The CHOR
An Anew of the Soul, Sure and Firm.-
ST. PAUL
Fall River, Mass., Thursday, July 16, 1970 IO¢ Vol. 14, No. 29. © 1970 The Anchor . $4.00PRICE per year
Schedule Ordination Of Two Deacons
Bishop Connolly will ordain will serve in the Diocese of two deacons to the priesthood at . Fall River. 2 on Saturday afternoon, August Rev. Mr. Babbitt, the son of 15 in St. Mary's Cathedral, Fall Welcome H. Babbitt and the late River. Arcelia Caisse Babbitt was born Rev. Mr. William T. Babbitt May 11, 1924 in Norwich, Conn. and Rev. Mr. Edward J. Byington Turn to Page Twelve
CCD Asks Religion Courses . . Face Changing Man's Needs c WASHINGTON (NC) - Members of'the National Conference of Diocesan Directors of Confraternity of· Christian Doctrine programs across the United States called here for increased communication among Catholics involved in religious education. In a report addressed .to the U.S. Catholic Conference's committee on education" they outlined the impact of change on man's environment and on man himself. "In fact, it is this personal element of change that concerns us most, because as religious educators we are concerned most of all with the person himself, and how he and the world in which he lives affect each other in the process of Christian growth," the report said. It went on to evaluate how religion's role in the life of modern man has changed,. and outlined recommendations for action to meet demands made by modern life on religion and men. "We may speak of religion," the report said "from two points of view . . . as it resides in the individual as a set of personal values, beliefs, concepts and ideals" and "as a social structure, a community with dogmas, laws, moral codes imd implementing structures, or
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what we usually identify as ·Church.' In both these forms we see an underlying continu: ity and a series of significant changes." Those changes wer:e said to include a new emphasis on the here-and-now and on the place of the human community as the context for man's .selfdevelopment. Failure of the Church to recognize such changes, the statement added, has led to the abandonment of the Church by many people, including. priests and Religious. Efforts to align the Church's activities and the demands' of modern society, tne statement said, have frequently been successful. But it pointed out that "these developments ·are also a source of tension and confusion to a number of individ·uals and groups within the Church, and we recognize that these changes can lead to destructive polarization." In an effort to avoid destructive polarization, authors of the directors' statement out-
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lined a program aimed at clearing a way misunderstandings surrounding the Church's religious education efforts. The program urged: Increased communications between bishops and diocesan CCD directors, as well as between pastors and CCD directors. . . Increased professional assistance in setting up, maintaining and evaluating religious education programs. Increased training for religious education teachers. Caution to prevent polarization through misguided educational experiments, one-sided courses or one-sided textbooks. Increased research into the use and development of 'religious education texts. "It is essential," the statement said, "for us to recall constantly that Christ is both .the focus of our faith and the source of our unity . . . . "We would not wish anyone to abandon or neglect what he feels is essential to his own authentic religious growth, but we see more than anything else . the need for all to give room' for diversity and to respect and support as much as possible those whose religious insights and God's grace may lead in a different direction." Turn to Page Six
Holy (ross Fathers' Provincial Rev. Mr. Edward J.Byington
Rev. William F. Hogan, CSC, former chairman of .the theology department at Stonehill College, North Easton, and columnist for The Anchor during the Vatican Council, has been elected provincial of the Eastern Province of the Holy Cross Fathers by the Rev. Mr. William T. Babbitt 38 voting delegates at the provincial chapter recently completed at Stonehill College. Father Hogan succeeds Rev. Patrick Sullivan, CSC, as provincial. -Father Hogan, 40-year-old naPope Paul was speaking' to' tive of Tewksbury, graduated about 100 participants in a from Boston English High School Rome seminar of the American in 1947 and the University of _Turn to Page Sixteen Notre Dame in 1952.
