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Diocese of Fall River, Mass.

F riday , August 2, 2013

Priest to examine Catholic influence in Hollywood films

By Kenneth J. Souza Anchor Staff

MASHPEE — While the rock group Led Zeppelin popularized the notion of a “Stairway to Heaven,” famed film director Alfred Hitchcock would often use the image of a staircase in many of his movies as a metaphor for the dichotomy between good and evil — the gap between Heaven and hell.

“All of Hitchcock’s films are about moral choices and guilt and falling,” said Father Kenneth Gumbert, OP, associate

Father Kenneth Gumbert, OP

professor of Film Studies in the Department of Theatre, Dance and Film at Providence College in Rhode Island and a priest in residence at St. Bernadette’s Parish in Fall River. “So all of his films involve staircases — everything happens on a staircase with Hitchcock. He’s interested in guilt and characters who are struggling with it.”

Nowhere is this more apparent than in Hitchcock’s masterpiece, “Vertigo,” wherein actor Jimmy Stewart’s character initially fails to ascend a rickety staircase inside an old mission church — leading to the death of a major character — but later has a second chance to finally reach the top of that same landing.

“Guilt is at the heart of all of Alfred Hitchcock’s films and is also very important in the Catholic imagination,” Father Gumbert told The Anchor. “We joke all the time about Catholic guilt, but guilt is important because in Catholic teaching the conscience is the place where we Turn to page 13

Statement of the Fall River Diocese with regard to the appeal on the closure of St. John the Baptist Parish

The Fall River Diocese has received a copy of a decree issued by the Vatican Congregation for the Clergy, dated July 12, 2013, relative to a petition filed against the unification of St. John the Baptist Parish, New Bedford, with Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish, also in New Bedford.

The Congregation for Clergy has upheld the decision of the diocese to join St. John the Baptist Parish with Our Lady of Mount Carmel, thereby suppressing St. John the Baptist Parish, and has affirmed that the process followed by the diocese complied with the norms of Universal Church law.

The closure of St. John the Baptist Parish was difficult for everyone involved. Over the years the parish had experienced a significant decline in

the number of parishioners and mounting debt. By a 2008 estimate, the church was in need of at least $1.5 million in repairs. Despite the best efforts of parishioners throughout an intensive parish renewal drive, extended with the approval of Bishop George W. Coleman and continuing for a two-and-one-half year period, the parish was not able to increase membership and stabilize finances to a degree that would have allowed it to continue in a sustainable way into the future.

The decision to close St. John’s was neither an easy one nor one made without careful deliberation and consultation. We are grateful that the Vatican Congregation for the Clergy has affirmed the decision with its ruling.

Though it’s known more for its Festival of Lights during the Lenten and Christmas seasons, the National Shrine of Our Lady of La Salette in Attleboro is a welcoming retreat throughout the year. In the summer the fountains in the Rosary Pond allow visitors to enjoy the soothing sound of falling water blended with the sounds of nature as people walk the trails surrounding the shrine or just sit under the shade of the trees that enhance the property. (Photo by Becky Aubut)

La Salette Shrine — More than just lights

By Becky Aubut Anchor Staff

ATTLEBORO — A man quietly sits in the Chapel of Light, head bowed while praying with a Rosary in his hand. Frogs call to each other as the fountains in the Rosary Pond add the soothing sound of rushing water to the picturesque scene.

Best known for its Festival of Lights at Christmas time, the National Shrine of Our Lady of La Salette in Attleboro is open year-round to offer more than just a celebration of lights — the shrine offers respite for those looking for personal reflec-

tion, solitude and prayer.

“This is one of the best-kept secrets in Attleboro,” said Brother David Eubank, MS. “People tell me that they come to this property and they’re in such turmoil; then they come to the property and it’s almost like coming home. They leave in total serenity; just to be around and sense the presence of the Blessed Mother, Jesus and the Eternal Father in all His glory.”

