06.28.19

A Corpus Christi procession took to the streets of downtown New Bedford on Sunday, June 23, hosted by the Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate at Our Lady’s Chapel. (Photo courtesy of Maria Newcomer) June 28, 2019 â€

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Public Rosary gatherings being led at parishes throughout the diocese

participating with public Rosary prayer gatherings and additional First Friday/First Saturday Vigils of Adoration, in reparation to the NEW BEDFORD — Over the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary as past few weeks a wonderful new requested by Our Lady of Fatima Catholic initiative has begun and in 1917. is now bearing fruit in several In addition, some of the parishparishes throughout the Fall River es in the Fall River Diocese have Diocese. agreed to participate in the 54-Day Some months ago, a group of lay Catholics and some priests met Rosary Novena for the renewal at St. Anthony of Padua Church on of our Church and nation (which Acushnet Avenue in New Bedford starts on August 15 and concludes to discuss the crisis in our Church on October 7) and to attend the and in our nation. There they came local gathering for the nationwide Rosary Coast to Coast prayer up with some practical ways to rally and procession, which will renew our Church and nation in be held on October 13 at 3 p.m. at conjunction with the 2019 Rosary Coast to Coast event that will take Fort Taber/Fort Rodman in New Bedford. place on Sunday, Oct. 13, 2019 In our world today, our age throughout the country.

Some of the suggestions includ- is replete with many disturbing signs, including the culture of ed a request to ask all Catholics death — abortion; the proposed and non-Catholics to offer their anti-life, anti-Christian “Equality prayers, fasting and penance in Act”; new laws passed in New York reparation for the sins committed and beyond approving infanticide; against Jesus and for the convernon-traditional Marriage indocsion of our nation, our Church, our families and the world. Also to trination taking place in many schools in our nation; drag queen ask that all Catholics avail themselves of all that their parishes offer story hours in public libraries to — Holy Mass, Adoration, Rosaries attack the innocence of children; increasing secularization and soand any other prayer meetings — cialist ideologies; and the clerical and to offer these prayers so that sexual abuse scandals, which have Our Lord Jesus, Our Lady and St. Joseph may bring about the results provoked well-justified hostility towards religious institutions. that are so desperately needed.

It is evident that we are livSince that time the response ing through turbulent times that to this small, grassroots Catholic demand an active response and initiative has grown and there are now a number of parishes actively we need to keep in mind that what

By Father Brendan O’Rourke, I.V.E. Parochial Vicar St. Anthony of Padua Parish, New Bedford

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Christian believers do now will determine the future for our children and their children, for our nation, and ultimately for our Church and the building of the Kingdom of God on earth.

In view of the critical times in which we live, we invite and ask all Catholics and lay-Catholic associations and ministries and parishes to join in this Catholic prayer initiative, especially with public prayer of the Rosary, and the 54-day Novena on August 15 (the Holy Day of the Assumption) and concluding on October 7 (the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary), specifically for the renewal of our

Church and nation, and to join in the Rosary Coast to Coast public prayer rally and procession in New Bedford.

In the interim, all the Catholic members of the various parishes in the Fall River Diocese are invited to try to organize and attend their own weekly public Rosary prayer gathering (please contact your pastor and get permission) and to unite with the other parishes to help encircle the Fall River Diocese and our priests and world in prayer for the conversion of our nation, renewal of our Church, our families and the world.

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Msgr. Stephen J. Avila, V.F. appointed pastor of new Catholic Community of Falmouth FALMOUTH — Bishop Edgar M. da Cunha, S.D.V., D.D., has appointed Msgr.

Stephen J. Avila, V.F., as pastor of St. Elizabeth Seton, St. Patrick, and St. Anthony parishes, which are collaborating to form the Catholic Community of Falmouth.

The new partnership stems from the strategic plan that was presented to Bishop da Cunha on Nov. 30, 2018. In his announcement, Bishop da Cunha thanked Father Timothy Goldrick, retiring pastor of St. Patrick Parish, and Father Arnold R. Medeiros, retiring pastor of St. Elizabeth Seton Parish, for their many years of exceptional service to the diocese.

In his letter appointing Msgr. Avila as pastor of the three parishes, Bishop da Cunha said, “The people of St. Anthony, St. Elizabeth Seton, and St. Patrick are building bridges and establishing new partnerships for a stronger future.”

In announcing the new collaboriative to parishioners on May 19, Msgr.

Avila explained how the new initiative would be “a model of ministry, a close (partnership) working together, one parish with the other, to strengthen the presence of the Catholic Church in this area.”

“I’ve been tasked by the bishop to implement a strategic plan for this collaborative along with the five deacons that are in the three parishes and a solid group of dedicated lay men and women who have made up our new pastoral

Msgr. Stephen J. Avila, V.F. council,” Msgr. Avila said.

Msgr. Avila, who prefers to be called Father Steve, is a graduate of Providence College and prepared for ordination at the North American College in Rome, acquiring a Bachelor in Sacred Theology degree from the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome.

He was ordained in 1981 and has been pastor of St. Anthony Parish since 2014.

“It is my honor to have been selected by Bishop da Cunha to lead the Catholic Community of Falmouth,” he said. “This community is rich in faith and I look forward to a strong future for the Catholic Church in Falmouth.”

Father Ryan Healy, recently ordained to the priesthood by Bishop da Cunha, has also been assigned to the Catholic Community of Falmouth as parochial vicar to assist Msgr. Avila with his pastoral duties. Father Healy is a native of Attleboro and a graduate of Bishop Feehan High School. He attended the University of Steubenville in Ohio and then transferred to Our Lady of

Providence College Seminary in Providence, R.I., and finished his formation and studies at St. John Seminary in Brighton with a Bachelor in Sacred Theology and Master of Divinity degrees.

Father Healy is looking forward to assisting Msgr.

Avila as he continues his Spiritual journey in Falmouth.

“Change is oftentimes difficult and unsettling for many of us as we become used to our routines, our schedules, a familiar way of doing things — even doing church,” Msgr. Avila said. “This new model will mean change for us all.

For me personally, this is a major change in my life as a priest. I’ve been a pastor of parishes now for close to 20 years at three different parishes ... but never three parishes at the same time.”

Msgr. Avila has assembled a Pastoral Council consisting of representatives of each of the three parishes to guide the development and administration of the Catholic Community of Falmouth. The council is assisting with the planning and implementation of this new model of Catholic parish life by assuming the more secular aspects of parish administration, allowing Msgr.

Avila and Father Healy the ability to focus on their pastoral duties.

Steven Johnson and James Quinn, co-chairmen of the council, expressed their appreciation to the council members for their commitment to the col-

† Diocese of Fall River † OFFICIAL Appointments

His Excellency, the Most Reverend Edgar M. da Cunha, S.D.V., D.D., Bishop of Fall River, announces the following appointments: Very Reverend Daniel W. Lacroix, V.F. (Moderator) and Reverend John A. Raposo, pastors in solidum of the parishes of St. Mary, Our Lady of Fatima, and St. Joseph-St. Therese in New Bedford Reverend Edward A. Murphy (Moderator) and Reverend Gerard A. Hebert, pastors in solidum of the parishes of Annunciation of the Lord and St. Andrew the Apostle in Taunton; Father Hebert to reside at Annunciation of the Lord rectory Reverend Freddie Babiczuk (Moderator) and Reverend Thomas E. Costa Jr., pastors in solidum of the parishes of St. Anthony, St. Mary, and St. Jude the Apostle in Taunton; Father Babiczuk to reside at St. Jude the Apostle rectory; Father Costa to reside at St. Anthony rectory Effective July 1, 2019 laboration among the three parishes. They have also expressed their sincere appreciation for Msgr. Avila’s appointment as pastor and the leadership he has shown during the strategic planning and development process.

Msgr. Avila said he’s very hopeful and optimistic about the new Catholic Community of Falmouth.

“This optimism does not come because the bishop has all the answers, because he doesn’t,” he said. “Not because I have all the answers, because I don’t. And not because our pastoral plan is in place and everything is perfect.

It isn’t.

“But my optimism is because I trust that God is

in control, that Christ, the Lamb of God, is victorious.”

A new summer Mass schedule for the three parish churches and two chapels is expected to be put into effect beginning this weekend (June 29-30).

While the overall number of Masses will be reduced, there will be a more varied schedule of Mass times, allowing for more opportunities for people to attend Mass in the Falmouth area.

A new website for the collaborative has been set up and can be accessed at www.falmouthcatholic. org. It will provide additional information about the Catholic Community of Falmouth and its vision for the future.

June 28, 2019 †

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Longtime Diocesan Health Facilities employee named new CEO FALL RIVER — Joanne M. Roque, who joined the staff of Madonna Manor in North Attleboro 30 years ago, has been named the new leader of Diocesan Health Facilities, the administrative entity that oversees all five skilled nursing and rehabilitation facilities sponsored by the Fall River Diocese.

Bishop Edgar M. da Cunha, S.D.V., announced the appointment of Roque as chief executive officer of the Diocesan Health Facilities group earlier this month.

Her appointment becomes effective July 1 and follows the retirement of Rev. Msgr.

Edmund J. Fitzgerald after 31 years as the Diocesan Health Facilities executive director.

With a mission of pro-

viding extended care to the chronically ill and disabled, with special emphasis on the care of the frail elderly, the Diocesan Health Facilities Office serves almost 900 men and women in its five facilities: Catholic Memorial Home, Fall River; Madonna Manor, North Attleboro; Marian Manor, Taunton; Our Lady’s Haven, Fairhaven; and Sacred Heart Home, New Bedford. It also offers two community-based programs that support independent living, EldersFirst and Bethany House adult day health in Taunton.

Roque was hired as the assistant director of nursing at Madonna Manor in 1989 and went on to serve as its director of nursing, director

Joanne M. Roque of clinical administration, and then the home’s administrator.

In 2004 she came to the Diocesan Health Facilities Office, which is based in Fall River, as director of Clinical Services, overseeing clinical operations across the entire 879-bed system.

“I am thankful to be

given the opportunity to lead the next chapter of the Diocesan Health Facilities,” Roque shared. “I’m excited to be afforded the opportunity to continue working with the many dedicated members of our teams that fulfill our mission in delivering compassionate care encompassing the various needs of the residents and families that we serve.”