Pope Tells U.S. Jurists To Preserve Natural Law VATICAN CITY (NC) - Pope Paul VI, speaking to a group of U.S. judges and jurists, declared that every act of state legislation "must be in accordance with the natural order of justice and in it find inspiration." the Pope did not indicate what specific issue of the American scene he may have had in mind, whether civil rights or "law and order" or abortion. But he did· state that the endeavor to make natural justice the foundation of written law "is in . harmony with the juridical tradition of your ~ountry."
Transfers Affect Four Pri·ests The Chancery Office announced today the transfers involving three assistants and the naming of an administrator pro tem. The assignments are as follows: Rev. Brian J. Harrington, assistant at Sacred Heart Church, Taunton to St. John the Evangelist Church, Attleboro, as assistant. Rev. Edward F. McIsaac, assistant at St. John the Evangelist, Attleboro to St. Margaret Turn to Page Two
Following ordination to the priesthood in June, 19'56, Father Hogan enrolled at the Gregorian University, Rome and earned a doctorate in canon law. During 1961, he taught theology at Stonehill College and the following year became head of the department. Father Hogan continued in that' position until 1966 when he was named rector of the International Theologate of the Holy Cross Fathers in Rome, where he remained until 1968. Since returning from Rome theologate, the new provincial has travelled coast to coast in the United States lecturing and
New Connolly High Head Very Rev. William G. Guindon, S.J., Provincial Superior of the Society of Jesus in New England, announced today that Rev. Thomas J. Gibbons, S.J. has been appointed principal of Bishop Connolly High School in Fall River. In 1947 Fr. Gibbons entered the Society of Jesus at Shadowbrook, Lenox, Mass. where he made his novitiate and began his college training. After completing his Master of Arts degree at Boston College, he spent three years teaching at Baghdad College, Baghdad, Iraq, o~e of the missions staffed by the Jesuits of New England. He returned to the States for theology and was ordained to the priesthood by Richard Cardinal Cushing on June 18, 1960 at Weston College, Weston, Mass. Upon completion of his theologiCal studies, Fr. Gibbons did graduate work in physics at Fordham University in New York City where he obtained
his Maser of Science degree in 1965. From Fordham, Father returned to Baghdad College as chairman of the Physics Depart-
Rev. Thomas J. Gibbons,
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ment. While in Iraq he also served as the Director of Educational Section of the Sociological Survey of the Iraq Mission for the Society of Jesus. Fr. Gibbons has been Ii member of the American Association of Physics Teachers since 1962 and has been interested in the development of new curricula for high school science. He has been an enthusiastic supporter and teacher of PSSC physics and Introductory Physical Science. This past summer he received a National Science Foundation grant to enable him to travel from Baghdad to San Diego, California for a special Institute in the new Harvard Project Physics. Unable to return to Baghdad due to the seizure of the Jesuit facilities by the Iraq Government, Fr. Gibbons has been engaged in teaching at the College Preparatory School of Fairfield University, Fairfield Conn. during the past year.
giving retreats to sisters regarding renewal according to the Vatican Council. General thrust or direction of the provincial chapter was for greater openness and mutual trust of religious on every level, and great accent on the importance of the local community as a place in which members grow, give and receive support, and develop expertise for their apostolic work. The principle of "joint discernment" updates the traditional concept of obedience without supplanting obedience or making it meaningless. A province director of personnel, Rev. Patrick Sullivan, CSC, now with CARA, will be an important factor facilitating this discernment of matching best the needs of apostolate3 and the talents and fulfillment of the religious. Approving the general direcTurn to Page Thirteen
Ask .Suggestions From Priests Two years ago the Most Reverend Bishop approved a suggestion from the Senate of Priests of the Fall River Diocese that the Senate and/or individual priests make recommendations of men who might be considered for the episcopal office. A letter is now being sent by a Senate Committee to all the priests of the Fall River Diocese asking recommendations of candidates for the office of bishop and also asking opinions on specific needs that each priest may see in the Diocese. The Senate Committee is composed of Rev. Thomas Lt'- . Rev. Leo T. Sullivan, Rev. Paul Turn to Page Thirteen