06.02.06

Page 1

th VOL. 50, NO. 22 • Friday, June 2, 2006

FALL RIVER, MASS.

Southeastern Massachusetts' Largest Weekly • $14 Per Year

Dioces~'s

AIDS Ministry outreach extends well beyond a deadly virus

By DEACON JAMES N.

DUNBAR

FALL RIVER - Ten years ago, when children in a Catholic school were asked how many ofthem knew someone

~ it~

SOME OF this year's S1. Pius X Award winners stand with Bishop George W. Coleman following ~ recent ceremony at S1. Mary's Cathedral. Story on page 14. (AnchotiGordon photo)

Hundreds of young Catholics, parents, celebrate first Communion in di.ocese By MIKE GORDON AND DEACON JAMES N. DUNBAR FALL RIVER - For most directors of Religious Education in parishes across the diocese the Easter season becomes the most hectic - and the most fulfilling - time as hundreds of their young charges make their first Communion. The Anchor caught up with three busy directors

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A IDS,!' only a few hands wen! raised. But today, many hahds are raised when more than 2,200 Catholic school students in the ~all River diocese are posed the s~me question during educational serriinars and presentations conducted dining the year. "It's because New Bedford and Fall River are among the top 20 cities in Massachusetts ~th the highest rate ofHIV infectiqn diagnosis," reported Dr. Krysten '}'inter-Green, director of I)iocesan 1\IDS Minis-

try, in a candid interview last week. The wonisome statistics from the State Department of Public Health show that as of May I, there were a total 16,192 people reported infected

Ai CZ£zZ((J)l712 mg ~~~sHfi~~ m Massachusetts. Of those, 45 percent were white, 27.6 percent were black, 24.8 percent were Hispanic, and all others two percent. The Southeast region ofthe state, which includes the area of the Fall River diocese, listed 2,253 current cases - although as many are thought to go unreported - or 13.9 percent of the cases statewide In Bristol County alone there Turn to page ],8 - Outreach

- as well as four first communicants - to talk about how successful the endeavors were, and hear first hand from those who newly encountered Jesus in the sacrament of his love. Jane Rausch, director of Religious Education at St. Patrick's Parish in Somerset, praised on her staff of three teachers and an aide who prepared 32 chilTurn to page 13 - Communion

. ,'~"'U!I

\. "rst ,~. '-~'l-lofy God 'Bress ~'Il '. COfflTn.union

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MSGR. RONALD A. Tosti enjoys assisting parishioner Tony Marchillo, who with his wife, has moved into an assisted living facility. (Phot9 courtesy of The Cape Cod Times)

Msgr. Tosti: A shepherd with diverse talents retires in June I,

By DEACON JAMES N. THE FIRST COMMUNION class at Our Lady of the Assumption Parish in Osterville cre-

ated this altar frontal.

Several priests named administrators la~t June appointed- pastors By DEACON JAMES N.

DUNBAR

FALL RIVER - When some well-known pastors involved in new assignments across the diocese in 2005 were given the titleof parochial administrators, it

prompted many questions, especially from the secular news media and baffled parishioners. But as reported in The Anchor last week, they have all been appointed pastors of their respective

faith communities, effective May 25. They included Father Brian J. Harrington, pastor of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish in Seekonk; Turn to page seven - Pastors

DUNBAR

MASHPEE - Not many are ready to sum up their priesthood as they open the doonto retirement. But Msgr. Rona;ld A. Tosti, pastor of Christ the King Parish in Mashpee since July 1984, and who will retire in June, readily did just that in iespons~ to questions put by The Anchor last week. "Having had the opportunity to be at the center of the founding of Christ the King Parish - not just build a church building but to establish a parish, a community of people - is something I cart especially feel very proud of, the frosting on the cake. But what is more satisfying and important to who I am is my joy in bringing together people with many gifted talents and empowering them to ministry," he said. Turn to page 14 - Shepherd 1


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