."",,;;;lI"'~"'F'At1:"RlVER DIOCESAN NEWSP ~1t§gJLTJt
VOL. 49, NO. 22 • Friday, June 3, 2005
FALL RIVER, MASS.
Southeastern Massachusetts' Largest Weekly • $14 Per Year
Corporate Appeal donations encouraged
BISHOP GEORGE W. Coleman, center, carries a monstrance during a CorplJs_Christi pro~ession at Corpus Christi Parish in East Sandwich last weekend. (Bruce McDaniel photo)
Corpus Christi Parish celebrates its feast day By
DEACON JAMES
N.
DUNBAR
EAST SANDWICH - Corpus Christi Parish welcomed all of the Cape Cod community as it marked the annual observance of its feast day, the solemnity ofCorpus Christi, the Body and Blood of Christ. "Our traditional celebration includes Mass and a procession and a parish supper or picnic, and we're praying the weather will
cooperate," Father Marcel H. Bouchard, pastor, told The Anchor a few days prior to the events. The parish planned its celebration for the 4 p.m. vigil Mass on Saturday, May 28, with Bishop George W. Coleman as principal celebrant. A procession to the Memorial Chapel on the grounds followed the Mass, where Benediction was held. A picnic followed, provided by
the parish. While everyone was invited to attend the events, a special invitation was extended to the Brazilian Catholic Community of Southeastern Massachusetts. "We held our celebrations on the vigil of the feast because on the Sunday a Mass celebrated by Bishop Coleman and a procession were scheduled for 12:30 a.m., at St. Mary's Cathedral in Fall
FALL RIVER - "Even though the Catholic Charities Appeal is primarily a parish-based endeavor, the impact that friends in the business, industrial, and professional sectors have had has always been quite remarkable, and an integral part ofour base ofsupport," said Michael J. Donly, director of Development for the Diocese of Fall River. "Some social clubs and organizations, as well, often include charitable outreach within their goals, and we certainly encourage them to consider our endeavor." Donly noted that the corporate donations can be directed to diocesan headquarters or to one of the area directors in each of the five deaneries within the diocese. Serving Cape Cod and the Islands as area directors of the Ap.peal are Msgr. John J. Smith at St. Pius X Parish in South Yarmouth and Father Thomas L. Rita of Holy Trinity parish in West Harwich. . On the northern tier of the diocese, in the Attleboro deanery, Father George L. Bellenoit, pas. tor of St. Mary's Parish in Mansfield orchestrates the "Business and Community" program. In the Taunton deanery, Father Timothy P. Reis, pastor of St.
River," Father Bouchard noted. "Because many in the Brazilian community work in the service industries, we might not expect as many as usual to be with' us on a Saturday afternoon, but we expect at least 60 people from among them to attend," he added. A relic of Mother Paulina, the first Br~zilian saint, widely re- Joseph's Parish, serves as area ferred to as the Mother Teresa of director. Msgr. Stephen J. Avila, Turn to page J3'- Feast
Turn to page JJ - Appeal
Bishop approves retirement of four pastors FALL RIVER - Bishop George W. Coleman has accepted the requests of four pastors for retirement effective June 29, it was announced today. They are, Msgr. Edmond R. Levesque, pastor of St. Anthony of Padua Parish in New Bedford; Father Bento R. Fraga, pastor of St. Paul's Parish in Taunton; Father Peter N. Graziano, pastor of St. Mark's Parish in Attleboro Falls; and Father Francis L. Mahoney, pastor of Holy Name Parish in Fall River. Msgr. Levesque, 76, pastor at St. Anthony of Padua Parish in New Bedford since 1990, is celebrating his 50th anniversary as a priest. Father Bento R. Fraga Born in Fall River, the
Mary's'Cathedral here by Bi~l:IOP James L. Connolly. He served as a parochial viCar at St. George's Parish in Westport until assigned to Our Lady of Grace, also in 'Westport, in 1973. He was appointed pastor of St. Theresa's in South Attleboro in 1982. . When, in 1990, at age 67, he was named pastor of St. Anthony's, he began a major and successful restoration of the old church and school in time for the parish's 100th anniversary in 1995, doing much of the washing and pain~ing and furniture refinishing himself. In 1999 he was named a Prelate of Honor by Pope John Msgr. Edmund R. Levesque Father Francis L. Mahoney Turn to page J3 - Retire
jubilarian graduated from Notre Dame Grammar School and Msgr. Prevost High School. He studied at Assumption College in Worcester, before entering St. John's Seminary in Brighton to pursue his vocation to the priesthood. He was ordained a priest on Feb. 2, 1955 in St.
Father Peter N. Graziano