t eanc 0 VOL. 44, NO. 13 • Friday, March 31, 2000
FALL RIVER DIOCESAN NEWSPAPER FOR SOUTHEAST MASSACHUSETTS CAPE COD & THE ISLANDS Southeastern Massachusetts' Largest Weekly • $14 Per Year
FALL RIVER, MASS.
Pope ends historic sojourn ~
The weeklong . pilgrimage to the Holy Land found Pope . John Paul" walking in the footsteps ofJesus Christ.
overtures to other religions and other Christian churches, he brought energy to his own personal prayers at churches marking the site of the Angel Gabriel's annunciation to Mary in Nazareth, Jesus' birth in Bethlehem and, especially, Jesus'· By CATHOUC NEWS SERVICE death in Jerusalem. In fact, instead of resting beJERUSALEM - With slow but determined steps, Pope John fore going to the airport, .the Paul II made his long-desired pope returned to the Church of pilgrimage to the Holy Land, the Holy Sepulcher to pray at preaching peace and reconcilia- what is believed to be the site of tion among the region's peoples Jesus' crucifixion, death and resurrection. and religions. The pope brought the same inFrom the heights of Mount Nebo in Jordan to the shores of tensity of prayer with him the Sea of Galilee in Israel, the March 26 to Jerusalem's West: pope visited holy sites of the Old ern Wall, the holiest site of Juand New Testaments, making daism. The stooped pontiff stood and . dramatic gestures of respect for Jews and Muslims and pleading placed his trembling hand upon the massive stone blocks of the for the unity of Christians. Walking carefully through a 2,000-year-old wall, as Jews have minefield of political sensitivi- done for centuries. As is the Jewties, Pope John Paul also urged ish practice, he left a prayer writa renewed commitment to the ten on a piece of paper in a crevMiddle East peace process, guar- ice between the stones. The prayer· was the same he anteeing the security of Israel but also satisfying the Palestinians' recited earlier in the month at the Vatican, asking God's forgiveright to a homeland. The March 20-26 trip culmi- ness for Christians who have POPE JOHN PAUL II places a prayer into a crevice in the stones of the Western nated in Jerusalem with visits to "caused these children of yours Wall during his visit to Judaism's holiest site in Jerusalem. The pope prayed at the wall the city's holiest Muslim, Jew- to suffer." The prayer was to be put onodisplay at the museum at for a few minutes on the final day of his pilgrimage to the Holy Land. (CNS photo from ish and Christian sites. Turn to page J3 - Sojourn While at every step he made Reuters)
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Eucharistic Congress speakers anno~nced ~
Congress events diocese and is planned as the .begin June 18 across centerpiece of its Jubilee Year the diocese and 2000 celebration. In announcing the schedule conclude with a June of speakers, Congress Chairman 25 outdoor Masso at Fall River's Kennedy Rev. Msgr. Stephen J. Avila said that he and the committee are Park. "excited by the variety and caliBy JOHN E. KEARNS JR.
DIOCESAN ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS
FALL RIVER - St. Clare Sister Briege McKenna, whose healing ministry has reached countless people all over the world, will be the speaker at the first of a series of five evenings of reflection to take place as part of the Fall River Diocesan Eucharistic Congress in June. This will be the first Eucharistic Congress to be held in the
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ber of the speakers and the backgrounds they will bring to the evening reflections." Each speaker will focus on a particular aspect of the Elicharist in his or her talk. The congress will get underway with prayers in paI:ishes on Sunday, June 18 and conclude the following Sunday, June 25 with an outdoor Mass celebrated by Bishop Sean O'Malley, OFM Cap., at Kennedy Park in Fall River followed by a EucharisTurn to page 16 - Speakers
Diocese launches information website ~
Those with access to the Internet will find a whole new vista of diocesan history, stories, pastorals, upcoming events and parish schedules at their fingertips. By JAMES N. DUNBAR
FALL RIVER - Learning all about the Fall River diocese and what's of news to Catholics in its broad region extending to Mansfield and out to Cape Cod and the Islands, will get increasingly easier starting this weekend. That's when the diocese's official website, fallriverdiocese.org goes online, announced John E. Keams Jr., assis~ant director of the Office of Communicatioons. "Bishop Sean P. O'Malley, OFM Capo, felt that the use of the Internet is increasing, that it is a new medium whose popularity is growing, esper--;::::::::::::::::;:::;::;:::;;::;::;:::;::;:::;::::::::::~::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::=:=:::lL_-o"" cially among young.people and that the dio=,~, cese needed to be a voice within that medium," Kearns said in an interview this week ~~~~~~~~~~~~;;~~~~~~~ Turn to page 13 - Website
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