04.17.20

Where there’s a will ...

Parishes bring Risen Christ to homes across diocese

By Dave Jolivet Print Editor

davejolivet@anchornews.org

MARTHA’S VINEYARD — As people anxiously wait for the Coronavirus pandemic to peak and show signs of slowing down, no place is safe from the scourge. Not even the tiny islands off the coast of Cape Cod, Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket. And while no location can escape the threat, no location across the Diocese of Fall River has buried its head in the sand either.

The Triduum is the most Sacred time of the year in the Catholic Church, and Holy Week 2020 was by far the most unique for most faithful from the Attleoboros to the tip of Cape Cod. With the Easter season in full swing, parishes throughout Southeastern Massachusetts have, like Christ, risen to the occasion, not leaving parishioners in the dark, but rather, shining the light of that Risen Christ for all to see in so many different and inspiring ways, despite the plethora of restrictions under which we all live.

The Anchor reached out to each of the diocese’s five deaneries for samples of what Holy Week was and the Easter season is like in different regions. This is just a sample of the many ways parishes are celebrating this Sacred season with their parishoners. To chronicle every event would take a Herculean effort, and The Anchor wishes to acknowledge all parishes and ministries that are tranforming this Good Friday time

Through trying times diocesan Strategic and Pastoral Planning ministry moves forward with optimism.

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in history into the Easter glory of the Resurrection for all.

Not forgotten by priests and diocesan volunters during this pandemic are the Spiritual and corporal needs of those whom they serve.

On Martha’s Vineyard, Father Michael Nagle, pastor of Good Shepherd Parish, has three churches ministering to those on the island — Our Lady Star of the Sea, St. Augustine, and St. Elizabeth. Each of these churches are providing livestream services for all to see by visiting goodshepherdmv. com.

The Martha’s Vineyard Holy Week consisted of livestream Masses Monday through Wednesday at 8 a.m.; Holy Thursday Mass at 7 p.m.; a Good Friday service at 3 p.m.; and the celebration of Easter at 9 a.m. Parochial vicar and head of the Brazilian Ministry on the island, Father Edivar Ribeiro DaSilva, celebrated Mass in Portuguese on Holy Thursday and Easter and a Good Friday service.

The Good Shepherd community is also focusing on feeding the body as well as the soul under the watchful eye of parishioner Joe Capobianco, director of the parishbased Food Baskets-MV program created to help feed those in need. While most of us sheltering at home don’t worry about our next meal, those who are hungry and sheltering still have those worries and the Food Basket-MV program remains in op8 Turn to page 16

Msgr. Stephen J. Avila, pastor at the Catholic Community of Falmouth, safely distributes palms on Palm Sunday. Page nine.

Diocese of Fall River, Mass. † Friday, April 17, 2020

Jill Fernandes, a member of the Whaling City Catholic Community, designed, constructed and built this wooden cross reflecting the hope of the Risen Lord on Easter Sunday for the front lawn of St. Lawrence Martyr Church in New Bedford. Story on page 15.

Father Jack Schrader, parochial vicar of Transfiguration of the Lord Parish in North Attleborough, prepares for a livestream Mass.

The Food Baskets-MV Project of Good Shepherd Parish on Martha’s Vineyard recently distributed 480 bags of groceries to 204 families in one day.

April 17, 2020 †

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Through trying times diocesan Strategic and Pastoral Planning ministry moves forward with optimism

By Dave Jolivet Print Editor

davejolivet@anchornews.org

FALL RIVER — While working from home is the new normal, this new normal can come with limitations. But that hasn’t left the diocesan Strategic and Pastoral Planning Office spinning its wheels.

On the contrary, on April 7, the office announced the creation of a brand new website to keep diocesan faithful informed of the progress made in Bishop Edgar M. da Cunha’s mission of “Rebuilding in Faith and Hope.” The new site, fallriverplanning.org, also provides visitors with a “score card” designed to provide status updates on some of the recommendations put forth.

It’s important for folks across the diocese to know that everyone involved in this process recognizes the gravity of the pandemic crisis, but if things can still be accomplished during these trying times, every

Screenshot of the new diocesan website concerning pastoral and strategic planning. practical effort is being made, hopefully sharing some bright spots in the dark days we’re facing.

In announcing the new website, Laura Carrillo, director of the diocesan Strategic and Pastoral Planning Office, said, “We launched a planning website based on the strategic plan and recommendations presented by over 400 volunteer planners representing almost every

My two heroes

May God bless you Father Richard Wilson 2

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parish in our diocese.

They spent many months last spring and summer researching the current state as well as what best practices could look like for the future of our parishes and diocese.”

Explaining the purpose for the website and what visitors can expect, Carrillo added, “The site has a few purposes: 1. To introduce the planning process overall.

2. To provide everyone with a concise and visual way to stay updated on the status of many of the recommendations made. The Planning Scorecard page is designed specifically for that.

3. To offer another feedback mechanism for those with questions or comments.”

As of April 6, the website scorecard highlights the status of 16 of the 60-plus recommendations spawned by the more than 400 volunteer planners and

diocesan representatives.

Eight of the highlighted recommendations have been 100 percent competed.

The eight showcased include: — The development and distribution of real estate policies and procedures.

— Securing a climatecontrolled facility to inventory, store, sell/ donate Sacramental goods belonging to the diocese, as well as establishing a partnership with organizations to help value and distribute the items.

— The creation of a Bishop’s Blog to enhance the voice of Bishop da Cunha to diocesan faithful.

This was launched in October of 2019.

— Upgrading the Chancery’s general ledger and integrating billing and accounts receivable, which was completed in the winter of 2020.

— The creation of a central diocesan database.

— Streamlining the diocesan Fall River campus with regards to contracts and vendors.

— Hiring a director of strategic planning, done in July 2019.

— Enhancing employee morale and retention by creating an employee assistance program at Catholic Social Services, which was implemented at the end of 2019.

The other projects listed share some that are in progress and others that are tabled for the future.

Many share a timetable based on priorities and the entire focus of Rebuilding in Faith and Hope.

The planning website also includes a menu choice that provides faithful with a “form to ask any questions, share feedback or just say hello!”

Other menu options include providing information on the strategic and pastoral planning process; an explanation of the scorecard; an intercessory prayer for the diocese to Our Lady of Fall River; the Diocesan Pastoral Council; the Bishop’s Blog; and links to Catholic Social Services; and the diocesan Catholic Foundation.

“We anticipate adjusting and adding to the site as new milestones are reached and as new planning initiatives take shape” said Carrillo. “A special thank you to many members of our Diocesan Pastoral Council who helped develop and review content as well as test the site itself.”

Bishop sends encouraging message to diocesan health care workers

By Kenneth J. Souza Web Editor

kensouza@anchornews.org

FALL RIVER — Amidst the Coronavirus pandemic, one of the hardest hit groups have been the elderly, due to their susceptibility to the virus, and the health care workers who are dedicated to keeping them safe and healthy.

In an effort to thank these diligent workers, Bishop Edgar M. da Cunha, S.D.V., recorded a brief video message of encouragement that was sent out last week to the staff of the nursing homes and health care facilities under the umbrella of the Diocesan Health Facilities Office.

“I wanted to take this opportunity to reach out to all the administrators, directors, doctors, nurses, clinicians, therapists, and all the support staff of our Catholic nursing homes,” Bishop da Cunha said in his introductory remarks.

“I want you to know that I pray for you every single day. These are very challenging, difficult times for all of us, but it’s especially (difficult) for the elderly population who are the most at risk and the most vulnerable of our people and also for all those who are in the health care profession, because you are putting yourselves in a vulnerable situation by helping those who are in need and those who are sick.”

The bishop went on to express how important faith is during this crisis and, more importantly, “how important you are in

their lives.”

“You’re not only there to alleviate their pain and suffering, but you are there to show love, to show respect, to show that they are important, and they have dignity,” the bishop said. “And I know that they recognize that they respect you, they love you. They know that they can count on you, they count on your experience and your expertise to help

stay safe and God bless all of you.”

According to Joanne Roque, CEO of the Diocesan Health Facilities Office, the workers were all very appreciative and inspired by the bishop’s words.

“Since the COVID-19 outbreak began, our nursing facilities have worked tirelessly to protect our nursing home residents, and work diligently to

have to the outside world,” she said. “The staff also focuses their efforts on keeping the residents in contact with their families through FaceTime and other avenues.”

For Jo-Ann Melchert, administrator at Our Lady’s Haven in Fairhaven, the bishop’s video was inspirational, supportive and well-timed.

“I am grateful to the bishop for recognizing the

them.”

In closing, the bishop expressed his heartfelt thanks for all the work they are doing — all while often risking their own health and being kept away from their own families for extended periods of time.

“Please know that we are all grateful for all that you do, and that God will continue guiding us and supporting us and strengthening us through these difficult times,” he said. “This storm will pass, and we will be restored to normalcy. I ask God’s blessing upon you and your families. So please,

mitigate the spread of this devastating virus,” Roque told The Anchor.

“We continue to follow the ever-changing guidance provided by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, local public health, the Center for Disease Control (CDC), and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).”

Roque said she is proud and thankful for the staff working in the Catholic nursing facilities throughout the diocese.

“Our staff are caring and compassionate and currently are the only contact that our residents

hard work facing the staff at this time,” Melchert told The Anchor. “We embrace our mission every day. It is our goal to provide a safe haven and to provide our residents with compassion and love. The demands and long hours can be grueling, so his message came at a good time.”

Noting how difficult it has been for some of the residents, Melchert said they are continuing to abide by the social distancing recommendations and have been trying to be more creative in offering different activities.

“Our residents miss Mass, but Sister Eileen

does recite the Rosary every morning, which is televised in the residents’ rooms,” she said. “Also, this week we are delivering balloons with inspirational messages from the families and we are posting the balloon delivery on our Facebook page.

