t eanc 0 VOL. 42, NO. 16 •
Friday, April 17, 1998
FALL RIVER, MASS.
FALL RIVER DIOCESAN NEWSPAPER FOR SOUTHEAST MASSACHUSETTS CAPE COD & THE ISLANDS Southeastern Massachusetts' Largest Weekly
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$14 Per Year
English program changing, in search of volunteers By MIKE GORDON ANCHOR STAFF
FALL RIVER-The BELL Program of Fall River is not only in transition according to program coordinator Sister Ann Marie Phillips of the Holy Union Sisters, but has a strong need for many more volunteers to expand and improve its services throughout the diocese.
The Basic English for Lifelong Learning Program (BELL) that began as a small, parish-based English as a Second LaQguage (ESL) Program, has expanded to other communities within the diocese and now has embraced the task of helping immigrants prepare themselves for United States citizenship. It is a task that is being well received, but that is understaffed.
The goal of the BELL program is to provide adult students the basic tools to become self-motivated learners prepared to pursue further formal education and earn the General Equivalency Diploma (GED). Sister Phillips, who started the program at St. Anthony of Padua Parish in March of 1994 with a grant from the Holy Union Sisters International Fund, said she only
Diocese readies for Catholic Charities Appeal •
New strategies planned as 57th annual fundraiser slates regional kickoffs.
BELL- Basic English for Lifelong Learning program volunteers Clem Dowling and Maria Fernandes, examine a new civics textbook with Sister Emmanuel Cabral, DHS. They will be using the book to help prepare immigrants for U.S. citizenship. The program also offers ESL tutoring, but is seeking more volunteers to handle the growing needs of the community.
FALL RIVER - With the parish phase of the Catholic Charities Appeal set to begin in two weeks, final preparations for the annual fundraising campaign of the Diocese of Fall River are in full swing. The Catholic Charities Appeal provides the financial backing for the numerous programs, services and institutions sponsored by the diocese throughout southeastern Massachusetts and Cape Cod. This year marks the 57th annual campaign. Like any other major venture,the yearly Appeal doesn't just happen. It takes months of planning. Since the first of the year, Charities Appeal Director Rev. Msgr. Thomas J. Harrington and Diocesan Director of Devel- expected a few people to participate placing its students into small tuinitially, but was toring groups to better serve indiopment Michael Donly have been meeting with numervidual learning needs. The strong amazed to find ous committees of clergy and laity from all parts of the some 40 people influx of Portuguese immigrants, diocese to determine new strategies for a more effective seeking her ser- many of whom have lived in the Appeal. vices at that first U.S. for more than 10 years withThe parish phase of the Appeal will begin on Sunday, out learning English and are seekmeeting. May 3, while early solicitations in the business and coming U.S. citizenship, has brought A Fall River munity phase, formerly referred to as Special Gifts, benative, she said about a real need for new volungan the last week of March. that the regular teers, especially those who can "Sharing ... Our Response to the Needs of Others" has ESL program, run speak Portuguese. been chosen as the theme of this year's Appeal. Bishop "We really need bilingual tuas a class several Sean O'Malley, OFM Cap., said that the theme "reflects nights a week, has tors," declared Sister Phillips in a the deep-rooted Catholic commitment to authentic, lived been gradually Turn to page 3 - BELL. expressions of our Faith." This year, committees of business and community leaders have been assembled in each of the five regions of the diocese and have worked with campaign leaders to increase awareness of the variety of programs and agencies funded, the services they provide and their contributions toward the overall well-being of communities in southeastern Massachusetts. "I'm sure many people don't realize that in the past Prison inmate says bad choices can year approximately 200,000 people received help in some turn career dreams into nightmares. way from various 9iocesan services or participated in diocesan programs," Donly said. "Moreover, many don't By JOHN McKEON know that our agencies and ministries are open to all. The BISHOP STANG HIGH SCHOOL STAFF only criterion for help is need." FALL RIVER-Because he made a series of bad According to Donly, the consensus from early discuschoices, Wayne Allen, 45, has spent 27 years in jail. sions on the Appeal was that there needs to be greater Because he cares about America's youth, he spent 27 emphasis on sharing information with the community at minutes speaking to fourth through eighth graders at large, especially the businesses and community organiFall River's Holy Name School recently about choices. zations that are contacted to contribute in the Appeal's "My life changed when I stopped listening to my first phase. parents, when I stopped listening to my teachers, when Committees in each region have initiated a letter camI stopped going to school and started listening only to paign directed to their peers in the business and profesmy friends," Allen told the attentive students. sional fields to underscore the work of the Appeal. The Allen is one of a score of inmates participating in first batch of letters was mailed in March. To date, an CHOICES, a collaboration between the Bristol County estimated 5,500 have been sent, Sheriff's Office and Dr. Irving Fradkin, founder of DolThose serving on the committees include: In the Attlelars for Scholars and The American Dream Challenge, boro area: James Brennan, John W. Dunn, E. Dennis Kelly, a nationwide scholarship program. CHOICES directly Jr., Daniel 1. Pelletier, Paul W. Scanlan, Orlando D. Souza delivers the message that adolescents' personal choices and Drew Ward. Father Bruce M. Neylon is area director affect their adult lives. of the Appeal. The program has been presented at several southFrom Cape Cod: David Akin, George Baker, Philip Baroni, Dr. Curtis Barry, John T. Blute, Kevin D. Callahan, E;ASTER BLESSING - Bishop Sean P. O'Malley, as- eastern Massachusetts middle and high schools this year. John T. Conway, Chester Cooke, Chester DeLuga, Jack sisted by Rev. Mr. Hernando Herrera, a transitional dea- At the invitation of James McNamee, superintendent of Schools for the Fall River Diocese, and welcomed by DeMello, David C. Eustis, Brian E. Falvey, Rosalie Ghelfi, -David C. Hunt, Dorothy E. Marchildon, John L. COil, blesses the congregation at Easter morning Mass in Richard Moreau, principal of Holy Name School, the Marchildon, James Murphy, Richard W. Nietz, John J. St. Mary Cathedral. Thousands crowded the cathedral for recent presentation was the first in a Fall River diocesan \Pendergast, Anastasia Welsh Perrino, Thomas Perrino, traditional Holy Week ceremonies this year. (Photo by John school. More are planned.
Students hear all about making choices
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