Walkers take advantage of the nature trail, while families will often gather in the evening to look at Turn to page 18

The 16th annual St. Mary’s Education Fund Summertime Gala took place on July 12, at the Willowbend Country Club in Mashpee. Proceeds will support the St. Mary’s Education Fund which provides needbased financial scholarships to students attending Catholic elementary and middle schools in the Diocese of Fall River. Joining Bishop George W. Coleman in this photo at the event are, front row, Gracie Davis and Kylie Hyde, who served as student greeters, and, back row, Maureen Makkay and Albert Makkay Jr., cochairmen for the gala. Students Gracie and Kylie just completed the fourth grade at St. Pius X School in South Yarmouth.

News From the Vatican

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August 2, 2013

Cardinal says two soon-to-be saint popes had ‘great affinity’

Vatican City (CNA/ EWTN News) — A member of the Vatican department in charge of canonization says that John XXIII and John Paul II, both expected to be proclaimed saints later this year, were very similar in character and mission.

“There is a great affinity between the two popes,” said Cardinal Angelo Comastri, member of the Congregation of the Causes of the Saints.

“John XXIII felt the need to re-translate the Gospel in an accessible language for the people of our times,” he recently told CNA. The cardinal noted “he wanted the language of the Gospel to be more simple so that people could understand it, appreciate it and love it.”

“He was the pope who brought the Gospel to all the corners of the world where John XXIII could not go because he was elected pope at an old age,” he stated. “John Paul II was the first missionary pope.”

Pope Francis recently announced that the two former popes will be made saints later this year. But the decision was made despite Blessed John XXIII having only had one miracle attributed to him, instead of two, which was up to now the norm to be made saint.

The miracle of Blessed John XXIII involves his apparition to a nun while on her deathbed, in which he told her “you are now cured, I have come to cure you.”

“This miracle was enough because the pope is always a well-known world figure; beatification simply recognizes local worship,” Cardinal Comastri explained.

“But for a pope, there is no such thing as a local worship, he immediately has a universal dimension,” he remarked.

“Pope Francis sustained that one miracle was enough to recognize this universal worship, which was already there.”

The cardinal told that, on the other hand, Blessed John Paul II had another miracle approved “by the grace of God.” “In his devotion, there have been so many miracles, wonders and healings,” said the cardinal.

He stressed that the exact canonization date still cannot be predicted, but that Pope Francis will announce it during a consistory expected to take place late September since this decision, according to the cardinal, is his “exclusive competence.”

Cardinal Comastri reflected on the life of John XXIII, noting that the late pontiff wanted the Second Vatican Council during the early 1960s “to make the Church closer to the world and to the people and to make the world familiar with the Gospel.”

“This was his deep wish because he was a missionary man and wanted to lead people to the path of God,” he said.

According to the cardinal, Blessed John XXIII believed the council would last a short time. “But it lasted a lot longer and after the first session, he died and it was Paul VI that continued it.”

The cardinal finds it “particular” that the council began on Oct. 11, 1962, “and by October 22 it seemed as if the world was on the brink of a world war.”

He told that Soviet ships were heading towards Cuba and former U.S. president John F. Kennedy announced that he would never allow those ships to come close to the United States.

“We were at risk of a war Turn to page seven

OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER OF THE DIOCESE OF FALL RIVER www.anchornews.org

Vol. 57, No. 29

Member: Catholic Press Association, Catholic News Service Published weekly except for two weeks in the summer and the week after Christmas by the Catholic Press of the Diocese of Fall River, 887 Highland Avenue, Fall River, MA 02720, Telephone 508-675-7151 — FAX 508-675-7048, email: theanchor@anchornews.org.

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Pope Francis holds his personal bag as he boards a plane at Leonardo da Vinci International Airport in Rome July 22. He was making his first trip abroad as pope to join more than 300,000 young people in Brazil for World Youth Day. (CNS photo/Giampiero Sposito, Reuters)

Vatican bishop: Today’s technological dangers foreseen by ‘Humanae Vitae’

Rome, Italy (CNA) — On its 45th anniversary, Pope Paul VI’s encyclical that upheld the Church’s teaching on birth control is “incredibly up-todate,” especially because it raises “the problem of a technocracy,” which is “the main problem of our culture and our society,” says Bishop Mario Toso.

Bishop Toso, the secretary of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, said in a recent interview with CNA that the problems raised by technology and experts forming society is “a global social question. It goes beyond the relation of mankind with creation and the manipulation of life.”

Pope Paul VI issued “Humanae Vitae” (On Human Life) on July 25, 1968, in the midst of rapid social and moral changes that were brought on by the widespread availability of contraceptives and the sexual revolution that swept through Western societies.

The encyclical created a strong reaction, particularly in the U.S. Many expected that Paul VI would follow the suggestion of the majority of the experts on the panel he assembled and approve the use of contraception, at least for the married couples.

Instead, Paul VI reaffirmed the Church’s teaching that new life and love, the two fruits of the conjugal union, cannot be separated.

Bishop Toso pointed out that after 45 years, the debate is still focused on the contraception issue, but the real issue being discussed is the nature of human beings.

The topics and issues developed in “Humanae Vitae” form the roots of the concept of integral human development,

that is, the idea that the entire person must be cared for and cannot be separated into compartments.

This was backed up in Benedict XVI’s social encyclical “Caritas in Veritate,” which “clearly considers ‘Humanae Vitae’ a fundamental basis for social ethics and for integral and inclusive development,” he said.

Bishop Toso also stressed, “the question of the technical mindset is enlarged well beyond the question of human nature in the Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church, where it is linked to the question of culture, poverty and human ecology.”

This is why “the true social issue” today is about how our way of thinking is being effected by technology, is becoming specialized.

According to Bishop Toso, the spread of technology has come into conflict with the principles of “Humane Vitae” in “two important ways.”

The first is the perception of procreation being changed by technological and medical developments.

Bishop Toso noted, “when the generated child is considered a mere product, the couple is deprived of the finality of welcoming a new life, which is one of the most important finalities of the family.”

The second way technology has challenged the teachings of the Church is by making sexual differences something that can be subjective.

Benedict XVI spoke about the “philosophy of gender” in his last address to Roman Curia for the Christmas greeting, on Dec. 12, 2012.

He noted that according to the philosophy of gender “sex

is no longer a given element of nature, that man has to accept and personally make sense of: it is a social role that we choose for ourselves, while in the past it was chosen for us by society.”

This led human beings to deny their “own nature and decide that it is not something previously given to them, but that they make it for themselves.”

Bishop Toso stressed that behind the international promotion of gender oriented policies, “there is a project to subvert the social order of society, thus putting in discussion the idea of human being.”

If one’s sexuality can be chosen, “the idea of family has no content, and it becomes a matter of no importance if there is a family made up of man and women and open to procreation, or if the family is just the consequence of a contract.”

“If man cannot live the family as a natural vocation, how can he welcome the natural vocation of belonging to the wider human family?” Bishop Toso asked.

These are the roots of an “absolutely relativistic way of thinking,” he stated.

Bishop Toso recalled, “in the Message for the World Day of Peace 2013, Benedict XVI affirmed that ‘the precondition for peace is the dismantling of the dictatorship of relativism and of the supposition of a completely autonomous morality.’”

The mission of dismantling the dictatorship of relativism, he insisted, “must be carried on in every area of social life. All Christians are called to this urgent and important commitment.”

August 2, 2013

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The Anchor

SS. Peter and Paul Parish at Holy Cross Church to join with St. Mary’s Cathedral Parish

FALL RIVER — Since late last fall, Father Stephen B. Salvador, the pastor of SS. Peter and Paul Parish, Fall River, has been meeting with members of the Parish Pastoral Council on the future of the parish.

Over the past decade SS. Peter and Paul Parish has St. Vincent’s Home in Fall River is gearing up for its eighth annual Motorcycle Run and Raffle on August been experiencing a declining 18 beginning at 9 a.m. at 2425 Highland Avenue in Fall River. The 50-mile bike run will be escorted by the trend in members and parFall River Police Department and will travel through the scenic back roads of Freetown and Dartmouth, ending back at St. Vincent’s for a cookout, raffle and silent auction. To register or for information con- ticipation levels, which has resulted in a loss in finances tact Sheila Wilkins at 508-235-3470 or Kathryn Dow at 508-235-3316. and the accumulation of debt.

