FALL RIVER DIOCESAN NEWSPAPER FOR SOUTIiEASTMASSACIHUSEnS COD,. THE ISLANDS VOL. 37, NO. 18
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Friday, May 7, 1993
F ALL RIVER, MASS.
Sunday's for God, says pope With eNS reports As the four bishops of Massachusetts protest efforts of Commonwealth legislators to repeal so-called Blue Laws that restrict commerce on Sunday and certain holidays, they are supported by recent comments of the pope at his traditional Sunday Angelus address. The commandment to keep the Sabbath responds to the believer's obligation to pray and the human need for rest, Pope John Paul II told those gathered in St. Peter's Square. "S unday is the day reserved for the special meeting·of the Father with his children; it is the moment of intimacy between Christ and the church, his bride," the pope said. As with everything God asks of human beings, the commandment to keep the Lord's day holy works to the advantage of those who obey, he said. A weekly day dedicated to longer prayer and rest has "a regenerating and tonic effect on human existence," he said. "There is often a risk, above all today, of being swept away by the frantic rhythm of commitments and daily events." . Sunday stands as a "protest of the spirit against enslavement to work and the worship of money," he said. It gives people a chance to open themselves to the supernatural, at the same time offering a stimulus for "establishing and deepening social contacts under the banner of gratitude, friendship and attention to those who are alone and suffering." "When one finds time for God, one also finds time for others," he said.
Catholic contribution to health care reform is symposium topic By Marcie Hickey The Catholic Church has an important role to play in national health care reform-both in providing a moral perspective and in securing its own future as a major health care provider, Father J. Bryan Hehir told health care professionals and social workers at the fourth annual ethics symposium sponsored by St. Anne's Hospital, Fall River. This year's topic was "The Common Good: The Catholic Challenge to Health Care." "We are at a significant threshold in public policy debate, and the Catholic community can lend particular insight into that debate as the largest private health care system in the country, the largest religious community in the country" and a significant presenc'e in charitable endeavors in general, Father Hehir said. The Catholic Health Association has prepared a 44-page proposal that could influence the health care reform package being prepared by Hillary Rodham Clinton's task force. Father Hehir, pastor ofSt. Paul's parish in Cambridge and a faculty member at Harvard Divinity School and the Harvard Center
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WORKING FOR a successful Catholic Charities Appeal are, from left, Cape Cod representatives John Aziz, St. Elizabeth Seton parish, North Falmouth; Father Stc~phen A. Fernandes, area Appeal director; Claire McMahon, Appeal lay chairman; Bishop S,ean O'Malley; Edward Bennett, St. Francis Xavier parish, Hyannis; Father Freddie Babiczuk, assistant area Appeal 'director. (Kearns photo)
Appeal returns at $461,939 Reports from parish and Special Gifts phases bring the current Catholic Charities Appeal total to $461,939.83. Collectors for both phases of the 1993 Appeal are asked to complete all their calls as soon as possible and to bring their reports to their respective headquarters or parishes. The Appeal books will
be open until 10:00 a.m. Tuesday, May 25. All reports received by this time will be credited to the 1993 Appeal. To assure credit, reports from May 20 on should be brought in person to the Appeal Headquarters, 410 Highland Avenue, Fall River. . Parish Honor Roll Parishes that have surpassed
their 1992 final Appeal totals in this year's Appeal will be enrolled on the honor roll. Rev. Daniel L. Freitas, diocesan director of the Appeal,said, "We are anticipating that every parish - III - will be on this year's honor roll. We must have substantial increases in every' parish to surpass last year's total of $2,220,951.64."
for International Affairs, was the principal speaker at the symposium, held at Catholic Memorial Home, Fall River. Other presenters were David H. Mulligan, commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, Atty. I.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~I~~~~~~ Gerald D. D'Avolio, executive director of the Massachusetts Catholic Conference, Father James O'Donohoe, associate professor oftheological ethics at Boston College, By Marcie Hickey and Dr. John Delfs, director of At a public safety Mass on elder care and geriatric medicine at New England Deaconess Hospi- Tuesday, Bishop Sean O'Malley told police officers and firefighters tal.· Father Mark Hession of St. of the diocese that as public serAnne's Hospital Ethics Commit- \vants their "first duty is to love." tee moderated the program and The officials marched in a colorBishop Sean O'Malley offered an ful parade of uniforms and flags to opening prayer. St. Mary's Cathedral from Kennedy Speaking on."Health Care and Park in Fall River, led by Fall Human Dignity: A Challenge to River police department cha;"lain the Church and Civil Society,", Father Edward J. Byington, fire Father Hehir contrasted the department chaplain Father John Catholic approach to health care R. Foister, and the Boston Police reform with that ofthe" American Gaelic Column bagpipers. liberal view" which he said preIn his homily, Bishop O'Malley dominantly shapes public policy. asked the assembly to "reflect on The foundation principle of the what God is calling us to do to PUBLIC SAFETY march: Fathers Edward J. Byington Catholic approach, he said, is the make this world a better 'place." and John R. FoIster, Fall River police and fire department "common good," defined by Father chaplains, respectively, march with police officers and firefighHe said the officers and firefighHehir as "a complex of spiritual, ters are today's Good Samartians, ters of the diocese to a public safety Mass at St. Mary's material and temporal conditions Cathedral. More photos on page 10. (Kearns photo) Turn to Page I I Turn to Page 10
Officials told first duty is love
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