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Southeastern Massachusetts' Largest Weekly • $14 Per Year
FALL RIVER, MASS.
VOL. 48, NO. 27 • Friday, July 23, 2004
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Candidate for priesthood is ordained to diaconate
FATHERTADEUSZ Pacholczyk testifies on human cloning during a Massachusetts Senate committee hearing. Microphones have become the hallmark of the neuroscientist who has lectured internationally on the Church's stance on embryonic cell research and cloning. (CNS file photo)
Fall River diocesan.priest accepts position at National Catholic Bioethics Center ~
Father Pacholczyk is the director of education at the Pennsylvania facility. By
DEACON JAMES
N.
DUNBAR
FALL RIVER - It comes as no surprise that Father Tadeusz Pacholczyk has been released from service in the Fall River diocese to become director of education at the National Catholic Bioethics Center at its new location in Pennsylvania. Ever since his ordination to the priesthood in 1999 in Rome, the 39-year-old neuroscientist has emerged as a leading Church spokesman on beginning-of-life issues specifically being outspoken against cloning and embryonic cell research. He is recently returned from a trip to Austria and to Rome and the Vatican where
he shared a forum for journalists who wanted to learn what the Church thinks of the advances in science. Not only has he been called to address legislators in Washington, D.C., and in Boston and Wisconsin, but also he has been busy lecturing to community and parish groups and students of all ages throughout the southeastern Massachusetts region on the intricacies and moral implications of stem-cell research. The former parochial vicar at Holy Trinity in West Harwich and S1. Patrick's Parish in Falmouth has unusual qualifications. While still a junior at Canyon del Oro High School in Tucson, Arizona, he began attending the University of Arizona. When he graduated from there magna cum laude in 1988, he had four underTum to page J3 - Bioethics
FALL RIVER - Urging him to "serve the people in love and joy as you would God," Bishop George W. Coleman ordained Karl C. Bissinger as a deacon on July 17 in S1. Mary's Cathedral as the candidate advances towards the priesthood. Rev. Mr. Bissinger, 33, is the son of Andrew and Therese (Clement) Bissinger of S1. Joseph Parish in Fall River. The transitional deacon is a graduate of the Wiley Elementary School, the Morton Middle School and in 1989 ofB.M.C. Durfee High School, all in Fall River. He studied at Bristol Community College, received a bachelor's degree in philosophy from UMass-Dartrnouth, and attended Middlebury College in Vermont, and Bridgewater State College. Prior to entering the seminary in August 2000, he was involved in his parish as a Mass server, lector, choir member, and taught CCD for a year at S1. Louis Parish. He also worked in the Fall River Public School System as a substitute teacher of French at the Morton Middle School. At UMass-Dartrnouth, he worked for the WritinglReading Center as a tutor. Deacon Bissinger served in the U.S. Navy as a Hebrew Cryptologic technician, and re-
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ceived an honorable discharge in 1994. His pre-theology years were at Mount S1. Mary Seminary in Emmitsburg, Md., and his theological studies were at the Pontifical North American College in Rome. He was admitted to candidacy to pursue theological studies in August 2001, and was installed in the ministry of acolyte and reader while at the North American College. In his instructions to the deacon, Bishop Coleman advised him "to consider faithfully the nature of the rank in the Church to which he was being raised" the duties of which are to proclaim the Gospel, prepare the Sacrifice of the Mass, to distribute Communion, to instruct and lead people in prayer, to administer the sacraments of baptism and matrimony, bring Viaticum to the dying, and to conduct funeral rites. Drawing from the pericope in John's Gospel, in which Jesus washes the feet of the apostles, Bishop Coleman invited the candidate to imitate Christ "so that you will be seen as a disciple who also comes not to be served, but to serve ... and you are to show yourself as chaste and beyond reproach before God and man. Never allow yourself to be turned away from the hope offered by Tum to page J3 - Candidate
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BISHOP GEORGE W. Coleman ordains Fall River native Karl C. Bissinger as a transitional deacon for service in the diocese. (Anchor photo)
New Catholic parish formed in New Bedford ~
FATHER RICHARD D. Wilson has been appointed pastor of the new Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish at St. James Church in New Bedford. Story on page seven.
Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish - with worship at St. James Church is formally established.
NEW BEDFORD - The suppression of four parishes and the erection of a new parish were announced by Bishop George W. Coleman. Even as S1. Anne Parish was suppressed effective June 21, and St.
James Parish, St. Hedwig Parish and Nuestra Senora de Guadalupe Parish are suppressed effective July 26, the new parish of Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish is established. Members of the new parish will use S1. James Church as their worship site. Father Richard D. Wilson, formerly secretary to Bishop Coleman, and before that to Bishop Sean P. O'Malley, OFM Cap., becomes the pastor of Our Lady of
Guadalupe Parish. St. James Parish, by far the largest of the four parishes involved, has had a history for more than 115 years serving the south end of New Bedford. It has its beginnings in January of 1888 when St. Lawrence Parish, the only one serving the English-speaking Catholics in New Bedford, was divided. The cornerstone was laid on Oct. 25, 1891 and the first Mass in the Tum to page seven - Parish