The residents miss their families and friends, so we use FaceTime and Skype as well as email and letters to keep everyone connected.”

Melchert said they have also been recognizing staff members’ dedication in-house with weekly meals for all three shifts, along with other goodies and much-needed caffeine.

“The message from the bishop was uplifting and comforting during these difficult times,” agreed Jessica Costa, administrator of Marian Manor in Taunton. “It’s always nice to know that people are thinking of you, and praying for us all. I think our staff is motivated more and more every day knowing that they have the support of so many. They want to do what is best for our residents.”

While she said her staff is “hanging in there,” Costa said the most difficult part has been the restrictions on family visitations.

“This is a very trying time for them all,” she said. “They are worried about our residents and their families, but so many feel that this is part of the healthcare field, so they are committed and will do whatever is needed of 8 Turn to page 14

April 17, 2020 †

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Mary, Mother of the Church and Mother of Sorrows

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n April 3, Pope Francis in the chapel of the Casa Santa Marta gave a homily encouraging veneration of Our Lady’s Seven Sorrows. It is a devotion which helps us commemorate the sorrows of Mary in her life of union with Jesus. Pope Francis outlined, “The first, just 40 days after the birth of Jesus, is the prophecy of Simeon, who speaks of a sword that will pierce her heart.” [1] This mystery came as a joy to holy Simeon to whom “it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he should not see death before he had seen the Christ of the Lord” (Lk 2:26) After the Lord entered the temple in the arms of His mother, Simeon spoke, however, of a sword that would pierce Mary’s soul. “Behold, this Child is destined for the fall and for the rise of many in Israel, and for a sign that shall be contradicted. And thy own soul a sword shall pierce, that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed” (Lk 2:3435). Jesus, the Son of God, would be rejected. Mary the “New Eve” chosen to be the Mother of the new re-creation indissolubly united to Jesus, the “New Adam,” would be, too. Pope Francis spoke of how Mary bore these sorrows, “with strength, with tears: it was not a false distress, it was just the heart destroyed by grief.”

“The second sorrow of Mary is the flight into Egypt.”

Joseph protected the lives of Jesus and Mary by fleeing at the warning of the angel.

They were fleeing from the order of Herod, a secular authority who gave the command to kill all the newborn children under two years of age. Trusting in the Father’s Providence, the Holy Family suffered the sorrow, pain and anguish of persecuted Christians. Today, authorities sanction murder, abortion and infanticide, under the name of “reproductive health” which is the preeminent sin of our time. Let us pray that all may recognize the dignity of 4

every human person made in the image and likeness of God and protect Christ in the distressing image of the unborn, the unwanted, the persecuted, the poor, the homeless, and the refugee.

The third sorrow is the “three days of anguish” when the Child Jesus was lost and then found in the temple, “about His Father’s business” (Lk 2:49). In this sorrow Mary pondered whether this was the time foretold by Simeon, but it was not yet to be. This sorrow would serve as a precursor of the Sacred Triduum when Jesus would depart so as to suffer His Passion and death until He would Rise and be found in the temple of His own Resurrected Body. This sorrow prepared Mary for Holy Saturday where her faith in His Divinity and in His Word was ever strengthened , while even the Apostles would lose their faith for a time in His promise due to fear and grief. Mary would remember Christ’s words, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up” (Jn 2:19).

The fourth sorrow is the encounter of Jesus and Mary upon the Way of the Cross.

Mary followed her agonizing Lord and Son throughout His sorrowful Passion.

According to Ven. Mary of Agreda, “A Sword of Sorrow pierced the heart of Son and mother, inflicting a pang of grief beyond all human and angelic thought.”[2] Mary would witness her Son, the King of love, unjustly rejected and condemned to death even though Pilate would admit, “I find no guilt in Him” (Jn 19:4). The sorrowful Mother would feel the scourging, the crowning, and weight of the cross, she would petition for Simon of Cyrene to assist Jesus and for Veronica to wipe His blood-stained face with her veil. She would hear the

† April 17, 2020

consoling words Jesus would give the women of Jerusalem, and she would witness the seamless tunic she had woven with her own hands heartlessly stripped from His Sacred Body. In her pierced soul, the thoughts of men’s hearts, their curses, insults, blasphemies would echo even as He was thrown down upon the cross and nailed mercilessly to it.

And when He was raised up on the cross, she would hear resonate in her heart the first among His last words of

merciful love, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do” (Lk 23:24).

Pope Francis said, “The fifth sorrow of Our Lady is the death of Jesus, to see her Son there, crucified, naked, who dies.” At this sorrow Jesus gives us the one whose holiness gave Him the greatest consolation throughout His life, with the words, “Behold your mother” (Jn 19:27). The sword foretold by Simeon to the Immaculate Virgin is fulfilled in the lance which at this sorrow pierced His Sacred side from which Blood and Water would flow forth as the source of Sacramental life of the Church. The same lance that pierced the side of Jesus dead on the cross pierced the soul of Mary standing beneath the cross united in compassion. For those who would accept Jesus and Mary this wound in the Heart of Christ would be the source of Salvation, and the mystical wound in the heart of Mary would lead us to it. As Mary revealed to Sister Lucia, “My Immaculate Heart will be your refuge and the way to lead you to God.” Mary’s role is to lead all

God’s children into the side of Christ. In the Immaculate Heart of Mary, we find a refuge, a merciful mother whose compassionate heart loves us, understands our miseries and desires to bring healing to our souls wounded by sin by a renewed familial relationship with Jesus. Mary, our mother, enables us to live our Baptism faithfully. For this purpose Jesus entrusts us to Mary as her children with the words, “Behold your son.” In obedience, Mary takes St. John and every child of God as her son and daughter. We, too, must keep this covenant of love like St. John who “from that hour, took her to his own” (Jn 19:27).

In the sixth sorrow we contemplate our Sorrowful Mother as Jesus’ dead body is taken down from the cross, “and she takes him in her hands as she had taken him in her hands more than 30 years earlier in Bethlehem,” Pope Francis reflected. Michelangelo’s sculpture of the “Pieta” showing Jesus laid in the arms of His sorrowful mother speaks more than words can. In her arms she cradled her wounded and flesh-torn Son wrapped in the linen cloth and pressed Him to her bosom, rendering her Immaculate Heart an altar at the foot of the cross to receive the Sacrifice that would make us whole. What unspeakable sorrow Mary felt as she pondered the words of Jesus, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones to death those who have been sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were unwilling!” (Mt 23:37).

“And so, Christian piety follows this path of Our Lady who accompanies Jesus,” Pope Francis said, even in His burial. Mary accompanies us in our life and in our death as

a tender and compassionate mother, laden with the graces we need to overcome the effects of the Original Sin that she did not inherit and continues to accompany us as our advocate to the Judgment Seat of God. Mary wanted to die and be buried with Jesus, her Son. Instead Jesus took from Mary His visible presence to fill her with holy hope as she awaits the return to God of the children entrusted to her.

The Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary is the Heart of the Mother of the Church who is indissolubly united with Jesus, and who is continually in prayer mediating on the graces of the Holy Spirit for the Church. Let us remember these sorrows of our mother daily and unite our sorrows to hers. Pope Francis exhorts: “It will do us good to stop a little and say to Our Lady: ‘Thank you for accepting to be mother when the angel told you and thank you for accepting to be mother when Jesus told you.’”

In the next article, we will meditate on Mary, Mother of the Church, in her presence at the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.

[1] Brockhaus, Hannah.

“Pope Francis: Reflect on the sorrows of Mary, our mother.” Angelus, Catholic News Agency, 3 Apr. 2020, angelusnews.com/news/ vatican/pope-francis-reflecton-the-seven-sorrows-ofmary-our-mother/.

[2] of Agreda, Ven. Mary.

The Mystical City of God: A Popular Abridgment. Ave Maria Institute, 2020.

Anchor guest columnist Grace Small and her husband Bill are parishioners of St. Vincent’s Parish in Attleboro and have recently made their solemn profession as Third Order Franciscans of the Immaculate on the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception. They are also attending classes with TINE at the Pastoral Center in Braintree, toward a certificate in Catechetical Studies.

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God’s enduring mercy and COVID-19

ne of the most powerful Psalms to pray when we might be feeling abandoned by God is the “Great Hallel,” so called because it is an extraordinary hymn of praise for all God has done repeatedly to care for and rescue his people in need.

Psalm 136 is a 26-verse Litany most remembered for the refrain after each verse, “for His mercy endures forever.” It praises God for His steadfast love shown in Creation, in rescuing the Israelites from slavery in Egypt, leading them through the Red Sea and the desert, defeating the powerful kings who opposed them, giving them the land as their inheritance, remembering them whenever they were in their misery, and never ceasing to feed them.

It is normally sung by Jews at the end of the Passover Seder, at the morning service of the Sabbath, and frequently on festivals. It summarizes the Old Testament history of Salvation, praising God for His faithfulness and goodness in regularly intervening to save His people.

Jesus and the Apostles very likely sang it at the end of the Last Supper before they went out to the Garden of Gethsemane (Mt 26:30; Mk 14:26). The references to God’s merciful love during the Passover and exodus put into relief how the God-man was then bringing to fulfillment what all of His previous interventions foreshadowed: the definitive redemption of God’s people from sin and death in the new and eternal Passover.

During my years in seminary, as I began to pray Psalm 136 regularly at Vespers, I was moved to write new “verses.” I began with some of the great events in the life of Jesus — His Incarnation, birth, preaching, miracles, Passion, Resurrection, appearances and great

commission. Then, beginning with Pentecost, I continued with various verses from the life of the early Church going on to some of the great interventions of God in Church history. I finished by praising God for His interventions in my life: His mercy for giving me the parents He did, the gift of the Sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, Confessions and the Holy Eucharist, my priestly calling, and so many answered prayers.

