are thousands of similar tragedies unfolding in the poorest regions of the South American nation.

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The Church in the U.S.

March 13, 2009

Bishops in Hawaii, North Carolina speak against same-sex marriage

WASHINGTON (CNS) — Catholic bishops in Hawaii and North Carolina — where samesex marriage initiatives were being considered by their respective state legislatures — have spoken out in strong support of traditional marriages.

In Hawaii, a state Senate committee vote was deadlocked on a bill to allow same-sex civil unions. However, the committee vote was not expected to hinder the bill from going before the full Senate for a vote; it already was passed by the House.

In North Carolina, the state’s bishops were supporting the Defense of Marriage Act, which would ban same-sex unions. The measure has been introduced in the Senate and was to be introduced in the House soon.

More than 1,400 people, representing both sides of the samesex marriage issue, signed up to testify on the bill before the Hawaii Senate Judiciary Committee.

At the hearing, Father Marc Alexander, vicar general of the Honolulu Diocese, spoke about the importance of traditional marriage between a man and a woman, saying it has special benefits to the community and “deserves special protection.”

In mid-February, Honolulu Bishop Larry Silva wrote a letter to Democratic Sen. Robert Bunda opposing the legislation. Before announcing he would vote against it, the senator had been considered a swing vote to move it forward.

In the letter, the bishop stressed that traditional marriage is not equal to a union between partners of the same sex.

He called traditional marriage important to society, noting that “society’s stake in marriage is based upon the family and the

need for its stability. It is the family that is the bedrock of any civilization and of any community.”

If the same-sex union bill passes, Hawaii will be the fifth state — along with Connecticut, New Jersey, New Hampshire and Vermont — to allow samesex civil unions. Massachusetts and Connecticut currently allow same-sex marriage.

In late February, Bishops Michael F. Burbidge of Raleigh, N.C., and Peter J. Jugis of Charlotte, N.C., joined other religious leaders to call on the North Carolina General Assembly to support the Defense of Marriage Act. The measure calls for an amendment to the state constitution that would define marriage as a union only between a man and a woman. It would prohibit civil unions or domestic partnerships. It also would prohibit legal recognition of same-sex marriages performed in other states.

During a news conference, Bishop Jugis read a statement on behalf of the dioceses in support of the measure. He stressed that the Bible has always described marriage as a union between a man and a woman.

“We believe this understanding of marriage is the only one that should constitutionally exist in our state,” he said.

Protection of the traditional understanding of marriage was “not intended to disparage our brothers and sisters with a homosexual attraction,” he said.

“Rather, it is intended to affirm a divinely ordered reality that cannot be changed because it comes from God.” The bishops urged those in North Carolina who support traditional marriage to contact their legislators and ask them to support the bill.

HEARING THE CRY OF THE POOR — Volunteer Ben Slynn sorts cans of donated food at the Catholic Charities food resource center in downtown San Diego recently. (CNS photo/David Maung)

Bishops urge Catholics to reject bill giving laity parish fiscal rule

WASHINGTON (CNS) — Two Catholic Connecticut state legislators are overseeing a bill that would give the laypeople of Catholic churches financial control of their parishes, legislation the state’s Catholic bishops have strongly urged their parishioners to fight.

The bill was introduced March 5 in the Connecticut Legislature’s Judiciary Committee — co-chaired

by Sen. Andrew J. McDonald of Stamford and Rep. Michael Lawlor of East Haven, who are both Democrats.

The legislation was proposed by a group of Catholics concerned about the management of parish funds, following the embezzlement conviction of a Connecticut priest, said Lawrence B. Cook, a spokesman for Connecticut Senate Democrats.

Calling the legislation a violation of the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, Archbishop Henry J. Mansell of Hartford, Conn., condemned the proposed law in a statement read in parishes in the archdiocese, and called on parishioners to voice their opposition to it at a March 11 Judiciary Committee public hearing.

The bill would replace an existing law that defines Catholic churches and congregations as

nonprofit corporations operated by a five-member board of three clergy and two laypeople. Instead, the board would be made up of seven to 13 laypeople elected by parishioners. The pastor would not be a member of the board and the bishop would serve as an ex officio nonvoting member.

“This is contrary to the apostolic nature of the Catholic Church because it disconnects parishes from their pastors and bishop,” Archbishop Mansell said. “Parishes would be run by boards from which pastors and the archbishop would be effectively excluded.”

Bishop William E. Lori of Bridgeport, Conn., also delivered a harsh rebuke in a statement read at Masses in his diocese. He echoed Archbishop Mansell’s words, and added, “This bill, moreover, is a thinly-veiled attempt to silence the Catholic Church on the important issues of the day, such as same-sex marriage.”

Cook told Catholic News Service the legislation was introduced on behalf of a group of Catholics whose only interest was to have better oversight of how the money from parishioners going into the collection plate was being spent.

Father Michael Jude Fay, former pastor of St. John Church in Darien, Conn., was convicted in

2007 of stealing up to $1.4 million in parishioner donations and is currently serving a three-year prison term.

In another case, a priest in Greenwich, Conn., resigned as pastor of his parish in 2007 following a preliminary audit of the church’s financial records that revealed $500,000 in unaccountedfor spending.

Lawlor told the Connecticut Post the bill would revise a 1955 religious corporation act by requiring churches to open up financial records, if the parish set up its own board of directors, and would give laypeople the power to establish and approve church budgets, and manage all financial affairs.

The bill states the bishop and priests would continue to control “matters pertaining exclusively to religious tenets and practices.”

“The state has no right to interfere in the internal affairs and structure of the Catholic Church,” Bishop Lori said in his statement.

“This bill is directed only at the Catholic Church, but could someday be forced on other denominations. The state has no business controlling religion.”

Attorney Philip Lacovara, who attends St. Aloysius Church in New Canaan, Conn., maintains the bill isn’t constitutional, and in a letter to the Judiciary Committee he urged lawmakers to reject the legislation.

However, Paul Lakeland, chair of the Catholic studies department at Jesuit-run Fairfield University in Fairfield, Conn., told the Connecticut Post this bill doesn’t interfere with the free exercise of religion, because the legislation preserves the bishop’s control over doctrinal matters.

News of the bill provoked strong emotions from proponents and opponents, according to published reports.

“We reject this irrational, unlawful and bigoted bill that jeopardizes the religious liberty of our Church,” Bishop Lori said.

In a joint statement, McDonald and Lawlor rejected the notion they had originated the legislation, or that they want to launch an attack on the Catholic Church and freedom of religion.

March 13, 2009

The Church in the U.S.

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Cardinal O’Malley to seek advice from bioethics center on health care proposal

GLORY AND PRAISE — Young people pray during the Religious Education Congress in Anaheim, Calif., recently. The Religious Education Congress, sponsored by the Archdiocese of Los Angeles Office of Religious Education, is one the nation’s largest annual Catholic gatherings. The four-day event drew approximately 40,000 teen-agers and young adults from across the country and as far away as the United Kingdom and Australia. (CNS/Victor Aleman, Vida Nueva)

Cardinal says new Obama stem-cell policy favors politics over ethics

WASHINGTON (CNS) — President Barack Obama’s executive order reversing the ban on federal funding of embryonic stem-cell research represents “a sad victory of politics over science and ethics,” Cardinal Justin Rigali of Philadelphia said shortly after the March 9 signing of the order at the White House.

The chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Pro-Life Activities was among Catholic, Pro-Life and other leaders who criticized the reversal, which Obama had promised during his campaign.

Speaking in the East Room of the White House, Obama said the stem-cell policy of former President George W. Bush, in effect since Aug. 9, 2001, had forced “a false choice between sound science and moral values.”

Obama also urged Congress to consider further expansion of funding for such research. Since 1995, the Dickey/Wicker amendment to the annual appropriations bills for federal health programs has barred federal funding of research involving the creation or destruction of human embryos.

But the president had strong words against human cloning, which he said is “dangerous, profoundly wrong and has no place in our society, or any society.” He said he would work to ensure that “our government never opens the door to the use of cloning for human reproduction.”

Among the several dozen people present at the White House for the signing were members of Congress, scientists, families whose members had been or could be affected by stem-cell breakthroughs, and representatives of the Episcopal and United Methodist churches, several Jewish bodies and the Interfaith Alliance.

Obama said a “majority of Americans — from across the po-

litical spectrum, and of all backgrounds and beliefs — have come to a consensus that we should pursue” embryonic stem-cell research.

But Cardinal Rigali said the executive order “disregards the values of millions of American taxpayers who oppose research that requires taking human life” and “ignores the fact that ethically sound means for advancing stemcell science and medical treatments are readily available and in need of increased support.”

He reiterated points raised by Cardinal Francis E. George of Chicago, USCCB president, who said in a letter to Obama that a change in the policy on funding of embryonic stem-cell research “could be a terrible mistake — morally, politically and in terms of advancing the solidarity and wellbeing of our nation’s people.”

Obama said he “cannot guarantee that we will find the treatments and cures we seek. No president can promise that.”

“But I can promise that we will seek them — actively, responsibly and with the urgency required to make up for lost ground,” he added.

The Bush policy had allowed funding of embryonic stem-cell research only when the stemcell line had been created before Aug. 9, 2001. The executive order Obama signed permits federal funding of stem-cell lines created since then, but would not allow funding of the creation of new lines, leaving that decision to Congress.

Obama also signed a “presidential memorandum on scientific integrity” March 9, ordering the director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy to develop a strategy for ensuring that “the administration’s decisions about public policy be guided by the most accurate and objective scientific advice available.”

He said scientific advisers should be appointed “based on their credentials and experience, not their politics or ideology.”

But Paul A. Long, vice president for public policy at the Michigan Catholic Conference, said the order “regrettably places ideology and political posturing ahead of proven scientific therapeutic advancements.”

“There are endless studies and stories of patients who have been treated, even cured of their debilitating condition following stem-cell therapies that do not necessitate the destruction of human embryos, yet the ... executive order makes every tax-paying American citizen unwittingly complicit in the destruction of human embryos for experimental research.”

Rep. Chris Smith, R-N.J., the author of a 2005 law authorizing $265 million in federal research funds for adult stem cells from cord blood and bone marrow, asked in a statement: “Why does the president persist in the dehumanizing of nascent human life when better alternatives exist?”

“On both ethics grounds and efficacy grounds nonembryonic-destroying stem-cell research is the present and future of regenerative medicine — and the only responsible way forward,” Smith added.

BRAINTREE (CNS) — Boston Cardinal Sean P. O’Malley announced March 6 that he would seek the advice of the National Catholic Bioethics Center on a proposed relationship between Catholic hospitals in his archdiocese and a statesubsidized health program for the poor.

Caritas Christi Health Care, the second-largest health care system in New England, announced that it is considering an agreement that would allow it to be a health care provider for poor and low-income Massachusetts residents enrolled in the Commonwealth Care Program.

The proposal has come under fire because the state-run program covers abortions and family planning services. But Caritas officials said their facilities at “all times and in all cases” would abide by the U.S. bishops’ ethical directives for health care facilities forbidding abortions and all other procedures that contradict Church teaching.

“To be perfectly clear, Caritas Christi will never do anything to promote abortions, to direct any patients to providers of abortion or in any way to participate in actions that are contrary to Catholic moral teaching, and anyone who suggests otherwise is doing a great disservice to the Catholic Church,” Cardinal O’Malley said in his blog, www.cardinalseansblog.org.

Supporters of keeping abortion legal also criticized the proposal, saying the Catholic health care network’s involvement would hinder low-income women from getting the reproductive services they need.

State regulators were to vote on the proposal March 12.

The Caritas Christi network, established in 1985, consists of six Catholic hospitals and related medical facilities and services in Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Rhode Island. The network is sponsored by the Boston Archdiocese but is a separately incorporated entity.

“We are committed to the Gospel of life and no arrange-

ment will be entered into unless it is completely in accord with Church teaching,” Cardinal O’Malley said.

Saying he recognized “the complexity of the proposed arrangement,” he said he has decided to ask the National Catholic Bioethics Center in Philadelphia “to review the arrangement and to provide me their opinion.”

His blog entry came a day after he issued a formal statement acknowledging concerns raised about the proposed partnership.

“I understand and support the desire of Caritas Christi to serve as a health care system collaborating with this program,” he said. “If it can happen without compromising the Catholic identity of the system it would benefit both civil society and especially the poor in our community.”

As head of the Boston Archdiocese, he said, he must ensure Caritas Christi adheres to the U.S. Catholic Church’s “Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Health Care Services,” which guide Catholic health care facilities in addressing ethical questions such as abortion, euthanasia, care for the poor, medical research and other issues.

He said he must make sure “that in every aspect of the hospital system the teachings of the Church are protected and maintained.”

Cardinal O’Malley said Caritas Christi officials have assured him that if the proposal goes forward its facilities and staff “will not be engaged in any procedures nor draw any benefits ... which violate the Church’s moral teaching.”

The Church’s health care ministry “is rooted in protecting the most vulnerable among us, including the unborn,” the cardinal said.

“Our embrace of the healing ministry of Jesus Christ goes back 2,000 years and is built on a foundation of Catholic moral theology and a desire to meet the needs of all through education, health care and social service,” he added.

6

The Anchor Change that kills

President Obama’s Monday executive order to lift President Bush’s 2001 ban on using our tax money to fund the destruction of human embryos for embryonic stem-cell research is a disgraceful victory of the culture of death over both ethics and science. By the order, the president has forced all American taxpayers to pay for the intentional creation and destruction of fellow human beings.

The fact that he enthusiastically signed it in the midst of a national economic meltdown reveals how high the promotion of such morally-depraved and scientifically-fruitless research is in his list of presidential priorities.

