t eanc 0 VOL. 40, NO. 20
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Friday, May 17, 1996
FALL RIVER, MASS.
FALL RIVER DIOCESAN NEWSPAPER FOR SOUTHEAST MASSACHUSETTS CAPE COD & THE ISLANDS Southeastern Massachusetts' Largest Weekly
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$13 Per Year
OUR LADY of Good Counsel award winners (left) at the DCCW convention May II are from left, Annette Sullivan, St. Elizabeth Seton, No. Falmouth; Marilyn Leddy, St. Mary, Seekonk; Janice Monte, St. Mary, So. Dartmouth; and Doris Pytel, St. Patrick, Somerset. Not pictured is Mildred Gedritis from St. Paul, Taunton. Katherine Lancisi (right photo, far left), president of the DCCW, stands with her vice-presidents, from left, Terry Lewis, Lillian Plouffe, Betty Mazzucchelli, Colette Waring; and Elsie Spellman. (Anchor/ Mills photo) ~t
annual DCCW gathering
Women.of praYE~r, love, peace meet for convention the convention reminding delegates By Christine Vieira Mills of their tie to peoples worldwide Anchor Staff with a universal faith. . It began and ended with prayer, showcased the loving care of Our PaDl~1 Discussions Lady, and promoted peaceful social A bouquet of dozens of interna-' activism. The 267 women from all tional flags decorated the stage around the dioce~e gathered at where panelists presented convenBishop Feehan High School, Attle- tion topics. Sister Grace Donoboro, for the annual convention of van, SUSC, a campus minister, the Fall River Diocesan Council spoke aboUit women involved in of Catholic Women hoped they campus ministry; Madeleine Grace might personify the conference on women ministering in art and theme of "Women of Prayer, music; Kathy Hickman on volunwomen of Love, women of Peace: teering in a literacy program and Ministering at the Heart of the Lorraine Robidoux on accounting World." DCCW president Katheand business. rine Lancisi said, "we as councilSister Donovan, Fall River native women need to strive to become and campus minister at Stonehill such women." College, North Easton, spoke about "Today is truly a day to cele- the roles of women and men in brate us women," .said Lancisi at serving the needs of students. "Both the May II convention. "We jump when our pastors ask us to do the cookie baking and the parish activities, and while that is all needed and good, we need to open up a bit more, to refocus our attention to social action." Several ideas for social issues in The 1996 Catholic Charities Apwhich council members may be peal in the Diocese of Fall River interested were outlined in mate- has topped the million dollar mark. rials handed out at the convention. "We still have a long way to go," The National Osteoporosis Foun- reported Monsignor Thomas J. dation circulated a petition urging Harrington, director of the Appeal. Congress to expand medical re- For many years, the late Monsigsearch on the disease that debili- nor Anthony M. Gomes, an ardent tates millions of Women and men. sports fan, had served as director Also circulated was a brochure of the Catholic Charities Appeal. entitled, "A Call to Political Respon- Hearkening to his predecessor, sibility," which contained excerpts Monsignor Harrington noted, from a statement released by the "Monsignor Tony Gomes would Administrative Board of the U.S. say that we were in about the Catholic Bishops. It offered ways fourth inning, so lots can happen that Catholics can be politically before we close the scorebook .this active while"proclaiming the Gos- year. Let's hope, as that extraorpel of Life, protecting the least dinary priest might say, that we among us, and pursuing the com- will have a victory!" mon good," Returns during the early phase Beautiful decorations in the of the campaign have been espeFeehan auditorium and cafeteria cially encouraging in greater Taunadded an international flavor to ton. Area director Father Manuel
women and men in campus ministry are in the service of the Lord, not handymen or handmaids for each other." She found that from the witness of women and men in the service of the Church, students associate discipleship of Christ with both genders. "Just as women and men are needed to perpetuate life," she explained, "women and men are also needed to perpetuate the Word of God." . Sister Donovan also added that the roles of women in the liturgy are changing to include altar servers and homilists. "Students," she said, "are keen to notice whether women and men in ministry value each other's work." Madeleine Grace, who taught
music in the Somerset school system and has been involved in many choral groups, explained that "God gave the gift of procreation as well as the gift of recreation." She added that the Church has always been a patron of the arts and that using a talent for sacred purposes promotes an awareness of one's own faith and that of others. "When I play music for funerals," she said, "it helps me cope with loss in my own life. When I play for a wedding, I reaffirm my own vows." "It's no't easy," said Kathy Hickman in her talk on volunteering for a local literacy program, "in a culture that determines success by stature, money and power, because Turn to Page 13
"We still have a long way to go',' - Msgr. Harrington
Cath'olic Charities hits $1 million mark
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Index Bosco column
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Daily Readings
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Father Dietzen
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Editorial Necrology
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Our Rock & Role .. 15 Steering Points ..•. 16 Youth News
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P. Ferreira noted a heartening increase in contributions at Saint Anthony's parish in Taunton, where he serves as pastor. "We appealed to the Christ-like spirit of generosity in our people," he explained, "reaching out to those less fortunate." In the Easter season, as Pentecost approaches, the readings in the Liturgy have been from the Acts of the Apostles, telling how the Spirit moved those in the first Christian community to share their worldly goods in common so that all could live in peace. This spirituality has been recaptured in the measure of support of contemporary Christians to the appeal of Bishop Sean for the resources needed to conduct our diocesan institutions, apostolates and ministries. From another part of the dio-
cese, Very Reverend Gerald T. Shovelton, Dean of the Cape Cod and Islands Deanery and pastor of Holy Trinity parish in West Harwich, noted that, in promoting the 1996 Appeal, he and parochial vicar Father Thomas A. Frechette have been building upon a deeprooted tradition of charity in that parish community of faith. "The people of Holy Trinity parish have always been concerned with those less fortunate," he noted, "and have been very loyal to the diocese," When contacted, Father Shovelton and members of the parish staff were processing additional returns gathered over the past weekend. Current diocesan returns from both "special gifts" and parish Turn to Page 13