On average, the parish’s weekly collection has been falling short of its weekly public institution, at the basis of LONDON (CNS) — The with other Christians and with operational expense total by approximately $1,000. By the society.

In passing this act, with legalization of gay marriage canwider society. widespread support among secnot change Christian teaching on The first is to “robustly and in- end of 2012, the parish’s debt sexual morality, and the Catholic tions of our population, our so- telligently” present the teaching of had exceeded $400,000. Last Church cannot accept marriages ciety has taken a significant step the Church on Marriage, primar- winter, a representative of of same-sex couples, the bishops away from its Judeo-Christian ily through the faithful witness of the Diocesan Pastoral Planof England and Wales said in a foundations,” the document said. their own lives. ning Office presented to the “Marriage is the place where document that was to be distribThe second is to “make every Parish Pastoral Staff a review sexual relations find their proper effort to accompany one another of parish data such as Mass uted in parishes July 27-28.

Catholics must “accept their place and God-given purpose. through the difficulties and trials attendance, Sacramental stacalling” to be “out of step with Both as a natural, human institu- of life,” especially with prayer and tistics, and financial reports popular culture” and “to live faith- tion and as raised by the Lord to regular reception of the Sacra- as well as demographic infully by the teaching we have re- the dignity of a Sacrament, Mar- ments. formation on the neighborceived,” said the document, titled riage provides the best circum“The third principle is that we stances for the birth and nurture are always willing to engage in hood and the city.

“The Narrow Gate.”

In light of the serious The bishops suggest how of children and forms the most dialogue and conversation with challenges facing the parish, reliable links and supports beCatholics should behave folthose who see things differently,” the Parish Pastoral Council tween the generations,” it said. lowing passage of the Marriage the document said. has begun preparations to The document acknowledged (Same-Sex) Couples Act, which In the Diocese of Shrewsbury, became law July 17 and opened that the “intrinsic link between in northwest England, Bishop join with St. Mary’s Cathethe door for same-sex marriages sexual relations and the procre- Mark Davies has written an acto occur as early as summer 2014. ation of children has in prac- companying pastoral letter that The document was written tice long been abandoned” and was to be read during weekend and signed July 6 by Archbishop that there are other areas where Masses.

Vincent Nichols of Westminster, Church teaching conflicts with He warned parishioners that president of the Bishops’ Confer- social norms. by remaining faithful to Church “We try to present and live teaching they may be accused of ence of England and Wales. It presents Catholics with a man- by Catholic teaching as given by bigotry or of embracing an “outdate on how they should respond God for the ultimate good for moded understanding of human to a law which, the archbishop each person. This may indeed lead relationships.” said, creates a sense that they are us to feel, in these matters, out of step with popular culture. But that “strangers in their own land.”

Upholding Church teaching is our calling and not a matter for that all sexual activity outside of discouragement. Rather, with the the legitimate Marriage of one confidence of faith, we stay resoman and one woman is sinful, the lute, encouraging one another and document stressed that Marriage all who recognize the values we is a lifelong, faithful commitment wish to uphold,” the document “ordained by nature and by God explained.

“Our place as followers of the for the creation of the family and Lord is not fashioned for our future generations.”

“It is clear that the Catholic comfort. But nor is our discomChurch cannot accept the validity fort something about which we in Church law of same-sex mar- should complain,” the document added. “From the outset until toriages,” the document said.

The law represents “the de- day, the Lord’s call to follow Him construction of Marriage as it has has meant standing apart, quite been understood for millennia” clearly in some times and places. and “completes the privatization However, that apartness is neither of Marriage, so that its central separation from nor disdain for content is whatever the couple our society.”

The document suggested three wish to construct,” the document principles to guide Catholics in said.

“Marriage is no longer a truly their dealings with their families,

British bishops: Despite law, Church can’t accept gay marriage

dral Parish, located one mile away. A Planning Task Force, with representative members from both parishes, was formed at the end of April and now meets monthly.