In announcing her appointment, Bishop da Cunha noted her decades of experience in health care.

“Joanne has exemplified the mission of our Diocesan Health Facilities and demonstrated a true dedication to those in need of care through her 30 years of service in various roles at

Madonna Manor and most recently with her oversight of clinical operations for entire Diocesan Health Facilities group,” he said.

Roque holds a bachelor of science degree in nursing and a master of science in health care administration, both from Salve Regina University in Newport, R.I. Earlier in her career, she worked as a nurse and then nurse manager at Sturdy Memorial Hospital in Attleboro.

A resident of Attleboro, she is a member of St. John the Evangelist Parish in that city. For the past three years, she has served as a board member for the non-profit agency, Bristol Elder Services.

New Diocesan Academy hires director of STEM Education TAUNTON — The Diocese of Fall River’s Catholic School Superintendent, Steve Perla, recently announced the appointment of Ellen Russell as the new Academy’s director of STEM Education. This appointment is in direct response to the overwhelming local and national need for a workforce that is well-equipped for the “fourth industrial revolution.”

Currently, there are about seven million unfilled jobs in the United States as a result of the misalignment between workforce supply and industry demands.

Ellen Russell’s career as a lifelong science and robotics expert will provide the Academy with strategic guidance of implementing STEM-related curricula at all schools benefitting from the Academy. While the first step of this implementation will focus on Coyle & Cassi4

dy High School and Middle School as well as Bishop Connolly High School, over time the emphasis of STEM education will be integrated into all of the Catholic schools within the Diocese of Fall River.

Research shows that a STEM curriculum fosters critical thinking skills while developing the ability to work collaboratively on project-based work. Russell’s responsibilities will include providing ongoing teacher professional development as well as creating curriculum and instructional strategies for STEM education, initially for Coyle and Connolly.

Ellen will also continue to work directly with students in the robotics and science Olympiad programs.

In addition, Russell will teach robotics, engineering, and computer science to grades one to four, as well as leading the robotics team at

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schools,” said Chris Myron, president of Coyle & Cassidy and Bishop Connolly schools. “Students who choose to pursue STEMrelated interests will be wellserved by her guidance and direction.”

Kathy St. Laurent, principal of Coyle & Cassidy and Bishop Connolly schools, further added, “Ellen is such Ellen Russell Our Lady of Lourdes Catho- a wonderful role model to students in middle school lic elementary school in Taunton. Previously, Russell and high school who enjoy science and math and worked as science teacher and department chairperson think they want to pursue a STEM-related career. Her in the Easton amd Westwood Public Schools. In this leadership in the Academy capacity, she was responsible offers students unique acfor the development of new cess to a wealth of STEM-related educational and career curricula such as elemenguidance.” tary school engineering, “I am so pleased to have middle school technology, the opportunity to work and forensic science. in the subjects that I have “Our diocese is very loved my entire life,” Rusfortunate to have someone sell said. “There are so many of Russell’s caliber on staff more opportunities for to oversee the STEM curSTEM-related careers than riculum at our amazing

when I was younger. I want to ensure that students in our Catholic schools are exposed to all of the exciting possibilities for a career — in many cases, a career that they previously may not have considered. This new role perfectly combines my passion for STEM and teaching children, I could not be more thrilled to join this wonderful team of educators!”

The Academy offers cutting edge, academically rigorous, individually tailored and Christ-centered programs for students which are unlike any other educational program opportunities in Massachusetts.

The Catholic Schools Alliance comprises administrators, teachers, staff, parents and clergy joined in partnership to educate the children of the Diocese of Fall River in Catholic faith and values.

St. Anthony of Padua relics to tour Fall River Diocese in August FALL RIVER — From Monday, August 26 to Saturday, August 31, two firstclass and precious relics of the Portuguese-born saint, St. Anthony of Padua, will tour the Roman Catholic Diocese of Fall River.

At the invitation of Bishop Edgar M. da Cunha, S.D.V., D.D., Father Alessandro Ratti will bring the holy relics from the saint’s Basilica, St. Anthony of Padua, in Padua, Italy, near the enchanting city of Venice. The two exquisite reliquaries, one of which contains layers of skin of the saint’s cheek and the other a fragment of his floating rib, were venerated by Pope Francis, Pope Benedict, St. Mother Teresa, St. John Paul II and Servant of God, Sister Lucia of Fatima. Tom Muscatello, North America Representative, will accompany Friar Ratti.

The relics will be on display for veneration at the following parishes: n Monday, August 26 at St. Anthony Church, 167 East Falmouth Highway, East Falmouth; Msgr. Stephen J. Avila, pastor.

Veneration begins at 5 p.m., with Holy Mass at 7 p.m.; n Tuesday, August 27 at the Cathedral of St. Mary

of the Assumption, 327 Second Street, Fall River; Father Thomas Washburn, rector.

Holy Mass will be celebrated at 12 noon to welcome the two relics and veneration begins after the midday Mass, with a concluding Mass at 7 p.m.; n Wednesday, August 28 at St. Anthony Church, 22 Barstow Street, Mattapoisett; Father John C. Ozug, pastor.

Holy Mass at 8 a.m., Veneration after the Mass until 1:30 p.m.; n Wednesday, August 28 at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church, 235 North Front Street, New Bedford; Father Conrad Salach, O.F.M. Conv, pastor.

Veneration at 5 p.m., Holy Mass at 7 p.m.; n Thursday, August 29 at St. Francis Xavier Church, 125 Main Street, Acushnet; Father Riley Williams, pastor.

Holy Mass at 9 a.m., followed by Veneration until

New publication date for diocesan directory Due to the many changes in parishes and diocesan apostolates taking place this year, the 2019-2020 Catholic Directory for the Diocese of Fall River will go to press later than usual, and will be published in late September.

Please be advised that requests for corrections and updates will be sent to parishes and diocesan offices in mid-July.

12 noon; n Thursday, August 29 at St. Anthony of Padua Church, 1359 Acushnet Avenue, New Bedford; Father Octavio Cortez, I.V.E., pastor.

Veneration begins at 6 p.m., with Holy Mass at 7 p.m.; n Friday, August 30 at St. Anthony Chapel, 35 Gault Road, West Wareham; Father Antonio L. da Silva, S.D.V., pastor; Veneration at 4 p.m., Holy Mass at 7 p.m.; n Saturday, August 31 at St. Anthony Church, 126 School Street, Taunton; Father Freddie Babiczuk, pastor.

Veneration begins at 2 p.m. Vigil, with Mass at 4 p.m.

Father Alex, as he is known in English-speaking countries, is one of 54 Franciscan OFM Conventual Friars who minister in the Pontifical Basilica in Padua, where the saint is buried.

As St. John Paul II tells us, “The most beautiful and stirring adventure that can happen to you is the personal meeting with Jesus, Who is the only One

Who gives real meaning to our lives.”

Pope Francis shared, “The saints give us a message. They tell us: be faithful to the Lord, because the Lord does not disappoint! He does not disappoint ever, and He is a good friend always at our side.”

According to Friar Mario Conte, the executive editor of the Messenger of St. Anthony, a magazine written, published and printed by the Franciscan Friars in Padua for the English-speaking world, “There is nothing superstitious about relics. The real meaning of a relic is love — they are a link of love between the person who venerates and the saint. In recognizing that only God performs miracles, it is through the communion of saints that we are brought closer to Our Lord.”

In an address in Cologne, Germany on Aug. 18, 2005, Pope Benedict Emeritus said of relics, “By inviting us to venerate the mortal remains of the martyrs and saints, the Church does not forget that, in the end, these are indeed just human bones, but they are bones that belonged to individuals touched by the living power of God. The relics of the saints are traces of that invisible but real presence which sheds light upon the shadows of

the world and reveals the Kingdom of Heaven in our midst.”

Prayer petitions with holy cards will be distributed in each parish to allow parishioners to write their prayer petition and intentions to the saint.

Veneration is touching the reliquaries with the prayer petition and religious objects such as Rosary beads, holy cards, medals and crosses, to name a few. The writing of a prayer petition is a worldwide tradition when venerating a relic of a saint.

Father Alex will bring the petitions back to the Pontifical Basilica in Padua and place them at the tomb of St. Anthony. The tour officially ends back at the Tomb of St. Anthony where the Friars will gather to pray for the saint’s intercession upon our intentions and petitions.A 24-hour, 365-day-a-year live webcam of the tomb can be viewed online at: www.santantonio.org/en/ basilica.

St. Anthony of Padua was a Portuguese Catholic friar belonging to the Franciscan Order. He was born and raised in a wealthy family in Lisbon.

He died in 1231 and was canonized within a year after his death, the shortest time in the history of the Church. His remains are kept in the Basilica in Padua, Italy. Noted by his contemporaries for his preaching and expert knowledge of Scripture, he was proclaimed a Doctor of the Church in 1946.

St. Anthony died on 8 Turn to page 13

June 28, 2019 †

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Editorial Religious Freedom Week The week we are ending at this moment was designated “Religious Freedom Week” by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. Although most of the week has past by now, the daily topics suggested by the bishops make for good food for thought and prayer as we approach July Fourth.

The bishops’ overall theme was “Strength in Hope,” quoting from Vatican II’s document on the laity, Apostolicam actuositatem, where in No. 4 it states, “[the laity] generously dedicate themselves wholly to the advancement of the Kingdom of God and to the reform and improvement of the temporal order in a Christian Spirit. Among the trials of this life they find strength in hope, convinced that ‘the sufferings of the present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory to come that will be revealed in us’ (Rom 8:18).”

The week began with the memorial of Sts. John Fisher and Thomas More last Saturday. The bishops wrote, “Pray that we might have the wisdom and the courage to be good servants of our country, though always servants of God first. [Reflect] on what it means to be both American and Catholic. Sts. Thomas More and John Fisher show us what patriotism means for Christians. [W]hen forced to choose between the king of England and Christ, the King of the Universe, they adhered to Jesus and His Church.”

