VOL. 36, NO. 27
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Friday, July 10, 1992
FALL RIVER, MASS.
Southeastern Massachusetts' Largest Weekly
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$11 Per Year
Black Catholic parley draws 8 from here
Ordination at cathedral tomorrow
With CNS reports Eight members of Our Lady of the Assumption parish, New Bedford. are attending the seventh National Black Catholic Congress, which opened yesterday in New Orleans and will continue until noon Sunday, July 12. They are Sister Marianna Sylvester, RSM, religious education coordinator at Our Lady of the Assumption, Permanent Deacon Antonio M. DaCruz, Ms. Dorothy Lopes, Ms. Sandra Santos, Mrs. Anna Senna, Mrs. Mary Barros, Mr. and Mrs. David DePina and Joaquin Livramento. They were commissioned for their journey in the context of a Mass offered June 28 at Our Lady of the Assumption, at which they were anointed by representatives from St. James and St. Lawrence parishes in New Bedford and St. Julie's parish in North Dartmouth. Earlier the diocesan delegation had participated in national preparations for the congress at a preparatory meeting and a followup day of reflection. both at the Family Life Center in North Dartmouth. Among local choices for a congress theme was the AfricanAmerican Family, which emerged as the national selection. Aspects of the theme to be focused on in New Orleans are the internal structure of African-American family life, the role of the AfricanAmerican male and the effects of racism on families. There will also be another aspect to the gathering. "The symbolic importance of our coming together cannot be overstated." said Baltimore Auxiliary Bishop John H. Ricard, president of the congress' board of trustees. "First of all it's important that we come together as a group of African-American Catholics to affirm our faith, to affirm our presence" in the church, he said. "One of the difficulties we con'tinue to face and one that is important we address is that many African-American people are not cognizant of the fact there are African-American Catholics; they see the church as largely white." The congress also offers a message to the larger church - "that the church is mosaic," he added in a telephone interview with Catholic News Service. There are 2,300 people registered for the congress; 1,500 are delegates eligible to vote. About 100 U.S. bishops are expected to attend. The history of congresses for black Catholics began in the 19th century, with five congresses held between 1889 and 1894 all focus-
Rev. Mr. James S. Medeiros will be ordained to the priesthood for the diocese of Fall River by Hartford Archbishop Daniel A. Cronin in ceremonies at 11 a.m. tomorrow at St. Mary's Cathedral. Priests of. the diocese will concelebrate the Mass and all diocesans are welcome to attend. The son of Alfred V. and Patricia (Silvia) Medeiros of St. John of God parish, Somerset, Rev. Mr. Medeiros was born Dec. 17, 1963, in Fall River, a n'ative of St. Patrick's parish in Somerset. His siblings are Michael S. Medeiros and Patricia M. Silva. He attended Pottersville School and Somerset High School, graduating in 1981. He earned a bachelor of arts degree in political science from then Southeastern Massachu'setts University in 1986 and entered St. John's Seminary in Brighton in 1987. There he earned a master of divinity degree with a concentration in systematic theology. He was active in student government and the choir and served as a class regulator, steward and cantor. He taught CCD at St. Francis Xavier parish, South Weymouth; was a chaplain intern at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, and was a counselor at St. Vincent's Camp, Westport, for two summers. He conducted home visitations for St. Thomas More parish, Somerset, in 1989. Rev. Mr. Medeiros was ordained to the transitional diaconate Jan. 4 by Archbishop Cronin, then bishop of Fall River. He has since been serving at St. Pius X parish, South Yarmouth. He will celebrate his first Mass at 2 p.m. Sunday at St. John of God Church. Designated concele-
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HARTFORD ARCHBISHOP Daniel A. Cronin kneels to receive pallium from Pope
John Paul II. (Photo courtesy of Hartford Archdiocesan Office of Radio & TV)
Pallium for Archbishop Cronin From Hartford Archdiocesan Office of Radio & TV Pope John Paul II, in a June 29 Mass at St. Peter's Basilica that emphasized the ties between Rome and the wo.rld's archdi?ceses. bestowed palhums of whIte wool on 30 metro~olitan archbishops from four contInents. . Among ~~ose rece~ving the p~lhum were U.S. ArchbIshops Damel A. Cronin of Hartford, Conn., and Thomas J. Murphy of Seattle.
with reports from Catholic News Service Attending the ceremony from Peter, the visible foundation and the Fall River diocese were Msgr. principle of unity of the whole John J. Oliveira, diocesan chan- church." cellor, ~nd .Father John c..Ozug, The pallium, a circular band of parochIal vicar at St. FranCIS Xav- white wool worn around the neck, ier Church, Hyannis. . has traditionally symbolized, the The pope told the archbIshops fullness of the bishop's office. In ~hat the pr~senta~i?n~f palli~ms 1984 Pope John Paul decreed that In St. Peter s Baslhca underhnes the pallium would ordinarily be the bond of close communion that ties each of youto the successor of Turn to Page 13
I------------------------------------------.Ibrants Sister Lia: A missionary at home for 54 years By Pat McGowan Many t'eaching sisters have been on the job for 54 years or even longer-but few have spent their entire professional career at one school. So it was a major and sad event last month at Espirito Santo School, Fall River, when Franciscan Missionary of Mary Sister Lia Oliveira said goodbye to erasers and chalk. A television news program recorded one of her last days as a teacher. The story included a shot of the Espirito Santo windows, adorned with large letters announcing to the outside world: SISTER L1A JUST FINISHED TEACHING HERE FOR 54 YEARS. And she expressed her teaching philosophy to the TV interviewer: "I always tried to love my children,
especially in these days when there are so many broken homes."
SISTER LlA
Her love was returned. On Sunday, June 28, the 10 a.m. parish Mass was celebrated in her honor. A reception followed in the church hall and later in the day there was a testimonial dinner at Venus de Milo restaurant in Swansea. By way of a continuing tribute, a Sister Lia Oliveira Award will be presented annually to an eighth grade graduate of Espirito Santo School. Its first recipient was 1992 valedictorian Alison Ferreira. The other day, looking back , over a career which has included becoming one of the first recipients ofthe diocesan Marian Medal for outstanding service, Sister Lia chuckled. "I'm a native of Our Lady of Health parish in Fall River," she said. "When I entered Turn to Page 13
will be his classmates from St. John's Seminary class of 1992. Rev. Mr. John G. Lessard-Thibodeau of the Springfield diocese will be deacon. Music will be directed by Tobias Monte, with organist George Campeau Jr., and song leader FatherDavid A. Costa. A reception will follow in the St. John of God parish center.