VOL.46, NO.23
• Friday, June 7, 2002
FALL RIVER, MASS.
Southeastern Massachusetts' Largest Weekly • $14 Per Year
Priesthood ordination set for tomorrow at cathedral FALL RIVER - Rev. Mr. Jeffrey Cabral will served at Cathedral Camp in East Freetown, S1. be ordained a priest for the Fall River diocese in Michael's Parish in Swansea, S1. John the Baptist ceremonies tomorrow at II a.m., in S1. Mary's Parish in New Bedford, and at S1. Mary's CatheCathedral by Bishop Sean P. O'Malley, OFM Cap. dral Parish, Fall River. He spent a summer studyThe son of Antonio and Maria Cabral of North ing Portuguese in the Azores, from which his parDartmouth, and a member of S1. Julie Billiart Par- ents, natives of the Island of Santa Maria, emiish there, Rev. Mr. Cabral was ordained a transi- grated. He also did field education at S1. Anthony's tional deacon on January 5 during his fourth and final year of theological studies at S1. John's Semi- Parish, Cambridge and at S1. Rose of Lima Parish, Chelsea. nary in Brighton. In the seminary, Deacon Cabral served on the A native of North Dartmouth, he graduated with honors from Dartmouth High School in 1991. Theologate Pastoral Council; was a member of Phi He was a class officer in student government, a Sigma Tau, the philosophy honor society; and a member of the semimember of the Math nary schola; and was Team and a member of the class regulator. the Camoes Club, a He was admitted to Portuguese social orgacandidacy for the nization. He graduated priesthood on May 9, from the University of 1999; installed in the Massachusettsministry of lector on Dartmouth in 1995 April 9, 2000; and inwith a bachelor of art" stalled in the ministry of degree in mathematics. acolyte on May 25, He had been a member, 2001. vice president and At his ordination, president of the CathoRev. Mr. Cabral will be lic Student Organizavested in stole and chation there. suble by Msgr. Stephen He spent a year as a J.Avila. substitute teacher of Readers at that Mass mathematics at Bishop will be Isabel Medeiros Stang High School and of S1. Julie Billiart Parat Dartmouth High ish in North Dartmouth, School before entering and Maria S. Moura of S1. John's Seminary in S1. Anthony's in 1996 where he began Taunton. two years of pre-theolHe will celebrate his ogy studies. Rev. Mr. Cabral's Turn to page six summer ministries were REV. MR. JEFFREY CABRAL Ordination
Catholic Charities Appeal in final sprint of fund-raiser FALL RIVER - Celebrating 61 years ofboundless generosity by the tens of thousands of parishioners and mends of the diocese who have given so unselfishly to minister to the needy, the 2002 annual Catholic Charities Appeal is in its final leg. "If the Appeal were a race it would be a marathon and not a dash;' said Msgr. Thomas J. Harrington, director of the Appeal "By this time in the process we're like a runner heading into the hills of Newton in the Patriot's Day event in greater Bostoo;' he added. This year's springtime Appeal, which began May 5, reaches out across the diocese where last year more than 53,000 individuals contributed more than $3.6 million dollars to fund the charitable works of the various diocesan agencies and apostolates that reach out to anyone needing assistance.
As The Anchor went to press this week, officials at Diocesan Headquarters reported that returns were heading toward the $3 million dollar mark.
''We're over 90 percent of our expectations for this date in the Appeal;' noted Michael Donly, diocesan director of Development "And we are continuing to have an optimistic outlook for this year's campaign." Headquarter's staffers report a sense that pledges are up this year, as well as use of the credit card option which has been offered in recent campaigns. There is still time for contributors to join in this meaningful effort to ensure that no one who is needy is ever turned away. Prospective donors may approach any of the parishes or communicate directly with Diocesan Headquarters, P.O. Box 1470, Fall River, MA 02722, or by calling 508-675-1311.
. POPE JOHN' Paul II during his recent trip to Bulga,ria. (eNS photo from Reuters) ." , .
Latest trip shows pope's power of communication is slipping away By JOHN THAVIS CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE SOFIA, Bulgaria - For several weeks before his trip to Bulgaria, Pope John Paul II took pronunciation lessons from a priest so that his Bulgarian-language speeches could be understood. "He was a good student, very attentive," said Father Petar Kjossov, who spent an hour-anda-half daily with the pontiff for nearly a month. In Sofia, the lessons seemed to payoff when the pope launched into a speech to artists, educators and politicians. "Oh!" gasped a young Bulgarian translator, who was watching on TV. "He's speaking Bulgarian, and it's very good." But less than a minute later, the pope's voice slurred and faded, and his audience strained to make out the syllables. Then a local priest took over and read the papal text. More than on any previous journey, the pope's trip to Azerbaijan and Bulgaria marked a steep decline in the pope's physical condition and especially
in his ability to express himself. Once known as the great communicator, the 82-year-old 'pontiff is finding his own powers of communication fast slipping away. The polyglot pope today has trouble making himself understood in any language. When he addressed monks at the historic monastery in Rila, an event broadcast on Bulgarian national TV, his voice projected so poorly that the microphone didn't pick it up. He sat bent over in a large white chair, chin on his chest, both hands shaking - and someone else quickly stepped in to read the speech. The pope has for several years suffered from a neurological disease, believed to be Parkinson's, which has caused his speech to become less distinct and his movements unsteady. But on this trip, the effects were dramatically visible to all. At one point, he apparently could not descend from his popemobile to lay a wreath at a statue of SS. Cyril and Methodius. For the first time, instead of walking down airplane steps, he Turn to page 10 - Pope