The next day, last Sunday, was the feast of Corpus Christi. The bishops asked us to pray and advocate for our fellow Christians in the Middle East, that they “be freed from violent persecution.” Besides offering our prayers and sacrifices for them, the bishops invite us to “[c]onsider joining efforts to support Middle Eastern Christians with a donation to the Knights of Columbus, Aid to the Church in Need, Catholic Relief Services, and Catholic Near East Welfare Association.”

On Monday, the birthday of St. John the Baptist, probably in reaction to the way in which he died (at the behest of the corrupt King Herod, who had him beheaded, even though he knew it was wrong to do so), the bishops ask us to pray for “faithful public servants. In recent years, Catholic nominees to the federal judiciary have faced questions about their faith. In one exchange, a nominee was told, ‘The dogma lives loudly within you, and that’s of concern.’ Other nominees have endured questions about their membership in the Knights of Columbus, the largest Catholic fraternal organization in the country. Contact your senators today and urge them to reject religious tests for nominees for public office!”

Tuesday the bishops asked us to look to Myanmar (Burma), where the Muslim minority, known as the Rohingya, have been suffering extreme violence at the hands of the government. “The Catholic Church in Myanmar has worked actively to mediate between the Buddhist majority and the Rohingya ... Act: Reach out to Muslim neighbors and members in your community to express solidarity with their efforts to build a culture that recognizes and respects the rights of all people. Support Catholic Relief Services and other Catholic organizations that seek to build bridges of understanding between different faith communities and to counter intolerance and extremism.”

Wednesday the theme was “freedom to serve in foster care and adoption.”

The bishops then discussed the increased need for foster parents, due to the OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER OF THE DIOCESE OF FALL RIVER Vol. 63, No. 13

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† June 28, 2019

opioid crisis, but at the same time many “state and local governments have shut people of faith out, because faith-based providers seek to serve in accordance with their convictions about the nature of the family and what is best for children. The [proposed] Child Welfare Provider Inclusion Act prevents faith-based child welfare service providers from being targeted by government discrimination. The act would prohibit the federal government and any state that receives certain federal funding from discriminating against child welfare service providers on the basis that they decline to provide a child welfare service that conflicts with their sincerely held religious beliefs or moral convictions.” The bishops ask us to advocate with our members of Congress that they support the CWPIA. Thursday the bishops reminded us of our persecuted brothers and sisters in Nigeria. “Violence can stem from economic, political, and social reasons but because the population is almost evenly divided between Christians (in the south) and Muslims (in the north), such violence is interpreted as religious. Current fighting between Fulani herdsmen (Muslim) and farmers (Christian) has exacerbated religious tension. Support Aid to the Church in Need, Catholic Relief Services, USCCB’s Solidarity Fund for Aid to the Church in Africa, and other organizations that are helping the internally displaced, providing livelihood training and healthcare, and offering peacebuilding between those of different faiths.”

Today (Friday) is the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. The theme for the day is “Religion, A Public Good.” The bishops wrote, “Pray that the religious dimension of the common good will receive due recognition in our political culture, and for the conversion of the hearts of those seeking to remove religious symbols from public life.” In their reflection, written before the Supreme Court came down with its 7-2 decision last week in favor of not removing a World War I memorial in Bladensburg, Md., featuring a cross, the bishops wrote, “These efforts [against the cross] are part of a larger effort to ban religious symbols from public spaces. This is an affront to American pluralism, a pluralism in which the religious impulse of all people is respected and reflected in our public spaces.”

Tomorrow (Saturday), the Solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul, the bishops ask us to advocate for the religious freedom of prisoners (both of these saints were imprisoned, and later executed, by an empire which did not respect religious freedom). They wrote that the “throwaway culture can manifest itself in how our society treats people in the criminal justice system.” After discussing some violations of the religious liberty of Jews and Muslims imprisoned in our country, the bishops reminded us, “Catholic teaching on religious liberty is rooted in the dignity of the human person. For American culture to be one of life, not a throwaway culture, our criminal justice system needs to recognize the dignity of all people. Find out how you can support Catholic prison ministry.”

As we celebrate Independence Day next week, please use some of your free time to pray and reflect on how you can work to promote religious liberty, here and abroad.

Daily Readings † June 29 - July 12 Sat. June 29, Acts 12:1-11; Ps 34:2-9; 2 Tm 4:6-8, 17-18; Mt 16:13-19. Sun. June 30, 1 Kgs 19:16b, 19-21; Ps 16:1-2, 5, 7-11; Gal 5:1, 13-18; Lk 9:51-62. Mon. July 1, Gn 18:16-33; Ps 103:1b-4, 8-11; Mt 8:18-22. Tues. July 2, Gn 19:15-29; Ps 26:2-3, 9-12; Mt 8:23-27. Wed. July 3, Eph 2:19-22; Ps 117:1b-2; Jn 20:24-29.

Thurs. July 4, Gn 22:1b-19; Ps 115:1-6, 8-9; Mt 9:1-8. Fri. July 5, Gn 23:1-4, 19, 24:1-8, 62-67; Ps 106:1b-5; Mt 9:9-13.

Sat. July 6, Gn 27:1-5, 15-29; Ps 135:1b-6; Mt 9:14-17. Sun. July 7, Is 66:1014c; Ps 66:1-7, 16, 20; Gal 6:14-18; Lk 10:1-12, 17-20 or 10:1-9. Mon. July 8, Gn 28:10-22a; Ps 91:1-4, 14-15ab; Mt 9:18-26. Tues. July 9, Gn 32:23-33; Ps 17:1b-3, 6-7, 8b, 15; Mt 9:32-38. Wed. July 10, Gn 41:55-57, 42:5-7a, 17-24a; Ps 33:2-3, 10-11, 18-19; Mt 10:1-7. Thurs. July 11, Gn 44:18-21, 23b-29; 45:1-5; Ps 105:1621; Mt 10:7-15. Fri. July 12, Gn 46:1-7, 28-30; Ps 37:3-4, 18-19, 27-28, 39-40; Mt 10:16-23.

Evangelizing the Amazon and the gift of priestly celibacy

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oday is the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and, since 2002, the World Day of Prayer for the Sanctification of Priests. It’s a day on which, pondering the Divine and human love flowing through Jesus’ heart, we ask Him to make His priests’ hearts like unto His, with ardent, pure, spousal and shepherdly love. It’s a day on which we pray to the Harvest Master not merely for more priestly laborers in his fields, but precisely for holy laborers.

There’s a famous scene in the life of St. John Vianney, the patron saint of parish priests, when during an exorcism of a possessed woman, the devil howled at him, “If there were three like you on earth, my kingdom would be destroyed.”

We never know whether we can believe anything the “father of lies” tells us, but if he happened to be telling the truth to the Curé of Ars rather than lying to tempt him to pride, he would have been indicating that he feared three holy priests more than he worried about all other priests on earth combined.

Whenever I preach retreats for seminarians, priests or bishops, I always share this story, because, if the devil were really more frightened of a few saintly priests than of the other 435,000 priests who remain just good, or not morally good at all, then that should dramatically impact the way we live.

To seminarians, I illustrate this point in a way that I hope they won’t forget: “God is not calling you to be a priest,” I tell

them, with a long pause.

“He’s either calling you to be a holy priest or no priest at all.”

These thoughts about the need not merely for priests but for holy priests come to mind after reading the draft of the working document of this October’s Synod of Bishops on the Amazon, published last week.

The headlines were captured, predictably, by the document’s request that “for the most remote areas of the region, the possibility of the priestly ordination of elderly people, preferably indigenous people respected and accepted by their community, even though they may already have a family that is established and stable,” be studied, so as to “assure the Sacraments that accompany and sustain Christian life” will be provided.

The Amazon is an enormous tropical forest covering 2.1 million square miles — four times the size of Alaska — and nine countries, embracing 2.8 million indigenous people, 390 indigenous tribes, 240 spoken languages and as yet 137 uncontacted peoples. There are obviously huge pastoral needs to evangelize and minister to that vast region. But is the fitting response to this situation to ordain elderly married men?

I would have a few reactions.

First, what would the patron saints of the missions, St. Francis Xavier and St. Thérèse of Lisieux,

say about such a proposal?

When St. Francis was almost singlehandedly evangelizing vast regions of modern day India, Burma, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Japan, he wrote letters back to Europe describing how “many, many people here are not becoming Christians for one reason only: there is nobody to make

them Christians” and how he had thought “going around the universities of Europe, especially Paris, and everywhere crying out like a madman, riveting the attention of those with more learning than charity” to come help him in the Mission.

He never, however, suggested altering the Church’s practice of priestly celibacy to do it.

No one had more apostolic zeal, but St. Francis Xavier was not going to sacrifice the gem of priestly celibacy, because he realized that it really wasn’t an effective solution.

Similarly, when St. Therese was asked by a struggling young missionary priest in Africa whom she had adopted as a Spiritual brother why more than 1,800 years after Christ’s Resurrection there were still millions in Africa who had still not heard the saving name of Jesus, the youngest doctor of the Church responded with profound practical

wisdom: because other Christians haven’t done anything about it. Like St. Francis Xavier, she recognized that the issue was a profound lukewarmness and lack of zeal throughout the Church to share the faith. The remedy, they both saw, was not to lower the standards to accommodate such tepidity. It was to summons people to mission.

To call for the ordination of elderly married men seems to be a pessimistic and despondent throwing in of the towel with regard to the efficacy of praying to the Harvest Master to send laborers for the Amazon.

We can imagine a different response. What if the bishops of the PanAmazonian Ecclesial Network, buttressed by Pope Francis and his summons to share the joy of the Gospel, were to make an appeal that every diocese in the world and every religious order consider sending one priest per decade to help evangelize the Amazon?

Pope Francis has said very clearly that the Church doesn’t have a mission, but is a mission, and that each of us must recognize that “I am a mission in this world.” Now is a time to prove it. Taking on such a global project, moreover, would likely galvanize the entire Church to start spreading the faith more zealously closer to home, likely leading to more vocations gained than those loaned to the Amazon.

Second, what would the

ordination of elderly married men of the region look like?

Because of a severe lack of educational infrastructure, most of those in the Amazon do not have access to adequate quality formal education. We are not talking about the ordination of married men with doctorates, masters or even bachelors degrees, in theology or anything. We would be studying whether to ordain even those with only elementary education, such that they might struggle even to read the Scriptures and the Missal.