The more I prayed it, the more I became convinced that the God Who had proven Himself so faithful in pouring out His mercy throughout Salvation history and my history would always be there for me. Even if I were going through a time of darkness or suffering, I knew that I could count on God’s merciful love, even if I should have to wait for it, even if it might come in a way that I might not foresee or initially appreciate.

Because Psalm 136 is a prayer of grateful memory for God’s enduring mercy, I have also encouraged others, in Confession, Spiritual direction and other settings, to pray Psalm 136 and to try to write their own extended verses for the ways that the Lord has shown His mercy precisely to them. Listing them in a Litany, and prayerfully remembering them in God’s presence intercalated with the refrain “for His mercy endures forever,” is a potent remedy for discouragement, especially in times of desolation.

As we prepare for Divine Mercy Sunday in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, I think that Psalm 136’s vivid, living memory of God’s abiding mercy can help us all.

We must insistently turn

to the Lord Who mercifully protected the Israelites from the plagues in Egypt, Who heard King David’s prayer for mercy when pestilence was attacking Israel and Judah (2 Sam 24:10-25), and Who inspired the Psalmist to have us invoke Him as “my refuge and fortress, my God in Whom I trust [Who] will rescue you from the destroying plague” so that we “shall not fear the pestilence that roams in darkness nor the plague that ravages at noon” (Ps 91).

God wants us to turn to Him with trust in His mercy.

The Vatican’s Congregation for Divine Worship on March 30 encouraged the whole Church to do so through a new “Mass in the Time of Pandemic,” which I anticipate priests will start using regularly as soon as the Easter Octave is completed. The opening prayer of the new Mass can likewise be used by the faithful in their personal prayer to beseech an end to the pandemic as well as to ask for mercy on all those most afflicted: “Almighty and eternal God, our refuge in every danger, to Whom we turn in our distress; in faith we pray, look with compassion on the afflicted, grant eternal rest to the dead, comfort to mourners, healing to the sick, peace to the dying, strength to healthcare workers, wisdom to our leaders, and the courage to reach out to all in love, so that together we may give glory to Your Holy Name.”

As we draw near to Divine Mercy Sunday, however, I would particularly

encourage people to pray with fervor the devotion that, according to St. Faustina Kowalska, Jesus Himself revealed to her in the 1930s as she was battling the lungdestroying disease of tuberculosis.

This devotion, approved by the Church, features five elements: stopping each day at 3 p.m., when Christ breathed His last on Calvary, to implore His mercy and bring Him our prayers; venerating Him in the image of Divine Mercy, by which He, Risen from the dead, blesses us and asks us to trust in Him; praying the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, offering God the Father Jesus in the Eucharist and begging Him, on account of His Son’s Passion, for mercy on the whole world; praying a Novena, starting from Good Friday, in which we bring to Jesus various groups of people in need of His mercy; and finally Divine Mercy Sunday, when we celebrate the end of the Easter Octave and ponder in the Gospel Jesus’ establishment of the Sacrament of His Mercy on Easter evening.

It’s a devotion that can be applied powerfully to different aspects of the Coronavirus.

First, with regard to the praying for the end of the pandemic, Jesus made an extraordinary promise about the hour of mercy. “In that hour,” He said, “I will deny nothing to the soul that asks me in the name of My Passion.” Just like New Yorkers stop at 7 p.m. now to cheer on health-care workers, Catholics should stop at 3 p.m. to turn to Jesus and, on account of the merits of His suffering, death and Resurrection, entreat Him to free the world of this pandemic and to help those who have contracted the virus.

Second, concerning those who are dying, Jesus

similarly made an extraordinary promise about the chaplet. Jesus asked priests to “recommend it to sinners as their last hope of Salvation. Even if there were a sinner most hardened, if he were to recite this chaplet only once,” with an attitude of trust, humility and sorrow for sin, “he would receive grace from My infinite mercy.” Many priests have seen conversions at deathbeds during or after praying the chaplet. I’ve heard several similar stories during the pandemic.

Third, regarding healthcare workers, who are courageously and generously caring for those who are sick, we can regularly be asking Jesus in the Divine Mercy image to pour out His mercy upon them and through them — and to help them entrust themselves, and their patients, to His merciful care.

For all three of these intentions, it would be good to make together a perpetual Novena of Divine Mercy, similar to the one Jesus asked for, praying that all concerned “draw from [the fount of His mercy] strength and refreshment and whatever graces they need in the hardships of life and, especially, at the hour of death.”

Normally on Divine Mercy Sunday we celebrate God’s mercy understood principally as forgiveness of sin, but we know that Jesus’ mercy was similarly extended in healing the sick, which was a quasi-Sacramental corporeal sign of what Jesus wishes to do for our souls.

This Divine Mercy Sunday is an opportunity to implore, as we give God thanks for His mercy that endures forever and avail ourselves more fully of the means He has given us to implore it.

Anchor columnist Father Roger Landry can be contacted at fatherlandry@ catholicpreaching.com.

April 17, 2020 †

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Editorial Works of Mercy during the pandemic

In 2016 we Catholics observed a Year of Mercy, which reminded us to approach the Lord Jesus to receive His mercy and urged us to show mercy to our neighbors, especially by incorporating the Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy into our lives. With Divine Mercy Sunday upon us (you can read about it on the previous page), let us see how we can live out the Works of Mercy now.

Various authors have provided some answers. The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) recently published online “The Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy During the COVID-19 Pandemic,” which can be found at https://catholiccurrent.org/ wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Corporal-and-Spiritual-Works-of-Mercy.pdf. A more homespun source can be found by Catholic convert Desiree Hausam, in her blog entry https://www.greencatholicburrow.com/coronavirus-outbreak-works-of-mercy/.

Father Raymond deSouza addressed this theme in an April 8 column in the National Catholic Register, “Fifth Word From the Cross: ‘I Thirst’ — The Corporal Works of Mercy” and Archbishop Allan Vigneron of Detroit offered “Ten guideposts for Christians in the time of the Coronavirus pandemic” in Detroit Catholic on March 18.

For the first Spiritual Work of Mercy, Counseling the Doubtful, the USCCB suggests that we “reassure and support those who may be especially anxious during this time.” We must ask God for wisdom so as to listen to them and then try to help them see how Christ is present now. Archbishop Vigneron wrote, “This is a providential time for us to witness to our sure confidence in Jesus as Lord of history, to manifest to the world that we face this challenge with unshakeable trust that the Lord will sustain us.”

Following from that work of mercy is the next one, Instructing the Ignorant. The USCCB offers that we could “learn and/or teach someone else how to make a Spiritual Communion,” and that we could “Take this time to recommit to [our] own study and formation and, for those home with children, take advantage of this time to reflect on the faith as a family.”

The next work is Admonishing the Sinner. This requires patience for it to be effective and not just nagging. “Being confined in close quarters for long periods of time with families or housemates can test us in more ways than one, so be supportive in helping others find their way and correct their mistakes,” the bishops wrote. They added, “Recognize the reality of Spiritual warfare in daily interactions and strive to cultivate the corresponding virtues needed to resist your personal temptations.” In other words, the sinner to be admonished often is ourselves.

A related work is Forgiving Injuries. “For families, this time may maximize opportunities to exercise forgiveness, so take this time to model the importance of forgiveness both for this life and the next,” wrote the bishops. They also suggested that we individually make a daily examination of conscience and pray together the Divine Mercy Chaplet.

Along that line is another Spiritual work — that of Bearing Wrongs Patiently. To do this, the USCCB suggests that we “practice developing and strengthening the virtues of temperance, prudence, fortitude, and justice [so that] when [we are] frustrated with someone, [we] step away from the situation, take a few deep breaths, and pray the Our Father, asking God for patience.”

The last two Spiritual Works are related to the saddest part of this crisis — the many OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER OF THE DIOCESE OF FALL RIVER Vol. 64, No. 9

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† April 17, 2020

deaths. One is Comforting the Sorrowful. Given “social distancing,” we cannot be present at the burial of the loved ones of our friends and relatives — but we can use the telephone to call them. These are not the easiest calls to make, so it is a good idea to prepare for the call with prayer, asking God to help us truly be compassionate (and asking God to help us to remember to visit these people when that is permissible in the future).

The final Spiritual Work is Praying for the Living and the Dead. Since everyone is going through this crisis, we have a lot of people for whom to pray. For example, we could think of particular individuals as we pray each Hail Mary of the Rosary or we could offer a certain portion of time in meditation or reading the Bible for a particular soul. This could also be how we carry out the Corporal Work of Burying the Dead during this time of restrictions.

The Corporal Works of Mercy are a challenge right now. Father deSouza wrote, “One measure of the diabolical character of this Coronavirus is that exactly when the Corporal Works of Mercy are most necessary — to Visit the Sick, to Bury the Dead — we are unable to do so. The first step in the Corporal Works of Mercy is to Meet the Suffering and the Afflicted, which is difficult, even impossible, to do in these days. We might form a resolution to be more zealous in the Corporal Works of Mercy when the pandemic passes, but what about now?”

In terms of Feeding the Hungry, you can read in this edition of The Anchor about continuing efforts to meet this increasing need. We can make donations towards those efforts. Desiree Hausam also suggested, “Don’t buy more than you need. Supplies are limited, and you don’t need more than two-three weeks of supplies. Taking more overburdens the system and you risk your neighbors’ ability to provide for his family.” What she wrote echoes what our governor said — that if we hoard food, in a way we are stealing it from our neighbors.

Giving drink to the Thirsty is not just an extension of Feeding the Hungry. The Catholic Church leads the charge for accessibility to clean water worldwide. Those places without it are even more vulnerable to COVID-19. We can remember to help our Church’s work in those lands to bring this essential resource to all people.

