FALL RIVER DIOCESAN NEWSPAPER FOR SOUTHEAST MASSACHUSETTS CAPE COD & THE ISLANDS
e8 VOL. 27, NO. 15
FALL RIVER, MASS.; FRI[)AY, APRIL 15, 1983
$8 Per Year
For peace pastoral
Reception
is mixed
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#.~ ,,.., AN APPEAUNG GROUP: Prime movers of the annual Catholic Charities Appeal are Fern White (left), Msgr. Anthony M. Gomes and Rosann Patota. Not pictured, Helene Hargraves. (Torchia Photo) , ,.
WASHINGTON (NC) - The third draft of the U.S. bishops' war and peace pastoral opened to generally, but not entirely, favorable reviews in the days after its April 6 release. But initial response to the draft pastoral also brought a mild rebuke of the Reagan ad ministration by two top officials of the bishops' conference after the administration said that the new draft "explicitly endorses" many of the objectives of current U.S. defense policy. The two bishops - Archbishop · John R. .Roach of St. Paul- Min I neapolis, president of the Na tional Conference of Catholic Bishops, and Cardinal Joseph L. Bernardin of Chicago, chairman of the pastoral letter's drafting committee - said the draft, · rather than endorsing current , policies, is still "explicitly criti cal" of many of those policies. Meanwhile, several critics of earlier drafts of the pastoral, such as Bishop Edward W. 0'· Rourke of Peoria, Ill., and Cath olic social commentator Michael Novak, said the new version was j a vast improvement. But initial reaction was not all favorable. The president of the American Catholic Philo sophical Association, Germain ; Grisez, a professor of Christian 1 ethics at Mount St. Mary's Col c lege in Emmitsburg. Md., said he 'would giye the third draft a · grade of D "at best" and maybe I an F for its moral acceptance of < deterrence policy. The new draft is scheduled for discussion and possible final vote at a special meeting of the bishops in Chicago May 2-3. At least one bishop, comment ing on the third draft's shift I
42 years of caring
Once a year, at its kickoff meeting, the 42-year-old Catholic Charities Appeal becomes highly visible. The IBishop Connolly High School auditorium fills with vol unteer workers, priests and sis ters, mainly veterans of many a campaign. Msgr. Anthony M. Gomes, CCA director, expla'ins the well oiled Appeal techniques. Bishop Daniel A.. Cronin speaks words of encouragement and wen-deserved gratitude to people who have proved them selves in years past and, if ihis tory repeats itself, will go out this year and once again break all previous Appeal fundraising records. Just as the astronauts are the most visible and deservedly rec ognized component of the na tion's space program, so the men and women who make the Ap peal possi-bleare its most impor tant members. ·But, just as last week's new est astronauts depended on their
. backup team on earth, and took
pains to point this out, so the
CCA workers depend on a effi
cient backup team, in this case
located at Catholic' Charities
headquarters, 410 Highland Ave
nue, Fall River. There a three-woman team, di rected by Msgr. Gomes, works throughout the year to ensure
the smooth functioning of the many pleasant meetings with old friends. Appeal. in its 42 years, the Appeal has Or, as Msgr. Gomes puts it, . had but two directors, Msgr. in the 'language of his beloved Notre Dame football team, "I Raymond Considine from 1942 call the plays, they execute to 1966 and iMsgr. Gomes from 1966 to the present. The drive them." began as a one-shot affair, said Since 1957 Helene Hargraves Mrs. Hargraves, to raise funds to has been on the CCA team, build 'Fall River's Catholic Me joined in 1963 by Fern White morial Home. It was so success and in 1981 by Rosann Patota, ful, raising $150,781 in unin who had, ihowever, previously flated dollars, that it was deter worked for many years at rush mined to continue it on an an seasons. nual basis. They work together with the Nowadays, said Mrs. White, ease of long practice and al work on the Appeal begins the though today's CCA totals (last day after the ,Bishop's Ball, the year's was $1,344,844) far out office's other major annual proj strip the figures of early years, ect. At that time supplies are Mrs. Hargraves says things are ordered and the state permit for easier now. a fundraising drive obtained. Throughout the year pledge re "We used to type lists of con minders are mailed and during tributors with seven car bons," she recalls. ··What a mess the drive Mrs. Patota handles if we made a mistake!" Also special gifts from businesses and typed were newspaper releases other organizations, while Mrs. and lists of parish workers, while White keeps track of parish do mailings were folded an dsealed nations. by hand. The hands became Everything isn't serious, how pretty weary, she said. ever. Once an unexpected do nation of cartons and cartons of Today mimeographs and copi rubber hot water bottles kept ers, folding and sealing ma office staff hopping as they the chines make life easier at 410 distributed the largesse to dioce Highland Avenue, but the 'per sonal touch has not been los't. .In san nursing homes. On another a small diocese such as Fall occasion the gift was hundreds River, Ithe CCA staff knows most of pairs of shoes. Msgr. Gomes, of the Appeal volunteers and the confided Mrs. Patota, spied a yearly drive 'is brightened by Turn to Page Ten
from "halt" to "curb" in its call for an end to the arms race, said he favored sticking with "halt." Bishop ·Bernard J, Flanagan of Worcester, Mass., who reached retirement shortly after the third draft was completed, said halt "is a stronger word" and more appropriately represents the message tillat should be rec ommended to the leaders of government. Turn to Page Six
_Bishop's statement Bishop Daniel A. Cronin has issued the following' statement on the U.S. bishops' proposed pastoral letter on war and peace: The National Conference of Catholic Bishops has courageous ly addressed the complex moral issues surrounding the question of peace and war In our day. I am gratified that the bishops have attempted to offer DlOral guidance· In this extremely im portant mat'1er, particularly since there Is the ever-present threat of nuclear war if the' con ditions of peace and Justice are not encouraged everywhere in the world. I am lookllllg forward to the debate on the Pastoral Letter which will be hend on May 2-3 at the meetlngof the bishops in Chicago. I expect that the dia logue among the bishops which will be, contin111ing at that gather ing will be crucial in refining the final form In which the Pas toral Letter willI be issued.
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