Church history shows that is not a good idea. In the centuries before Catholic seminaries were founded in Europe, men simply apprenticed themselves for a time to local clergy, took an exam, and then were ordained, barely able to pronounce the Latin, not to mention understand it.

The scandals caused by such poorly-trained clergy helped precipitate the Protestant Reformation.

St. Bernardine of Siena, the great 15th-century Franciscan, decried the situation of so many priests, even well-meaning ones, who, while they were able to celebrate the Sacraments, were not able to do anything else. He said that if a village were able to have for a generation only good preaching with no access to the Sacraments, or only Sacramental access with no or bad preaching, that it would be wiser to have the preaching, because after 20 years people would be hungering for 8 Turn to page 17

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(Roman?) Catholic — Part Eight

ince all the Byzantine Rites share the same history of the schisms of Photius and Cerularius as the Ukrainian Rite, and since none of them has a presence in our immediate area, and having listed them in the last installment, I shall move on to look at the future, rather than at the past.

Toward the end of the last century and the beginning of the present, several groups and individuals within the Anglican Communion approached the Catholic Church to investigate the possibility of reintegration.

The apostolic constitution enacting the introduction of personal ordinariates for former Anglicans was released on Sept. 11, 2009. On Mar. 3, 2010, the eight members of the House of Bishops of the Anglican Church in America and 3,000 lay people in 120 parishes in four dioceses across the U.S. voted to join the Catholic Church. On Mar. 12, 2010, the Anglican Catholic Church of Canada made a similar move.

Later that year, groups of clergy and laypeople in Australia and the British Isles made similar requests. The Australian group of parishes has been joined to Anglican parishes in Japan, and is now known as the Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of the Southern Cross. The group of parishes in the British Isles is the Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham.

For the United States and Canada it is the Personal Ordinariate of the Chair of Peter.

King Henry VIII decided he would be the head of the Catholic Church in England, and thus went into schism. It was his daughter, Queen Elizabeth I, who 8

became Protestant and left the Catholic Church. Those times saw such pendulum swings of power and religion that the man-on-the-street was left thoroughly confused. A good sense of that is shown in the satirical poem of the Vicar of Bray (Google the title). Since the Anglicans were originally of the Roman Rite, the ordinariates just described are also of the Roman Rite. It may very well be that these ordinariates will develop into ecclesiastical provinces of a new Western Rite, joining the Roman Rite, the Ambrosian Rite and the vestigial Mozarabic Rite.

As the Personal Ordinariate experiment with Anglicans gains greater recognition, it is being asked if the arrangement might be appropriate for other Protestant groups who wish to return to the Catholic Church. In particular, there is the thought of a Lutheran Personal Ordinariate. Such a plan has not been rejected by the Church, but it has been pointed out that the initiative must come from Lutherans themselves who want to come home.

Further down the line, I see the possibility for another

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particular church in China.

At present, there are two Catholic Churches operating in China, one in union with the pope, and the other not. Yet, under very different circumstances they try to maintain the faith and bring the Gospel to the people.

The government-sanctioned church has even gone to

the Catholic seminary training in Rome to prepare its own clergy.

The xenophobia of the current Communist government in China is the stumbling block preventing a single Catholic Church in China. Once that is overcome, I believe the Chinese people would accept the idea of a particular church with its own governance in China.

After all, we saw in installment five, Christian presence and influence in China dates back to as least the sixth and seventh century. Also, the writings of the missionary Matteo Ricci were so impressive to the Chinese that they have become part of the clas-

sic national heritage.

Before Christianity there were various religions and beliefs, but there was no church. As the Good News taught by Jesus and preached by the Apostles spread across many lands, the Church became aware of itself in many different cultures and histories. As I noted in the fifth installment, “We are simply members of the Catholic Church, whatever our nationality or rite. It is a grand brotherhood/family in Christ.”

The Gospel clearly tells us that Jesus chose to form a Church. If we look for the Church of Christ, we can find it. The following paragraph is taken from section eight of the Vatican II document on the Church: “This is the one Church of Christ which in the Creed we profess as one, holy, Catholic and Apostolic, which our Savior, after His Resurrection, gave to Peter to shepherd (Jn. 21:17), and committed him and the other Apostles to extend and direct with authority (Mt. 28:18), which He erected for all ages as the pillar and mainstay of the Truth (1 Tim. 3:15).

This Church constituted and organized in the world

as a society, subsists in the Catholic Church, which is governed by the successor of Peter and by the bishops in his communion, although many elements of sanctification and of truth may be found outside of its visible structure, which, as gifts belonging to the Church of Christ, are forces impelling toward Catholic unity.”

Following the Council, these same ideas were incorporated in the new Code of Canon Law: Canon 204, P.1 — The Christian faithful are those who, inasmuch as they have been incorporated in Christ through Baptism, have been constituted as the people of God; for this reason, since they have become sharers in Christ’s priestly, prophetic, and royal office in their own manner, they are called to exercise the mission which God has entrusted to the Church to fulfill in the world, in accord with the condition proper to each one. P.2 — This Church, constituted and organized as a society in this world, subsists in the Catholic Church, governed by the successor of Peter and the bishops in communion with him.

Father Martin L. Buote is a retired priest of the Fall River Diocese and a frequent contributor to The Anchor.

Tenth annual Quo Vadis Days discernment retreat slated for July 8 MEDWAY — Shortly before Christ made the supreme sacrifice for the Salvation of mankind, St. Peter asked, “Lord, where are You going?” Jesus answered, “Where I go, you cannot follow Me now; but you will follow later” (Jn 13:36).

That passage is the essence of the Quo Vadis Days retreat, whose name is derived from the Latin phrase for “where are you going?”

For the past nine years, young men have attended the annual Diocese of Fall River’s Quo Vadis Days retreat and have had the opportunity to ascend Mount Monadnock in New Hampshire. While that excursion is often cited as

a highlight of the week, they have also experienced so much more, including a chance to answer the titular question: “where are you going?”

This year, young men ages 14 to 18 in the diocese will once again be offered that opportunity, along with many other faithbuilding activities, during the 10th annual Quo Vadis Days retreat to be held on the grounds of the beautiful Betannia II Retreat Center in Medway, from Monday, July 8 through Friday, July 12.

“Quo Vadis Days is a great experience for boys entering high school to entering college,” Father Kevin A. Cook, diocesan director of Vocations and

Seminarians previously told The Anchor. “The week has so many great experiences that help the young men to grow in their faith, build friendships with other young men who are striving to live their faith, and learn what one should do to discern one’s vocation.”

This year’s retreat is the 10th consecutive year the diocesan Vocations Office has hosted the event.

“Every year I find the boys find it a fun week and leave the week with a great understanding and openness to discerning what God may be calling him to,” Father Cook said.

The five-day retreat, in addition to allowing young men to escape the busyness

of day-to-day routines, offers them a time for recreation, fellowship, prayer, and discernment as they explore God’s individual call in their lives.

The retreat offers attendees the chance to listen to

priests, seminarians and others tell the stories of their faith journeys thus far.

Spiritually, activities include Holy Mass, Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, Liturgy of the Hours, and praying the Rosary. The popular hike up Mount Monadnock can be included in the faith aspect, as well as the recreational phase of the retreat.

“The hike is a highlight of the week, not only for those who have never hiked up a mountain before to see the beauty, but also for the experience as a group to help each other,” Father Cook said. “I think there is always a great lesson — not only physically but also Spiritually — when you hike a mountain.

You learn about perseverance, about sacrifice, and about the beauty of God’s creation — especially when you reach the peak and it is a great lesson on the joy of reaching our ultimate goal, which is Heaven.”

Recreation-wise, in addition to the mountain hike, the young men have the opportunity to play flag football, volleyball, ultimate Frisbee, capture the flag, and other games, including another muchanticipated highlight — a soccer match with Bishop Edgar M. da Cunha, S.D.V. “Every day we have time of prayer, Adoration, Mass, Rosary, a chance for Confession, talks on different aspects of living one’s faith, witness of different vocations, sports, time of building fraternity with others, hang out with the seminarians, and have some great meals,” said Father Cook.

Father Cook said a key to the success of Quo Vadis is in maintaining that balance between quiet times for prayer and reflection and the more fun-filled recreational activities.

“Teen-age boys naturally enjoy activities, so it is important that we give some time each day for it,” 8 Turn to page 10

June 28, 2019 †

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Tenth annual Quo Vadis Days retreat continued from page nine

he said. “But I think most recognize the importance of times for prayer and the Sacraments, and the structure of each day enables them to put that importance into action. For some of them, they may not naturally give that time if they are around their peers, but this retreat helps foster that and they quickly realize they enjoy the balance we try to give.”

In this digital age where smart phones and social media outlets such as Facebook, Instagram and Twitter constantly compete for a teen-ager’s attention, Father Cook said an experience such as Quo Vadis can be very refreshing.

“All of us can allow many good things in daily life to distract us and we don’t realize we need time for rest and spending time in reflection,” he said. “As great as social media can be, it can also function as a great distraction from reflecting on our daily lives. Once the guys get away from the social media stuff, they start to find the joy of getting away from the daily grind and discover the beauty of peace found when we give time to the Lord.”

The Quo Vadis experience, which takes place nation-wide, originated in the Archdiocese of Portland, Ore. in 2000 by Father John Cihak. “It

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was in response to St. Pope John Paul II’s request that the Church begin the ‘New Evangelization,’” said Father Cihak.

The Quo Vadis website (qvdays. org) said the retreat serves three purposes: “To seek more shepherds, to support the young men after camp, and to invite other dioceses throughout the country to respond to the New Evangelization and begin their own Quo Vadis Days.”

In Matthew’s Gospel account of the transfiguration, he tells the reader that Peter, with his soul so filled with wonder, offered to the Lord that they “put up three shelters — one for You, one for Moses and one for Elijah” (Mt 17:4).

The young men attending this year’s Quo Vadis Days retreat may not be inspired to erect three shelters on Mount Monadnock, but there’s a good chance, engulfed by the beauty that will surround them on the mountain side, they may hear God calling them to great things.