In the signing ceremony, the president used religious rhetoric and broad smiles to try to mask the evil he was authorizing. After making references to “moral values,” “conscience” and how he was “a person of faith,” he stated, “We are called to care for each other and work to ease human suffering.” True enough. But he didn’t mention why we will deny that care to the youngest human beings, who will be killed so that their body parts can be harvested for medical research. He claimed to “understand” and “respect” the point of view of those who strongly oppose this research on moral grounds, while at the same time compelling them to fund it. He presented his new moral standard — the will of the “majority of Americans” who have “come to a consensus” — forgetting not only the principles of the Declaration of Independence about the inalienable right to life but also that one of the chief functions of governments is to protect minorities from the tyranny of the majority. He spoke about “strict guidelines, which we will rigorously enforce, because we cannot ever tolerate misuse or abuse,” while at the same time giving the green light to the worst ethical transgression of all, the intentional destruction of innocent human life. He promised that he would ensure that the “government never opens the door to the use of cloning for human reproduction,” which he called “profoundly wrong” and “dangerous,” while opening up not just a door but all the windows to the practice by funding human cloning for therapeutic purposes, which is necessary for any future discoveries through embryonic stem-cell research to be useful to individuals; in fact, he is mandating that all human clones scientists create be killed at the embryonic stage, which is even more evil than creating them in the first place. Finally, he said he wanted to ensure that “we make scientific decisions based on facts, not ideology,” while ignoring the fact that embryonic stem-cell research has never produced a single human treatment in the 25 years it has been done and while pretending that his decision was not based on an ideology that believes that smallest, youngest members of the human race can be killed to serve the whims and purposes of the older and larger ones.

Cardinal Justin Rigali of Philadelphia, the chairman of the Pro-Life Activities Committee of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, was quick to condemn the president’s action: “President Obama’s new executive order on embryonic stem-cell research is a sad victory of politics over science and ethics. This action is morally wrong because it encourages the destruction of innocent human life, treating vulnerable human beings as mere products to be harvested. It also disregards the values of millions of American taxpayers who oppose research that requires taking human life.

Finally, it ignores the fact that ethically sound means for advancing stem-cell science and medical treatments are readily available and in need of increased support.”

Cardinal Rigali noted that by his decision President Obama had dismissed the January 16 letter sent to him by Cardinal Francis George of Chicago, the President of the U.S. Bishops’ Conference. In it, Cardinal George stated three reasons why embryonic stem-cell research is “especially pointless” at this time. “‘First,” Cardinal George wrote, “basic research in the capabilities of embryonic stem cells can be and is being pursued using the currently eligible cell lines as well as the hundreds of lines produced with nonfederal funds since 2001. Second, recent startling advances in reprogramming adult cells into embryonic-like stem cells — hailed by the journal Science as the scientific breakthrough of the year — are said by many scientists to be making embryonic stem cells irrelevant to medical progress. Third, adult and cord blood stem cells are now known to have great versatility, and are increasingly being used to reverse serious illnesses and even help rebuild damaged organs. To divert scarce funds away from these promising avenues for research and treatment toward the avenue that is most morally controversial as well as most medically speculative would be a sad victory of politics over science,” no matter how much the president wants to claim his action is a victory of science over political “ideology.”

Last June, the U.S. Bishops released a statement “On Embryonic Stem-cell Research” that, anticipating perhaps what might occur should Obama win the upcoming election, prophetically and cogently addressed arguments people erroneously advance in favor of this unethical science.

It’s important for all people, especially Catholics, to understand these arguments and help others, including the president, understand them.

“Some researchers, ethicists, and policy makers claim that we may directly kill innocent embryonic human beings as if they were mere objects of research — and even that we should make taxpayers complicit in such killing through use of public funds,” the statement said. Despite the fact that “almost everyone agrees with the principle that individuals and governments should not attack the lives of innocent human beings … several arguments have been used to justify destroying human embryos to obtain stem cells. It has been argued that (1) any harm done in this case is outweighed by the potential benefits; (2) what is destroyed is not a human life, or at least not a human being with fundamental human rights; and (3) dissecting human embryos for their cells should not be seen as involving a loss of embryonic life.” The bishops then comment briefly in response to all three.

First, they criticize the false utilitarian assumption that we can kill some human beings to help others. “The same ethic that justifies taking some lives to help the patient with Parkinson’s or Alzheimer’s disease today can be used to sacrifice that very patient tomorrow, if his or her survival is viewed as disadvantaging other human beings considered more deserving or productive.”

Second, against those who claim the embryo is not human or the subject of human rights, they say that all scientists agree that the embryo is a “distinct member of the species homo sapiens, who develops toward maturity by directing his or her own integrated organic functioning. … Just as each of us was once an adolescent, a child, a newborn infant, and a child in the womb, each of us was once an embryo.” Fundamental human rights, they continued, cannot be based on size or mental or physical abilities, because to do that is to deny human dignity. “If fundamental rights such as the right to life are based on abilities or qualities that can appear or disappear, grow or diminish, and be greater or lesser in different human beings, then there are no inherent human rights, no true human equality, only privileges for the strong.”

Finally, in response to those who say that we’re just killing “spare” or “unwanted” embryos destined to die anyway, the bishops forcefully state, “This argument is simply invalid. Ultimately each of us will die, but that gives no one a right to kill us. Our society does not permit lethal experiments on terminally ill patients or condemned prisoners on the pretext that they will soon die anyway. Likewise, the fact that an embryonic human being is at risk of being abandoned by his or her parents gives no individual or government a right to directly kill that human being first.”

It’s obvious that President Obama has ignored the sound ethical advice of the U.S. bishops. He may deem the bishops’ wisdom above his pay grade. Now, however, it is time for Catholic citizens, whom the president is forcing to pay for this immoral research, to rise up beyond the rhetoric of hope and high expectation and let the president know that this is not the type of change we’re prepared to accept.

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March 13, 2009

Daily martyr of the confessional

e are celebrating this year the 150th fession. He would hear for 12 hours a day in anniversary of the birth into eternal the winter, 16-18 hours a day when the weather life of the patron saint of parish priests, St. John was better. His day would also involve a devout Vianney (1786-1859).

Mass, holy hour, daily catechesis, an appearThe Curé of the tiny French village of Ars ance at the parish school and visits to the sick. is an inspiration to seminarians and priests for At a maximum, he would sleep from 9 p.m. to a multitude of reasons. For those who struggle midnight. On many occasions the devil would with parental reluctance to their vocations, he attack him during his few hours of shut-eye, patiently overcame his father’s resistance. For violently shaking his bed and doing whatever those who struggle in their studies, he failed he could to disrupt his sleep. The neighbors out of the Lyons seminary because he couldn’t and penitents waiting outside would rush to his master Latin. For those who struggle to show room convinced by the clamor that he was being any fruit from their pastoral efforts to sanctify murdered. St. John Vianney realized that these their people, he spent his first eight years as harassments were most ferocious on the night pastor in all-night vigils, fasting, penance and before a “big fish” — great sinners — would catechesis before he was able to convert his arrive, and so he would offer his sufferings for small parish of 240 individuals. For those who their total conversion. struggle with preaching, he labored for hours In his preaching about the sacrament to the with textbooks to try to craft sermons that were throngs who came from near and far, he would worthy of a priest. For those who have finan- try to help them to repent. He did it first by focial problems, he battled to keep his parochial cusing on the beauty of God’s forgiveness. “My school afloat, many times needing to throw children,” he said in one catechesis, “we cannot himself on the mercy of God’s providence. For comprehend the goodness of God towards us those who suffer through the misunderstanding in instituting this great sacrament of penance. and envy of others in the presbyterate, he once If we had had a favor to ask of our Lord, we received and signed a clergy petition seeking should never have thought of asking him that. his removal.

But he foresaw our frailty and our inconstancy He is a priestin well-doing, ly model above and his love led all, however, him to do what because of his we should not heroism and exhave dared to hausting dedicaask.” When his tion in the conreputation began fessional. When to grow through By Father he was assigned his being the Roger J. Landry to the out-of-theinstrument for way village of some miracuArs, his bishop lous cures of the instructed him, “There is not much love of body, he downplayed their significance, saying God in that parish. You will put some there.” that the “body is so very little” and adding, “It is The men who were not putting work above a beautiful thought, my children, that we have worship on Sunday would generally spend the a sacrament which heals the wounds of our Lord’s day getting liquored up in the taverns. soul!”

The women who came were, for the most part, When the situation warranted, however, the icons of tepidity. The soil of the village was Curé would preach against sin with the force of mainly hardened, rocky and thorny. That didn’t an Old Testament prophet. “To be a Christian discourage the holy Curé, but only made him and to live in sin,” he clamored, “is a monstrous pray, fast, mortify and work all the more. “O condition. A Christian must be holy.” He demy God,” he prayed, “grant me the conversion nounced evil in all its forms, for people’s salvaof my parish: I consent to suffer whatever you tion was at stake. “If a pastor remains silent,” he wish, for as long as I live.” said when someone complained that his words The people started to notice that the lights against sin made him uncomfortable, “when he in the church were on all night. When they sees God insulted and souls going astray, woe went to spy on the burning candles, they ob- to him! If he does not want to be damned, and served their pastor on his knees in front of the if there is some disorder in his parish, he must tabernacle. They noticed that he dedicated his trample upon human respect and the fear of besalary to adorning the little church, to getting ing despised or hated.” beautiful vestments, to showing the people by Most often, however, he would show haexample that God is worth our best and our all. tred for sin by his tears. Once a penitent who He did home visits and returned multiple times was confessing his sins matter-of-factly witheven when people were reluctant to let him in. out sorrow was startled when the Curé began Slowly the light of his holy life began to pen- to sob. “Why are you crying?” the man asked. etrate the darkness of the village.

“I am weeping because you are not,” the Curé His ministry in the confessional began to responded. When criticized for giving soft penexplode when a group of women, moved by ances even to those who were publicly known seeing him praying in church after midnight, for having done truly heinous things, he replied asked if he would hear their confessions. He that he generally gives light penances so as not happily assented. His tears in the confessional to scare hardened sinners from coming, but in — out of love for them and sorrow for their justice he himself would do the rest of the pensins — brought them, too, to tears, introduced ance their sins deserved. them to a whole new level of contrition for In a 1986 letter to priests on the bicentennial their sins, and gave them a taste of the holiness of the Curé’s birth, Pope John Paul said that the to which we’re all called. The women began to state of the world requires that all priests should spread word that there was something special imitate the pastor of Ars in making themselves about the way their pastor heard confession. “very available” for the sacrament of penance.

Soon others from the village began to come He asked them to give it “priority over other to find out for themselves. Penitents would activities” so that the faithful will realize the say that he had read their souls, told them with value attached to this “most difficult, most deliprecision how long it had been since their last cate, most taxing and most demanding priestly confession, and what sins they had forgotten to ministry of all — especially when priests are in confess. The experience transformed Ars one short supply.” reconciled soul at a time.

Next weekend, the priests of the Diocese After Ars residents started to inform their of Fall River will be giving the sacrament of relatives and friends in other villages about penance the priority it deserves, dedicating six their ascetic and prayerful pastor’s special gifts extra hours of confession on the diocese’s first in the sacrament of penance, the road to Ars Reconciliation Weekend. We are begging our became the road to Damascus. Soon he was holy patron to intercede for us so that we might hearing hundreds of confessions a day, then imitate him in the confessional. And we’re begthousands. One day in 1845, 3,000 penitents ging his help to get you — and many “big fish” arrived. About 120,000 people arrived that — to come to receive the joy of the sacrament year. Train tickets from Lyons to Ars were that “heals the wounds of our soul!” valid for eight days, because that is about how Father Landry is pastor of St. Anthony’s long someone could have to wait to go to con- Parish in New Bedford.

Putting Into the Deep

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7

The Anchor

March 13, 2009

Our Catholic schools: Nurturing the soul of a nation

rent economic crisis as the he hope of our living beginning of a seismic shift Church, our nation under God, and the conservation of God’s green earth rests with The Value of the young. Given the exceptionally chalCatholic Schools lenging times in which we live, this is more profoundly true than

By Bishop ever before.

Michael R. Cote We live in remarkably changing times. in how the world functions.

Many well-regarded futurists Technology convergence, have been reading the cur-

environmental conservation, global connectivity, new products, new energy sources, new healthcare solutions, a new economy — a whole new and more sophisticated world. With the certainty of our faith leading the way, we welcome change.

As we anticipate these changes, we want to be sure our children are prepared academically and spiritually

Caught in the crossfire of parental desires

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henever I give a talk on husband, she supposed she was in-vitro fertilization, I try entering onto a path towards to explain to my audiences how fulfillment. She soon came to new human life must be procrerealize, though, that her son had ated in the warmth of the marital been deprived of the presence of a embrace and in the protective father figure, and that he was subhearth of the maternal womb, not ject to various other difficulties as in the icy, impersonal world of he grew up because of the choice the research laboratory, or the ma- she had made. nipulative setting of a Petri dish.

Whenever we choose to follow On one occasion, after finisha path that involves intrinsically immoral choices, we necessarily ing up a talk, a married couple approached me. They had done in- mislead ourselves about the best total state of affairs that could vitro fertilization and had several have been ours. We usually also children from the procedure. They bring harm to others because of appeared to be struggling in conscience, and asked a searingly hon- such choices. est question: “If in-vitro fertilizaFor the intrinsically disordered tion is wrong, are you suggesting it choice of in-vitro fertilization, it would be better that we didn’t have can be doubly difficult to see the our beautiful children?

We can’t imagine our life without them.”

