The Anchor Diocese of Fall River
F riday , July 20, 2012
Preparing an army to protect life at all stages
Bishop thanks faithful for bounding generosity
By Becky Aubut Anchor Staff
NORTH EASTON, Mass — The campus of Stonehill College in North Easton will come alive this weekend as faith-filled youth from across the diocese gather for the second annual Pro-Life Boot Camp. Sponsored by the Pro-Life Apostolate of the Fall River Diocese, the three-day event will offer attendees a slew of activities that include a Saturday morning prayer vigil outside the abortion clinic in Attleboro. “This year our theme is the ‘Dignity of the Human Person,’” explained co-planner, Cassandra Borges. “We’re going to be focusing on the part of Ephesians 4:1, where St. Paul urges us to ‘Lead a life worthy of His calling.’ Our dignity is intrinsic but what does that mean and where do we go from there? What does it matter? How is it being attacked? We hope to answer those questions for everyone throughout the weekend.” And thanks to the generosity of the Massachusetts State Council Knights of Columbus, there will be presentations on the dignity of human life by exceptional speakers.
DISCERNING DECISION — Father John J. Oliveira, pastor of Our Lady of Mount Carmel and St. John the Baptist parishes in New Bedford, talks with some of the 28 young men who attended the third annual diocesan-sponsored Quo Vadis Days event held recently at the Sacred Hearts Retreat Center in Wareham. (Photo by Father Jay Mello)
Third Quo Vadis Days draws highest turnout to date
By Kenneth J. Souza Anchor Staff
WAREHAM — Teen-ager James Dellamorte of Corpus Christi Parish in East Sandwich wasn’t quite sure what to expect when he decided to embark on the recent weeklong Quo Vadis Days experience at
the Sacred Hearts Retreat Center in Wareham. “Honestly, I expected it to be a lot less fun, but it was a lot better than I expected,” Dellamorte said. “I thought we’d just be sitting in the chapel all week and praying a lot; but there were plenty of sports and
activities and there was still time to pray.” As a first-time attendee at the diocesan-sponsored vocational retreat, Dellamorte said he was particularly taken with the evening prayers each night that he said were quite “beautiTurn to page 18
Sincerely yours in the Lord,
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Bishop of Fall River
Taunton casino opponents hold out hope
Appeal closes at more than $4 million
By Christine M. Williams Anchor Correspondent
TAUNTON — In a move many have described as chasing after “fool’s gold,” a majority of voters in Taunton approved a bid for a resort casino in their city last month in a referendum. Days after the non-binding vote, Gov. Deval Patrick made an agreement with the Mashpee Wampanoag tribe that would send 21.5 percent of any gaming revenue from Taunton back to the state. He submitted the agreement to the state legislature, which must approve it by July 31 in order for the tribe to gain exclusive rights to develop a casino in the southeast region. Turn to page seven
Dear Friends in Christ, As bishop of Fall River, I would like to extend my heartfelt gratitude to the priests, deacons, religious, and lay faithful of this diocese who have contributed to or in any way supported the 2012 Catholic Charities Appeal. I am especially pleased and thankful for the extraordinary commitment shown by a great number of people, parishes, and businesses in the Diocese of Fall River. During this continuing time of economic lassitude, many still found the means to increase substantially their donation amounts over last year. On behalf of the parishioners and those who will be assisted by the Catholic Charities Appeal, to those who worked very hard to make this year’s collection a success, I express my sincerest appreciation. May God bless all our donors for their generosity in helping make a difference in their neighbors’ lives. With deep appreciation and gratitude, I am
first nations pilgrims — Members of the Cree and Métis tribes traveled more than 2,000 miles from Saskatchewan in mid-western Canada to Fonda, N.Y. to attend the Mass on the feast day of Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha, three months before she will be canoninzed in Rome this October. (Photo by Dave Jolivet)
First Nations draw inspiration, joy from upcoming Blessed Kateri canonization B y D ave J olivet , E ditor
FONDA, N.Y. — When their pilgrimage concluded last week, a group of Catholic pilgrims from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada traveled nearly 5,000 miles. The pilgrims,
from Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish in Saskatoon, are members of First Nations, aboriginal peoples including the Cree and Métis tribes in North America, traveled east to visit the sacred Turn to page 11
FALL RIVER — Once again, the generosity of the faithful of the Diocese of Fall River has lived up to the hopes and prayers of those ministering to the everincreasing number of individuals and families seeking assistance. The $4,205,208.12 represented the second highest total of parishioner donations in the 71year history of the diocesan Catholic Charities Appeal. This total was only eight-tenths of a percent below last year’s record number of parishioner donations. Although figures for the number of donors in each of the 90 parishes were not yet complete, it appeared that once again in Turn to page five