To register for the upcoming Quo Vadis Days retreat, contact Father Kevin Cook at 508-336-5549 or email frcook@ fallrivervocations.org.

For more information on Quo Vadis Days, visit qvdays.org.

Bishop Edgar M. da Cunha, S.D.V., plays soccer during last year’s Quo Vadis Days camp. The match has become one of the highlights of the annual diocesan discernment retreat.

O

ne instant the two boys were debating the next step in the AP Chemistry problem. The next, one had shoved the other. The principal entered demanding to know what was happening. One teen-age boy blurted out, “We all failed the test today. Dr. Flavin said that if we stayed after school today and mastered the material, we would pass the test without having to retake the test tomorrow. I am here today so that I do not have to retake that test.

I would fail it again.” He broke into a boyish grin.

Can you imagine that moment for an educator? At the very least, everyone failing a test invites discussion along the lines of what exactly are you doing (instead of teaching)

Here I am, Lord in class? Even worse was the adolescent’s perspective of avoiding responsibility. There was an idea behind my “educational madness.”

Was it good enough? Perhaps that question would not even matter since I could not state my intentions in front of the students.

The principal was alternating his glance from the boys to me.

My response? I smiled and gently shrugged my shoulders. I knew that his decision, not my intentions or actions, was going to be the final answer. That can seem a lonely and

scary place to be. The wait, while really a few seconds, seemed an eternity. The principal finally said, “Gentlemen, if that is the case, you should get back to work. Carry on Dr. Flavin.” He exited the room.

When I read the Gospel where, after the Resurrection, Jesus revealed Himself to the Disciples (Jn 21: 1-19), I often remember what it felt like that afternoon there with those students. I awaited judgement from an earthly power, but Peter awaited God’s judgement. Each of us had to trust in the one making the decision.

Jesus had asked Peter three times if Peter loved Him. Peter realized he had betrayed his friend by denying knowing Christ. Peter regretted what he did. He must also have had a sense that Jesus knew he was sorry. Yet, Peter’s first two answers “Lord, You know that I love You” apparently weren’t good enough.

Peter stood ready to accept what was his due. The third time he said, “Lord, You know everything; You know that I love You” (Jn 21: 17).

Peter is expecting God’s justice. Instead, he receives God’s mercy. Jesus instructs Peter to feed His sheep.

Peter grew to leadership of the early Christians.

God’s way doesn’t include a person burying or ignoring the past.

There has to be acknowledgement of what happened along with a tacit, if not explicit, expression of apology.

Why? Simply because without that fertile ground, God’s seed of mercy cannot sprout.

The principal never questioned me on my educational methods.

What happened with the seed of mercy I received? I learned a valuable lesson that made me a better educator. Watching the students that afternoon had confirmed my suspicions. So far as I could tell, the

boys were trying their best. Though the material was part of the curriculum, they simply were not academically ready for it. Next day, I moved the entire class onto the following topic.

As wonderful as it can feel, being on the receiving end of mercy is only half of what it means to live in God’s love. We are also called to love one another by granting mercy to others. When God called, Ananias answered, “Here I am, Lord (Acts 9: 10).” Before granting God’s mercy to Saul, Ananias’ unspoken question is “What can you possibly see in Saul?” God answers, “This man is a chosen instrument of Mine to carry My name before the Gentiles and children of Israel” (Acts 9: 15).

I imagine Ananias still wondered what God saw in this persecutor Saul.

Part of the fruits of this seed of mercy included Paul’s many letters to the early churches. Paul wrote, “Love is patient. Love is kind ... it does not brood over injury, it does not rejoice over wrongdoing. It bears all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails.

At present I know partially; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known ... faith, hope, love remain, these three, but the greatest of these is love” (1 Cor 13: 4 -13). Can you imagine Ananias’ reaction hearing that from the man he once knew as Saul?

Peter, Paul, and Ananias remind us that God’s wish is for each of us to be able to receive and to share His mercy. That is what it means to live fully in God’s unconditional love. Ananias also reminds us there are times we are called to sow that seed of mercy looking past current inadequacies simply trusting, even if we do not see it, there is something special awaiting to blossom within the other. As Ananias did, can we answer God’s call and act fully trusting in God’s plan?

Anchor columnist Dr. Helen J. Flavin is a Catholic scientist, educator and writer.

June 28, 2019 †

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A

There’s strength in simplicity

s most of you know, we recently lost our beloved Igor after a wonderful 16-year stretch of having her in our family. The hurt hasn’t receded, nor has the emptiness. But what I’ve discovered over the last month is what an incredible mark she has left on me — not in the way one would usually think. During my time with my best friend, I do believe I became more like her.

There is no question the love of a dog is unconditional, oftentimes only surpassed by the love of Jesus Christ Himself. We all know the expression that God spelled backwards is dog.

But that doesn’t translate into other languages, so the strength of that statement loses it’s umph.

Anyway, as is often the case, I digress (that might not be a bad epitaph for my tombstone: “He digressed.”

But here I go digressing again). Back to point, I will never forget all those times when I came home after being at work, Mass, shopping, etc., and Iggy would wag her tail so emphatically her whole hindquarters joined the dance. And then when I acknowledged her frenetic greeting by stooping down to grab her by the face and shake up the front quarters, her ears would pin back as if being blown back by galeforce winds.

In short, Iggy was just so darn happy to see me and greet me and be greeted.

This is the lesson I learned most from the best dog ever (and to all of you who have had or have a dog, yours too, are the best dogs ever).

I now segue into the second half of my column.

I often enjoy taking a walk down at Battleship Cove in Fall River — for several reasons. One, I really dig walking the boardwalk, especially when the tide is 12

high and the water embraces the shore beneath me in some places. I’ve always been a salt-water guy. Another reason is the history that just paints a picture before your very eyes. I begin my walk in the parking lot of the U.S.S. Massachusetts. Right off the bat, I’m greeted with the magnificence of the “Big Mamie,” along with its dock mates: a U.S. Navy destroyer, PT Boat, and submarine.

I can’t help but think of my dad Larry each time, him having spent many perilous hours aboard a similar destroyer in the South Pacific during World War II — as well as myriad men and women who served with him there and in Europe.

My walk reaches the halfway point at a replica statue of the iconic Iwo Jima image of soldiers hoisting our U.S. flag on a mountain on the recently-taken island, memorializing all those who served in World War II. In the same area are memorials to fallen soldiers and Korean War veterans.

It’s here where I make a 180 and return: one mile out, one mile in.

But that’s not the point of the story. I suppose I digressed again. Go figure.

The point I’m trying to get across is the lessons taught

by Professor Iggy. If you remember, I mentioned her great joy in greeting and being greeted. The element I most enjoy on my walks on the boardwalk is encountering other people. While it’s nice to get away by one’s self on occasion, we are all meant to be social animals.

I love when people are walking towards me. I debate within my own mind whether these people will give me a smile, a nod, a hello, or simply ignore me

† June 28, 2019

and walk on by. And to make things clearer, these I folks I don’t know. Should someone I know just walk on by and ignore me, which hasn’t yet happened, I may slip into another of Igor’s talents — barking!

I am pleased to say that most people will smile

and say good day. And truth be told, it makes my day. If others had the same mindset as I approached them, they needn’t wonder because I will always smile and say hello. To me, it’s one of the simplest actions one can perform, yet it is far beyond being simple.

A smile, a nod, a hello each tells me that I am acknowledged and worth at least a moment of their time. In a world filled with hate, division, racism and intolerance, a smile, nod, or hello is an elixir. Thank God I don’t wag my rear end every time someone approaches — I might be asked not to return to the boardwalk! And thank God

I don’t pin my ears back when someone does acknowledge me, or else those nice people would think I was a character out of Star Trek or Harry Potter.

I take my walks to treat my body kindly, but also to clear my head. And when my head gets cleared, it leaves a vacuum (some may say my head is always empty, but I digress [insert smiley face here]). And by the very nature of science, nature abhors a vacuum. So when my head is clear the best thing to first counter that vacuum is a smile, a nod, a hello, or all three. It’s like a pit stop for the soul.

Igor genuinely loved greeting and being greeted, and she taught me those same traits. Thus, Igor will remain a part of me for as long as there is no tombstone with the words “He digressed.”

And, if you’ll indulge one last digression, I will conclude this column with a boardwalk story that happened days after Igor left us.

I was concluding my walk and heading over the bridge near where the Taunton and Quequechan rivers meet, and a couple was head-

ing toward me. With them was a puppy — not only a puppy, but a puppy who was a mirror image of Iggy as a pup. I smiled at the couple as they walked past. I stopped in my tracks. I had to talk to them. I turned and got their attention and asked if their precious pup was an Australian Cattle Dog or Border Collie (Igor was both). They said Aussie.

I did something I never do, not even with pictures of my children in my wallet all those years ago. I showed them a picture of Iggy and explained what just happened. They marveled at her being with us for 16 years.

And, not to be a downer for them, I told them to enjoy their beautiful pup and the long, long life they have ahead with her. I then stooped down to pet the pup and she wagged her hindquarters like a washing machine in the spin cycle, and pinned her ears back and proceeded to shower me with puppy kisses.

We all chuckled and went our separate ways. I finished my walk with tears in my eyes. I know it was Iggy paying me a small visit, telling me to keep on greeting and being greeted. Such a simple act with such strength in it. jolivetdb@comcast.net

Diocese of Fall River TV Mass on WLNE Channel 6 Sunday, June 30 at 11:00 a.m.

Celebrant is Father Jeffrey Cabral, J.C.L., pastor of Santo Christo Parish and judicial vicar of the Diocesan Tribunal, both in Fall River

Sunday, July 7 at 11:00 a.m.

Celebrant is Father Edward A. Murphy, pastor of St. Andrew the Apostle and Annunciation of the Lord parishes in Taunton

Diocese of Fall River TV Mass on the Portuguese Channel Sunday, June 30 at 7 p.m.

Broadcast from Santo Christo Church in Fall River

Diocese of Fall River TV Mass on the Portuguese Channel Sunday, July 7 at 7 p.m.

