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"The Risen Savior Shines Upon You" Dearly Beloved in Christ, The Paschal Candle is lighted during the Easter Vigil Service and carried into the darkened church. "Christ, our light," we sing, recognizing in this liturgical symbol the brightness and the warmth of the Risen Savior. One by one, candles held by clergy and faithful in attendance are lit from the Paschal Candle, until the church is ablaze with light, and the procession moves to the sanctuary for the celebration of the Easter Vigil Mass. This procedure graphically dramatizes the spread of grace through the ranks of God's people, the brightness and the warmth of Christ touching the hearts and souls, the minds and the wills of His redeemed people. "Rejoice," the liturgy tells us, "Exult in glory! The Risen Savior shines upon you!"
stems and flows from our conviction, firmly rooted in Fa'ith, that because Christ has, indeed, risen, life is for each of us and for all of us qualitatively and quantitatively different: we are redeemed, we are saved! "May the light of Christ, rising in glory, dispel the darkness of our hearts and minds." I I send you all sincere and prayerful good wishes for a full measure of God's choice blessings and rich blessings on this beautiful Easter Feast. Devotedly yours in Christ,
The call to Easter joy, the wish of "Happy and Blessed Easter," is, as our Holy Father Pope Paul tells us, no hollow convention. It
The ANCHOR An Anchor 01 the Soul, Sure and Flrm-St. Paul
Fall River, Mass., Thursday, Mar. 27, 1975 Vol. 19, No. 13 漏 1975 The Anchor $5.D::~;Ey~:~
Bishops' Principal Topic Catechetical Directory WASHINGTON (NC) - The More than 60,000 persons atNational Catechetical Directory tended meetings on the Direc-general norms and guidelines _ tory held in late 1973 and early for teaching religion to U. S. 1974 during the first preliminary Catholics-will be the principal consultation. Over 17,400 rectopic to be discussed at the ommendations were received spring regional meetings of the from approximately 32,000 perNational Conference of Catholic sons. Bishops (NCCB). Even wider participation is exThe bishops' regional meet路 Turn to Page Two ings will be held in 12 locations throughout the country from mid-April to early May, 1975. The Catechetical Directory is intended especially for parents, religious educators and catechists, priests and deacons, pub路 lishers and authors of catechetical materials. The U. S. bishops first commissioned the project, as well as a multi-phase consultation plan for its development, in 1972. In the three years since the project began, the Directory has been the subject of the largest consultation ever held in the history of the Catholic Church in this country.
Bishop of Fall River .
See Easter Collection Vital To Religious Communities This year's special Easter Col- hers. Virtually all the communilection, taken up in all the ties are making provision for churches and chapels of the Di- funded, sound programs for the ocese, will be the final phase aged and sickly member-so and the of a two-year program whereby .. contribution made by the Diocese such proceeds wi'll be used to was heartily welcomed a year ago. fund a spedal contribution by Grateful for the generous rethe Diocese to each community of religious sisters and brothers engaged in the Diocesan apostolates. The Chancery announced that The Great Sacred Triduum befunds from this year's Easter gins tonight in all the churches Collection would enable the Di- and chapels of the Diocese and ocese to complete the payment of the world. Christians will reof $150,000 pledged in 1974 to live Christ's life, death and resthe communities concerned. urrection in the Church's most A pledge was then made to solemn rites and ceremonies. the communities by the Diocese The Lord's Supper will open of Fall River specifkally to as- the rites as it did for Christ and sist religious congregations in the Apostles some 2,000 years providing for the aged and in- ago in Jerusalem. firm members. The institution of the EuchaEaster of 1974 permitted the r'ist within the Jewish Pasch Diocese to distribute a total of Rite not only commemorates $75;000 to the provincia,l supe- ,the all prov,iding life of Christ r'iors of communities of sisters but continues it down through and brothers who are repre- every age, every place, every sented within the diocese. individual life as Christ's inSuch aid brought relief to the tended presence becomes, the religious congregations, bur- essential food for every Chrisdened with concern for the wel- tian everywhere and :for all fare of elderly and infirm mem- time.
Triduum Begins .Tonight
TV Mass Most Rev. Daniel A. Cronin, S.T.D., Bishop of the Diocese of Fall River, will celebrate a Mass for shut-ins to bring them the joys of Easter, on WfEV, Channel 6, New Bedford at 8:45 Sunday morning.
sponse of the faithful to the plea made last Easter, Bishop Daniel A. Cronin, S.T.D., Bishop of Fall River, stated,. "I have no doubt that a generous distribution this year will be received with equal enthusiasm."
BLESSING OF PALMS: Most Rev. Daniel A. Cronin, S.T.D., Bishop of Fall River, opened the solemn celebrations of Holy Week with the blessing of palms for the Passion Sunday ceremonies. Assisting the Bishop were: Rev. Msgr. John J. Regan, Rector of the Cathedral; Rev. Msgr. Thomas J. Harrington, Diocesan Chancellor; Rev. Mr. Richard Roy, Deacon; Rev. Barry W. Wall, Assistant at the Cathedral; Rev. John J. Oliveira, Secretary to the Bishop.
The Catholic celebration of the Last Supper is not only an historical commemoration of Christ's expression of love and concern for his disciples. It is a more solemn and grateful offering of that Sacrifice that is repeated daily throughout the world's cathedrals, churches and chapels. The importance of Christ's presence' is again symbolized in the procession that will bring the Blessed Sacrament to a repository. The reminder of the tragic cross of Good Friday can only be disheartening and terrifying without the living presence of Christ. On Good Friday, the ritual sacrifice of the Last Supper becomes a very human offering of life as the picture of the crucified Christ tells of God's love and concern for man. Turn to Page Two
Bishop Homilist At Profession Of Carmelite Most Rev. Daniel A. Cronin, S.T.D., Bishop of the Diocese of Fall River will be the principal celebrant and homilist at the concelebrated Mass to be offered at 6 o'clock on Tuesday evening, April 8 at the Solemn Profession and Veiling ceremony of Sr. Maria Bernarda of the Holy Spirit in the Monastery of Discalced Carmelites on Sol-E-Mar Road, So. Dartmouth. Sr. Maria Bernarda, who is 28 years of age and a native of Cuba, came to the United States in 1961. She entered the Carmelite community in 1970, after receiving her Master's degree in Spanish literature from St. John's University, Jamaica, N.Y.