FALL RIVER DIOCESAN NEWSPAPER FOR SOUTHEAST MASSACHUSETTS CAPE COD & THE ISLANDS
teanc 0 VOl. 29, NO. 26
FALL RIVER, MASS., FRIDAY; JUNE 28, 1985
$8 Per Year
'Busy," as usual, saving the world'
Moth·e,r
BRAND-NEW PRIESTS with Bishop Daniel A. Cronin. Front, from left, Fathers Philip Hamel, Jose Sousa; rear, Fathers Michael McManus, Michael Dufault, Dayid Costa, James Calnan. (Gaudette Photo)
Chosen and·· ordained
"Share with all mankind the word of God you' have received_ Forever I will sing the goodness with joy," he said. "Let the ex of the Lord. amples of your Jives attract the -Psalms followers of Christ." . In his exuberant message, the Six young men: a singer, an artist, a musician, an avid reader, bishop told the ordinandi "Know a traveler and a sports fan. Have what you are doing and imitate the mystery you celebrate." He they anything in common? ,reminded the young men that All became diocesan priests they had been chosen from last Saturday. among God's' people and that Ordained at an 11 a.m. service they must attend to the concerns at St. Mary's Cathedral, Fall. of Christ before their own. River, by Bishop Daniel A. The new diocesan priests have Cronin, were James A. Calnan, many expectations and hopes. David A. Costa, Michael R. Du fault, Philip N. Hamel, Michael Father McManus said "My goal K. McManus and Jose M. Sousa. is to be a faithful minister of Why did these men become the church, serving the holy peo priests? The new Father Dufault ple of God." Father Sousa cites, !in addition to the call he stresses that he wants to be "open to him as he leads me." felt, an attraction to 'and inter est in the religious life. Parish He wants to find God's will, not priests he has known served as his own, and carry that. out. examples to him, as they did to F'ather Calnan emphasizes his hope to make Christ a part of several others among the newly the lives of all whom he meets. orda·ined. The climactic moment in the June 22, appropriately, was a beautiful day. The sun made the ceremony came when the bishop Jaid this hands on the ordinandi cathedral's stained glass win dows glow brightly, mirroring the at this point they were priests. mood of those inside. Cantor Investiture with stole and Joanne Mercier's face, as she chasuble followed, each new led the singing, reflected the priest being assisted with his pride and joy of the family and vestments by a brother priest. At friends present. this point the fraternity of the Bishop .Cronin addressed the priesthood showed itself as a soon-to-be-ordained men as "my very obvious and real thing. Why aren't there more vocasons. By Joseph Motta
tions? When asked, the new priests had a variety of answers. Father Hamel said that he sees a societal pressure against any form of religion, and a question ing of the purpose of religious life. Father Costa sees society as too fast paced and flighty, and notes that there is a general fear of commitment among' its mem bers. "There are unrealized vo cations out there, though, "he added. Thinking that part of the .issue may be celibacy, Father Calnan sees a lack of support among peers for those who are, begin ning :to realize their vocations. If a young man approached him expressing interest in a vo cation, but had doubts about whether. this was the right choice for him" Father Dufault would tell him to look into him self to see if God is truly caU ing. He would urge him to be unafraid of doubts and to face them head on. "I would tell him it's a beautifur way of life," he noted. Recognizing ,that doubts are natural in the discernment pro cess, Father Sousa said he would tell the interested person to "try to pursue the vocation and not be. afraid of Ithe doubts. They will Turn to page thirteen
recipient to meU down her With NC News Reports plaqu~ to get money for the During an event-packed trip to the United States, Mother Teresa needy. Reagan said ,that 13 other of Calcutta Medal of Freedom winners had -received the Medal of Free been cited at the White House a dom; -briefly dismissed feminism month earlier but Mother Teresa "could not attend because she and liberation theology; had work to do - not special -told the Institute on Reli gious Life why her community work, not unusual work for her, but everyday work which is both enjoys an abundance of voca tions while others are perishing special and urgent in its own right. Mother Teresa was busy, for lack of applicants; -told the National Right to as usual, saving the world." After the ceremony, Mother Life convention that babies at risk of abortion are in far worse Teresa was spotted by <the exu berant and aggressive White plight than lepers; -spoke to thousands at the House press corps walking on University of Massachusetts at the White House driveway. In moments, she was surround Amherst. ed by a huddle of cameramen, -made a flying trip to Toron to where she consoled relatives technicians and repol1ters, all of Air India crash victims and trying to question or photograph her. Nonetheless, they treated opened a new house of her com her more politely than they do munity. politicians or others less frail Accepting the Medal of Free dom at the White House June 20, and ascetic-looking. Mother Teresa merely smiled the diminutive founder of the Missionaries of Charity and and handed out prayer cards, ad Nobel Prize winner was called . vising all, before being bundled by President Reagan "a heroine into a waiting limousine, "Very of our times." He noted. that the good, but now all of you have plaque' honoring her described to make meditation." At a New York press confer her as the "saint of the gutters." ence preceding her Washington Reagan joked ;that Mother Turn to Page Three Teresa might be the first award
Priests., deacon
among hostages
With NC News Reports Two priests and a permanent deacon, all from the diocese of Rockford, IlL, are among 40
hostages being held by Shiite Moslem terrorists in Beirut fol lowing ,the June 14 hijacking of TWA Flight 847. They are permanent deacon Raymond Johnson of Aurora, Father Thomas Dempsey of St. Charles and Father James Mc Loughlin of Geneva. Deacon ·Johnson and Father McLoughlin were seen Monday on network television on a video tape made by their Shiite cap tors. Deacon Johnson did not speak but Father McLoughlin said in response ,to a question by an off-camera Shiite as to how he was being treated, "I'm doing well. I'm looking forward to be ing home with my family and people in the parish." The priest is pastor of St. Peter Church in Geneva. After
viewing the videotape a brother commented that he was not speaking as he normally did and ifhat he seemed under stress. Not shown was Father Demp
sey. lronically, Father Robert B.
Hoffman, director of vocations
for the Rockford diocese, had
,received a postcard from him the day he learned he was among the Flight 847 hostages. Turn to Page Thirteen
inside • lFourth of July feature: She's related to 'The Lady' ..• p. 7 • Cape Cod Mass schedules • • • p. 9