Sheltering the Homeless takes on added urgency in this emergency. Catholic Social Services (CSS) in our diocese is doing all it can to help those in this most vulnerable population. You can make donations to CSS online at https://www.cssdioc.org/ monetary-giftsonline-donation/ or by mailing a check to Catholic Social Services, 1600 Bay Street, P.O. Box M/So. Station, Fall River, Mass. 02724. This would also be part of another Corporal Work of Mercy — Giving Alms to the Poor.

We cannot visit the sick right now, “love of neighbor demands we do not spread this thing,” Hausam wrote, but we can email, text or call them if they are at home. If they are in the hospital, our prayers are our most effective form of communication.

Visiting prisoners is also not possible at this time. Hausam observed, “There are no clear answers here, but some folks have called for the most vulnerable prisoners to be sent home. Consider calling your local government representatives to advocate for mercy.” Again, prayers and sacrifices offered for the prisoners and for those who staff the prisons are always more effective than doing nothing.

As Father Landry wrote on the previous page about God, “His mercy endures forever.” May our actions be an extension of His mercy.

Daily Readings † April 18 - May 1

Sat. Apr. 18, Acts 4:13-21; Ps 118:1,14-15ab,16-21; Mk 16: 9-15. Sun. Apr. 19, Divine Mercy Sunday, Acts 2:42-47; Ps 118:2-4,13-15,22-24; 1 Pt 1:3-9; Jn 20:19-31. Mon. Apr. 20, Acts 4:23-31; Ps 2:1-9; Jn 3:1-8. Tue. Apr. 21, Acts 4:32-37; Ps 93:1-2,5; Jn 3:7b-15. Wed. Apr. 22, Acts 5:17-26; Ps 34:2-9; Jn 3:16-21. Thu. Apr. 23, Acts 5:27-33; Ps 34:2,9,17-20; Jn 3:31-36. Fri. Apr. 24, Acts 5:34-42; Ps 27:1,4,13-14; Jn 6:1-15.

Sat. Apr. 25, 1 Pt 5:5b-14; Ps 89:2-3,6-7,16-17; Mk 16:15-20. Sun. Apr. 26, Third Sunday of Easter, Acts 2:14,22-33; Ps 16:1-2,5,7-11; 1 Pt 1:17-21; Lk 24:13-35. Mon. Apr. 27, Acts 6:8-15; Ps 119:23-24,26-27,29-30; Jn 6:22-29.

Tue. Apr. 28, Acts 7:51—8:1a; Ps 31:3cd-4,6,7b,8a,17,21ab; Jn 6:30-35. Wed. Apr. 29, Acts 8:1b-8; Ps 66:1-3a,4-7a; Jn 6:35-40. Thu. Apr. 30, Acts 8:26-40; Ps 66:8-9,16-17,20; Jn 6:44-51. Fri. May 1, Acts 9:1-20; Ps 117:1bc,2; Jn 6:5259. Proper Gospel for Joseph: Mt 13:54-58.

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ost years, Holy Saturday has been one of handling household responsibilities as I gently transition to prepare for the Easter Vigil Mass to celebrate the Resurrection of Our Lord. Today though, it seems appropriate to spend some time reflecting upon the disciples’ grief and fear after Jesus’ crucifixion. God’s plan of the Resurrection had not yet been revealed to them. The disciples had to continue to live — even amidst the feeling their world had forever changed.

Do you remember the movie “The Ten Commandments?” My mom took me to see it in the movie theater. At one point, there was this animated cloud that came down from the sky to run along the ground. First born children who walked among those vapors died. I was a very young child — a firstborn child. I could not reconcile what my mom had shared with me about God loving everyone with the image of God on that movie screen.

Namely, a God Who chose to kill the innocent, first born children instead of the stubborn adults who would not let the Israelites leave. I glanced over at my mother.

Apparently, the woman who scolded me if I in any way mistreated my brothers was comfortable with those images of a God crushing children!

Driving home, my mind wrestled with the God I thought I knew versus the God depicted in the movie.

I glanced at the evening sky.

My child’s mind imagined the clouds I saw crossing the moon looked exactly

Walk by faith and not by sight like those in the movie!

As first born, I too was doomed that night. How unfair!

Many years later, you can share a laugh with me as my adult self looks back still amazed at what I saw and failed to see. Had I been alive in the time of Moses, I would not have mattered as a first born because I am a female. My mom and I did talk of my fears that night. Yet, I do remember still going to bed thinking I would die that night. And, even worse, I knew that if I died that Heaven awaited. That God Who killed those innocent children would be awaiting me.

I didn’t die that night, or the night after. Eventually, my fears lessened. I grew in my understanding that God is love. I knew I could see things only from my perspective. God had the bigger picture in mind. God did have a plan. I just could not always see it or feel it.

Sometimes I had to accept things I could not understand. For anything where I longed to understand why and where that under-

standing was not granted, my mind began tabulating questions I would ask God on the Day of Judgment.

Many years later, I and a number of others visited with and read to a retired priest who had served the people of Fall River for more than 60 years. One day a Dominican nun visited. She was his niece. I

returned to Father’s room to find her gone and Father crying. Father said, “I am old and dying. She still has much to give. She has terminal cancer. I had often asked God to spare her and take my life instead. Why did God not answer my prayer?” So many thoughts and emotions went through my mind. Just how does one suggest to a priest (who knows this already deep within) that God’s answer was no?

I honestly do not remember the whole conversation. Somewhere

along the way, Father ceased crying. Though I knew his understanding of it all was deeper than mine, a part of me wished to share what had brought me some peace. Yet, when I shared my idea of asking God some questions, Father laughed. Father gently reminded me that none of those earthly questions would matter to me when I was in the presence of Our Lord. My heart would be filled by love not questions.

Father sent me over to a small picture hanging on his wall representing an image of a vision St. Dominic had shared. Dominic had inquired what would happen to all the Dominicans after his death. In the vision, Mary opened her wrap revealing all the Dominicans safely tucked under her protective cape. I noticed the image captured both female and male Dominicans.

When Father’s niece passed, we agreed she was safely ensconced in Heaven beneath Mary’s protective cape.

As we face the challenges wrought by the realities of the Coronavirus, it is

strikingly clear that we, like those disciples, are called to live some painful realities without knowing what the future will bring. Do we choose to walk guided by the fear generated from what we see, or do we walk with trusting hearts guided by faith?

This year, as we gather together as community, yet individually sheltered in place, await Easter morning, let us not forget that after the Resurrection, Jesus first visited the disciples by entering past the locked doors to reach them where they were. Jesus said, “Peace be with you” (Jn 20:21).

Then Jesus began to share what the gift of the Resurrection had brought to mankind. I believe Father was right. Questions are gone in the light of God’s love. I also feel that Mary’s protective cape is large enough to include each of God’s children. In the absence of fear and questions, all that remains is the opportunity for each of us to remain forever within the presence of God’s love.

Anchor columnist Dr. Helen J. Flavin, Ph.D., is a Catholic scientist, educator and writer.

April 17, 2020 †

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Thinking through the rationing of ventilators

hen ventilators are in short supply, several key ethical principles can assist clinicians: 1) Ventilators should not be rationed based on categorical exclusions such as a patient’s age, disability (e.g. being paraplegic) or other secondary traits, but rather on the basis of clinical data including likelihood of survival, organ function and other clinically relevant medical data or test results. Various medical “scoring tools” can be used to objectively evaluate this information about a patient’s status and to make comparisons among patients.

2) If two clinically similar patients arrive at the emergency room, the allocation of a ventilator to

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one patient over another can be done on a firstcome-first-served basis, a lottery or another randomized approach.

3) It is generally immoral to take away without consent the ventilator of a patient still in need of it in order to give it to another patient who may die without it.

4) In situations where a patient on a ventilator is clearly deteriorating, and where COVID-19 and its complications can reasonably be expected to cause the patient’s death even with continued ventilator support, dialogue should be initiated with the patient or his designated health care agent to obtain consent to remove the ventilator. Obtaining free and

† April 17, 2020

informed consent helps resolve nearly every problematic angle in the ventilator rationing process.

Scoring tools can be used to decide which patient’s health care agent should be approached first. Atten-

tion must always remain focused on establishing and maintaining honest and open communication with the patient, family and the health care agent throughout difficult triage situations.

5) Patients who relinquish a ventilator in triage situations, or who cannot be given a ventilator due to lack of availability, should receive not only suitable alternative forms of medical treatment and palliative measures to manage their discomfort, but also Spiritual support rooted in their particular religious tradition. This would include visits from a pastor, minister, priest, etc. where final requests, last Sacraments, and other needs can be attended to.

During the COVID-19 crisis, some commentators have recommended taking tough choices out of the hands of front-line clinicians, and handing them over to dedicated triage officers or triage committees to decide. In a recent article in the “New England Journal of Medicine” (NEJM), for example, Dr. Robert Truog and his collaborators offer this approach as a way to “pro-

tect” clinicians: “Reports from Italy describe physicians ‘weeping in the hospital hallways because of the choices they were going to have to make.’ The angst that clinicians may experience when asked to withdraw ventilators for reasons not related to the welfare of their patients should not be underestimated — it may lead to debilitating and disabling distress for some clinicians. One strategy for avoiding this tragic outcome is to use a triage committee to buffer clinicians from this potential harm.”

The main goal during triage, however, cannot be to “buffer clinicians” or “soften the angst” of what is clearly a difficult and challenging set of decisions. Nor is it to “save the most lives possible in a time of unprecedented crisis,” as proposed in the NEJM article. Nor is it to favor those with “the best prospects for the longest remaining life,” as others have suggested, by relying on a utilitarian calculus that favors the young and the strong.