Imagining a world different from the one we have constructed through our own personal

By Father Tad choices is difficult. This is Pacholczyk because of our innate tendency to validate our decisions, even erroneous ones, by harmful nature of the decision we focusing on “desirable outcomes” are making because we direct our and “good intentions.” When we attention so intensely towards the venture to look beyond our good baby we yearn for. Couples who intentions, however, we begin do in-vitro fertilization are doubtto discern other important truths less convinced that the best total that should inform the choices we state of affairs for them would be make, challenging us to see the to have a child, regardless of the bigger plan for our lives in ways steps it might require. that extend beyond our own wants In the conversation with the and desires. husband and wife who attended I recall once speaking with my talk, they admitted that they a woman who had given birth could see how their own strong to a little boy out of wedlock. parental desires had gotten the upShe was raising him as a single per hand in their decision-making mom. He was a source of endprocess. They also admitted less joy and blessing to her and to they were starting to grasp other her extended family of brothers, realities involved in their decision sisters, aunts and uncles. Yet in to pursue in-vitro fertilization: a moment of candor, she admithow a third party, an anonymous ted, “Although I love my son laboratory technician in a back dearly, and I can’t imagine my life room, had actually manufactured without him, I’ve also come to see the kids, rather than the parents how it would have been better if I engendering them through their had chosen not to have sex before life-giving marital embrace; how marriage, even though it would they had misused their own bodmean I wouldn’t have my beautiies and sexuality, becoming little ful son. I could have, and should more than sex-cell donors; how have, followed another path.” pornography and masturbation This woman told me that, by stood at the origin of their own giving herself to the man she children; how they had produced hoped might one day be her a plethora of children, and had

Making Sense Out of Bioethics

frozen some, and discarded others along the way.

Probably the most difficult truth for us to grasp fully is that even the most desirable ends, like having children of our own, cannot justify the use of inherently immoral means to achieve those ends. We can think that our desires are worthy to be achieved by any means, because we imagine that we are the ones who determine what constitutes the best state of affairs for our lives.

It is but a short step to disaster, however, when our own desires become the final arbiter of right and wrong, or when our own willfulness is given center stage.

An infertile couple may suppose they have a right to children, when in truth they possess no such right, because the deeper reality is that children are always a gift. By insisting on or demanding the gift (through in-vitro fertilization), the child no longer becomes a gift at all, but a kind of entitlement, where he or she becomes a means or object in the pursuit of parental satisfaction, caught in the crossfire of parental desires. Infertile couples too often may not have paused to reflect on the possibility of another path, nor fully considered the various other important and humanly fulfilling ways of expressing their marital fruitfulness, ways that might include foster parenting, teaching, becoming a “Big Brother/Big Sister” to needy children in the community, or adoption.

The attraction for children can be so strong that it can prevent us from acknowledging honestly the evil aspects that may be interwoven into certain choices we make.

By pursuing children in a disordered way, we end up undermining the very blessings we seek for our life and for those around us.

Father Pacholczyk earned his doctorate in neuroscience from Yale and did post-doctoral work at Harvard. He is a priest of the Diocese of Fall River and is director of Education at The National Catholic Bioethics Center in Philadelphia. www.ncbcenter.org

to help make their way and make a difference in the exciting world that awaits.

Many of the influencers, inventors, builders, caretakers, educators, physicians and social and religious leaders of tomorrow are sitting at the moment in our Catholic school classrooms receiving a quality education. We in the Diocese of Norwich across eastern, central and southern Connecticut have more than 5,000 of tomorrow’s best citizens attending 20 elementary schools, four secondary schools and two affiliated secondary boarding schools, all unified in their commitment to educational excellence and the development of the whole person. Today’s Catholic schools are as dedicated as they ever were to the core principles of respect for oneself and others, honesty, service, the value of a quality academic education and a strong foundation in our Catholic faith.

The standardized academic measures such as the ITBS and CogAt test scores are consistently running well above average. These results confirm the dedicated teamwork of our administrators, teachers, involved parents, pastors, volunteers and the students themselves. As always, it is the harmony of academics and character development that defines a Catholic education.

According to a recent Fordham Institute survey, 88 percent of Catholics view Catholic schools favorably. Further research indicates that it is the moral values and discipline that is most often considered the most valuable part of the Catholic school experience.

Having St. Patrick Cathedral School yard right outside my window here at the chancery, I have often witnessed school Principal, Cathy Reed, lead the children in prayer outside just before they proceed into school in the morning. I am so impressed with how the children respond to the discipline of quieting down for prayer time and then moving in an orderly fashion into school. I also hear the children at recess and see how respectfully they interact. I see the same behaviors and enthusiasm in all our schools.

As our Holy Father, Pope

Benedict XVI, reminds us “…a faith-based education nurtures the soul of a nation.”

We are nurturing tomorrow’s Church. We are helping nurture a more compassionate society. We are creating a more hopeful future for student, family and community. It all begins in the school yard. It begins with discipline, respect and prayer.

This nurturing that begins at the elementary school level, transitions to our family of secondary schools, all six of which are unique and accomplished teaching institutions.

Students making that transition are prepared to further develop a Catholic world view as they grow in their understanding of the collaboration of faith and reasoning.

They are also extremely well prepared to take the next step in their education, as an extraordinary 96 - 99 percent of graduates from the Norwich Diocese Catholic secondary schools are accepted into college. Their discipleship and community consciousness is wonderfully active and inspiring.

While we do not have a Catholic college in the diocese, we do have an active campus ministry to keep the continuum of faith formation alive and well among our students who choose to attend any of the state or private colleges and universities in our area.

Among all the good news about the vitality of Catholic education across the diocese, there is the severe challenge of today’s declining economy.

The economic crisis has placed enormous financial pressure on our schools just as it has on all institutions of learning — public, private and Catholic. These pressures require creative thinking, tough choices and generous supporters. Our diocesan family of parishes will do everything possible to weather the storm.

Faith will lead the way. There is no higher calling we share than supporting our schools as a place of interactive learning, character development, confidence-building and nourishing of faith and hope. This is our challenging but joyful mission.

Bishop Michael R. Cote, D.D. is bishop of the Diocese of Norwich, Conn.

8

The Anchor

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hen God gave Moses the Ten Commandments, which we see in today’s first reading, man already had some idea of morality. The human person is the only organism that expresses moral and social conscience. We inherit that tendency directly from having been created in God’s image.

Even so our view is faulted and often misdirected and we only swiftly observe one side of the equation.

Following their exodus from Egypt, however, the Israelites were emerging as a nation. God decided it was time to clarify and codify the basics of the key parameters in their relationship with God and our day-to-day relationships with each other (Ex 20:2-17). God literally put them in stone. To come closer to God and reap full advantage of his grace, man now had a clearer understanding

March 13, 2009

Our end of the covenant with God

of God’s expectations (Psalm obsolete.

19:8). The further interpreSt. Paul tells us today in tation and elaboration that his first letter to the Corinwould become Mosaic Law thians that Christ’s sacrifice set the foundation for the choon the cross supplants all the sen people. They were now on wisdom of the Greeks and their way to becoming the veall the miracles that the Jews hicle for the fulfillment of God’s covenant with man through Jesus Homily of the Week Christ.

Third Sunday But man still had in Lent problems aligning his will to God’s and

By Deacon sinned. Sacrificing aniWilliam Gallerizzo mals was one attempt to atone for sin, but eventually sin invaded even the temple where those had witnessed and continue to sacrifices were made, as we seek. Christ’s sacrifice, which see in today’s Gospel. Jesus brought about the new and became frustrated enough eternal covenant, became the with the abuse of the temple new law of love that he demsacrifice to turn a profit that onstrated for us and then told he drove the merchants out us to imitate. His atoning sacof the precincts. He would rifice actually made us free to soon become the one true follow him in loving others in and acceptable sacrifice that the same self-sacrificial way would render animal sacrifice by which he loved us first.

Lent is a time for us to assess our relationship with God, to examine prayerfully how well we are holding up our end of the covenant.

When we pray, we sacrifice other things to put God first and make time for him.

Through fasting and self-denial, we gain self-mastery so that we freely respond to God and others. Through almsgiving, we put others’ needs ahead of our own, just like Christ did before us.

Lent is a time when we are called to become more cognizant of the true presence of Christ in the Blessed Sacrament, in the tabernacle and during the mystery of the Mass. It’s an occasion for us through fasting to grow in hunger for him in the Eucharist. It’s a time to remember that when we leave Mass after having

received the Eucharist, we are literally taking Christ with us to others and are called to act accordingly.

The 40 days of Lent are of sufficient duration to develop and incorporate these perspectives and behavior. The true pH-Test of how much we value our relationship with God is whether we make the effort to continue these thoughts and deeds beyond Lent. Our Lenten practices are the basics necessary to maintain minimally our end of the covenant with God. These are where we should start.

Then, during the other 325 days of the year, we can build upon them to strengthen our relationship with God through his Son Jesus Christ.

Deacon Gallerizzo is a permanent deacon of the Archdiocese of Washington, D.C., temporarily assigned to St. Pius X Church in South Yarmouth.

Upcoming Daily Readings: Sat. Mar. 14, Mi 7:14-15,18-20; Ps 103:1-4,9-12; Lk 15:1-3,11-32. Sun. Mar. 15, Third Sunday of Lent, Ex 20:1-17 or 20:1-3,7-8, 12-17; Ps 19:8-11; 1 Cor 1:22-25; Jn 2:13-25. Mon. Mar. 16, 2 Kgs 5:1-15b; Ps 42:2-3; 43:3-4; Lk 4:24-30. Tues. Mar. 17, Dn 3:25, 34-43; Ps 25:4-5b,6,7bc,8-9; Mt 18:21-35. Wed. Mar. 18, Dt 4:1,5-9; Ps 147:12-13,15-16, 19-20; Mt 5:17-19. Thu. Mar. 19, Solemnity, Joseph, Husband of the Blessed Virgin, 2 Sm 7:4-5a,12-14a,16; Ps 89:2-5,27,29; Rom 4:13,16-18,22; Mt 1:16,18-21,24a or Lk 2:41-51a. Fri. Mar. 20, Hos 14:2-10; Ps 81:6c-11b,14,17; Mk 12:28-34.

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he quaint notion that the New York Times is the nation’s paper-of-record took another hit on February 23, when the Grey Lady ran a commentary on Milwaukee archbishop Timothy Dolan’s appointment as the new archbishop of New York. Written

by Michael Powell and headlined, “A Genial Enforcer of Rome’s Doctrine,” the article displayed a confusion about

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The Times flunks Ecclesiology 101

what the Catholic Church is, the Church. Those who deny and how the Catholic Church the truth of settled Catholic operates, that would embarteaching on, for example, the rass a reasonably well-cateunique salvific role of Christ, chized eighth-grader.

(And yes, Virginia, there are “reasonably well-catechized eightgraders.” But I digress.)

The headline (“Rome’s Doctrine”)

By George Weigel blew the gaffe at the outset, as if there were Rome’s doctrine, Berkeley’s doctrine, Tubinthe immorality of abortion, gen’s doctrine, Cuernavaca’s the nature of holy orders and doctrine, and so forth, per who is capable of receiving omnia saecula saeculorum them, or the indissolubility (translation for Timesmen: of sacramental marriage put “for ever and ever”). In fact, themselves outside the comthere is one Catholic truth; it munion of the Church. That is safeguarded and transmitsome theologians (and clergy, ted by the Church’s magisteand religious, and laity) deny rium; the locus of that magthese truths is obvious, but isterium is “Rome,” meaning that doesn’t mean that there’s the Bishop of Rome and the “Rome’s doctrine” and a bishops in communion with variety of other doctrines. It him. That’s the teaching of the means that those in dissent are Second Vatican Council in Lu- mistaken. men Gentium 25, not a hoary There was also that little legend from the past. dig about Archbishop Dolan The Church does not have being an “enforcer.” When a “doctrines” the way different man is ordained to the episcoadministrations have policies. pate, he takes a solemn oath Policies change; the country before God and the Church remains the same. Doctrine to teach the truth of Catholic can develop, but doctrinal faith. To honor that commitrupture or dissent from the ment is not being an “entruth of Catholic faith means forcer,” as if a bishop were schism — the fracturing of knee-capping lowlifes for

The Catholic Difference

Sonny Corleone. To proclaim the truth of Catholic faith and to admonish those who stray from it is less a disciplinary act than an act of charity. Disciplinary acts are sometimes necessary to convey the message that someone’s communion with the Church is in peril; the purpose of those acts is far more educational than punitive.

A few paragraphs into the story, Mr. Powell wrote than Rome’s “writ” was becoming “ever more conservative.” In Times-speak, what this means is that the last several popes have declined to take instruction on human rights, human sexuality, and the nature of marriage and the family from the oracles on Manhattan’s West Side, who regard dissent from their magisterium as stupid and oafish.

These days, however, the Times’ sense of its infallibility is somewhat ironic. Indeed, Timesmen might consider whether their stultifying political correctness, displayed in the news hole and on an op-ed page that could often be labeled “Notes from the Asylum,” might have something to do with the facts that the paper is hemorrhaging red ink and recently had to mortgage

its building to pay its bills.

Mr. Powell portrayed the Archdiocese of Milwaukee under Archbishop Dolan’s predecessor, Archbishop Rembert Weakland, as a “liberal Catholic outpost, where debate about doctrine was vociferous and to be gloried in.”

True enough; but a serious investigation of the pre-Dolan years in Milwaukee would have explored the relationship between officially tolerated Catholic Lite and empty churches, few vocations, and clerical corruption. The dots are not that difficult to connect, once you remove the p.c. blinders.

The Times’ editors could save themselves some grief if they recognized that the Catholic Church is not going to follow the sad trail blazed by the once-great, now dying denominations of the liberal Protestant mainline, in which belief and practice came to be determined by holding a wetted finger up to the prevailing cultural winds. That’s one precondition to the Times running interesting stories on the Catholic Church, rather than whining about the revolution that never was.

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

Can you hear me now?

this conversation with ourFriday 13 March 2009 — selves. It’s called self-talk.