Broadcast from Espirito Santo Church in Fall River

Rosary gatherings being led at parishes throughout diocese continued from page two

Catholics are also invited to participate on Friday, June 28 with Rosary prayers for the 10th anniversary of the annual global Rosary Relay for the sanctification of priests and in thanksgiving to God for our priests and to implore the protection and loving care of Our Lady, Mother of all priests, for all her priestly sons.

Parishes that are already responding include: n St. Mary’s Church, 114 St. Mary’s Square, Taunton. Public Rosary outside every Thursday at 7:15 p.m. during July and August. n Our Lady of Guadalupe at St. James Church, 233 County Street, New Bedford. Public Rosary

prayer every Wednesday at 7 p.m. during the months of June, July and August. n St. Anthony of Padua Church, 1359 Acushnet Avenue, New Bedford.

Public Rosary on Fridays at 7 p.m. in front of the church on Acushnet Avenue, during months of June, July, August, and the first two weeks in September. Anyone and everyone can attend. For more information please call the parish office at 508-9931691.

If you are unable to unite with any of the above sites, please consider praying the Rosary at home or form your own prayer groups. We suggest, if you can, that you pray the Rosary outdoors, in front of

a statue, so that passersby will see you and possibly join with you in praying the Rosary. Even if they don’t stop, you are publicly witnessing to the importance of prayer.

More information of further locations in which weekly public Rosary gatherings are being held will be publicized as they become available.

Parishes are urged to include the Rosary prayer information in their parish bulletins and to also share the details with Father Brendan O’Rourke, c/o St. Anthony of Padua Church, 1359 Acushnet Avenue, New Bedford, Mass. 02746; 508-9931691; brendanorourke@ ive.org.

St. Anthony of Padua relics coming to the Fall River Diocese continued from page five

June 13 in 1231. He was buried in a little church outside the walls of the town of Padua. According to the Gregorian calendar, June 13, 1231, was a Friday. St. Anthony was buried the following Tuesday, June 17, 1231, at Santa Maria Mater Domini. It is for this reason why the nineday and 13-day St. Anthony novenas are always recited on a Tuesday.

In 1263, his remains were transferred to the newly-constructed basilica which is part of the present-day basilica. Because of miracle activity for 32 years around the saint’s tomb, the Minister General of the Order of Franciscan Friars Minor, Rev. Giovanni Di Fidanza, made the decision to open the saint’s coffin. Friar Di Fidanza

later became St. Bonaventure. When St. Anthony’s coffin was opened in St. Bonaventure’s presence, bones and ashes were found. However, the saint’s vocal apparatus was found to be intact and his tongue was still red and soft. At the sight of the miracle, St. Bonaventure exclaimed in awe: “Oh blessed tongue, that ever praised the Lord, and led others to praise Him! Now it is clear how great are your merits before God!” St. Anthony of Padua is known to millions of Catholics for lost items.

St. Anthony’s reputation as a finder of lost things dates to an incident in the saint’s life. As the legend goes, a novice who had grown tired of religious life decided to leave the

Franciscan community.

But before leaving, the novice took St. Anthony’s psalter. The book was very important to Anthony, especially since it was before the printing press had been invented. The psalter had notes and comments he made in teaching his students in the Franciscan order.

Anthony prayed that the psalter would be found and returned to him. Anthony’s prayers were answered: The novice returned the psalter and returned to the order.

All are invited to come and ask for St. Anthony’s intercession for more than the loss of material things, but also for the loss of faith, family harmony, health, hope, peace of mind and trust in others.

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ast weekend I had the opportunity to participate in the Cursillo Convocation at Stonehill College. Preparing for the convocation gave me an opportunity to reflect on my own call to discipleship.

You see when I was younger, I never said no to God, I just never said yes. That phrase is perhaps a perfect description and summary of my Spiritual life through the age of 31.

Those first 31 years of my life were pretty basic faithwise. I did what I was supposed to do — or perhaps, better stated — what I had to do. I surely didn’t go out of my way to live out my faith. Most often I did things because they looked good or they made me feel good. Hardly what a disciple of Christ is called to do or be.

It wasn’t until my wife convinced me to go on a Cursillo retreat did my life change for what I now know is the better. That weekend was the catalyst that began to change what was a superficial relationship with God into something deeper and more meaningful.

I remember when I returned from that retreat weekend, I put up a small plaque in our room that

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stated, “Please be patient, God isn’t finished with me yet.” Thirty-six years after that Cursillo weekend, I am still trying to become that disciple God wants me to be or knows I can be. I thank God every day that He is still patient with me and so is my wife!

So how do we become good Christian disciples? If we turn to the Bible, I think we will find the instructions. It is a simple demand. Only two words.

Do you want to venture a guess what that phrase is before reading further?

It’s ... follow Me. These two words contain in a nutshell what God wants of us, and what we should regard as an obligation we have towards God in this life. The phrase appears at least 20 times in the Gospels. So I think it is safe to conclude that to be a Christian disciple means to follow the Lord. Period.

Seems very clear to me now.

There is no better way to get to know the Lord except by doing what He did, behaving as He did and taking His basic principles of life and making them our own.

In calling us, God asks us whether we are willing

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Follow Me

to help Him reach others so that all will be saved. Our calling is an invitation from God not because of any merit on our part, but just because He chose us out of love, because He wanted us. Anyone who asks

this question “why was I called?” will only get the answer God had already given to the chosen people in the Old Testament: “I did not choose you because you were more virtuous, more gifted, more suited. No, I chose you because I loved you.”

This means we are someone; we have a place in God’s plan; we are important for God’s great design for Creation; we are partners; our lives count.

Of course it isn’t and it won’t be easy at times to hold on to this Divine dimension in our lives.

Fortunately for us, God’s faithfulness prevails over all our failures and unfaithfulness. When God chooses someone He will stay with this person no matter how unfaithful the person may

turn out to be. If something is obvious about God in the Bible, it is His faithfulness to us and, in particular, to those whom He has called to help Him accomplish His purposes. If I refuse, God will not stop loving me, but He might have to use others to reach me.

Remember it was my wife who God first used to reach me, so that I could say “yes” to that Cursillo weekend! Perhaps He is using me to reach you today as you read these words. So what is your response going to be?

As you continue on your life’s journey, I hope that you will not wait 31 years to answer God’s call to true discipleship with not just words, but action!

To sum things up, I’d like to share this simple prayer with you. My hope is that it will speak to you as it has spoken to me.

“Lord, You asked for my hands that You might use them for Your purpose. I gave them for a moment, then withdrew them for the work was hard.

To advertise in The Anchor, contact Wayne Powers at 508-675-7151 or waynepowers@ anchornews.org

“You asked for my mouth to speak out against injustice. I gave You a whisper that I might not be accused.

“You asked for my eyes to see the pain of poverty.

I closed them for I did not want to see.

“You asked for my life that You might work through me. I gave a small part that I might not get too involved.

“Lord, forgive my calculated efforts to serve You only when it is convenient for me to do so, only in those places where it is safe to do so, and only with those who make it easy to do so.

“Lord, forgive me, renew me, send me out as a usable instrument that I might take seriously the call to follow You.” (Seremane, Bread of Tomorrow) Frank Lucca is a deacon in the Diocese of Fall River assigned to St. Mary’s Parish in Dartmouth and a campus minister at UMass Dartmouth. He is married to his wife of 41 years, Kristine, and the father of two daughters and their husbands, and three grandsons.

F ocus

on

C hurch Y outh Seventh- and eighth-grade students at St. Joseph School in Fairhaven, left, recently participated in a Spiritual Adoption activity as part of their Religion curriculum. Each day for nine months they offered prayers for the lives and well-being of unborn babies they Spiritually adopted. When the time came for these babies to be born, the students celebrated with a birthday party — complete with cake and gifts! Donations of diapers, wipes, and baby clothes poured in and will be donated to Diapers ‘n’ Things in New Bedford.

(Photo courtesy of Tracy Travers)

Bishop Feehan High School Class of 2019 graduate Matt Zawaski received the William “Bill” Flaherty Memorial Scholarship. The presentation marked the 25th consecutive year the Flaherty family has celebrated a graduating Feehan student with this award for a student who participated in the Shamrocks’ track and field program. Below, Zawaski accepts the award from Bill’s mother Natalie and brother-in-law Ivan Pagacik. (Photo courtesy of Gina Simoneau)

Thirty students from St. John the Evangelist School in Attleboro graduated on June 7. Father Christopher M. Peschel celebrated Mass and all of the graduating students took part in the Liturgy. Autumn Perry gave the graduate reflection. Pictured above are: (front row) Eliana Dafulas, Adrienne Kyere, Father Peschel, Caleb Smith, Andrew Smith; (second row) Miss Hanah Balsavich, John DiMarco, Jillian Brouillard, Mia Newquist, Jordan Noury, Benjamin Le, Christian Strachera, Sister Mary Jane Holden, C.P.; (third row) Kelsey Muehlberger, John Seitz, Michael Lachance, Taylor DeMond, Alivia Fitzgibbons, Grace Schneider; (third row) Bryleigh Roakes, Jessica Dooley, Kyleigh Arenas, Bridget Sutula, Ariana Bennett, Justin Pieroni, Aidan Killough; (back row) Julia Pelchat, Autumn Perry, Daniel Wehbe, Ryleigh Asselin, Camdyn Asselin, Connor McHale, Avery Blanchard. (Photo courtesy of Gina Cuccovia-Simoneau) June 28, 2019 †

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s a child, I loved slipping into the yard early on summer mornings, when dewy webs cascaded precariously about the damp garden.

The tiny threads held large drops of water — seeming pearls when the light was just right. Only now can I appreciate the magnificence of such little things, after decades in the loving swirl of family chaos and an arduously slow maturation process upon my conversion.

Each web unfolds after the spider chooses a few stable points, and after creating a frame it spins converging lines which meet in its center. The outer structure is then strengthened with a series of connecting ties, wherein each thread does its part to make fast the net.

The architecture of the web is easily compared to the life of faith, primarily reminding us that God must be at the center of our lives.

The converging threads can be seen on a number of levels — one being myriad activities we engage in: job, family, neighbors, hobbies, exercise, and the like, whose variety is a key factor in our overall well-being.