The goal must instead be to make allocation decisions based on evenly applied practices, as fair as possible, across the spectrum of patients, without turning to biased “quality of life” assessments. Even in a pandemic, the first priority remains the provision of outstanding patient care.

Triage scenarios involve emergency situations. In an emergency, as the plane’s engines flame out, the captain should not be sidelined in favor of a

remote “landing committee” working to bring the plane to a safe touchdown.

Instead, passengers should be able to entrust themselves to a pilot with professional skills, instincts and expertise, somebody who is fully invested in the critical task at hand. The pilot’s personal involvement in the fate of his passengers mirrors the physician’s accompaniment of his patients in a time of crisis, with these front-line clinicians properly assuming a key role in making decisions about the allocation of limited medical resources.

Rather than trying to offload responsibility to a committee to “mitigate the enormous emotional, Spiritual, and existential burden to which caregivers may be exposed,” as the NEJM article phrases it, front-line clinicians, together with their patients and/or health care agents, should manage these critical decisions, with triage committees serving in advisory, rather than decision-making or adjudicating capacities.

If rationing becomes necessary, sound ethical principles not only enable responsible triage decisions to be made, but can also help clinicians to avoid panic and calmly accompany each patient entering a health care facility, including those facing their final days and hours.

Anchor columnist 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 serves as the director of Education at The National Catholic Bioethics Center in Philadelphia. See www. ncbcenter.org

Bishop connects with virtual Liturgies, video messages during Holy Week

By Kenneth J. Souza Web Editor

kensouza@anchornews.org

FALL RIVER — The last several weeks under the cloud of the Coronavirus have been challenging for everyone, with students converting to online learning, people adjusting to working from home, and faithful across the diocese having to go without Mass celebrations or reception of the Sacraments.

It has been particularly poignant during Holy Week and the Easter Triduum, when the Church celebrates Christ’s victory over death.

Instead of beautiful ceremonies in filled churches, pastors were forced to think outside the box and make arrangements to hand out palms on Palm Sunday to a “driveby” line of cars. Dramatic readings of the Passion of the Lord were restricted to two or three readers, echoing within the confines of an empty Sanctuary. The veneration of the cross on Good Friday and the traditional Stations of the Cross were limited to the priest and few others. And celebrants encircled the Easter Vigil fire on Holy Saturday with a lone deacon or parochial vicar in tow.

Despite these constraints, however, parishes have made valiant efforts to live-stream many of the Holy Week celebrations on various social media platforms and Bishop Edgar M. da Cunha, S.D.V., in particular, has remained consistently connected to his flock via virtual Liturgies and regular video messages to diocesan faithful.

This year’s unprecedented Chrism Mass, generally attended by all active priests within the diocese in a packed St. Mary’s Cathedral, was essentially limited to the five deans and a few other concelebrants this year. Generally celebrated on the Tuesday of Holy Week, this year’s Chrism Mass was held on the morning of Holy Thursday at St. Mary’s Cathedral, during which the bishop blessed the three oils — Oil of the Sick, Oil of the Catechumens, and the Sacred Chrism — that are used in the Sacraments throughout the year.

“As we bless the oils here today, the first oil we bless is the Oil of the

Sick, the Oil of Healing, and during the blessing we are going to say that by this holy anointing, may the sick gain strength in their suffering,” Bishop da Cunha said during his Chrism Mass homily. “It takes on a whole new meaning when we hear these words this week. That they gain strength in their suffering and may they be released from fear — and God knows there is plenty around — and receive the consolation of faith. Many people these days have nowhere else to turn but to God and faith. And then we add

“Many are wounded because they have gotten sick from the virus. Many are wounded because they lost loved ones, many are wounded because they lost their jobs, and they are uncertain about their future or how to feed their families. We are all wounded at this time. Our world is wounded. We question: when will our churches be open again? When we be able to receive the Sacraments? We as priests feel sad that we don’t have our people at church. We celebrate the Mass and the people feel sad

An example of the changes brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic and its resulting restrictions, Msgr. Stephen J. Avila, pastor at the Catholic Community of Falmouth, which includes the parishes of St. Anthony in East Falmouth, St. Patrick in Falmouth and St. Elizabeth Seton in North Falmouth, distributed palms on Palm Sunday while wearing a mask and gloves. that everyone anointed with this oil as a safeguard for body, soul, and Spirit, may be free from all pain and from all infirmity and from all sickness.”

The bishop called his brother priests to consider that they are all “wounded healers,” referencing a book title by author Henri J. Nouwen, in which he discusses “an approach to ministry with an analysis of suffering — a suffering world, a suffering generation, a suffering person, and a suffering minister.

How benefiting for us to reflect on this duty during these very challenging days, when in some ways we are all wounded.

that they cannot come to receive the Eucharist.”

The bishop offered encouragement, however, noting that this pandemic will eventually pass and, when it is over, “we will be better people.”

“And this world will be better.

Because if we are better people, we will make this world a better place,” the bishop said. “And I would like to conclude with a quote that was found carved on the wall of an underground prison in Germany during the Second World War, where so many people, especially Jews, would have been thrown down there until they died. But

one of those prisoners wrote on the wall these words: ‘I believe in the sun, even when it is not shining. I believe in love, even when there is no one there. And I believe in God, even when He is silent.’”

Prior to Easter Sunday, the bishop released a brief written Easter Message and an uplifting video version — both of which were posted on the diocesan websites and social media accounts. He echoed his sentiments from the Chrism Mass by noting that we should also be focusing on “the joy and happiness that Easter brings.”

“I invite you to see this Easter as a special gift from God and an opportunity He’s given to us over all the other Easters that we celebrated in the past,” the bishop said. “We did things pretty much as usual and then we went back to our own life and things pretty much stayed the same.

“This year, however, we are left with our faith and our hope for better days soon. We have gone through a real Lent of tremendous sacrifice — but we cannot lose faith or hope knowing that this crisis will pass. When it is over, we can rebuild our world and our lives. Counting on God’s help and with strong faith, we will be better people and build a better world.”

The bishop also likened Christ’s transformative Resurrection to our own experience once we “get to the other side of this crisis.”

“Not only is Easter very different than all the others this year, but we will be different,” he said.

“We are going through a situation none of us has ever seen before, and I believe that we and the world will never be the same again. If this transformation actually happens, then this was the most important Easter of our lives, a time of real transformation, and a new beginning for us and for our world.”

During a beautiful Easter Sunday Mass celebration inside St. Mary’s Cathedral that was live-streamed at 10 a.m. and later rebroadcast on WLNE-TV at 11:30 a.m., the bishop noted that Eastertide continues for 50 days through Pentecost Sunday, and he urged everyone to use these remaining days 8 Turn to page 10 April 17, 2020 †

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his morning, I celebrated the Palm Sunday Liturgy online in the Church of La Salette Shrine in Attleboro. I thought of sharing some of my thoughts for the coming week with you as we enter this most solemn of weeks. I am sure that each day, we will hear more and more about the spread of Coronavirus in the United States and around the globe: the number of new cases and the number of deaths due to Covid-19.

Unfortunately, these statistics may well eclipse the meaning of this week for us Christians. For some, the daily medical reports will be more important than what we

Holy Week 2020: A reflection

celebrate this week.

Half kiddingly, I wrote to a friend saying that “this year Easter is being cancelled.” He wrote back correcting me: “Easter is not being cancelled.

The celebration of Easter is being cancelled.” That is very true. I appreciate that correction.

Each year, we begin Holy Week with Palm Sunday.

We take our blessed palm branches and wave them in solemn procession as the Jews welcomed Jesus entering Jerusalem. At that time, many saw Jesus as that promised

Bishop connects with virtual Liturgies continued from page nine

to “experience the presence and the power of the Risen Lord in our lives, to experience the presence of God in our lives and in our homes, to pray and reflect on what all of this means to us.”

“Many are in quarantine at home,” he said. “We probably have more time to do some reflection and thinking. We have more time to pray, more time for family sharing and conversation, talking to each other, and praying together as family. Jesus asked us to carry our own cross with Him during this long Lent.

This has been a time when we confronted the reality that our lives are fragile.

This has been a time for us to reflect on what really matters and what makes life truly worth living.”

And just as Christ’s suffering and death were the necessary bridge to eternal life, the bishop suggested this pandemic will eventually lead to something better.

“Easter is the proof that evil does not have the last word as it did not have the last word in Jerusalem 10

2,000 years ago,” the bishop said. “Neither will the Coronavirus have the last word in 2020. Easter reminds us that we are living in this world, but our eyes are set on Heaven. Jesus did not suffer and die to make us culturally Catholic. He died to make us true disciples, to make us saints, to make us holy, to call us to change and conversion each day.”

In closing, Bishop da Cunha invited everyone to view this Easter as “a special gift and opportunity that God has given to us to renew ourselves and to change the world.”

“What we are living now, Pope Francis told us recently, is a place of metanoia — conversion — and we have the chance to begin again,” the bishop said. “Yes, in the midst of all this, we find light, hope, and life because we believe that Jesus conquered death, that He is truly risen. And so, we can rejoice and say, ‘Alleluia!’ This is truly the day the Lord has made. Let us celebrate, rejoice and be glad!”

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political leader who would free the Jews from Roman enslavement. That was not to be. It was a misplaced hope.

On Thursday, we would gather in our churches where

the priest would reenact the washing of the feet of the 12 Apostles, followed by the celebration of the Eucharistic Banquet.

Then came the most solemn day of Good Friday, remembering the betrayal of not only Judas but also the denial of Peter. We might also place ourselves in the shoes of Peter remembering our own denials and sinfulness.

We would be invited to stand with Mary at the foot of the cross to witness the death of her Son — our Savior.

All this, preparing for the day of the Resurrection, the keystone of our faith. With joyous “Alleluias” resounding in churches around the globe.

