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VOL. 35, NO. 19
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Friday, May 10, 1991
F ALL RIVER, MASS.
FAL,L RIVER DIOCESAN NE'AtSPAPER
FOR SOUTHEAST MASSACHUSETTS CAfPE COD & THE ISLANDS Southeastern Massachusetts' Largest Weekly
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511 Per Vear
Bishop in. Azores for papal visit
_ GRADUATES OF the third education program sponsored by the Diocesan Department of Pastoral Care for the Sick, together with their instructors, smile at commissioning ceremony held at S1. John Neumann Church, East Freetown. (Quinn photo)
"I have grown Up"
40 are commissioned as ministers to sick "As a physician, l have found the pastoral care program to have enhanced my medical practice and personal life. It has brought me an awareness of a special ministry that I can bring to my patients and has provided skills not usually found in formal medical training." "I feel like 1 have grown up on the inside." "I have learned new techniques for developing listening skills. Because of this, 1 hope to be able to listen not only to what a person is saying, but also to what he or she is feeling." "I came to the program after the death of my mom. During her illness 1became familiar with some of her fellow patients and their needs. After her death 1 wanted to fill a void in my life and in the lives of isolated elderly in my own parish." . "This program has given me tools for the journey to spiritual, emotional and physical health." "This program has helped me to understand not only others but
Neumann Church, East Freetown, as pastoral ministers to the sick and elderly. All had completed a nine-month program including theological education; the psychology of suffering, loss and grief; and training in listening and communication. Turn to Page II
The above are comments made by some of the 40 people commissioned last month at St. John
our diocese, many of whom trace their ancestral roots to the Azores." Papal Schedule The pope's 50th trip outside Italy will combine a pilgrimage to one of Catholicism's most famous Marian shrines with visits to At-
lantic summer resorts famous among sun-loving tourists. The trip will take the 70-yearold pope to the Fatima shrine, where millions of people gather each year at the site of Mary's six Turn to Page II
Fire-ravaged parish first to make CCA honor roll Still picking up the pieces from the disastrous April 21 fire that demolished its roof, St. Stanislaus Church, Fall River, is nevertheless the first parish to attain honor roll status in the 1991 Catholic Charities Appeal. St. Stanislaus has already topped its final 1990 contribution of$19,093 by $479 fora total thus far this year of$19,572. Overall, first reports from parish and special gift solicitors have increased the total of the Catholic Charities Appeal to $408,517.20. The special gift solicitors are requested to make their final returns by this Saturday.
Parishes will continue to make calls on parishioners not contacted last Sunday. The parish phase of the Appeal ends on May 15. Appeal books will be open for contributions' until Tuesday, May 28 at 10:00 a.m., the closing time and date for the Appeal. Parish Honor Roll Parishes surpassing their 1990 final Appeal totals in this year's Appeal will be enrolled on the honor roll. Last year 107 parishes were enrolled. Rev. Daniel. L. Freitas, Diocesan Director of the Appeal said, "We are anticipating Turn to Page Two
Encyclical flays ,communism, :also raps capitalism WASHINGTON (CNS) - Pope cratic government, .but said that John Paul II commemorated a without respect for religious values century-old land marl<: papal social, and human rights, democracy can encyclical with a co~mentary on become "totalitarianism." the post-Marxist world that itself The pope released the encyclical has attracted wide notice. May 2, about two weeks before the . In "Centesimus Annus" ("The 100th anniversary of Pope Leo Hundredth Year"), Pc;>peJohnPaul XIII's "Rerum Novarum" (On Capcommends capitalism for encour- ital and Labor), which laid the aging initiative and treativity, but foundation of modern church social warns its practitione~s to give their teaching. system a liberal dose of ethics and "Centesimus Annus" gives the compassion. It also praises demo- expiring body of Marxism a sharp
kick, with the pope charging communism with everything from fostering violent social conflict to betraying the aspirations of youth. But he said Western leaders should avoid regarding the collapse of communism as "a onesided victory of their own economic system" and fail to make "necessary corrections." , The encyclical got praise from Turn to Page Six
Bisho'ps speak out on family life
m~self."
"H feel that these nine months have deepened my spiritual life and given me new insights into my personal ministry."
At the invitation of Bishop Aurelio Granada of the diocese of Angra, Azores, Bishop Daniel A. Cronin is in the Azores for the visit there this weekend of Pope John Paul II. The bishop 'is accompanied by Msgr. John J. Oliveira, diocesan chancellor. The prelates will also travel with Bishop Granada to mainland Portugal for the pope's pilgrimage to the world-famed shrine of Our Lady of Fatima. Bishop Granada extended the invitation to Bishop Cronin last December, saying "I would be very happy if Vour Excellency desired to come and was able to be present when the Holy Father visits the Azores. Dioceses so close spiritually - Fall River and the Azores - would haye the opportunity to greet Pope John Paul II together." . In accepting the invitation, Bishop Cronin wrote "Be assured of my profound gratit,ude for your kind invitation to joi,n you and the people of your diocese on the occasion of this historic visit of His Holiness. I know this will be very meaningful to the people of
DIOCESAN HEALTH Facilities, directed by Father Edmund J. Fitzgerald (above), are spotlighted for National Nursing Home Week, May 12 to 18. See pages 8-10.
In a far-reaching statement issued today, the Catholic bishops of Massachusetts committed themselves to support of state legislation directed to the good of families. Bernard Cardinal Law, archbishop of Boston, ~ishop Daniel A. Cronin of Fall River; Bishop Timothy Harringtort of Worcester and Bishop Joseph F. Maguire of Springfield called on citizens of the commonwealth; to join with them in working for "a healthier and sounder social and civic life
that will extend to everyone in society, to the poor, to the disadvantaged and to those who have no family." The bishops' statement, titled "Family: The Key to a Healthy Society," emphasizes the traditional concept of family as "the common life of a man and woman in lawful union together with their children," although it recognizes that many other familial patterns exist. The statement observes that it is
to the benefit of the state to have strong, healthy families because they are the natural foundation of social and civic life and because the common good of the whole society is directly affected by the good of the family. The bishops point out that the classic principle of subsidiarity teaches that the state should not perform functions that can be done by smaller bodies. The family is Turn to Page Six