But they can just as easily be related to the larger world around us, for “The heavens declare the glory of God; the firmament proclaims the works of His hands” (Ps 19). Every realm of study, every discipline ought to be couched in Divine truth, with God as its Author and End. The wise Dominican, A. G. Sertillanges, reminds us 16

In Your Prayers

Web of faith that there are traces of the Creator everywhere, and we benefit greatly when “the order of the mind corresponds to the order of things.” It is not only our Sunday obligation that should reference this Divine order, but all our activities must reflect “the boundless Heart of Being.” Thus, whether our minds turn

to biology or business, physics or psychology, all that we discover to be true will be related. He notes further, “Each truth is a fragment which does not stand alone but reveals connections on every side. Truth in itself is one, and the Truth is God.” Often we are tempted to isolate and exploit each good thing for our own ends, but without a unifying principle we run the risk of missing the lesson in the humble web, which relies on its focal point. Whenever we ignore this principle, we wander from truth, and any pride of discovery or accomplishment bears within it the seeds of isolation and harm.

Here we see the essence of the cross-threads that bind the converging lines.

Communion provides the essential stability that allows the web to serve its purpose. While trapping insects certainly strains the fragile construction, this cannot be avoided, for the very point of the web is sustenance.

But broken ties can be

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restored and gaps rewoven to renew the bonds — such is life in our fallen and redeemed world. The unity of any worthy construct depends on a fundamental interconnectedness that will incorporate the scars of battle.

The webs of my childhood are but a sliver of Creation, but ours is an incarnate faith whose truth echoes throughout Creation. The cross of Christ was drawn from a forest and firmly planted in everyday soil where faceless gravity combined with our all-toohuman sin, pressing the Eternal Son to His death.

The stunning fruit of that tree was life-giving grace and an opportunity to use a renewed vision for reveling in layered insights. Is there any wonder that even the least of God’s creatures will contribute practical insights into His marvelous plan?

As we shift our routines in the coming weeks to allow for relaxation and renewal, perhaps we can take time to ponder the simplest elements of nature and the humblest works of God. The psalmist tells us that “Day unto day pours forth speech; night unto night whispers knowledge,” thus each little joy bears the potential of being what Sertillanges calls “a Sacrament of the absolute” — all pearls for the taking in light of grace.

Anchor columnist Genevieve Kineke is the author of “The Authentic Catholic Woman.” She blogs at feminine-genius.typepad. com.

Please pray for these priests and deacons during the coming weeks

June 30 Rev. Simon Pease, SS.CC., Administrator, Sacred Hearts, Fairhaven, 1952 Rev. Alphonse M. Reniere, O.P., Dominican Priory, Fall River, 1961 July 1 Rev. Fernando A. Veiga, CM, Vincentian Mission House, Fall River, 1993 July 2 Rev. Gerard A. Boisvert, Assistant, St. Anthony, New Bedford, 1967 Rev. Maurice H. Lamontagne, Retired Pastor, Our Lady of Grace, Westport, 1996 July 3 Rev. Thomas P. Doherty, Pastor, St. Kilian, New Bedford, 1942 July 4 Rev. James A. Coyle, S.T.L., Pastor, Holy Name, Fall River, 1955 July 5 Rev. J.F. LaBonte, Retired Assistant, Sacred Heart, New Bedford, 1943 Rev. Edward P. Versailles, M.S., La Salette Shrine, North Attleboro, 1985 July 6 Rev. Edmond Francis, SS.CC., Pastor, St. Mary, Fairhaven, 1963 July 7 Rev. James E. Lynch, Founder, St. Joan of Arc, Orleans, 1965 July 8 Rev. Edward Murphy, Pastor, St. Mary, Fall River, 1887 Msgr. Patrick J. O’Neill, Retired Pastor, St. Julie Billiart, North Dartmouth, 1995 July 10 Rev. Pie Marie Berard, O.P., Dominican Priory, Fall River, 1938 Rev. Maurice E. Parent, Assistant, St. Michael, Swansea, 1972 Rev. John E. Morris, M.M., Retired Maryknoll Missioner, Former Assistant, St. Joseph, Fall River, 1987 Rev. Theodore M. Morin, M.S., La Salette Shrine, North Attleboro, 1987

Father Landry continued from page seven

the Sacraments, whereas if people had access to the Sacraments with no or bad preaching, they would take the Sacraments for granted.

It’s a very relevant example for the situation in the Amazon. People in remote villages are becoming Pentecostals not because Pentecostals give them access to the Sacraments (which they don’t), but because they give them the Word of God, training in prayer and a community of faith. Catholics can do the same, even without priests, as the Church does

in many other areas of South America. Is it wise to ordain priests who can perhaps celebrate Mass and absolve sins but who will not have the education and training to preach and teach effectively? History suggests that we would be asking for worse problems than we have now, since it is harder to change people’s minds than form them right in the first place.

Third, what would this mean for the Church universally?

There are, of course, many other areas where there are shortages of priests, where people do not have access to “the

Sacraments that accompany and sustain Christian life” each week or each day.

If married men are eligible for ordination in the Amazon, why not in Alaska, Alabama, or anywhere experiencing a priest deficit compared to previous decades? It would be very hard for the Church to play favorites, and grant exceptions to one region and not to every region.

Such “exceptions” would become the rule.

Celibacy would remain preferred in principle, but optional in practice. And that would drastically change the lived experience of the priesthood.

Those priests who

remained celibate for the sake of the Kingdom (Mt 19:12), rather than being admired for their sacrifice in placing God, His Kingdom and others over their own natural desires for Marriage and family, would likely be considered ambitious — since, as in the Oriental churches, bishops would remain taken only the celibates — or same-sex attracted, or both.

The practical effects, moreover, would be drastic in terms of the missionary dimension of the priesthood. Celibate priests can move on a moment’s notice and take difficult assignments. Which married priest is going to want to uproot his family to a dangerous inner city post where, on his meager salary, he has to enroll his children in underperforming public schools?

There would likewise be an effect on the level of commitment the priest-

hood justly requires. Right now the priest must choose Christ over the goods of Marriage and family. In a sex-obsessed age, such a decision is often heroic, and a capacity for heroism is even more important for priests than for soldiers.

Priests’ joyful, celibate life of perpetual chastity, moreover, is a prophetic sign to this age that chastity is indeed possible, joyful and life-giving in every state of life. The loss of that witness would be a huge blow to the proclamation of the Gospel in our time.

The ultimate and most practical question, however, remains: Will this proposed change lead to a holier clergy and a holier Church, or will it weaken the Church’s mission to evangelize and make saints of those in the Amazon and elsewhere?

Anchor columnist Father Roger Landry can be contacted at fatherlandry@ catholicpreaching.com.

Ninth annual Pro-Life Boot Camp is July 25 EASTON — The Diocesan Pro-Life Apostolate is gearing up for its ninth annual Pro-Life Boot Camp, which will be held once again on the campus of Stonehill College in Easton from July 25 to July 28.

Pro-Life Boot Camp is one of the best opportunities for young people to become involved in rebuilding the Culture of Life. High school students, ages 14 to 17, will experience inspiring speakers, prayerful witness, and the Sacraments — all with fellowship and lots of fun thrown in! Bishop Edgar M. da Cunha, S.D.V., will once again join the group for a soccer match on Friday morning.

Junior staff, ages 18 to 20, are also being recruited, along with chaperones (ages 21-plus).

Applications and more information are available online at www.fallriverdiocese. org (scroll down the page to quick links). For more information, you can also email pla@plrachel.com or call 508-675-1311.

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Around the Diocese Pennies from Heaven, St. Vincent de Paul’s donations and free goods store located at 141 Washington Street in Taunton, will be closed from Saturday, June 29 at 2 p.m. until Monday July 15, when it will reopen at 9 a.m. Pennies from Heaven will be having a Christmas in July Sale from Monday, July 15 until Saturday, July 27. There will also be a sidewalk sale on Saturday, July 20 with raffles.

A special silent retreat will be held on Saturday, June 29 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Dominican Sisters of the Presentation, 3012 Elm Street in Dighton. The day will include: Mass, prayer, reflections, quiet time and Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament. Registration begins at 9:30 a.m. For more information, call Donna Costa, M.A., Lay Associate of the Dominican Sisters of the Presentation, e-mail streetsofgold531@hotmail.com or call 774-644-5878. A freewill offering will be accepted and lunch is included.

The faith community of St. Patrick’s Parish in Wareham and St. Anthony’s Chapel in West Wareham would like to invite everyone to join them in celebrating God’s graces bestowed upon them in successfully refurbishing their beloved church of St. Patrick after the fire of September 2018 and the blessing of the newly-installed organ. Parishioners are very excited to share this special time in the church’s history with the Wareham community and diocesan family. Bishop Edgar M. da Cunha, S.D.V., will officiate at a Mass celebration at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, July 3. A reception will follow for all to share in fellowship, refreshments, to learn about the varied ministries served, and meet some very proud and elated parishioners. The address is 82 High Street in Wareham.

On Tuesday, July 9, Our Lady of the Cape Parish in Brewster will host Father Flavio Gillio, M.S., for its first event in the Summer Speaker Series. Father Flavio is a native of Turin, Italy, and now lives and works at the National Shrine of Our Lady of La Salette in Attleboro. He has taught Scripture, Biblical Languages and Judaism in Italy and Israel. Father Flavio’s talk is entitled, “Builders of the Kingdom: Jesus, the Eucharist, and the Social Teaching of the Church.” In this lecture we will explore the Social Teaching of the Church understood as a way of responding to the “Eucharistic” call and vocation that is proper to each of us by virtue of our Baptism. The program will be held in the Parish Center at 456 Stony Brook Road in Brewster. A light dinner — sandwich, chips and cookie — will be available at 5:30 p.m. for a cost of $7 and the talk will begin at 6 p.m. No RSVP is necessary. Contact Kathy at adultfaithformation2@gmail. com for more information. There is no cost to attend and all are welcome. Future Summer Speaker Series events include: Tuesday, July 23 – Sister Bridget Haase, O.S.U.: “Walking the Path of Faith” and Tuesday, August 6 – Mary MacGilivray: “Celtic Spirituality.”