Gallaudet University, WashSelf-talk can get in the way ington, D.C. — Deaf History of listening. As adults, while Month begins another person is speaking to suspect I may talk in us, we tend not to be hearing my sleep. During every what is being said, but rather waking hour, it seems, I’m constantly called upon to “say formulating a response in our something.” I’m always talking. I’m not sure if I ever stop talking, even after I have fallen Reflections of a asleep. Americans in Parish Priest general always seem to need to have someBy Father Tim thing to say. This can Goldrick be a problem. Silence is essential to listening. heads. When we are in the Silence means not just fasting from the spoken word, but habit of doing this, we are also stilling the words that are unable to hear what another person is actually saying. always buzzing around in our This Lent, I am fasting from brains. Ever notice how little the temptation to speak. I am children talk aloud to themreplacing it with a Lenten disselves, as though there was cipline of active listening. nobody around? As we grow Prayer is listening. How older, we learn to internalize

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can I pray if I don’t let God get a word in edgewise? I took the hint from the Word of God itself, “Be still and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10).

This is my first objective: sitting in deep silence before God. In this way, I can listen to what God is trying to tell me. I expect to be surprised.

I am also inviting the faith community to join me in listening. I read this suggestion in a ministry magazine: each week a single Lenten suggestion is made to the whole parish so that everyone who wants to participate is doing the same thing all week long. The suggestion of the week is printed on small slips of paper and stapled to the bulletin. They look like what you would find in a fortune cookie. One of

The time to be present

In none of these encounters sh Wednesday began was I supposed to be anything as it has for decades other than present — fully since my conversion — mornpresent in order to share with ing Mass. When I leaned over the other his heart. One wanted to receive my ashes, though, to share a burden, the next I felt a bump on my brow and to share a delight, the last to noticed a startled expression share his hopes and anxieties. I on Sister’s face. She looked at had no answers — but I hadn’t the mark with perplexity and been asked to provide them. then we both moved on.

I had nothing to offer but my When I got home, I glanced sincere affection for each one, in the mirror and saw the and the ability to carve out reason for that second look. the time in which to make it Her thumb had added an extra mark, transforming my tau into manifest.

But what if the inclination some indecipherable Chinese letter. After a moment, I decided to interpret it as the shrouded Mary beneath the crucifix, called by motherly love to be present for Jesus’ death-agony.

Perhaps that’s what

By Genevieve Kineke I needed to meditate on over the coming weeks. or affection isn’t there? What So what has unfolded in the if our relationships with others first few days of this penitenare so volatile that merely ential season? Only the smallest during them is already difficult things which I’m trying to enough without having to musinterpret from that perspecter genuine concern for their tive. There was the bittersweet wellbeing? What if your own visit with an elderly gentleman trials are so consuming that we making every effort to wrap don’t have time or fragments his mind around eternity, but of love to spare? How does distracted by his houseful of God expect us to continually sentimental items. There was a divide ourselves when the nearly incomprehensible game remaining slivers left hardly invented by an earnest child, seem enough to help anyone? whose labyrinthine rules were Perhaps you should ask only surpassed by his giddy him. I don’t think the demands delight at our make-shift companionship. Then there was the of our generation are any more pressing than any other. While monumental discussion with a we have organizational nightman on the brink of making a mares over community obligamarriage proposal.

The Feminine Genius

tions, we are quite relieved from the need to grind corn, stack firewood, and rub down the horses after every journey. The time that we save in instant communication is lost in tending to an accumulation of wealth that would astonish other eras. The press of media and crush of strangers is an even trade-off with those who used to live with such extended families that everyone made demands, and rank and custom weighed on every decision.

This era in salvation history is certainly unique, but it all balances out. The call to communion is always challenging — and yet always essential. Learning where to spend time and energy is incumbent on every Christian who undertakes the task of loving God through his neighbor. One cannot know which neighbor has a claim until he takes it to prayer and invites God into his schedule.

Taking the time to meditate on the fact that all the time, the gifts and the people are God’s to begin with is the first step.

When each is offered on the altar, the next action is to crawl up there yourself and nestle beneath his outstretched arms.

There, being present beneath his cross will put it all in perspective.

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

She can be found online at www.feminine-genius.com.

the six suggestions is “This week I will listen to all who speak to me with the same energy I usually give to speaking.” On the reverse side is a meditation: “Listening is intense work. It involves being completely present, receiving someone with all one’s senses, accompanied by a genuine desire to know the other.

Listening is an act of love, often rewarded by the sound of God’s voice.”

I also want to listen to particular groups in the parish. Families with young children are one such group.

Everyone always complains about parents who drop their kids off for Religious Education classes and then spend the hour waiting in their cars in the church parking lot. The decision was made to invite parents inside and listen to what they have to say. While the high school confirmation candidates are being interviewed, their parents will be invited to come in and spend the time meeting with one of the members of the Ministry Team.

This is not a test. Confirmation will not depend upon the answers of the high school freshmen or their parents. We will simply listen to what they may have to say. Students will be asked how they feel ready to accept the apostolic responsibility signified by the sacrament of confirmation; in what ways do they plan to continue in the practice of the faith; and what can the parish do to help them to grow in the faith. The kids have received the ques-

tions in advance. This is not a test.

Meanwhile, those parents who wish to talk to a Ministry Staff member will be invited to meet in a separate room. The parent meeting is not mandatory. Since these parents are members of the Church community, we need and want their input. We will be looking at what the parish can do to be more helpful to them as parents, to all parishioners, and to the neighborhood and beyond. How can we help young parents in areas of spirituality and personal growth? How has this parish met their particular needs? How can the parish better meet the needs of all of today’s young families? What are their parental concerns about this parish, about the Diocese of Fall River, and about the Church Universal?

How might the Church begin to address these concerns?

How are they as adult members of the Church willing and able to help us become an even better Church?

We want to hear and, even more importantly, we want to listen. Before this Lent/ Easter cycle is completed, we hope to have in place a Parish Pastoral Council. I would like to hold their commissioning at Pentecost. The councilors’ first task will be to listen.

As they say, don’t ask the question if you don’t want to hear the answer. Hear yea!

Hear yea! Hear yea! Let the listening begin!

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

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A precious perk

ran into an old friend after Mass last week. Actually I should say a young friend. She was a confirmation student in one of my classes about 10 years ago.

She waited around after the service just to say hello; let me know how she was doing; and ask how I was doing.

She was a good student back then, and seemed to truly enjoy the classroom and confirmation retreat experiences back then, so it was no surprise to find things were going well for her. I also know she attends Mass regularly.

My View From the Stands

By Dave Jolivet I left the church very uplifted, not only because of her successes, but because she made the effort to stay connected.

The encounter made me think back on all my “children,” from years past. I think in all I spent a good 17 years in confirmation programs, and have been on countless confirmation retreat teams as well as several Emmaus teams.

Occasionally, I run across some of my kids, and some won’t even look me in the eye, and others smile, wave, or stop to say hello.

But for the most part, there are literally hundreds of young adults out there I’ll probably never see again. Yet, I think about them. I

can still remember the faces, but the names have long since escaped me.

I wonder how they are doing.

I wonder what they are doing. I wonder if God is a part of their life.

And I pray for them. Every one of them. Not individually of course — that would take most of my day.

But I do ask God to watch over all those with whom I’ve crossed paths.

Anyone who has taught Religious Education or has served on a retreat team, or both, knows how much of themselves they give to help our young people get to know and love God. And they also know they will never know the fruits of their labors with regards to many of their students and candidates.

But once in a while, the Good Lord sends a little token of esteem our way in the person of a student who appreciated our efforts. It may seem small to some, but to those with hundreds of children, it’s a priceless perk.

I ran into an old friend last week. She helped erase, for a little while anyway, memories of days when I left the classroom crosseyed with frustration, thinking I wasn’t reaching the students or making a difference in their lives.

I bet the Father feels the same way when we stop, take the time to say hello, and let him know how we’re doing.

March 13, 2009

Cape Cod woman sees beauty in all that God has created

By Michael Pare Anchor Correspondent

er readings and music, they need the advice,” said Duane.

This is said without any trace of judging others.

HYANNIS — Father Daniel W. Lacroix, pastor at St. Francis Xavier Parish on Cross Street, has Duane doesn’t look at things that way. She looks at seen it before, this selfless and beautiful demonstra- what make sense; at what is the right thing to do.

Duane’s keen sense of doing what makes practition of Catholic faith. When he arrived at St. Francis last summer, it marked his second assignment on cal sense has manifested itself at St. Francis Xavier the Cape. Nearly two decades ago, he was assigned in other ways.

Perhaps tapping into all those years of managto Holy Redeemer Parish in Chatham.

He remembers seeing it first-hand all those years ing finances in New York, Duane proved especially ago in Chatham. And now, in Hyannis, he sees this helpful to the St. Francis Xavier St. Vincent de Paul beautiful thing again. It is an expression of true faith Society when she suggested several years ago that the parish send out a “Gift Card” during the holiday that brings a smile to his face.

“We have these parishioners who have retired and season, allowing parishioners to purchase a “food moved to the Cape … but they have not retired from basket” in the name of a loved one, for the benefit their faith,” said Father Lacroix. “They allow their of the society. The program has been a hit, raising $4,000 when it was inleisure time to be used for stituted four years ago, the good of others.” followed by $6,000 and These days, Eileen $8,000 in consecutive Duane, who celebrated years. her 90th birthday just last This past holiday seaweek, serves as a fitting son, the program generexample of the many selfated more than $9,000 for less retirees at St. Francis the parish St. Vincent de Xavier, where she enPaul Society. thusiastically dedicates Claudia Camara countless hours to parish Moniz, office manager activities. at St. Francis Xavier, Duane is a New Yorksaid the response to the er, who spent 30 years “Gift Card” program working for the New York has been nothing short Public Library. She was a of astounding. manager in the employee “Once the word got benefits department. It out, it was not just our was a busy job, monitorparishioners who bought ing the benefits of 2,500 the cards,” she said. “We active employees and 600 had calls from all over retirees. the country, telling us that Never married, Duane one of their friends, a paalways knew where she rishioner of ours, had sent wanted to settle when the them a wonderful Christtime came for her to manage her own retirement. ANCHOR PERSON OF THE WEEK — Eileen mas card and they wanted to do the same for their “I came to Cape Cod as Duane. friends.” a baby-sitter for a neighThe “Gift Card” probor when I was a young girl,” she said. “I just fell in love with the place. And gram is a good example of the kind of approach Duane takes to things. She likes the idea of finding I always said; ‘This is where I want to retire.’” new ways to help people. This approach has not And so she did.

While retirement brought her closer to the ocean gone unnoticed by Father Lacroix.

“Everything she does is behind the scenes,” he and the long stretches of sandy coastline that defines Cape Cod, it also brought her to St. Francis Xavier said. “She does things because she knows that they Parish, which has become the focal point of her life. need to be done.”

Duane appreciates what she gets back from her For Duane, St. Francis Xavier serves as a perfect example of what a parish should be, a community of parish. There is that sense of belonging, that sense of people anxious to demonstrate their faith by helping being a part of something special. She’s outlived her siblings, three brothers and a sister. others.

“I’m a sole survivor … which is awful,” she Duane attends Mass most days, and of course, every Sunday. She lectors each Wednesday at mid- said.

It is the only time during a lengthy conversation day Mass. More than that, she responds when she that Duane sounds down, if only for a moment. But is called.

“She is one of those remarkable people who is that optimism about which Father Lacroix speaks always optimistic,” said Father Lacroix. “I suggest shines through, wins out.

She is on the Cape, she is helping others through an idea and she is there to help with it. When I approached her about starting a Consolation Com- her parish. Life is indeed beautiful. That, after all, mittee, she said; ‘Count me in.’ When I approached is the driving force behind her faith. A product of her about starting a Prayer Shawl group, she said; Catholic schools, Duane believes today what she learned and believed many years ago.

‘Count me in.’”

She trusts in God. The idea of starting a Consolation Committee That’s how it is. is something Duane had been thinking about for “I don’t know how anyone cannot believe there is a while. She sees it as an important way to honor those who have practiced their faith all their lives, a a God,” said Duane. “When you look at a little baby way to ensure that they have the kind of celebration or a flower in bloom in the spring … how can you they deserve when they die. It is pragmatic thinking, not believe God has created such beautiful things?” put to work. Simply put, it makes sense.

To nominate a Person of the Week, send an “Unfortunately, some family members go away email message to FatherRogerLandry@Anfrom the Church and so when it comes to the prop- chorNews.org.

St. Joseph: A role model for today’s dads continued from page one

New England because of the cold weather, and like most builders he said he is accustomed to experiencing that.

“But the lack of people wanting to build homes or do major im-

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March 13, 2009

provements or renewals because of the poor economy is making things much worse,” he reported. “Things are at a standstill in the trades for me and others like me, and I pray for all of them.”

FAITH BUILDERS — Eduardo Borges, his wife Ann, and children Christian, Carina and Cassandra, gather for a photo with their pastor, Father Roger J. Landry in St. Anthony of Padua Church in New Bedford after Christian made his first Communion. The carpenter and his family will celebrate St. Joseph’s March 19 feast day with not only prayers of gratitude — but also for a brighter future for those in the struggling building trades.

With all that’s going on he hasn’t lost sight of the fact that like Jesus, he too is the son of a carpenter, and has had his ups and downs.

“I grew up in Furnas on the Island of St. Michael in the Azores, where my father was a carpenter and taught me the trade,” he said. “And like all engaged in the hard work of building trades — and probably like St. Joseph — it means not only working with wood, but with brick and stone and cement as well.”

He recalled that Scripture describes how St. Joseph was called

by God to leave good employment in Nazareth as a tekton or mechanic in general and carpenter in particular, and flee with Mary and Jesus to Egypt, because Herod was searching for the child; and later advised to return.

“It means Joseph was out of work for various time periods too as he moved around, and it couldn’t have been easy for him either,” Borges noted. “I can relate to that.”

He mused how the Holy Family probably lived with other Jews in a settlement in Egypt and how difficult it was for a newcomer to find constant work in a country where most people didn’t speak the Hebrew language.

He also pointed out that the Holy Land was carved from desert regions and that wood was scarce and most of it had to be imported from Lebanon, which was rich with cedar trees.

“We are told the Holy Family was poor, and it must have taken a lot of planning to afford to buy wood if one wanted to pursue the

carpenter’s trade, and craft it using only the hand tools prevalent at the time,” he added.

“We might think of Jesus at one end of a rip saw and Joseph at the other as they hewed out planks.”

Borges’ initial interests were in electrical engineering, which he studied in high school in the Azores.

He later earned a bachelor’s degree in architectural engineering from the New England Institute of Technology in Rhode Island.

“But when a job as a carpenter doing remodeling came along I grabbed at it,” he said. “Then for the next 20 years I worked at all kinds of carpentry jobs, dug and poured foundations, did framing, roofs, siding, all kinds of building.”

Being out of work has also sparked Borges to take a hard and innovative look at the future.

“As we get older it becomes more difficult to perform the tough jobs that carpenters do, especially working up and down ladders. I am interested in real estate and becoming a realtor — although that might not be the best bet right now with home prices dropping.”

However, he has hopes it will hit

bottom and bounce up revitalized.

No matter what, he said, it is a time to be grateful to God. One way he offers thanks for all he has been given and for the grace of patience and perseverance is by ministering as a cantor in English and Portuguese at Masses at St. Anthony of Padua Parish in New Bedford, which the family attends.

“I have always loved to sing and there’s no better way to use that gift than by leading song in church,” he told The Anchor.

He’s currently taking a longer step of service to God and the Church as he begins his candidacy for the permanent diaconate.

“We just had our first gathering as a new class for deacons as we begin our discernment,” Borges said.

“I have always wanted to serve the Church better and I hope and fervently pray that I can do that, and perfect myself by becoming a deacon.”

Borges says he also prays that by the time May 1 rolls around — the feast of St. Joseph the Worker — things in the building trades will have become brighter and he can get back to being a carpenter.

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NEW YORK (CNS) — The following are capsule reviews of movies recently reviewed by the Office for Film & Broadcasting of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.

“An American Affair” (Screen Media) Odd coming-of-age tale, set in 1963 Washington, about a 13-year-old Catholic schoolboy (Cameron Bright) who spies on, and becomes obsessed with, a free-spirited artist (Gretchen Mol) who lives in his neighborhood, despite being warned against her by his otherwise indifferent parents (Perrey Reeves and Noah Wyle). Director William Sten Olsson’s cliche-ridden feature debut, which promotes wayward values while trashing nuns and parochial education, clumsily attempts to graft Camelot-era historical events — the painter is one of President Kennedy’s mistresses and the ex-wife of a CIA agent (Mark Pellegrino) — onto a personal narrative of adolescent sexual yearning and aspirations for independence. Brief graphic adulterous sexual activity, some rough and crude language, and a couple of uses of profanity.

The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is O

— morally offensive. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R — restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.

“Watchmen” (Warner Bros./ Paramount) Darkly ironic and exceedingly violent fantasy action tale — set in a dystopian alternate version of 1985 America — in which a lawman turned masked vigilante (Jackie Earle Haley) investigates the murder of a former colleague (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) and uncovers a plot to kill off all the members of the self-appointed posse (Malin Akerman, Patrick Wilson and Matthew Goode, among others) to which they once both belonged. Director Zack Snyder wields grand-scale production values and occasionally intriguing special effects in his overlong adaptation of Alan Moore and Dave Gibbon’s landmark graphic novel, which also features Billy Crudup as a clothes-eschewing giant, but the circuitous proceedings lead from one bone-crunching or limbbaring encounter to another and cynically peddle moral ambiguity tricked out as sophistication.

Graphic action violence, strong sexual content, at least a dozen uses of the F-word and of profanity, and some crude language and sexual humor. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is O — morally offensive. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R — restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.

NEW YORK (CNS) — What distinguishes “The Story of David,” which originally aired on ABC in 1976 and is now available on DVD from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, from those glittering but soulless spectacles in the Cecil B. DeMille tradition is its attempt to convey the scriptural account as a drama of character.

David was a complex individual, the first biblical figure to emerge in terms of the modern concept of the individual. His human failings and moral lapses, his passions and weaknesses are intertwined with his strengths and accomplishments, with his sense of mission and readiness to repent his transgressions of God’s law.

Ernest Kinoy’s script succeeded admirably in fashioning a consistent whole out of the familiar and the less well-known episodes in David’s rise from unassuming shepherd boy to national leader.

Kinoy skillfully turned chronicle into drama in such a way as not to detract from the original sense of the material.

In its DVD incarnation, the re-

mastered miniseries, which clocks in at three hours-plus and was codirected by Alex Segal and David Lowell Rich, looks quite good, despite some softness in the image. It was filmed on location in Israel and Spain.

Although this was not intended primarily as a religious program, it still satisfies as an accurate biblical adaptation. Certainly the level of historical authenticity is convincing in the way the period might have looked; David Noel Freedman, editor of the “Anchor Bible” series, did his work well as the project’s consultant.

The early part of this presentation was unfortunately handicapped

by Timothy Bottoms’ performance as the young David. He was simply too bland an actor to be able to hold his own with such heavyweights as Anthony Quayle, who made King Saul so much more fascinating. As might be expected, Keith Michell (who many may remember for his tour-de-force performance as Henry VIII on PBS) gave another outstanding performance as King David.

CNS Movie Capsules

1976 ABC miniseries ‘The Story of David’ now available on DVD

March 13, 2009

HARE RAISING — This is a scene from the movie “The Velveteen Rabbit.” Michael Landon Jr., son of the late actor-director Michael Landon, directed the classic children’s story. (CNS/courtesy of Edify Media)

New DVD tells classic ‘Velveteen Rabbit’ story from child’s viewpoint

By Mark Pattison Catholic News Service

WASHINGTON — Rare is the child who hasn’t at least once heard the classic children’s story “The Velveteen Rabbit” by Margery Williams.

It’s that familiarity that led Michael Landon Jr., son of the late actor-director Michael Landon, to pursue making a film version of the tale.

But anybody who sees the movie, once it reaches video stores on DVD March 17, will find an intensely reworked tale.

“There was no intention to do a based-upon” version of the story, Landon told Catholic News Service in a recent telephone interview from Austin, Texas, where he makes his home. The book, long as it is for a children’s story, “pages out at around 40 pages, so there’s clearly not enough story,” he added.

“I didn’t want to tell an animated story from a toy’s point of view. So, right there, you’re obviously creating a different story,” he said.

The original is told through the eyes of a stuffed rabbit who hopes to become real through the love of his owner, a boy.

In Landon’s version the setting has been moved from a presumably English milieu to someplace that’s vaguely New England at a time when automobiles were rare, crank-started machines. That’s the live-action part. There are also several animated sequences set in the boy’s imagination. Landon didn’t direct the animated scenes, so he had to wait a long time for animators to present their contributions to him.

“I’m glad for what they did,”

Landon said. “This is not a big studio film, this is not a $100-million-plus film that studios spend on animation these days. But ... it has plenty of heart.”

The actors aren’t household names, although the voice actors in the animated portions may be more familiar: Tom Skerritt as the voice of Horse (not the book’s “Skin Horse”), Ellen Burstyn as the voice of Swan (a character not in the book, either), and top-billed Jane Seymour in a brief appearance as the boy’s dead mother.

“I remember it being read to me as a child. It’s, though, more of a visceral experience,” Landon told CNS. “I can’t tell you why, but it stuck with me as a child.”

Landon added, “It was brought to my attention that Margery Williams’ classic was public domain, and, except for one animated short film, no one had tackled this classic piece of literature.”

The Hollywood credits of Landon include being producer, director and writer of made-forTV versions of Janette Oke’s novels, including “Love Comes Softly,” “Love’s Enduring Promise,” “Love’s Long Journey,” “Love’s Abiding Joy” and

“Love’s Unfolding Dream.” He also directed the theatrical film “The Last Sin Eater” that starred Henry Thomas of “E.T.” fame.

Landon wore three hats on “The Velveteen Rabbit,” producing, directing and writing the story.

Although Landon’s father gained a reputation for starring in such family-friendly fare as the “Little House on the Prairie” and “Highway to Heaven” TV series, Landon said he believes bearing the family name carries less weight than catering to “the family viewing audience.”

“There’s two things. There’s obviously a legacy there that’s connected to my name, and then there are movies that support wholesome family entertainment,” he said.

Landon added, “I grew up with everybody knowing who my father was, but if you ask generations coming up here, they have no idea.”

Still, “he had an impact on me, and I was very proud of his work,” Landon said of his father. “’Little House on the Prairie’ was my personal favorite of my father’s work. ... I don’t try to do what he did; I just love what he did.”

Diocese of Fall River TV Mass on WLNE Channel 6 Sunday, March 15 at 11:00 a.m.

Scheduled celebrant is Father Roger J. Landry, pastor of St. Anthony of Padua Parish in New Bedford, and executive editor of The Anchor

The Anchor

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March 13, 2009

news briefs

Indictment of Sudanese president seen as step toward peace in Sudan WASHINGTON (CNS) — The International Criminal Court’s issuance of an arrest warrant for Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity opens the door for the United States to help bring peace to the war-torn nation, said author and anti-genocide activist John Prendergast. “I think this is a tremendous opportunity for the Obama administration to name a special envoy and get on the ground in Darfur and implement a peace agreement,” Prendergast said during a nationwide teleconference put together by the Enough Project shortly after the court’s March 4 action. Prendergast is a former U.S. State Department official who co-founded the Enough Project, an initiative to end genocide and crimes against humanity around the world. A Catholic study guide to his book, “Not on Our Watch: The Mission to End Genocide in Darfur and Beyond,” was released in February. The warrant, the first against a sitting head of state by the court, charges al-Bashir with five counts of crimes against humanity — murder, extermination, forcible transfer, torture and rape, ICC spokeswoman Laurence Blairon announced March 4. The two charges for war crimes are for intentionally attacking civilians and for pillaging, she said.

Federal appeals court upholds ruling Vatican can be sued over abuse SAN FRANCISCO (CNS) — The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco March 3 upheld a 2006 lower court ruling that the Vatican is not entitled to sovereign immunity from a clergy sex abuse lawsuit that named it as a defendant. But it narrowed the extent of that ruling by remanding the case to the lower court “for further proceedings” before the suit against the Vatican can go forward. A three-judge panel of the 9th Circuit issued the decision on a June 7, 2006, ruling by U.S. District Judge Michael W. Mosman in Portland, Ore. The case before the court, John V. Doe v. Holy See, was first filed in Portland in April 2002. It involves claims that the victim, identified only as John V. Doe, was sexually abused in Portland in 1965 or 1966, at the age of 15 or 16, by Servite Father Andrew M. Ronan, who was then stationed at his order’s Sanctuary of Our Sorrowful Mother in Portland. He was laicized in 1966 and allegedly had previously admitted to sexually abusing children at earlier postings in Ireland and in Chicago. He died in 1992.

Missionaries aim to change students lives through Gospel message WASHINGTON (CNS) — John Zimmer, Teddy Ariniello and Angela Telthorst annually train college students from across the country by meeting the youths where they are and inviting them to examine the meaning and purpose of their lives. The three are missionaries and evangelizers with the Fellowship of Catholic University Students, known as FOCUS. The fellowship is a national outreach to college campuses, both secular and Catholic. Its trained missionaries help college students find a place for Christ in all aspects of their lives — their studies, social life, dating relationships and major life decisions. The training consists of five weeks of prayer, hands-on experience in evangelizing and team building. Fellowship missionaries work with students through small-group Bible studies, personal discipleship and large-group leadership training, as well as on trips and missions during which they and the students have the opportunity to serve in India, Peru, Spain, Mexico, Ireland, Rome, New Orleans and New York City.

Irish from all walks of life turn to Church for help during recession DUBLIN, Ireland (CNS) — Irish people are turning to the Catholic Church and each other for support as the country is hit hard by the global economic recession. “We are definitely seeing the impact of the economic downturn,” said Father John Gilligan, administrator of St. Andrew’s Church in Dublin. “Because we are situated beside the train station, we get thousands passing our door every day, and more and more are calling in and asking to speak to one of the priests about their difficulties. “We have become counselors to people from all walks of life who have lost their jobs or are threatened with job losses — a lot of them are young professionals, architects and solicitors. We have well-dressed people asking for food vouchers or asking how do they contact the St. Vincent de Paul for help,” he told Catholic News Service. John Monaghan, vice president of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, one of the largest charitable organizations in Ireland, said calls for aid are up 30 percent over this time last year.

T

St. Paul’s struggle with illness

he Pauline Year has nally planned route and go to given us an opportunity the province of Galatia in Asia to get to know St. Paul betMinor (modern-day Turkey). ter. That means we begin to Other people try to diagnose know aspects about him that the Apostle with migraine we didn’t know before. We all headaches, depression, sciheard the name of the Apostle atica, stuttering, and even an Paul, but now we are begineye disease. The reason why ning to have more of a feeling some have pointed to a probnot only for what he taught, lem with the saint’s eyes is but also for his life story and because as we continue to read even for his personality. We the same passage, we find that know of St. Paul as a man of Paul says, “You did not show deep faith, an energetic misdisdain or contempt because sionary, and a forceful writer of the trial caused you by my of letters. It might surprise physical condition, but rather us to find out that Paul also suffered from an illness. He refers to this Living the in his writings. While sometimes shocking, Pauline Year nothing humanizes a person for us more than

By Father encountering him or her Karl C. Bissinger at a moment of vulnerability, at a time of sickness or injury.

Instead of just remaining a you received me as an angel of piece of New Testament trivia, God, as Christ Jesus. ndeed, however, St. Paul’s way of I can testify to you that, if it suffering can instruct us. How had been possible, you would he understands his suffering have torn out your eyes and and shares with us about his given them to me” (Gal 4:14suffering can help us when 15). Yet, this saying probably we have to endure a debilipoints more to the Galatians’ tating illness or a setback in generosity to, concern for, and our health. His example can urgent care of the Apostle than help us when we deal with it does to the nature of his pain in our lives, a condition illness. of weakness, grapple with an St. Paul makes what many addiction, or perhaps even (on understand as a less explicit a non-medical note) when we reference to this illness in his fight temptation. The great Second Letter to the CorinApostle’s experience can help thians. Here he speaks of a us whether we must struggle thorn in his flesh. He writes, with these things ourselves or “Therefore, a thorn in the whether we accompany a fam- flesh was given to me, an ily member, a loved one, or a angel of Satan, to beat me, to friend in his or her suffering keep me from being too elated. and times of trial.

Three times I begged the Lord The most explicit mention about this, that it might leave of this illness comes when St. me; but, he said to me, ‘My Paul writes to the Galatians, grace is sufficient for you; saying “You know that it was for, power is made perfect in because of a physical illness weakness’” (cf. 2Cor 12:7-9). that I originally preached the Here we have the first clue as Gospel to you” (Gal 4:13). to the Christian way to accept Many scholars believe this sickness and physical health sickness that troubled Paul problems. First, we pray with was epilepsy. An acute atconfidence for God to remove tack of this disease apparently them from us. We pray in faith made him turn off his origifor real healing. We remain

open to and hope for a miracle, for God’s intervention.

At the same time, we assent to and accept God’s will. We learn dependence upon God and discover in grace the means for hope and strength in our weaknesses.

This is the same way Christ prayed in the garden on the eve of his Passion: “Father, if you are willing, take this cup away from me; still, not my will but yours be done” (cf. Lk 22:42). We see in this scene how St. Paul’s thorn resembles Jesus’ chalice of agony. We see how in sickness and suffering we may imitate both the Apostle and our Lord. By doing so, we learn patience and humility. We start to discern God’s higher plan for us in the midst of our apparent frustrations.

Finally, in the Letter to the Romans, St. Paul gives us beautiful words to sustain us in times of illness or pain: “I consider the sufferings of the present to be as nothing compared with the glory to be revealed in us. Creation was made subject to futility, not of its own accord but by him who once subjected it; yet not without hope, because the world itself will be freed from its slavery to corruption and share in the glorious freedom of the children of God. Yes, we know that all creation groans and is in agony even until now. Not only that, but we ourselves, although we have the Spirit as first fruits, groan inwardly while we await the redemption of our bodies. For, in hope we were saved” (cf. Rom 8:18,2024a). These words console us and assure us in faith that even when we face the most desperate situations, God provides for us a good and blessed outcome.

Father Bissinger is vocation director of the Diocese of Fall River and secretary to Bishop George W. Coleman.

WOBURN — Massachusetts Family Institute President Kris Mineau released the statement below following the filing of a lawsuit that seeks to overturn the federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA): “DOMA passed the Congress by overwhelming, bi-partisan majorities — 342-67 in the House and 85-14 in the Senate — and was signed into law by

as one man and one woman in their state constitutions.

“Same-sex marriage activists simply cannot win a public vote so they force their will upon the citizenry through select, activist judges.

“The court should reject this thinly-veiled attempt to impose same-sex marriage on American citizens who have overwhelmingly voted otherwise.”

Thinly-veiled attempt to redefine marriage should be tossed out by court President Bill Clinton.

“DOMA is not a conservative or liberal law, it is an American law signed to protect children and families that has been upheld by previous federal court rulings.

“Americans overwhelmingly believe marriage to be the union of one man and one woman. Forty-five states have laws supporting traditional marriage and 30 out of 30 states have affirmed marriage

14

The Anchor

Catholics on the move, non-religious on the rise

American Religious Identification Survey is third in landmark series

HARTFORD, Conn. — The Catholic population of the United States has shifted away from the Northeast and towards the Southwest, while secularity continues to grow in strength in all regions of the country, according to a new study by the Program on Public Values at Trinity College.

“The decline of Catholicism in the Northeast is nothing short of stunning,” said Barry Kosmin, a principal investigator for the American Religious Identification Survey (ARIS).

“Thanks to immigration and natural increase among Latinos, California now has a higher proportion of Catholics than New England.”

Conducted between February and November of last year, ARIS 2008 is the third in a landmark series of large, nationally representative surveys of U.S. adults in the 48 contiguous states conducted by Kosmin and Ariela Keysar. Employing the same research methodology as the 1990 and 2001 surveys, ARIS 2008 questioned 54,461 adults in either English or Spanish. With a margin of error of less than 0.5 percent, it provides the only complete portrait of how contemporary Americans identify themselves religiously, and how that selfidentification has changed over the past generation.

In broad terms, ARIS 2008 found a consolidation and strengthening of shifts signaled in the 2001 survey. The percentage of Americans claiming no religion, which jumped from 8.2 in 1990 to 14.2 in 2001, has now increased to 15 percent.

Given the estimated growth of the American adult population since the last census from 207 million to 228 million, that reflects an additional 4.7 million “Nones.” Northern New England has now taken over from the Pacific Northwest as the least religious section of the country, with Vermont, at 34 percent “Nones,” leading all other states by a full nine points.

“Many people thought our 2001 finding was an anomaly,” Keysar said. “We now know it wasn’t. The ‘Nones’ are the only group to have grown in every state of the Union.”

The percentage of Christians in America, which declined in the 1990s from 86.2 percent to 76.7 percent, has now edged down to 76 percent.

Ninety percent of the decline comes from the non-Catholic segment of the Christian population, largely from the mainline denominations, including Methodists, Lutherans, Presbyterians, Episcopalians/Anglicans, and the United Church of Christ. These groups, whose proportion of the American population shrank from 18.7 percent in 1990 to 17.2 percent in 2001, all experienced sharp numerical declines this decade and now constitute just 12.9 percent.

Most of the growth in the Christian population occurred among those who would identify only as “Christian,” “Evangelical/Born Again,” or “non-denominational Christian.” The last of these, associated with the growth of mega-churches, has increased

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from less than 200,000 in 1990 to 2.5 million in 2001 to over 8 million today. These groups grew from five percent of the population in 1990 to 8.5 percent in 2001 to 11.8 percent in 2008. Significantly, 38.6 percent of mainline Protestants now also identify themselves as evangelical or born again.

“It looks like the two-party system of American Protestantism — mainline versus evangelical — is collapsing,” said Mark Silk, director of the Public Values Program. “A generic form of evangelicalism is emerging as the normative form of non-Catholic Christianity in the United States.”

Other key findings: — Baptists, who constitute the largest non-Catholic Christian tradition, have increased their numbers by two million since 2001, but continue to decline as a proportion of the population.

— Mormons have increased in numbers enough to hold their own proportionally, at 1.4 percent of the population.

— The Muslim proportion of the population continues to grow, from .3 percent in 1990 to .5 percent in 2001 to .6 percent in 2008.

— The number of adherents of Eastern Religions, which more than doubled in the 1990s, has declined slightly, from just over two million to just under. Asian Americans are substantially more likely to indicate no religious identity than other racial or ethnic groups.

— Those who identify religiously as Jews continue to decline numerically, from 3.1 million in 1990 to 2.8 million in 2001 to 2.7 million in 2008 — 1.2 percent of the population. Defined to include those who identify as Jews by ethnicity alone, the American Jewish population has remained stable over the past two decades.

— Only 1.6 percent of Americans call themselves atheist or agnostic. But based on stated beliefs, 12 percent are atheist (no God) or agnostic (unsure), while 12 percent are deistic (believe in a higher power but not a personal God).

The number of outright atheists has nearly doubled since 2001, from 900,000 to 1.6 million. Twenty-seven percent of Americans do not expect a religious funeral at their death.

— Adherents of New Religious movements, including Wiccans and self-described pagans, have grown faster this decade than in the 1990s.

March 13, 2009

Chaplains observe how faith drives leaders on Capitol Hill

WASHINGTON (CNS) — Nine years ago, Father Daniel P. Coughlin was two weeks into his post as chaplain of the U.S. House of Representatives when he figured out how he was going to do his job on Capitol Hill.

The priest from the Chicago Archdiocese began his job in March 2000 under some controversy when then-House Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., was accused of being anti-Catholic because he initially chose a Presbyterian minister for the job. A man who came up to Father Coughlin wanted to know what the new chaplain was going to do to put the “fracas,” as he called it, aside.

Trying to be diplomatic, Father Coughlin told the man he was looking to the future and the controversy was in the past. “I told him two weeks ago I was a nobody working in Chicago,” the priest recalled.

“That’s it,” the man told Father Coughlin. “You’re a nobody and you came here to tell anybody that there is somebody who has grace and healing for everybody.”

The man turned and disappeared into a crowd of tourists.

“I swear he was an angel,” Father Coughlin told an audience of 50 during a program called “Faith on the Hill” at the Georgetown University Law Center near Capitol Hill March 2. “But that has been my attitude.”

Father Coughlin joined Barry C. Black, a Seventh-day Adventist who is chaplain to the U.S. Senate, in discussing their work among the hundreds of representatives, their families and their staffs as well as visitors to the U.S. Capitol in a program moderated by Michael Goldman, Jewish campus minister at the law center.

Since joining the House Father Coughlin said he has not let cynicism creep into his work despite hearing deep-seated feelings of

skepticism and pessimism toward Congress when he talks with average people whose views come primarily from what they hear in the media.

They said they repeatedly see how faith guides the work of many elected officials as they seek to solve some of the most pressing issues the country is facing. The chaplains also said they often are called upon for advice and counsel before votes are cast on some of these major issues.

“I think there’s a lot more faith on the hill than the media carries,” Father Coughlin said. “I’m happy with that because I’m not sure all the media knows how to talk about religion without making it seem a little silly or putting it on the edge of things.”

Black, a retired rear admiral in the U.S. Navy, leads five Bible study groups a week. Divided into sessions for senators, their families and their staff, Black said the gatherings help people remain grounded in something other than what they hear from the media, lobbyists and corporate interests.

Father Coughlin said some of the most serious discussions he has had with House members came in 2003 during the debate to authorize the U.S. war in Iraq and in February as President Barack Obama’s economic stimulus package was being considered.

In response to a question from Goldman, Father Coughlin said the debates within the Catholic Church over withholding holy Communion from public officials whose votes may be perceived as being against Church teaching were “very upsetting.”

“I talked to members of the hierarchy on that as well as members of the House,” he said. “To them I said I will stay with my people whatever you do. I will be with my people whatever you do.

I will hear them out. I will be with them.”

Students began Catholic Schools Week with a procession marking the beginning of the Pauline Year

March 13, 2009

15

The Anchor

Organization to distribute $1M in grants to U.S. retired religious

KITCHEN MAGICIANS — Women from Espirito Santo Parish in Fall River rose bright and early recently to prepare tasty malassadas for residents of Catholic Memorial Home. After meeting at the parish kitchen at 5:30 a.m., the volunteers, who have a long-time special relationship with CMH residents, prepared and delivered more than 300 of the delectables to the Fall River extended care facility. Not only did they transport them, but also served them to the residents as well. The parish and the home have worked closely together for several years. Many of the generous women who prepared the feast also volunteer to pray the rosary in Portuguese with CMH residents on a weekly basis. Acores Bakery in Fall River donated the ingredients necessary to make the malassadas. Below residents enjoy the sweet treats.

Additional Stations of the Cross listings Certain parishes did not get their weekly Stations of the Cross listing to The Anchor in time for inclusion in last week’s feature article: Corpus Christi, 324 Quaker Meeting House Road, East Sandwich, Fridays at 7 p.m.

Holy Name, 709 Hanover Street, Fall River, Fridays at 7 p.m.

Holy Name of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, 121 Mt. Pleasant Street, New Bedford, Mondays at 7 p.m.

St. Bernard, 32 South Main Street, Assonet, Fridays at 3:30 and 7 p.m.

Holy Family, 370 Middleboro Avenue, East Taunton, Wednesdays at 7 p.m.

WASHINGTON (CNS) — Support Our Aging Religious, a national organization working to help U.S. religious congregations finance the retirement of their elderly and infirm members, will distribute $1 million in grants to 58 religious congregations this year.

Grants ranging from $2,000 to $25,000 are awarded to congregations in need in 24 states and Puerto Rico. The funds are used to help with basic building repairs and safety features needed in the care of the elderly and infirm religious. Funds are primarily used for installing fire alarms and security systems or for replacing boilers, elevators and windows, and renovating rooms for handicapped accessibility.

Board members who reviewed the 2009 grant applications said they noticed more requests for help with basic needs.

A congregation in Puerto Rico, for example, requested assistance with medical bills, food expenses and personal necessities to facilitate the care of six of their infirm Sisters. The Sisters, with a median age of 80, were never compensated for their services during their working life and now in retirement rely on Social Security income, food stamps and the help of benefactors for their basic needs.

A February news release from SOAR noted that although the grants distributed this year are helpful in the short run, the needs

of retired religious continue to escalate, in particular because of the recent loss of returns on investments.

SOAR, based in Washington, raises money through newsletters, videos, direct mailings, the sale of the CD “Sisters in Song,” and gala dinners in Washington, New York and Southern California.

The organization and its fundraising efforts are separate from the annual Retirement Fund for Religious collection administered by the National Religious Retirement Office, which is also in Washington and based at the U.S. bishops’ headquarters.

Despite the financial help these religious communities receive, the problem of underfunded retirement liability for U.S. religious orders persists. The total underfunded retirement liability is estimated at more than $6.8 billion.

The median age of women religious is 70.3 and of men religious is 65.3, according to SOAR, with fewer women and men entering religious life to replenish their ranks and support their elderly members. Meanwhile, the average annual Social Security benefit for all religious was $4,402 in 2007, compared to $12,132 for lay recipients.

The average cost of care for the Sisters, based on 2007 data, was $26,533 for independent living, $42,738 for assisted living and $51,348 for skilled nursing care.

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Youth Pages

16

COLD BODIES, WARM HEARTS — These members of the Senseless Saints Team recently plunged into the icy Atlantic Ocean to raise funds for St. Vincent’s Home in Fall River and other child and youth advocacy programs.

St. Vincent’s Home team had a reason for freezin’

FALL RIVER — On a recent cold winter afternoon, 17 members of St. Vincent’s Home’s Senseless Saints Team plunged into the cold, icy Atlantic Ocean from the Curley Recreation Center in South Boston.

The Team raised nearly $2,800 for programs that benefit children, youth and families, all the while braving the coldest water temperature in their fourth consecutive year of plunging — 33 degrees. The high winds, however, only allowed for a wind chill factor of 42 degrees which was enhanced by the 50-degree air temperature.

The Polar Plunge is orga-

nized by the New England Network for Child, Youth & Family Services, a private, notfor-profit organization working to support and advance child and youth services throughout New England. NEN collaborates to strengthen social services, promote best practices, and respond to emerging policy and practice issues.

The advocacy group supports non-profit human service agencies working with children who have special needs, as well as having suffered from abuse and/ or neglect. A significant amount of the money raised from the Polar Plunge is directed to St. Vincent’s with the remaining

portion going to NEN to sustain their advocacy efforts for important human service work.

This year the Senseless Saints Team blossomed from 13 plungers in 2008 to 17 plungers with several returning members as the core of the Team. They included Scott Steele, Brian Brisson, Jay Douglass, Tom Loftus, Stephanie Costa, Steve Couto, and Jared Hebert.

Newly added to the Team this year were Steven Dutra, Eric Charette, Jen Machado, Samson Awosan, Christopher DesRoches, Shauna Lee Pontes, Christine Linhares, Kyle Linhares, Philip Huynh, and Leah Loftus.

THE RIGHT FIT — First-graders at St. James-St. John School, New Bedford, recently collected used toys as part of the “Land of Misfit Toys” drive from WCTK radio station 98.1.

March 13, 2009

HOT TOPIC — Forty-five Bishop Feehan High School, Attleboro, senior art students got some hands-on glass designing experience at Diablo Glass School in Boston. With the assistance of Elise L’Herault, a 2004 Feehan grad and Diablo instructor, students enjoyed demonstrations in glass blowing, flame working, fused glass, and made their own glass pendants. Here students watch a demonstration in flame working.

WIDE-EYED WONDER — At an Ash Wednesday Mass, preschool student Christopher Pacheco from Espirito Santo School, Fall River, received ashes as a start of the Lenten season.

SCIENCE GUYS AND GALS — SS. Peter and Paul School, Fall River, announced its 2009 Middle Grades Science Fair winners: Patrick McGovern — Third Place, Grade 7; Trevor Bates — Second Place, Grade 7; Charlene Huyler — First Place, Grade 7; Nathan Ganhadeiro — Second Place, Grade 8; Lorenzo Teves — Third Place, Grade 6; Amber Smith — First Place, Grade 6; Sadie Pavao — Second Place, Grade 6; Breeana Baptista — Third Place, Grade 8; and Brandon Costa — First Place, Grade 8.

Youth Pages I’m sorry

March 13, 2009

T

hese are the two most difficult words to speak in the English language: “I’m sorry.” Yet, as children, one of our first prayers we learned, the Act of Contrition, begins with those very words, “Oh, my God, I’m sorry for my sins….”

It takes strength to admit your faults and a courage rooted in faith to say you’re sorry. It feels good knowing that you are forgiven for something you have done wrong; a heavy weight is taken from you — what’s not to feel good about that? But are you as willing to grant forgiveness as you are in receiving it?

One of the youth ministers from my parish recently spoke to a group of young men and women preparing to receive the sacrament of confirmation. In her talk she spoke about being called to forgiveness and to forgive.

With her permission I share with you a part of her story: “I have learned that there is a really big difference between saying that I’m sorry and truly asking somebody for forgiveness. However, true repentance involves a genuine sorrow for the hurt we have caused and an

intention to change. Everybody and hated myself. I was really at one point in time needs to be depressed and didn’t even want forgiven. But in order for us to to live at times. I envied everybe forgiven by others we also body that was happy. For years, need to forgive. Jesus, during I never went to confession. I his own crucifixion, asked his barely went to church and was Father to forgive those who not active in my parish. I was were crucifying him because mad at God because I was being they didn’t know what they were doing. I think about that a lot because here is Jesus, who is dying a painful death, asking his Father to forgive the people who

By Ozzie Pacheco are killing him.

“There was a time in my life I had to forgive somebody. It was very hard. It hurt over and over again. took a long time before I could “While on retreat, I finally do it. But, during a retreat, I decided that it was time to let realized that by letting go and God in my life so that the hurt putting my burdens into God’s would stop. We were given the hands and forgiving that peropportunity to go to confession. son, would stop the hurt I felt. I I hesitated for a moment bewas in an abusive relationship. cause I thought that I would be Nothing good came from that too embarrassed to go in front relationship, and, when it was of a priest and tell him all my finally over, I had no self-esteem faults. It’s hard enough admitand was a negative and hurtful ting your faults, but confessperson. I now know that I was ing them to a priest was even being hurtful to others so that more difficult. But I went. And they could feel as bad as I was it was such a good experience. feeling. I lived a secluded life The priest actually talked to me

Be Not Afraid

Pope asks young people to be witnesses of hope

By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service

VATICAN CITY —- Even as the global economic crisis makes it more difficult to find a job and start a family, young Catholics are called to hold firmly to their faith in Jesus and be witnesses of hope to their peers, Pope Benedict XVI said.

“True Christians are never sad, even if they have to face trials of various kinds, because the presence of Jesus is the secret of their joy and peace,” the pope told the world’s young Catholics.

In his message for World Youth Day 2009, which will be celebrated in most dioceses on Palm Sunday, April 5, the pope asked young people to anchor the enthusiasm of their age in the firm hope that comes from a relationship with Christ.

The theme the pope chose for the 2009 celebration was from St. Paul’s First Letter to Timothy: “We have set our hope on the living God.” Everyone is looking for hope, “especially in these times,” the pope said in the message.

Christians, who know that true and lasting hope can come only from God, have an obligation to live as beacons of hope for others, he said.

“Experience shows that personal qualities and material goods are not enough to guarantee the hope which the human spirit is constantly seeking,” the pope said.

Societies where God is denied or ignored are societies full of people who are violent, lonely and paralyzed by fear for the future, he said.

Being young is supposed to be a special time of hope, a time of enthusiastic planning and preparing for the future, he said, but in cultures where there are “few certainties, values or firm points of reference,” young people can feel overwhelmed and too many of them seek escape through drugs and alcohol.

But even those who have gone astray continue to long for “true love and authentic happiness,” which can only be found in God, who is love, he said.

“The living God is the risen Christ present in our world. He is the true hope: the Christ who lives with us and in us and who calls us to share in his eternal life,” the pope told young people.

“If we are not alone, if he is with us, even more, if he is our present and our future, why be afraid?” the pope asked.

Pope Benedict told young people that the way to encounter Jesus and deepen a relationship with him is to pray alone, with other young people and with the Catholic community gathered for the Eucharist.

Those who find their sustenance in Christ and live a close relationship with him cannot resist speaking about him and making him known to others, the pope said.

The pope told young people, “Be his faithful disciples and in this way you will be able to help form Christian communities that are filled with love.”

Pope Benedict also urged young people to be patient as they spread the Gospel and not to be discouraged when they are faced with trials.

“Make choices that demonstrate your faith. Show that you understand the risk of idolizing money, material goods, career and success, and do not allow yourselves to be attracted by these false illusions,” he said.

The pope also urged them to “cultivate love of neighbor” by placing their time and talents at the service of the common good.

With prayer, perseverance and service, he said, young Catholics will be “credible witnesses of Christian hope.”

17 and gave me advice. I felt so good that I felt clean and free. I realized my hurt came from not letting God be a part of my life.

“When I think of God’s healing presence that day in my life I am reminded of a poem called ‘Healed and Whole,’ by Carol Parrott: One day I dug a little hole and put my hurt inside, I thought that I could just forget, I’d put it there to hide.

But that little hurt began to grow, I covered it every day, I couldn’t leave it and go on, it seemed the price I had to pay.

My joy was gone, my heart was sad, pain was all I knew, My wounded soul enveloped me, loving seemed too hard to do.

One day, while standing by my hole, I cried to God above, ‘Are You really there? They say, You’re a God of Love!’

And just like that — He was right there and just put his arms around me He wiped my tears, his hurting child, there was no safer

place to be.

I told him all about my hurt, I opened up my heart, He listened to each and every word, to every sordid part.

I dug down deep and got my hurt out; I brushed the dirt away, And placed it in the Master’s hand, and healing came that day.

He took the blackness out of my soul, and set my spirit free, Something beautiful began to grow where the hurt used to be.

And when I look at what has grown, out of my tears and pain I remember, Every day to give my hurts to Him and never bury them again.”

Even though we are all born with the tendency to sin, we can make the right choices not to. But if we do, we can always count on God’s healing presence by simply saying “I’m sorry.”

Remember, for our sins to be forgiven, all our God asks of us is a contrite and humbled heart.

He will never reject that.

God bless.

Ozzie Pacheco is Faith Formation director at Santo Christo Parish, Fall River.

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

March 13, 2009

Fifth annual Boston Catholic Men’s Conference is April 18 continued from page one

worship with confession, adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, and a closing Mass celebrated by Cardinal O’Malley.

“It’s just a great opportunity to get together and share my faith with other Catholic men,” said John Gregorek of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish in Seekonk, who has attended past conferences and is looking forward to returning this year.

“The opportunities are few and far between for men to express their faith together,” he said. “The speakers are a big part of it, but it’s the whole experience including celebrating Mass with Cardinal Sean O’Malley and attending confession. It’s sort of a call to action for Catholic men to take positions of responsibility in the family and in society.”

Marty Doyle, also a parishioner of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, has faithfully attended the conference every year since its inception and was single-handedly responsible for bringing 150 men — the largest number from any one parish — to that first year event. Still

a month away, he already has approximately 40 signed up for his annual bus excursion into Boston that includes the praying of the rosary en route.

“The biggest thing I really enjoy is the chance to be with many other Catholic men and spend the day with them,” Doyle said. “I enjoy the idea of getting a group of men together on a nice spring day to think about God and contemplate his love for them instead of working around the house or doing something else.”

“It’s great to attend a conference where you’re surrounded by 3,000-plus Catholic men, all sharing the same faith and belief,” agreed Edwin Aldorando of St. Kilian’s Parish in New Bedford. “It’s even better to listen to the speakers and hear what they have to say: it’s one way of God communicating with us.”

In addition to listening to scheduled speakers and celebrating the sacraments, the event also includes an opportunity for attendees to simply share in each other’s company and discuss their faith.

“There’s so much to see and so many people to talk to,” Aldorando said. “At St. Kilian’s Parish, we don’t only invite adults to attend, but also those who have just been confirmed in the hope of getting them ready as they continue growing in their faith.”

Fellow St. Kilian’s parishioner Ervin Ramos actually brought his 12-year-old son to the conference for the first time last year and this year he’s taking him back along with two of his older nephews.

“Last year I was able to take my son with me — he’s going to be 13 this year,” Ramos said. “I wanted him to have the experience and introduce him to a new way of seeing the Church and learning from different people.

He thought it was great. This year I’m also going to be bringing my two nephews. They’re all teen-agers and it should help them out tremendously.”

Describing his first conference back in 2006 as “an eye-opening, unbelievable experience,” Ramos said it’s a great way to share in the faith with other Catholics outside the context of weekly Mass.

“There are always different experiences that you have when you go to a conference,” he said.

“The enthusiasm of hearing different people talk about their own experience with God and their religion and Church just

motivates and energizes me and my whole family.”

Gregorek likened the conference to a mini-retreat but said what sets this one apart from others is the caliber of the speakers involved.

“They’re all fantastic speakers — whether it’s a priest speaking on vocations or hearing laypeople offering a witness to their faith; they’re all from different backgrounds but with the same message,” Gregorek said. “They all bring a great gift of faith to the day.”

“They’re always class-A speakers,” Aldorando agreed, noting that past standouts have included popular EWTN person-

MESSAGE FOR MEN — Actor Jim Caviezel, who played Jesus in Mel Gibson’s “The Passion of the Christ” and is seen here speaking during last year’s Rosary Bowl in California, will be returning to speak at the Boston Catholic Men’s Conference next month at Boston College. Caviezel previously spoke at Boston’s inaugural conference in 2005. (CNS photo/Tim Rue)

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ality Father John Corapi and the aforementioned Jim Caviezel.

“Jim Caviezel is not a professional speaker and he does not prepare his speech, but he prays and fasts beforehand,” said Doyle, who first heard the actor speak in 2005. “But his witness is just unbelievable and it gives us all an example of how to live our lives and follow Christ.”

“For the price, for everything the conference has to offer, it’s definitely worth it,” Aldorando said. “I would say it’s an opportunity for anyone and to just jump on the bus and just go.”

For more information about the conference, visit www. catholicboston.com.

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New Bedford parish to host adoration vigil March 20-21

NEW BEDFORD — The Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration Program at Our Lady’s Chapel will host a Lenten eucharistic adoration vigil at St. Joseph-St. Therese Church.

PEA Program members in conjunction with the parish, will be present for the vigil beginning March 20, at 7 p.m.

The event will end on March 21 at 3:30 p.m., just before the Saturday night vigil Mass.

