SERVING ••• SOUTHEASTERN MASSACHUSms CAPE COD & THE ISLANDS
t ean VOL. 24, NO. 30
FALL RIVER; MASS., THURSDAY; JULY 24; 1980
20c, $6 Per Year
GOP offers Catholics mixed bag By Catherine Haven
DETROIT (NC) - The 1980 Republican Party platform will have obvious appeal to Catholics on some issues, but seriously differs with the U.S. bishops' positions on matters such as defense spending and foreign ,aid. But Ronald Reagan's selection of George Bush as his vice presidential running mate, far fl:'Om being castigated by right-to··life groups, is being greeted with either cautious optimism or outright support. Reagan promised right-to-life groups that if nominated his
running mate would be someone who agreed with Reagan's support for a constitutional amendment banning abortion. And the right-to-life groups had been saying Bush would be "unacceptable" because he refused during the primaries to support the amendment. ·Bush instead favored the "states rights" approach to abortion, which would allow individual states to make abortion illegal but would not set a national ban. The reason for the change of heart about the selection of Bush, the pro-life groups say, is
the promise that Bush will support the Republican platform's call for constitutional amendment on abortion despite his position during the primaries. In language more appealing to Catholics than its 1976 plat. form, the party supports a constitutional amendment protecting the right to life of unborn children and backs tuition tax credits for private education. The U.S. bishops also support a constitutional amendment on abortion and tuition tax credits. But the platform also calls for increased military spending and questions aid to some Cen-
tral American governments such as Nicaragua. The bishops, through thelir civil action arm, the U.S. Catholic Conference have urged against increased military spending because of the potential impact on U.S. domestic programs. They have also urged that aid be given Nicaragua to help that country recover from its civil war. In a lengthy section on education, the.GOP states that federal education policy must acknowledge parental rights and responsibility. It proposes a tuition tax credit for parents of
students in private education on the elementary, secondary and college levels. The platform is being praised by many party staffers as a demonstration of the party's concern for issues that cut across ideological lines. "I think that the party is trying to demonstrate that it is more open," commented Michael Baroody, director of public affairs for the Republican National Committee and editor-inchief of the platform. "We've learned in the past that we can't win elections merely by apTurn to Page Seven
75 years of presence noted Seventy-five years of presence in the diocese of Fall River are being marked by the Dominican Sisters of the Presentation. A high point of the year-long observance will come at 2 :p.m. Saturday in St. Anne's Church, Fall River, when Bishop Daniel A. Cronin will be principal celebrant of a Mass of thanksgiving for what the. years have brought. The Mass, to be followed 1>ya reception in St. Anne's SC:hool hall, is open to all and special guests will be alumnae of the former St. Anne's Hospital School of Nursing, which some years ago amalgamated with other city nursing schools to form the nursing program. at Southeastern Massachusetts University. The jubilee year will close Friday, Nov. 21 with a Mas!; at
The Heights, Dighton, provincial house of the community. Among celebrants will be Cardinal H}lmberto S. Medeiros and Bishop Cronin, joined by many area priests. All will be expressing gratitude for St. Anne's contribution to the diocese since the pioneer members of the community arrived in 1905 to establish the small hospital that has become one of Southeastern Massachusetts' major providers of health care. Today the community's ministry in the diocese has expanded to include administration of two homes fo rthe aged, Marian Manor, Taunton, and Madonna Manor, North Attleboro; as well as catechetical work in St. Mary's parish, South Dartmouth, and St. Peter's, Dighton. In the Turn to Page Six
SISTER MARY PATRICIA AND SISTER MADELEINE CLEMENCE REVIEW THEIR COMMUNITY'S mSTORY
Bishop backs charismatic·conference In a letter to the priests of the diocese, Bishop Daniel A. Cronin has urged attendance at the second New England General Conference for the Catholic Charismatic Renewal, to be held the weekend of Sept. 5 to 7 at the Providence Civic Center. "Many of you will recall first conference, in 1978," wrote, "when 14,000 people ed the center with prayer praise.
the he filland
"I should like to encourage you to participate in the conference. No doubt many of your parishioners will be in attendance and your presence will be a source of encouragement for them. There are several especially important sessions which I might mention: 1. On Thursday evening Sep-
tember 5th, beginning at 4 o'clock in the Civic Center a special "Priests' and
Deacons' Day" will be held featuring Father John Bertolucci, Father John Healy, Father Joe Lange and Bishop Daniel Reilly of Norwich, all well respectep leaders in the Catholic' Charismatic Renewal. 2. The formal beginning of the General Conference will be on Friday, September 6th, at 8 p.m. Many fine speakers will address the vari-
ous sessions over the course of the weekend. 3. On Sunday, September 7th, the closing concelebrated Liturgy will be held at the Civic Center at 2 p.m. Bishop Louis Gelineau of Providence will be principal concelebrant and Bishop Raymond Lucker of New UIm, Minnesota, will be the homilist. "While it is evident that not
every priest may feel the desire to be involved in the Catholic Charismatic Renewal, it is important that all priests have an awareness of the movement so that they may be of assistance to those members of their parishes who are associated with the Renewal. Participation in the forthcoming conference will be one especially fine to manifest appreciation of the efforts of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal."