t eanc 0 VOL. 42, NO. 12 •
Friday, Marc.h 20, 1998
FALL RIVER DIOCESAN NEWSPAPER FOR SOUTHEAST MASSACHUSETTS CAPE COD & THE ISLANDS
FALL RIVER, MASS.
Southeastern Massachusetts' Largest Weekly
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$14 Per Year
Catholic Relief Services officials visit Fall River are in need regardless of race, ethnicity or religion. While the agency initially worked in Europe in the aftermath of World War II, providing for rebuildBy JAMES N. DUNBAR ing of society FALL RIVER-As Catholic Relief Ser- by way of vices reflects on its dual task of continuing immigration to provide assistance to the disadvantaged and resettleworldwide as well as fulfilling its Gospel ment after mandate and the social teachings of the years of war, Catholic Church, it is reassessing the work the next sevit does, said Kenneth F. Hackett, executive eral decades found it director of CRS. Hackett, along with Father George growing and Brubaker, CRS' director of Church Affairs, evolving. 55 met with Now, FATHER GEORGE Bishop Sean years later, it BRUBAKER P. O'Malley provides ason March 12 . sistance to millions of people in more than to give him 80 countries around the world and has an an update on annual operating budget of nearly $250 miltheCRS pro- lion. "Wt:- are continuing to grow and spread ·grams. Bishop and serve as the mechanism of the Catholic O'Malley is Church in America reaching out in solidarboard ity, generosity and compassion to people in a member of needy countries around the world," said Hackett. A native of West Roxbury and a CRS. In an in- former veteran member of the Peace Corps, terview with he has served CRS in Africa and Asia for 26 The Anchor, years and as executive director since July 1993. KENNETH F. HACKETT Hackett and In January, Hackett visited Cuba with Father Brubaker talked about the key elements of Cardinal William Keeler of Baltimore. The their work - to develop structures and insti- purpose of the visit was to deliver $200,000 tutions that meet people's basic needs, to worth of medicine and vitamins to the Curespect the sanctity of life and to honor hu- ban bishops in anticipation of the visit of Pope John Paul II. In November 1997, he man dignity. They also talked about a new assistance led an interfaith delegation to North Korca program that includes reconciliation among to assess conditions in that troubled country. warring groups. CRS was founded in 1943 by the U.S. Turn to page 5 - CRS Catholic bishops to reach out to those who
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NEWLY ARRIVED Sisters of Mercy gather for a photograph outside St. Joseph Convent in New Bedford in 1892.
Sisters ofMercy to observe anniversary in diocese the Diocese of Providence was established. The cities of Fall River, New Bedford, Taunton and the communities of Cape Cod became part of that diocese. The' first sisters came from Providence to New Bedford on March 19, 1873, at the request of Father Lawrence McMahon, pastor This is thejirst in a two-part series on the of St. Lawrence Church, to establish a Cathohistory ofthe Sisters ofMercy in the Fall River lic hospital to be known as St. Joseph HospiDiocese. tal. There was no hospital in the Whaling City at that time. Not only were the residents' By SISTER CATHERINE FELTON RSM medical needs to be met, but also those of ARCHIVIST FOR THE REGIONAL COMMUNITY the seamen coming in on ships, especially OF THE SISTERS OF MERCY the whaling ships. Father McMahon purchased a three-story FALL RIVER-In the musical "The Fiddler on the Roof," the principal character, building, later known as St. Lawrence ConTevya, in the song, "Tradition," makes it clear vent, admirably suited for hospital purposes. that one needs to know where he came from The doctors and people of New Bedford were delighted. Physicians offered their services if he is to know where he is going. Nothing could be more important to the free as well as instruments and drugs. They Sisters of Mercy as they prepare to celebrate inaugurated a financial drive to raise funds their devotion and service to the Fall River for the facility on April 14, 1873. When the hospital opened in June, 1873, Diocese, as well as plan for the millennium' the first superior was Sister M. Borgia Douyear and a future of continued service. When the Sisters of Mercy came to Provi- glas. The sisters who came as nurses included dence, R.I., in 1851, the city was part of the Sisters M. de Pazzi Tobin, Gonzaga Norman, Hartford, Conn., diocese. The bishop of Hart- Matthias Riordan, Wilfrid Furlong and ford resided in Providence because it had a Louise Carr. The hospital prospered from the start. For greater number of Catholics than had Hartford. At the time, there were only six priests support, funds were realized from an annual fair, from fees paid by the Marine Hospital to serve the few parishes. Sister Frances Warde began her ministry Servic(~ of the U.S. for the care and mainte.. in Providence by taking over the schools that nance of sick and disabled foreign seamen, had been established in the parishes of the and from fees paid by local patients. No one Cathedral of SS. Petcr and Paul and St. paid more than $7 a week for board, care and Patrick Church. She also was the adminis- medicine. In 1884, St. Luke's Hospital was opened. trator of St. Mary School in Pawtucket and St. Mary School in Newport. The following St. Joseph's Hospital was closed becaus(: year, Sister Warde sent sisters to Hartford and there was a great demand for school teach.. ers at the time, and the sisters took up that New Haven. What is now the Diol:ese of Fall River was duty. Tum to page 5 - Mercy part of the Boston diocese until 1872, when
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Celebrations in April will mark the 125th anniversary of the nuns'arrival to serve the needs of area communities.
Diocese praised for its generosity in annual appeals as well as Lent's Operation Rice Bowl.
National plan set to foster strong marriages By MARK PATTISON CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE
WASHINGTON -A plan to keep good marriages from going bad, and to stop bad marriages before they start, wilI soon be going nationwide. Backers of the plan, called Marriage Savers, say the program has found homes in 80 cities in 32 states, and point to dramatic reductions in divorce rates in cities where the program has been implemented. Journalist and author Mike McManus, a Presbyterian layman who founded Marriage Savers with his wife Harriet, said at a March 12 press conference in Washington that the Catholic Church has been a leader in marriage preparation programs that other churches could emulate. McManus singled out the six-month -
or longer - preparation period required in U.S. dioceses, plus the Engaged Encounter, Marriage Encounter and RetrouvailIe programs offered by Catholic dioceses and parishes nationwide. Premarital inventory questionnaires are used before about only 10 percent of alI marriages, McManus said, yet the "Prepare" questionnaire has an 80 percent accuracy rate at predicting divorce. "Too many churches are blessing machines," McManus said, but "beller a broken engagement than a broken marriage." Divorce is a "silent kilIer," bringing about greater consequences than families split apart, McManus said. Children of divorce are five times more likely to commit Turn to page 2 -
Marriage