Magnificat Magazine editor to speak at Attleboro parish

ATTLEBORO — The St. Joseph’s Eucharistic Adoration Society has announced that Father Peter Cameron O.P., editor in chief of Magnificat Magazine will be at St. Joseph’s Church in Attleboro March 28.

He will speak on eucharistic adoration following a breakfast at 9:45 a.m. For information call 1-401-864-8539.

March 13, 2009

Around the Diocese Eucharistic Adoration: Eucharistic Adoration ACUSHNET — Eucharistic adoration takes place at St. Francis Xavier Church, 125 Main Street, Mondays from 9 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., ending with evening prayer and Benediction.

NEW BEDFORD — Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament takes place at St. Joseph-St. Therese Church, 51 Duncan Street, Mondays following the 8:30 a.m.

Mass until 1:30 p.m. For more information call 508-995-2354.

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.

TAUNTON — Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament takes place every First Friday at Annunciation of the Lord Church, 31 First Street, immediately following the 8 a.m. Mass and continues throughout the day. Confessions are heard from 5:15 to 6:15 p.m., concluding with recitation of the rosary and Benediction at 6:30 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.

WEST HARWICH — Our Lady of Life Perpetual Adoration Chapel at Holy Trinity Parish, 246 Main Street, holds perpetual eucharistic adoration. For open hours, or to sign up call 508-430-4716.

Miscellaneous Miscellaneous: ATTLEBORO — The 40 Days for Life Pro-Life campaign invites people throughout the diocese to join in 40 days of prayer and fasting for an end to abortion.

A peaceful vigil will take place outside a local abortion clinic, 150 Emory Street through April 5. Those interested in participating or for further information can contact Steve Marcotte at 508-406-1211 or visit www.40daysforlife.com/attleboro.

BREWSTER — The Lazarus Ministry of Our Lady of the Cape Parish, 468 Stony Brook Road, will be conducting a bereavement program beginning April 17 through May 22. “Come Walk With Me” is a six-session program for people who have experienced the death of a loved one. Sessions will be held from 6:30 to 8 p.m. The program is open to members of all faiths. Pre-registration is required by calling 508-385-3252 or 508-394-0616.

EASTON — A Holy Week retreat featuring the new film, “Rosary Stars: Praying the Gospel,” will be offered at the Father Peyton Center, 518 Washington Street on April 6, 7 and 8 beginning at 11 a.m. The film features meditations and inspiring reflections by contemporary film and sports personalities with the rosary led by a rosary star. Mass will follow at 12 p.m. For more information, call 508-2384095.

EAST FREETOWN — The St. John Neumann Women’s Guild will sponsor its annual Antique and Collectible Sale at the St. John Neumann Parish Barn, Route 18 (Middleboro Road), next to Cathedral Camp, tomorrow from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Snow date is March 21. Admission is free.

NEW BEDFORD — St. Mary’s Church is having a Stations of the Cross service March 23 at 7 p.m. This presentation views the Stations from the perspective of our Blessed Mother.

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The Anchor Sister Emmanuel A. Cabral DHS; was teacher in Fall River Diocese

PUTNAM, Conn. — Daughters of the Holy Spirit Sister Emmanuel Alexandrinha Cabral, 87, who served as an educator for most of her religious life, died February 23 at Day Kimball Hospital. She had been in residence at the Holy Spirit Provincial House in Putnam since 2003.

Born in Fall River, Mass., the daughter of the late Manuel and the late Alexandrinha (Paiva)

Cabral, she entered religious life in 1953 and made profession on April 13, 1955.

She earned a bachelor’s degree from Diocesan Sisters’ College and taught at schools in Connecticut and locally at St. Anthony’s School in Fall River. In 1994 she became involved with Basic Education of Lifelong Learning in Fall River until 2002 when she retired to St. Clare Convent in Newport, R.I.

She leaves three sisters, Mary Souza and Noemia Ray of Somerset, Mass., and Dolores Souza of Fall River; a brother, Manuel Cabral of Somerset, Mass.; and nieces and nephews, grandnieces and grandnephews.

Her Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated February 26 in Putnam’s provincial house. Burial was in St. Mary Cemetery in Putnam.

WASHINGTON (CNS) — The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has launched a campaign to send emails with a Pro-Life message to members of Congress.

The campaign supplements the national postcard campaign begun in dioceses throughout the country in late January. Efforts are being coordinated through the Washington-based National Committee for a Human Life Amendment.

“Tens of millions of cards have been distributed in parishes, schools, non-Catholic churches and civic organizations across the country,” said Deirdre A. McQuade, assistant director for policy and communications at the USCCB Secretariat of Pro-Life Activities, in a news release.

“The email campaign will give even more citizens the

chance to participate,” she added.

The emails, which can be sent from the USCCB’s Website at www.usccb.org/postcard, contain the same message as the postcards.

“At this time of serious national challenges, Americans should unite to serve the good of all, born and unborn,” they say, urging members of Congress to oppose the Freedom of Choice Act “or any similar measure” and to “retain existing laws

against funding and promotion of abortion.”

“It is especially important that Congress retain these laws in the various appropriations bills, e.g., the Hyde amendment in the Labor/Health and Human Services appropriations bill,” the postcards and emails add.

McQuade said “our voice is needed now more than ever” in order to “guard against the erosion of current pro-life measures and to keep abortion from becoming a federal entitlement.”

National Pro-Life postcard campaign to be supplemented by emails

NEW BEDFORD — St. Kilian’s Parish, 306 Ashley Boulevard, will be showing the following movies during Lent: “The Song of Bernadette” Sunday, “Bella” on March 22, “Padre Pio” on March 29, and “St. Rita” on April 5. All showings begin at 2:30 p.m., sponsored by the St. Kilian Youth Group. Admission is free.

In Your Prayers

NEW BEDFORD — The Daughters of Isabella will have its monthly meeting March 17 at 7 p.m. at the Holy Name of the Sacred Heart of Jesus Church, 121 Mount Pleasant Street. The monthly business meeting will follow a Lenten presentation by Father Oliveira. Please bring donations of books which are suitable for children. For more information and membership, contact Elizabeth Almeida at 508-728-9483.

March 16 Rev. Francis J. Maloney. S.T.L., Pastor, St. Mary, North Attleboro, 1957 Rev. Thomas J. Tobin, C.S.C., 2006

NEW BEDFORD — St. Kilian’s Church, 306 Ashley Boulevard, will host a Lenten Reconciliation Retreat March 21 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. There will be talks, Q&A, meditations, a time for silent prayer, rosary, confession throughout the day, exposition of the Blessed Sacrament and Benediction. Bring your own lunch.

NORTH DARTMOUTH — The Friendly Sons of St. Patrick would like to invite the community to join them for Mass at St. Julie Billiart Parish, 494 Slocum Road, tomorrow at 9 a.m. Principal celebrant will be Father Brian Harrington and music will be provided at 8:30 a.m. by Sgt. Dan Clark and wife Mary Colarusso. For information, call 508-999-5409.

SOUTH ATTLEBORO — “The Beckoning,” a Lenten series, will take place each Wednesday during Lent through April 4 at 6 p.m. in St. Theresa of the Child Jesus Church, 18 Baltic Street. Anna Rae-Kelly will be the presenter. The series is free and open to the public and will be followed by Mass at 7 p.m. For more information call 508-761-8111 or visit www.annaprae.com.

SWANSEA — St. Louis de France Parish, 56 Buffington Street, will host weekly Centering Prayer gatherings using a Lectio Divina format. The group will meet in the Family Room of the main church at 6:15 p.m., every Wednesday in Lent, through April 8. Prayer begins at 6:30. For more information, contact Charles R. Demers at forums8799@mypacks.net or 508-264-5823.

TAUNTON — The faith community of St. Andrew the Apostle Parish, 261 Tremont Street, prays the Stations of the Cross every Friday during Lent at 6:30 p.m.

WAREHAM — The Cape and Islands Deanery Prayer Group will hold a Day of Recollection March 19 at 8:45 a.m. at the Sacred Hearts Retreat Center, 226 Great Neck Road. Father William F. Petrie, SSCC, provincial of the Congregation will be the presenter. The day will conclude with exposition of the Blessed Sacrament and Mass at 3 p.m. For information call 508-759-2737.

Pro-Life ATTLEBORO — Concerned faithful are needed to pray the rosary outside Four Women, Inc., an abortion clinic at 150 Emory Street, Thursdays from 3-4 p.m., or 4-5 p.m. and Saturdays from 7:30-8:30 a.m. For information call 508-238-5743.

Please pray for these priests during the coming weeks

March 17 Rev. Henry R. Creighton, SS.CC., Damien Residence, 2004 Permanent Deacon Michael F. Murray, St. Pius X Parish, South Yarmouth, 2008 March 18 Rev. Robert D. Forand, C.P., West Hartford, Conn., 1989 March 19 Rev. John J. McQuaide, Assistant, St. Mary, Taunton, 1905 March 20 Rev. Francis A. Mrozinski, Pastor, St. Hedwig, New Bedford, 1951 March 22 Rev. Joseph A. Martins, Assistant, St. John the Baptist, New Bedford, 1940 Rev. James T. Keefe, SS.CC., Chaplain, U.S. Army, 2003 Rev. Peter M. Donoghue, C.S.C., Former Dean at Stonehill College, 2008

Taunton Lenten Mission is March 22-25

TAUNTON — The Catholic churches in the Taunton area will host their annual Lenten mission March 22 through March 25.

Each evening the mission will be held at 7 o’clock at St. Anthony’s Church, 126 School Street, Taunton. The mission will consist of the following: Sunday evening will have adoration of the Blessed Sacrament along with Evening Prayer and a reflection on “Conversion: An Experience of Disorientation.”

Monday and Tuesday evenings will have Mass with the reflection, “Communion: Life in the Power of the Spirit” (on Monday) and “Cross: Mystery of Self-Emptying Love” (on Tuesday). It will conclude on Wednesday with a penance service and a reflection on “Church: Fellowship and Fullness of Life in the Body of Christ.”

On Wednesday, after the penance service, refreshments will be provided in the hall.

The mission reflections will be given by Father Thomas P. Looney, a priest of the Congregation of Holy Cross, who is currently the vice president for Mission at Stonehill College.

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The Anchor

LOBBYING LESSONS — Students from Bishop Stang High School, North Dartmouth, were among the 110 participants at a recent Legislative Lobbying Day held at Corpus Christi Parish in East Sandwich.

Diocesan faithful get lobbying tips at workshop continued from page one

“You may go into a meeting alone, but have back-up,” Doherty said. “Have lots of people calling on the same issue.”

Approximately 110 participants, including a group from Bishop Stang High School in North Dartmouth, attended the seminar at Corpus Christi Parish.

The students’ main concern was advancing the Pro-Life cause.

“I’ve tried emails and petitions and haven’t gotten too far,” said senior Jake Denney. “This workshop’s shown me better ways to dialogue with officials — basically how to kill them with kindness!”

“It’s wonderful to hear of ways we can help to defend the unborn by our first-hand involvement,” said Philip Dufour, a junior.

“It was helpful to learn about dressing professionally for a meeting, too,” added Freshman Kirby Roberts. “No jeans or sneakers — dress like you’re going on a job interview.”

Meetings can be brief, speakers said, so it’s important for citizens to make important points quickly.

Additional reading material can be left with your contact information and you should ask the official to let you know how he or she intends to vote.

Stang theology teacher Kathy Wrobel said she hopes area representatives will accept an invitation to speak on political involvement to the whole student body in the future.

In addition to Rep. Perry and

Doherty, visiting speakers included Monica Mullen, an aide to Senate President Therese Murray and Bethany Toye, an aid to Rep. Vinny deMacedo of Plymouth.

One audience participant voiced the frustration of many in noting the public has almost no advance notice of what bills the House and Senate are considering.

That’s why getting active in grassroots groups like Catholic Citizenship and CCFLA can help the average citizen, speakers said.

CCFLA chairwoman Patricia Stebbins explained how she became politically involved. “A couple of decades ago I began to notice significant differences in the philosophies of the two major political parties. I also began to notice that, here in Massachusetts, we have pretty much a one party system,” she said.

Stebbins did some research and found “the results of ‘life tenure’ for legislators had led to increasing indifference to constituents; unhealthy alliances with special interest groups and corruption. Believing that ‘silence is consent,’” she said, “I resolved to participate in government by working for candidates, making phone calls, sending emails and speaking out on issues that are important to me.”

Bea Martins, associate field director for Catholic Citizenship in the Fall River Diocese, said her political involvement began with the 2003 Massachusetts Goodridge court decision legally redefining

March 13, 2009

marriage.

“I knew at that point if samesex marriage was now legal, the next step would be to teach this to our children in the public schools as a normal alternative. I empathize with those who struggle with same-sex attraction, but as with any addiction, whether it be obesity, drugs, alcohol, we love the individuals but don’t condone their actions as being good or normal for society.”

Martins said her most effective meetings with lawmakers have been ones where she could share information to help them understand an issue better.

“For example, with the HPV

vaccine, I was able to share an article by one of the lead researchers on the project,” she said. “The researcher explained that while she supported the value of the vaccine, it had never been tested on anyone younger than 18, so she could not support the hype to mandate all girls taking the vaccine at younger ages.”

Catholic Citizenship Executive Director Victor Pap reminded the audience, “Numbers do matter. It won’t be just one thing that changes the mind of a representative who’s in the middle on an issue,” he said. “It has to be a comprehensive effort. Network with friends in other districts to get more people

involved.”

Writing letters to the editor can reach thousands, speakers pointed out. The message should be brief, easy to understand and focus on one issue. Also, “viral advertising,” enlisting the help of others through emails, can be quick and effective.

Pap said he’s willing to speak directly with parish groups seeking to become more politically involved. Contact him at info@ catholic-citizenship.org.

CCFLA meets monthly at St. Pius X Parish in South Yarmouth.

Call Patricia Stebbins at 508-8338432 or email capecodFLA@ comcast.net.

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