,THE ANCHOR-Diocese of Fall River-Thurs., June 5, 1969
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.r. GOLDEN JUBILEE: Rt. Rev. Albert Berube, P.A., pastor of St. Anthony's Church in New Bedford, observed 50 years in priesthood Sunday. Left photo, Msgr. Berube speaks with St. Anthony High School students Alfred Gauthier and Pauline Bergerson. Center, Monsignor's nephew Ghaslion A. Bernard of Quebec discusses music at the fete with Raymond Boucher and Janet Bernier.
Right, Jubilarian is 'pictured with his brothers and sisters; seated, left to right, Bertha Berube, Monsignor, Mrs. Phillippe Bernard; standing, left to right, Mrs. Paul Desjardins, Mrs. Jean Tripanier, Gerard Berube, Mrs. Guy Malo and Mrs. Winston Bourque.
Msgr. Albert Berube Looks Back on Fifty Years of Service. to God By Patricia Francis
When the Rev. Msgr. Albert Berube celebrated the golden anniversary of his ordination Sunday, it was in St. Anthony's Church, New Bedford, where .he has served 32 years, the last 20 as pastor. To the monsignor, "this is home." But then, that is, the way he feels about the priesthood, too. Fifty years ago, when he was ordained in Charny, P.Q., by the late there his nephew went to re- pointed pastor of Holy Rosary Louis Cardinal Begin, a and cuperate. He served as an assist· where there were "just 110 famyoung Albert Berbue deliv- ant to his uncle during his con- ilies." Still lafer he served as pastor ered his life into God's valescence and later served at hands. He has absolutely no regrets. "I would start my life all over again doing the same things. Sometimes you get discouraged, t-ut then you know God is taking care of you the proper way," he says. "Everything in my life, God took care of. Why should I worry?" To Msgr. Berube, these are not idle words. Born in the United States of French-Cill1adian parentage, he has known disappointment and stood on the threshold of death. His father "came to Detroit with the second wave of Cana· dian immigration," he recalls, and Albert Berube was born in Au Sable, Mich. Then the family came to New Bedford where his father was employed in a textile mill. An uncle, the Rev. Antoine Berube, had served two years in Fall River and moved to New Bedford before his brother's family arrived. Back to Canada Albert Berube attended St. Hyacinth's School, where many years later he was to serve as pastor. Then "the big strike" came and there was no work, so in 1905, the Berube family returned to Canada. Seminarian Berube studied for the priesthood at Quebec Seminary, where officials decided "they wanted me to be a teacher. He got a taste of teaching at the seminary as an instructor in Greek, French literature and rhetoric. The doors of further 'study opened to him with the award of a four-year scholarship for study in Europe. There he become ill and was forced to give up the university and return to the United States. At the time, the Rev. Antoine Berube had a parish in Attleboro
St. George Church in Westport from May 1922 until December, when he was appointed an assistant at Notre Dame Church, Fall River, and director of the parish school. Focal Point
"My vocation was teaching," he recalls. And in Fall River, ed-' ucation became a focal point of his religious life. "I like children and I love teaching," he says, his voice telling of his strong emotion. It was while he was at Notre Dame that Father Berube became instrumental in the estabIishment of Prevost High School.· "I had 90 students graduating from elementary school and there was no Catholic High School for them to go into, so I said to them, 'Let's pray to have a high school.'" He preached that message to the children, to parishioners at Sunday Mass, to his pastor, the late Rev. Damase Robert. Prayer accomplished the im'possible and the late James E. Cassidy, then bishop of the Fall River Diocese, agreed to the establishment of "one year" of high school. The next year, Msgr. Berube recalls humorously, "we added another grade. The pastor was upset, because he said the bishop had said, 'one year.' But I said he meant one year at a time. That must have been it, because when we had the first graduation, Bishop Cassidy was very proud of the school." In 1933, Bishop Cassidy appointed Father Berube administrator of St. Anthony's p'arish, where the pastor, the late Msgr. Louis A. Marchand was ill. For six years, he served as administrator, until the appointment of the Rev. Victor O. Masse as pastor, and then stayed on as assistant for several years. Then Father Berube was ap-
of St. Hyacinth for ·two years, until being named pastor of St. Anthony's in 1949. Returning to the parish where he had built up the elementary school and opened the high school in 1940 was a "great joy" to Father Berube. Then he started taking a long, hard look at St. Anthony's Church, where little work had been. done for many years. "Things were falling apart."
Massive Job A complete program of renovations was conducted under his auspices - a massive job that transformed St. Anthony's into . one of the' most beautiful houses of worship in the state. Msgr. Berube - elevated to that rank in 1952 - can talk by the hour about the beauties of the church in which he has spent so many hours of his life. He recalls the days when the "church was filled" for novena devotions and for the special evening services conducted during the mOIJ.ths of May and·June. Today, he admits sadly, "not as many are there." . But then, he acknowledges, "many things. have changed" since that wonderful day when he dedicated his life to God. "Some people say nothing is real any mote. Maybe that is why there is such unhappiness." Although mellowed by the years, he takes sharp exception to those who express pity "for all you fellows who have lived for nothing." Asked about the church's current struggles and dissensions, he pauses to reflect a moment: "Today, people look at things differently. Once you went into the religious life expecting it would be hard, but thinking it was worth whatever you gave. up." Where Is Prayer? "But the other day I saw an ad
for nuns in a magazine. 'Love, smile, dance, sing,' it said. I never saw a world about praying and prayer is the basic nourishment of a religious' spiritual life." People "can stay in the world and help the world," he says. "A life of religion doesn't promise happiness to everyone, unless they have a real vocation." What about enforced celibacy? "When I was at Notre Dame I had 1,300 children. 1 have 1,200 here. Why do I need to be married to have children and take care of them and love them? "There arc so many children who need love. I have cried with them and tried to comfort them." As for his priesthood, "I love being a priest. I don't regret one minute. God has been very good to me." " He sits' behind the desk in his study-a gentle man and a kind one, looking back over the years and thanking his Creator for the "hard luck and good luck" ,bestowed on him. Little Things And he recalls the little things that epitomize the life to which he was called, and for which he is grateful. In 1953, while on a visit to Montreal to help arrange a reception for a visiting cardinal, Msgr. Berube was stricken by a heart attack." For days, doctors feared for his life. Finally, after a long recuperation he "came home" to St. Anthony's' Rectory. One day as he walked slowly along the sidewalk near the rectory, a youngster from the parish school marched up to him. "Hi," the little boy said. "Hello, yourself," said the monsignor.
"Are you all better now?" the little boy asked. "Oh, much better," Msgr. Berube replied. . "I knew you'd be all right," the boy said, looking up at his pastor, "because we prayed for you to get better." ' Then the youngster opened his school bag and pulled out two graham crackers. He handed one to Msgr. Berube. "Here, you'd better cat this. It's good for you." And the pastor and the young student walked slowly around the corner, each munching on a broken graham cracked resurrected from the bottom of a school bag. Msgr. Berube's eyes were sparkling with what could. have been uns~ed tears ~f happmess. That, . m part, IS what he means by "a life that is good."
~Ii\l ~®Ii'QiJ \{'@ tL®@r'lli LIMA (NC) - John Cardinal 'Heenan of Westminster said on arriving here that he wants "to learn, not to teach during my visit." He came to see the work of the Colurnban Fathers in Peru and in Chile.
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