This year, all this will be very different. Our churches are closed to prevent the spread of the Coronavirus. There will be no communal or community celebrations. No reenactments. No traditional celebrations.

This year, we are called not to remember but to live Holy Week.

We entered 2020 with great hope like the Jews welcoming Jesus on that first Palm Sunday. Employment was at an all-time low. The stock market was at an alltime high. We all had plans for a great year ahead — I know I did. I had great plans for 2020 at the Retreat Center.

Then came rumors of a new disease taking hold

someplace in China. But China was a world away — nothing to be concerned about. Then the disease began to spread. Within weeks, the globe was reduced to a village. The world came to a stop. The plans that we had made for 2020 vanished.

We, living in 2020, never saw anything like this in our day.

But this has happened often in the past. We must remember the plagues that wiped out half the population of Europe. In 1918, both my great-grandparents on my mother’s side died within 24 hours of each other, victims of the Spanish Flu. Five hundred million persons, one third of the world population, contracted the Spanish Flu. Fifty million died worldwide, 675,000 died in the United States. We can only imagine the terror and fear of the people living then. One hundred years ago, we did not have the media to report all of this news 24/7. People died in their homes often not knowing what was going on in the rest of the world.

Hopefully because of modern medicine and the precautions that we are taking, those statistics will not be repeated with the Coronavirus. But as of this date, there is a higher percentage of people unemployed in the United States than there was during the Great Depression of the 1930s. Our grandparents lived through those days.

What kept all these people strong during those days?

In some parts of the world, people re-enact the crucifixion of Jesus on the cross. We walk and pray the Way of Cross. But this is not the time for play-acting. This is the time to be in solidarity and to walk in faith with those who are giving up life.

In the La Salette Retreat

House Chapel, we have a banner that reminds us: “No greater love than to lay down one’s life for another.” Today thousands of individuals are living that reality: health care workers, doctors, nurses, EMTs, First Responders, volunteers, etc. All are risking their lives and the lives of their families. So far, more than 80 doctors have died in Italy because of the virus.

There’s the example of Father Giuseppi Berardelli, 72, pastor of the parish in Casnigo, Italy. He was a victim of the Coronavirus and in ICU. He was given a ventilator, but because of the shortage of ventilators he refused it so that a young man with a family might have it. Father Berardelli died two days later on March 15. This heroic act made the headlines maybe because he was a priest. But there are so many examples of other heroes and saints not re-enacting the mysteries of Holy Week but living them.

This Holy Week will not be ordinary. Most of us are forced out of work and must remain in our homes. Some often dreamed of such a time — a “golden opportunity” to rest, deepen family bonds, to pray, meditate, to enter deeply into our being and live the Pascal Mysteries with Jesus.

This is truly a unique opportunity of faith.

Paul Tillich wrote: “Without Good Friday, there is no Easter; without Easter, there is no deliverance from evil; without deliverance from evil, there is no victory of light over darkness, of love over hate, of life over death.”

May you all be preserved from harm and blessed with good health through Jesus, the Christ.

Father Bernie Baris, M.S., is director of the La Salette Retreat and Conference Center, Retreat Facilitator, and Spiritual Director at La Salette Shrine in Attleboro.

Finding God in the Coronavirus: A student’s reflections

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Diocesan high school student shares thoughts on current events

tay home. Try not to go out. Stay healthy during this pandemic.”

Suddenly, it feels like this is the new version of “Have a nice day!” What once seemed like a world away is now right in our own backyard. The Coronavirus is very real and is affecting everyday life as we see it. Schools are cancelled, businesses are shut down, grocery stores are limiting hours, colleges are ending semesters early, churches are cancelling Masses, there is no more toilet paper, food is being rationed, events are cancelled, people are working from home or are without a job, and it seems like our lives have come to a standstill.

I am currently a senior at a local Catholic high school, or presently, a stayat-home senior. Although I work at a local grocery store, I have mainly been confined to my own house.

I constantly wonder how much longer this pandemic will last, the lasting effects of it on my senior year, and finding God in the midst of all of this. Without school or Mass, times often get very depressing. I often sit in my room doing homework, cleaning, writing articles/poems/short stories, or making music.

I can’t go out and see my friends. My seemingly busy schedule has melted into nothing before my eyes.

My senior year, the most memorable part of high school, seems to be slipping away from my eyes.

Worst of all, I am confined.

I love to hug my friends, hang out with them, vol-

unteer to help others, go to Mass, or even just be out and about on a daily basis.

However, the Coronavirus has restricted all of that.

For me, it is very hard to find a positive side to this.

That is saying a lot as well because I am ordinarily a happy person. There are

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we love. We can see Him in the kindness of shoppers at the grocery store, still continuing to help each other by speaking words of love or even following rations on food so there can be more food for others. We can see God in the people who work in the medical

charist and in the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross to save us from sin. We can see God in so many things.

Even though most of us are confined to our homes, it does not mean that God is not there. Just because our lives are put on hold, it does not mean that God

field, risking their own well-being and health to treat patients battling the Coronavirus. We can see God in the grocery store cashiers and clerks, who also risk it all to help people in purchasing groceries. We can see God in the people afflicted with the Coronavirus, recovering in quarantine so no one else gets sick. We can see God in our own families and friends, caring for one another and communicating with them to make sure everything is OK. We can see God online, in the stories of retired nurses heading out of their comfort zone and travelling to hospitals to work with patients who have the Coronavirus. We can see God in the reversing effects of climate change because there is less pollution contaminating the atmosphere. We can see God in the priests of our dioceses, continuing to celebrate Mass even without a congregation present.

We can see God in the Eu-

is not there. God is very much present in each and every one of us, whether we are reading this or not.

So, if God is here, even in the effects of the Coronavirus, why is He allowing this to happen?

As humans, we constantly ask why bad things happen. And to be honest, there is not a right answer.

Remember, this is not the first time in history when a pandemic has affected the lives of millions of people, or even thousands.

The Black Death during the Medieval ages, the swine flu, and many other pandemics have swept through the world before us. God lets things happen because we are given free will. Sometimes, when temptations come our way or things happen in our lives, they become a test for all of us to continue our perseverance of our beliefs through faith. God does not like to see us suffer. In fact, when Jesus died, God was so upset, the curtain in

e can see God in the people afflicted with the Coronavirus, recovering in quarantine so no one else gets sick. We can see God in our own families and friends, caring for one another and communicating with them to make sure everything is OK. We can see God online, in the stories of retired nurses heading out of their comfort zone and travelling to hospitals to work with patients who have the Coronavirus. some nights when I am in my bed crying myself to sleep because I feel lonely and sad that the Coronavirus has impacted my life this much.

So, I pose a couple of questions to everyone reading this today: Where is God? Why is this Coronavirus happening? How can there be good in the midst of all this chaos?

Honestly, there is no true answer to any of these questions. As humans, we can never understand the mind of God. I mean, think about it, how busy were we to the point where the Coronavirus caused this much of a disruption to everything in our lives?

Well, first, God is very much present in the lives of you, me, and everyone experiencing the effects of this pandemic. We might not see Him, but God is always there. We can see Him in our cognizance of others, trying to keep ourselves safe so we don’t endanger the lives of those

the temple was torn in half, right up the middle. Jesus healed many who were suffering in their lives, and through the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick, we continue to see how suffering was never intended for us as humans. When God created Eden, Adam, and Eve, He sought to create a world of peace and good. However, once original sin entered the world, God could not prevent the consequences: suffering. Suffering can be good.

Our modern society turns away from suffering as if it were an evil. Although suffering is difficult, it allows us to come closer to God and helps us to create closer relationships with our loved ones. Although the Coronavirus has killed many people, it still poses a good that is beyond human comprehension. Only when we die will we be able to see any reasoning behind it.

So, the final question is: How can there be good in this pandemic?

Well, for starters, we are already beginning to see an increase of kindness in our world as a result of the Coronavirus. People are beginning to look out for others because they do not want to be a carrier to cause harm to someone who has a pre-existing condition or is older. Our lives might be put on hold, but it gives us the time to take a rare break from our lives and reflect on the direction they are going in. The effects give us an opportunity to pray more and realize the importance of God in our lives. The ef8 Turn to page 12

April 17, 2020 †

11

F ocus

H

e is risen! He is risen indeed!

Happy Easter! I know that it has not felt very much like Easter. Many of you probably watched Easter Mass on TV. You probably had a smaller Easter dinner with less people. In some places, the bunny is considered “non-essential.” If you are anything like me, you probably really missed the Eucharist. I have seen many posts on social media about what people are going to do since Easter is cancelled. We all know though that Easter is never cancelled! No matter the circumstance, the weather, our health, the truth is that Christ is Risen!

This year more than any other I think we are really connected to the first Easter. There were no family dinners, no egg hunts, no fancy dresses for Mass, no baskets filled with candy. There was confusion and despair.

on

Jesus had died and they did not know what to do with themselves. Everything was different and they were saddened and lost in their new situations. Sound familiar? Just like the first disciples, our lives have been suddenly and radically changed. But also like the disciples, we have not been abandoned.

Recently I have been listening to Tauren Wells’ new album on repeat. It is upbeat and positive and exactly what I need in this time of uncertainty. He has a song called “Close,” but prior to the song he has a prologue for a pastor. He speaks about how when God called Elijah out of the cave in a whisper. In First Kings, we read that Elijah heard a great wind, felt a large earthquake, and then saw a fire but none of them were God. After

C hurch Y outh Close

all this, there was a gentle whisper and the voice of God spoke to him (1 Kings 19:10-13). The pastor, as he recalls this, asks the question of God, “Why did you

whisper to Elijah?” The response was, “I whisper because I am close.”

This is still true this Easter season. God does not need to shout. He does not need a microphone.

