c,
t eanco~~ VOL. 33, NO. 19
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Friday, May 12,1989
FALL RIVER, MASS.
FALL RIVER DIOCESAN NEWSPAPER FOR SOUTHEAST MASSACHUSEnS CAPE COD & THE ISLANDS
Southeastern Massachusetts' Largest
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$11 Per Year
Confronting a continent's problems
Pope in 4 African nations By NC News Service In his April 28-May 6 trip to Africa, Pope John Paul II tried to shine a light on a corner of the continent that has known more than its share of darkness in recent years. The countries he visited - Madagascar, Zambia, Malawi and the French department of Reunion -are known to the Western world largely for their social problems: widespread poverty, growing foreign debt, an influx of refugees and high rates of AIDS. In Antsiranana, Madagascar, for instance, even for a pope who has kissed and blessed hundreds of infants, meeting baby Angelica was something special. Abandoned in February at the age of9 months on the doorstep of a church-run orphanage, the tiny Malagasy girl was presented 10 Pope John Paul II as he left the altar following a Mass April 29. He lifted her in his arms and gave her a big kiss in front of some 20,000 people. Then he handed hl:r back to orphanage worker Mar:,e Agnes Soanesy and made the Sign of the Cross over both.
It was a gesture her caretakers some, 150,000 people - nearly hope will ~elp find Angelica a one-third the island's total population - the pope beatified a 19thhome. "Nobody wants her. We thought century French missionary, Brother if the pope could meet her, it Scubilion Rousseau, whose efforts .would awaken interest in her case," to educate black slaves helped pave' explained Sister Jeanine Couve, a the way for slavery's abolition on French nun who runs Holy Family the island. The pope praised the missionOrphanage. In Madagascar, 55 percent of ary's ability to live the Gospel, the population is under 'age 20. then called on Reunion's modern The swelling numbers of poor chil- population to do the same. He voiced concern about social dren are most visible on the streets changes in Reunion, a mostly of major cities. Their presence was dramatically Catholic ~Iand where French culillustrated later that day during a ture has dominated in recent years. youth rally in Antananarivo, Mad- He cautioned youths that "keepagascar, when two barefoot girls ing up with one's neighbor" was ~ their stomachs swollen from -becoming the driving principle in hunger - walked unexpectedly Reunion, and, apparently referring onto the papal platform and stood to a jump in the divorce rate, said marriage was "a union that no next to the pope. The oldest, 3-year-old Monik, human court can dissolve." The pope traveled to Zambia on carried her I-year-old sister Zin on her back. The pope hugged them the African continent May 2 in a for about a minute until a Vatican French Concorde jet, flying for the first time at supersonic speeds. official led them away. He repeatedly praised Zambia From Madagascar, Pope John and neighboring Malawi for "hePaul traveled to the French island roic" efforts at hosting hundreds of Reunion in the Indian Ocean of thousands of refugees. most of for an overnight visit May I. Celebrating Mass May 2 for Turn to Page Six
CCA at $902,139 First returns from parishes and Special Gift solicitors show a total of$902, 139.86 already collected in the 1989 Catholic Charities Appeal. Special Gift solicitors are asked to make final returns by tomorrow. Parish volunteers will continue to call on parishioners not contacted last Sunday. The parish phase ofthe Appeal will close May 17 but Appeal books will remai:l open until I p.m. May 26 for final donations. Parishes surpassing 1988 final Appeal totals will be enrolled on the 1989 parish honor roll. Already listed are Our Lady of Fatima parish, Swansea, report-
ing$21,217, and St. Peter, Dighton, reporting $5,020. Last year 105 parishes were listed and Msgr. Anthony M. Gomes, diocesan Appeal director, said of this year's campaign: "We -are anticipating that every parish 112 - will be on this year's honor roll. We must have substantial
increases in every parish to surpass llist year's total of $1,974,486.85. Leading parishes, parish totals, special gift listings and names of parish donors appear on pages 2 and 12 ofthis issue of The Anchor. Listings will continue to /appear weekly in the order received by the printer until all have been recorded.
---------_ ... Priests'study daJ'
Father Robert A. Oliveira, director of Continuing Formation of Clergy and Laity, has announced a priests' study day to be held from 10:30 a:m. to 2:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 16, at Cathedral Camp, Eas't Freetown. Father James O'Donohue, a ,professor of moral theology 'at Boston College, will address the question of Human Sexuality: Magisterial Teachings and Pastoral PAPAL HUGS: From top,-Pope John Paul II embraces Practice. His two presenlations baby Angelica; Monik, 3, and her sister, Zin, 1, barely visible will focus on theological principles at left of his hand; and irrepressible President Banda of of sexual morality and specific applications of Church teachings. Malawi. (NCj UPI-Reuters photos)
ON SUNDAY,1"heresa Wesloh's Mother's Day schedule will include helping her son and pastor, Father Ferdinand J. Wesloh, distribute holy communion at St. John the Baptist parish, St. Louis, where she is also a lector. (NC photo)