St. Pius X Parish in South Yarmouth will be holding its annual Summer Fair on Wednesday, July 10 from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. in the Parish Life Center at 5 Barbara Street. Come browse the treasures in the school gym and the Captains Library. The fair will also feature crafts, raffles, jewelry, tasty jams and jellies, a variety of vendors, homemade baked goods, and handmade knitted and sewn goods. New this year is the Rainbow Painting Corner for kids. Local authors Finbarr Corr (“St. Vincent Martyr Parish: From Church to Community”), Susan Santangelo (“In-Laws Can Be Murder”), and Elizabeth Moissan (“Master Of the Sweet Trade: A Story of the Pirate Samuel Bellamy, Mariah Halley and the Whydah”) will also be there. While you shop, enjoy a light breakfast of muffins, bagels and doughnuts, or lunch with homemade lobster rolls, chicken salad, hot dogs and strawberry shortcake in the fair’s Surfside Café.

To submit an event for consideration in The Anchor’s “Around the Diocese” listing, please send the information by email to kensouza@anchornews.org.

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Eucharistic Adoration in the Diocese Acushnet — Eucharistic Adoration takes place at St. Francis Xavier Parish on Monday from 9:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.; Tuesday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.; and Saturday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Evening prayer and Benediction is held Monday through Wednesday at 6:30 p.m.

ASSONET — St. Bernard’s Parish will have Eucharistic Adoration every Monday from 9:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. The Blessed Sacrament will be exposed on the altar at the conclusion of 9 a.m. Mass and the church will be open all day, concluding with evening prayer and Benediction at 6:30 p.m.

ATTLEBORO — The National Shrine of Our Lady of La Salette holds 6:30 p.m. Mass followed by the Chaplet of Divine Mercy Adoration at 7:15 p.m. every Wednesday evening.

ATTLEBORO — Eucharistic Adoration takes place at St. John the Evangelist Church, North Main Street, Mondays and Wednesdays from 5-6:30 p.m.

Brewster — Eucharistic Adoration takes place at Our Lady of the Cape Church, 468 Stony Brook Road, on First Fridays from 11:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. buzzards Bay — Eucharistic Adoration takes place at St. Margaret Church, 141 Main Street, every First Friday following the 8 a.m. Mass, ending at 5 p.m.

DARTMOUTH — Eucharistic Adoration takes place at St. Mary’s Church, 783 Dartmouth Street, every First Monday of the month, following the 8 a.m. Mass, ending with evening prayers and Benediction at 5 p.m.

East Freetown — Eucharistic Adoration takes place at St. John Neumann Church every Monday (excluding legal holidays) 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. in the Our Lady, Mother of All Nations Chapel. (The base of the bell tower).

EAST TAUNTON — Eucharistic Adoration takes place in the chapel at Holy Family Parish Center, 438 Middleboro Avenue, Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. On First Fridays, Eucharistic Adoration takes place at Holy Family Church, 370 Middleboro Avenue, from 8:30 a.m. until 7:45 p.m.

FAIRHAVEN — St. Mary’s Church, Main St., has Eucharistic Adoration every Wednesday from 8:30-11:30 a.m. in the Chapel of Reconciliation, with Benediction at 11:30 a.m.

FALL RIVER — St. Anthony of Padua Church, on the corner of Bedford and Sixteenth streets, has Eucharistic Adoration accompanied by music and prayer every first Wednesday of the month from 6-7 p.m.

FALL RIVER — St. Anthony of the Desert Church, 300 North Eastern Avenue, has Eucharistic Adoration Mondays and Tuesdays from 8:45 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Thursdays following the 8 a.m. Mass until Friday at 8 a.m.

FALL RIVER — Holy Name Church, 709 Hanover Street, has Eucharistic Adoration Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. in the Our Lady of Grace Chapel.

FALL RIVER — Good Shepherd Parish has Eucharistic Adoration every Friday following the 8 a.m. Mass and concluding with 3 p.m. Benediction in the Daily Mass Chapel. A bilingual holy hour takes place from 2 to 3 p.m. Park behind the church and enter the back door of the connector between the church and the rectory.

FALL RIVER — St. Joseph’s Church has a Holy Hour every Tuesday from 6-7 p.m., with Benediction at 6:45 p.m.

FALL RIVER — St. Michael’s Church has Eucharistic Adoration every Wednesday from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., with Benediction at 5:30 p.m.

Falmouth — St. Patrick’s Church has Eucharistic Adoration each First Friday following the 7 a.m. Mass, with Benediction at 4:30 p.m.

HYANNIS — St. Francis Xavier Parish in Hyannis, 347 South Street, Hyannis, has Eucharistic Adoration from noon to 3 p.m., daily Monday through Friday.

MANSFIELD — St. Mary’s Parish, 330 Pratt Street, has Eucharistic Adoration every First Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., with Benediction at 5:30 p.m.

MASHPEE — Christ the King Parish, Route 151 and Job’s Fishing Road has 8:30 a.m. Each First Friday Mass ends with exposition of the Blessed Sacrament and Adoration continues until Benediction at 5 p.m.

NEW BEDFORD — Eucharistic Adoration is held every Thursday, with Confessions, from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Our Lady of Guadalupe at St. James Church. Please use the side entrance.

NEW BEDFORD — There is a daily holy hour from 5:15-6:15 p.m. Monday through Thursday at St. Anthony of Padua Church, 1359 Acushnet Avenue. It includes Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, Liturgy of the Hours, recitation of the Rosary, and the opportunity for Confession.

NEW BEDFORD — St. Lawrence Martyr Parish, 565 County Street, holds Eucharistic Adoration in the side chapel Fridays from 7:30-11:45 a.m. ending with a simple Benediction NORTH DARTMOUTH — Eucharistic Adoration takes place at St. Julie Billiart Church, 494 Slocum Road, every Tuesday from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m., ending with Benediction. The Sacrament of Reconciliation is available at this time.

NORTH DIGHTON — Eucharistic Adoration takes place every Wednesday following 8:00 a.m. Mass and concludes with Benediction at 4 p.m. Eucharistic Adoration also takes place every First Friday at St. Nicholas of Myra Church, 499 Spring Street following the 8 a.m. Mass, ending with Benediction at 4 p.m. The Rosary is recited Monday through Friday from 7:30 to 8 a.m.

NORTH EASTON — A Holy Hour for Families including Eucharistic Adoration is held every Friday from 3-4 p.m. at The Father Peyton Center, 518 Washington Street.

NORTH EASTON — Eucharistic Adoration takes place at Immaculate Conception Church Chapel on the first Wednesday of the month beginning after the 8:30 a.m. Mass, until 6:40 p.m. Those wishing to make a monthly commitment can sign up on the parish website at www.icceaston.org or call the parish office at 508-238-3232.

ORLEANS — St. Joan of Arc Parish, 61 Canal Road, has Eucharistic Adoration every First Friday starting after the 8 a.m.

Mass and ending with Benediction at 11:45 a.m. The Sacrament of the Sick is also available immediately after the 8 a.m.

Mass.

SEEKONK ­— Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Parish has perpetual Eucharistic Adoration seven days a week, 24 hours a day in the chapel at 984 Taunton Avenue. For information call 508-336-5549.

Taunton — Eucharistic Adoration takes place every Tuesday at St. Anthony Church, 126 School Street, following the 8 a.m. Mass with prayers including the Chaplet of Divine Mercy for vocations, concluding at 6 p.m. with Chaplet of St. Anthony and Benediction. Recitation of the Rosary for peace is prayed Monday through Saturday at 7:30 a.m. prior to the 8 a.m. Mass.

Taunton — Adoration of the Most Blessed Sacrament takes place every First Friday at Annunciation of the Lord, 31 First Street. Exposition begins following the 8 a.m. Mass until 9 a.m.

Taunton — The Chapel of St. Andrew the Apostle, 19 Kilmer Avenue, Taunton, will host Eucharistic Adoration Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. until 7 p.m.

Taunton — St. Jude the Apostle Parish in Taunton will host Eucharistic Adoration on Mondays following the 9 a.m. Mass and the St. Jude Novena, until 11:30, ending with Benediction. It will take place at Holy Rosary Chapel during the summer months.

WAREHAM — Eucharistic Adoration at St. Patrick’s Church takes place 9 a.m. Thursday through 7 p.m. Friday. Adoration is held in our Adoration Chapel in the lower Parish Hall.

† PERPETUAL EUCHARISTIC ADORATION † ATTLEBORO — St. Joseph’s Chapel at St. Vincent de Paul Parish, 71 Linden Street, offers Eucharistic Adoration 24/7. All are welcome to visit. To make a regular commitment, go to www.svdp.weadorehim.com, or call Paula (774-220-3005) or Kathy (774-254-4431).

East Sandwich — The Corpus Christi Parish Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration Chapel is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week at 324 Quaker Meeting House Road, East Sandwich. Use the Chapel entrance on the side of the church.

NEW BEDFORD — Our Lady’s Chapel, 600 Pleasant Street, offers Eucharistic Adoration seven days a week, 24 hours a day. For information call 508-996-8274.

SEEKONK ­— Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish has perpetual Eucharistic Adoration seven days a week, 24 hours a day in the chapel at 984 Taunton Avenue. For information call 508-336-5549.

WEST HARWICH — Our Lady of Life Perpetual Adoration Chapel at Holy Trinity Parish, 246 Main Street (Rte. 28), holds perpetual Eucharistic Adoration. We are a regional chapel serving all of the surrounding parishes. All are invited to sign up to cover open hours. For open hours, or to sign up call 508-430-4716.

A group of faithful people from the Fall River Diocese who are dedicated to the Pro-Life cause traveled to the State House in Boston on Monday, June 17, for the hearing on the pending legislation S.1209, also known as the ROE Act. Massachusetts Citizens for Life and the Massachusetts Catholic Conference, representing the joint bishops in the Commonwealth, strongly oppose the bill, which would expand abortion access, including late-term abortions, during the nine months of pregnancy for virtually any reason. The bus was sponsored by MCFL, and it included citizens from the Fall River and New Bedford area who also wanted to voice their opposition to the proposed legislation. (Photo courtesy of Barbara Wenc)

June 28, 2019 â€

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