He would need those if He were not with us but rather He can whisper to us because He is right by our sides. We hear His whisper in the health care workers who selflessly risk their lives to love and

care for their patients. We hear His whisper in the first responders who add one more danger to their already dangerous vocation. We hear His whisper in our priests who have to look for new and creative ways to bring us Christ! We hear His whisper in the grocery workers who show up every day so we can make sure we do not go without. We feel His whisper on our ear when a friend reaches out to check in on us. We feel His hand on our backs when teachers reach out to their students and parents become homeschool teachers. And we hear His whisper in the hello from our neighbors and strangers that we may encounter as we take this time to go for walks or sit in the yard.

Tauren Wells continues in the song to sing:

“You move in the stillness You move in the stillness The distance Now I can feel it Now I can feel You Your voice isn’t hidden Your voice isn’t hidden I just got to listen, listen I hear You whisper ’cause You’re close, close, close.”

As we continue this Easter season, in a world where everything is different, we must stay focused on the one thing that has not changed. Our Lord is Risen and in His Resurrection, we find our hope!

I pray that you all stay healthy and have a happy and blessed Easter season!

Anchor columnist Amanda Tarantelli has been a campus minister at Bishop Stang High School in North Dartmouth since 2005. She is married, a die-hard sports fan, and resides in Cranston, R.I. atrantelli@bishopstang.org.

to do: listen to God. With all the commotion of the world, it is a rare and indispensable opportunity to listen to what God is trying to tell us for our lives. We can listen for direction in our lives, and have the opportunity to hear His Word, not ours. This Coronavirus poses threats to many, but it gives us new opportunities we might not have been able to experience in our day-to-day lives.

In this way, at least I intend to see the Corona-

virus as a blessing. Although it is difficult for me to find joy in missing my final couple of months of senior year, I believe that when we come out of this, all of us will find a way to develop our relationships with God and remember this time with a smile because of our faith. We must never forget that, although bad things happen, the most important thing is to never lose sight of our faith in Christ Jesus. This is and will continue to be a difficult time for me, you,

and many of us. However, our faith keeps us alive, not worrying about the amount of toilet paper on the shelves of Walmart or Target.

May God continue to bless us and keep us safe throughout this Coronavirus. May He send forth His will to all of us as we continue to battle through this virus and find hope and joy in the midst of it. And may Almighty God, Creator and ultimate Healer, continue to keep all of us safe and healthy. Amen.

A student reflects on COVID-19 crisis continued from page 11

fects of this pandemic also provide us with an opportunity to get more creative and produce work that will soothe the soul. We can begin to delve more into our longing as humans to be connected, and understand the importance of friendships and relationships with others.

It gives us the time to set our priorities straight, to fix relations in our own families, and come into communion with those experiencing the same loneliness and boredom 12

that we are experiencing.

Just because we are unable to receive Jesus in the Eucharist does not mean that we cannot pray just the same. Many parishes are posting videos of the Mass online so they can reach their congregations.

Eucharistic Adoration is on a constant stream online as well, so people can pray to Jesus through Adoration.

We can pray the Rosary at home, pray with our families, and even get the opportunity that so many of us fail to find the time

† April 17, 2020

I

How to tell a conference

played around the monitor screen with my mouse and fiddled and diddled until I heard a voice, a familiar voice, the voice of Bishop Larry.

Then the video screen began to fill up with the priests of our Vicariate. I had reached the advertised

“Get To Meeting” and there was Bishop Larry speaking to his priests by teleconference on the subject of COVID-19 and its consequences. I continued to fiddle and diddle like I was blind until I heard the bishop tell the group that Pat Killilea was on audio. I

Diocese of Fall River TV Mass on the Portuguese Channel Sunday, April 19 at 7 p.m.

Broadcast from from Santo Christo Church in Fall River

Diocese of Fall River TV Mass on the Portuguese Channel Sunday, April 26 at 7 p.m.

Broadcast from from St. Francis Xavier Church in East Providence

Diocese of Fall River TV Mass on WLNE Channel 6 Sunday, April 19 at 11:00 a.m.

Celebrant is Msgr. Stephen J. Avila, V.F. Pastor of St. Anthony’s Parish, East Falmouth; St. Elizabeth Seton Parish, North Falmouth; and St. Patrick’s Parish in Falmouth

Sunday, April 26 at 11:00 a.m.

Celebrant is Father Riley J. Williams, Pastor of St. Francis Xavier Parish in Acushnet

had unintentionally requested to speak and now I was on the spot. So I said hello to my brother priests, answered bishop’s query in regard to our patients and gave my apology for appearing in “my house dress.” Bishop seemed amused and told me not to worry because he could not see me on the screen. Shortly thereafter I clicked myself on screen but made sure that I kept my big mouth shut. This was my first time on a teleconference.

Today as I meditated on the horizontal (that spells bed), I began to imagine how it would have been for Father Damien had he had in his time the possibility of Skyping and teleconferencing. It would have been fascinating to join in such a media wonder and to see him in action. He would, I am sure, address his superiors and civil authorities as “Your Excellency,” then tell it like it is in as civil a tone as he could muster. I don’t doubt that he would have used our modern methods of communication to further the cause of his afflicted people.

Today the sun shines brightly and warmly here in Kalaupapa and the palm trees sway gently in the breeze. On this workday it is quieter than usual because many of our workers have gone home to their families during this time of crisis, leaving a team of essential workers. Some do their work online. As of this

time, there are no reports of anyone being sick from the Coronavirus. It is indeed ironic that the same cliffs and ocean that

imprisoned so many victims of Hansen’s Disease on this peninsula over the years now help to protect us from this deadly virus.

The TV which brings us each day the stories of the spread of the virus

throughout our world is silent at the moment. My computer is getting some rest before I put it to work to send out this script. My cats are all taking their afternoon siestas. The mynah birds, on the other hand, continue to squawk, doing their own teleconference, perhaps telling us that things will return to normal in our world in the Lord’s time. Let us all pray for that time.

Aloha.

Anchor columnist Father Killilea is pastor of St. Francis Parish, Kalaupapa, Hawaii.

April 17, 2020 †

13

Bishop encourages diocesan health care workers continued from page three

them to get through these difficult times.

“As you know, we were directed by CMS and DPH about a month ago to restrict visitation of families and friends. We were all very concerned about our residents’ psycho-social needs, with the limited contact with their loved ones. However, we have implemented various ways for them to communicate with their loved ones via Facebook, Skype, etc. In addition, the focus of all staff at the facility has been on nursing and recreational services, to ensure that their needs are being meet, both clinically and socially. The times are not easy, but we are all doing the best we can.”

Jessica Davis, administrator at the Sacred Heart Home in New Bedford, said the bishop’s simple words of appreciation and encouragement and the outpouring of support for her staff has been very helpful.

“This positive recognition helps highlight the wonderful care we give every day and helps our staff know how critical their care is to our residents, their families and the community,” Davis told The Anchor. “Our mission of quality care in a Spiritual environment is more important than ever to protect our very

14

vulnerable residents, and any recognition of that helps keep our employees energized for the task at hand.”

Davis said most of the residents at the home have “remained in good spirits and are taking the situation day by day.”

“The staff is focusing any extra time on one-toone visits with the residents and are very grateful for technology like FaceTime and Skype to keep families close while visitors are restricted,” she said. “Our families have been very supportive and understanding, and we look forward to the day when we can accept visitors again, as they are very much missed by all of us.”

“It was very touching to hear Bishop da Cunha speak directly to those of us who work for the diocese, especially during these uncertain times,” added Joan Jakuboski, R.N., B.S.N., director of the EldersFirst Care Man-

agement Program in Fall River.

Unlike other diocesan health facilities, her staff travels to clients in their homes and she noted “they are especially happy to see us during this time of isolation.”

“The nurses are working every day to serve the needs of our geriatric clients,” Jakuboski said. “Our time spent with them is essential, not only providing them with nursing care and monitoring their health, but also by offering them emotional support and comfort. We carry this out with extensive safety precautions to make certain that we keep this most vulnerable population healthy.

“Since we are in the middle of Holy Week, but unable to worship as we all have in the past, it was a great comfort to know that the bishop is thinking of us and our families and offering us peace of mind and renewed hope during this Easter season.”

Carl E. Tremblay, brother of Father Marc P. Tremblay FALL RIVER — Carl E. Tremblay of Fall River, brother of Father Marc P. Tremblay, pastor of Holy Trinity Church in Harwich, went to his rest with the Lord on March 2 in Fall River after a long illness. He was born in Fall River on Oct. 5, 1957.

Son of Roger and Pauline Tremblay, he was a lifelong resident of Fall River and worked as a machinist.

He was the father of Dominic Tremblay and grandfa-

† April 17, 2020

ther to Layla Tremblay.

He was also brother of Celeste Tremblay Duclos, Suzanne Tremblay Franco, John G. Tremblay, Michael J. Tremblay and Sgt. Paul R. Tremblay. He also was uncle to six nephews and several grand-nephews and grand-nieces.

His burial is at Notre Dame Cemetery in Fall River. Because of the Coronavirus, a time is yet to be definitely determined for the funeral celebration.

In Your Prayers Please pray for these priests and deacons during the coming weeks: April 18 Rev. Hugh B. Harrold, Pastor, St. Mary, Mansfield, 1935 Rt. Rev. John F. McKeon, P.R., Pastor, St. Lawrence, New Bedford, 1956 Rev. Joao Vieira Resendes, Retired Pastor, Espirito Santo, Fall River, 1984 Rev. Wilfred C. Boulanger, M.S., La Salette Shrine, Attleboro, 1985 Rev. George E. Amaral, Retired Pastor, St. Anthony, Taunton, 1992 April 19 Rev. William Wiley, Pastor, St. Mary, Taunton, 1855 Rev. Msgr. Leo J. Duart, Pastor, St. Peter the Apostle, Provincetown, 1975 Rev. Daniel E. Carey, Chaplain, Catholic Memorial Home, Retired Pastor, St. Dominic, Swansea, 1990 Rev. Msgr. Antonino Tavares, Retired Pastor, Santo Christo, Fall River, 2008 April 20 Rev. Edward F. Coyle, S.S., St. Mary Seminary, Baltimore, Md., 1954 Rev. James E. O’Reilly, Retired Pastor, Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Seekonk, 1970 Rev. James P. Dalzell, Retired Pastor St. Joseph, Woods Hole, 1999 April 21 Rev. John O’Beirne, Pastor St. Mary, Taunton Rev. Thomas Feeley, C.S.C., 2004 Rev. John Gerard Shanley, SS.CC., 2017 Rev. Joseph F. Callahan, C.S.C., Director, Holy Cross Retreat House, 2019 April 22 Rev. James L. Smith, Pastor, Sacred Heart, Taunton, 1910 Rev. Thomas F. Fitzgerald, Pastor, St. Mary, Nantucket, 1954 Rev. Richard J. Segreve, C.S.C., 2017 April 23 Rev. John J. Murphy, Catholic Memorial Home, Retired, Former Pastor, Holy Name Parish, New Bedford, 2007 April 25 Rev. John J. Wade, Assistant, Sacred Heart, Fall River, 1940 Rev. Raymond J. Lynch, Chaplain, Catholic Memorial Home, Fall River, 1955 Rev. Charles A. Murray, M.M., Maryknoll Missionary, 2017 April 26 Rev. Ubalde Deneault, Retired Pastor, St. Joseph, Attleboro, 1982 Rev. James F. Greene, Pastor, Our Lady of Fatima, New Bedford, 2002 April 27 Rev. Francis J. Bradley, D.D., Retired Rector, St. Mary’s Cathedral, Fall River, 1925 Rev. Romeo D. Archambault, St. Anne, New Bedford, 1949 Rev. Edward F. O’Keefe, S.J., Retired, St. Francis Xavier, Boston, 1973 April 28 Rev. Stanislaus J. Goyette, Pastor, St. Louis de France, Swansea, 1959 Rev. John P. Cronin, 2014 April 29 Rev. James Leo Maguire, Pastor, Diocese of Monterey, California, 1987 Rev. Adolph Szelagowksi, OFM Conv., Parochial Vicar, Our Lady of Perpetual Help, New Bedford, 1989 Rev. Peter P. Mullen, M.M., Maryknoll Missioner, 1999 Rev. John M. Breen, M.M., Maryknoll Missioner, 2005 April 30 Rev. John A. Hurley, Pastor, St. Mary, North Attleboro, 1900 Rev. David F. Sheedy, Pastor, St. John Evangelist, Attleboro, 1930 Rev. John Moda, Pastor, St. Mary’s Ukrainian Catholic Church, Ford City, Pa., 1993

New Bedford teen constructs crosses to provide hope during pandemic

By Kenneth J. Souza Web Editor

kensouza@anchornews.org

NEW BEDFORD — Like most teen-agers who have been confined to online learning and restricted from attending social gatherings with friends during the Coronavirus pandemic, 18-year-old Jill Fernandes has had a little spare time on her hands.

So she recently set out to use some of her Godgiven talents to offer a simple message of hope and faith.

“My faith life has been greatly impacted by the people I have met throughout all of the retreats and volunteer work I have done,” Fernandes recently told The Anchor.

“If you ask literally anyone in my life, they will confirm that I have ‘big ideas’ that are sometimes impossible for someone my age, but I somehow manage to do it.”

Fernandes’ latest “big idea” was to design, construct and build two large wooden crosses — one depicting Jesus as He died on Good Friday, and another reflecting the

hope of the Risen Lord company at Bishop Stang been active with the paron Easter Sunday — and High School. ish youth group, has been install them on the front A lifelong parishioner a team member on youth lawn of St. Lawrence at St. Lawrence Martyr, retreats, and currently Martyr Church in teaches Religious New Bedford.

Education classes “I made two at the parish. different crosses It’s no wonder and the plan was that Father Mito change them chael Racine, pasover on Easter tor of St. Lawrence morning,” FerMartyr Parish, nandes said. “The was immediately one of Jesus being onboard when a symbol of Him Fernandes first and what He approached him went through for about the project. us during Holy “The highlight Week, and the one of Holy Week of the dove being was a surprise a symbol of His as the talents of Resurrection and our young pathe hope it gave to rishioner, Jill all of His disciples Fernandes, were then and to us shown off at St. now.”

Lawrence,” Father Jill Fernandes, a member of the WhalA senior at Racine said. “She ing City Catholic Community, designed, Greater New constructed two constructed and built two large wooden Bedford Regional crosses — one depicting Jesus as He died beautiful outdoor Vocational Tech- on Good Friday, and another reflectcrosses that were nical School, Fer- ing the hope of the Risen Lord on Easter placed in front of nandes is studying Sunday — and installed them on the front the church — one in the childcare depicting Jesus lawn of St. Lawrence Martyr Church in program, but she New Bedford. crucified which considers carpenwas placed outside try and set painton Palm Sunday, ing among her “hobbies” she also graduated from and an empty cross with a and has even done volun- Holy Family-Holy Name dove scene placed outside teer work for the theater School in 2016 and has on Holy Saturday and

illuminated at night. She purchased all the materials and constructed them herself. She is very talented and very faithful to the parish. I was so intrigued by her talent.”

Fernandes’ work became a trending topic online as she posted a TikTok video of how it all came together and local Facebook followers picked up on the unique venture.

Using some of the same carpentry skills that Jesus likely used in His day, Fernandes provided a simple reminder that Christ has not abandoned us during these difficult days.

“I just wanted people to remember to be hopeful and to have faith, even though times might be tough,” she said. “I think that it has encouraged people to see the bright side of things and help them realize that their faith is always there. A quote has stuck with me through all of this that says: ‘Faith is the friend that is always there when everything else seems to go wrong.’”

April 17, 2020 †

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... there’s a way!

Diocesan parishes bring Risen Christ to homes of faithful continued from page one

eration for them.

Capobianco told The Anchor that the food distribution will continue “every Saturday in April from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at 55 School Street in Oak Bluffs.” To keep everyone safe, the drivers are asked to remain in their cars with the windows closed and have their trunks open so the groceries can be placed there by the volunteers, many of whom are family members of Capobianco.

“On April 4 we distributed 480 bags of groceries to 204 cars,” said Capobianco. “We distribute fresh produce and frozen foods that we get from the Greater Boston Food Bank.”

The distribution hours will be reassessed at the end of April.

On Nantucket, St. Mary-Our Lady of the Isle pastor Father John P. Kelleher and parochial vicar Father Carlos A. Patiño-Villa held livestreams for services on Holy Thursday, Good Friday, the Easter Vigil, and Easter Sunday; in English and Spanish.

Father Rodney Thibault is pastor of the newly-established Tranfiguration of the Lord Parish in North Attleborough, which encompasses the churches of St. Mary, Sacred Heart and St. Mark. He and parochial vicar Father Jack Schrader held a full Holy Week schedule of events that was livestreamed on Facebook; daily Masses on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday along with Rosary and Eucharistic Adoration on Wednesday. They shared a 16

† April 17, 2020

livestream Mass on Holy Thursday and on Good Friday offered parishioners and all faithful the Litany of the Sacred Heart of Jesus; the Passion of the Lord; and live Stations of the Cross.

The Easter Vigil Mass and the Mass of the Resurrection on Easter Sunday we livestreamed as well.

Recording of the Masses are still on the parish Facebook page.

The Catholic Community of Somerset and Swansea shared livestreams of the Sacred Triduum and Easter services on the websites of St. Louis de France Parish in Swansea, and St. Thomas More and St. Patrick’s parishes in Somerset.

The collaboration of Taunton Catholic Churches North livestreamed its Holy Week observances on YouTube. And they continue to offer the morning Mass, virtual Adoration, Rosary, Chaplet of Divine Mercy, Holy Hours, and Bible Studies. Its website, cntaunton.org, offers visitors instrutions on how to download YouTube and take advantage of the daily Masses and other offerings.

Father Mike Racine recently took over the Whaling City Catholic Community which is made up of the parishes of St. Lawrence Martyr, St. Francis of Assisi and Holy Name of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

He told The Anchor, “About two months ago I sat with representatives from all parishes in the collaborative: St. Lawrence, St. Francis of

Assisi and Holy Name of the Sacred Heart and we talked Lent and Holy Week. Like in all parishes Lent started out with great attendance on Ash Wednesday. I said all the Masses so I could get to all three parishes and we had Stations of the Cross starting the following week at St. Francis. We were averaging more than 40 on a Wednesday evening and I was so happy.

“Holy Week we would move from one parish to another for the Triduim culminating at St. Lawrence for the Easter Vigil as we had a candidate for RCIA to receive the Sacraments of Baptism and Confirmation and Eucharist and I was going to baptize his son. We had 35 people signed up to visit the seven churches after Holy Thursday Mass. We even

had a shuttle hired! That was going to be a nice Holy Thursday.

“Obviously with the changes and suspension of public Masses we had to rethink our plans. So we had all the Triduum at Holy Name on a scaled-back basis. But we did everything except the visits to the churches and the Sacraments. Our candidate for RCIA was prayed for at each of the Liturgies including Easter Sunday Morning Mass at St. Lawrence.

“At the end of the Easter Vigil I blessed and lit the paschal candles for St. Francis and St. Lawrence.”

To find daily livestream Masses or other parish events, visit The Anchor website at anchornews.org or visit the parish websites for times and Internet locations.

The Food Baskets-MV Project of Good Shepherd Parish on Martha’s Vineyard recently distributed 480 bags of groceries to 204 families.