Father James H. Morse, a retired priest of the Fall River Diocese, is serving as a facilitator for the process.

Before retiring, he was pastor of St. Stephen’s Parish in Attleboro and while there guided the parish through its 2010 merger with the neighboring St. Mary’s Parish in Seekonk.

An informational assembly was held for all parishioners from both parishes in June during which time there was opportunity for questions and a sharing of concerns. Those present were invited to sign up for several committees being formed to address different aspects of the transition.

Over the next several months these committees will work with the Planning Task Force to prepare for the formal joining of SS. Peter and Paul with St. Mary’s Cathedral Parish.

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The Church in the U.S.

August 2, 2013

Virginia diocese mourns death of employee in Spanish train wreck

Arlington, Va. (CNA/ EWTN News) — Bishop Paul S. Loverde of Arlington has expressed his condolences over the death of employee Ana Maria Cordoba, who was killed in the July 24 train crash in Santiago, Spain.

“The tragic death of Ana Maria Cordoba in the recent train derailment in Spain is the cause of immense grief not only to her beloved family — her parents, husband, daughter and son — but also to the ‘family’ of our diocesan Chancery,” Bishop Loverde said in a July 26 statement.

“However, precisely in the midst of this unimaginable tragedy and sense of profound loss, we cling to the promise of the Risen Lord Jesus that eternal life awaits those who believe in Him and follow in His footsteps,” he said.

Along with her husband, Phillipe, and daughter, Christine, Cordoba was traveling to visit her son, Santiago, who had just completed his journey to the ancient pilgrimage site. They planned to celebrate the Feast of St. James together as a family in Spain.

Cordoba, who was 47, had worked at the diocese since 2006 in the employee benefits office. Her mother, Maria Angel, serves as the executive assistant to the Vicar General of the diocese, Father Mark S. Mealey.

Cordoba’s husband and daughter, who will be a senior at Bishop O’Connell High School in Arlington, are in stable condition at a hospital in Spain.

Bishop Loverde said that the diocese is praying “together as a family” that eternal rest be granted to Cordoba and that her family makes a full recovery and “experiences the consolation and comfort

that comes from the Heart of Jesus Christ.”

The crash occurred on the eve of the Feast of St. James, the patron saint of Spain. The city canceled all festivities in respect of the victims of the crash.

Of the 218 passengers, 141 were injured while 80 have died from the wreck. When the train crashed, it was travelling at speeds twice the limit for that part of the track, Redemptorist Father Cyril Axelrod of London, right, who is both deaf and blind, participates in a July 16 Mass in the crypt church of the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, assisted

by David Day, during a gathering of the International Catholic Deaf Association in Washington. (CNS photo/Michael Hoyt, Catholic Standard)

U.S. religious freedom commissioners urge foreign policy action

Ana Maria Cordoba. (Courtesy of the Diocese of Arlington)

investigations have revealed.

The driver of the train, Francisco Jose Garzon Amo, has been provisionally charged with multiple cases of negligent homicide. He has been allowed to remain free for now.

Pope Francis has been praying for the victims and their families, Vatican Father Federico Lombardi said at a recent press conference.

The Archbishop of Santiago de Compostela, Julián Barrio Barrio, said he is “shocked” at the horrific accident and that it has left him “almost speechless.”

In response, he is giving “all his support to the families of the victims, in these difficult times” and is “raising up his prayers for the deceased.”

Washington D.C. (CNA) — Leaders of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom say that religious liberty is an “essential element” of human dignity and its protection deserves prominence in U.S. foreign policy.

“Since America’s founding, the country has honored this form of liberty,” Robert P. George, the newly-elected commission chairman, and commission vice-chairman Katrina Lantos Swett, wrote in a recent Wall Street Journal.

“Today, when religious freedom in many parts of the world is under siege, one of the aims of U.S. foreign policy should be to combat such intolerance — not just because religious freedom reduces the risk of sectarian conflict, but more fundamentally because it protects the liberty that is central to human dignity.”

The religious freedom commission monitors the state of liberty of religion, thought, conscience or belief in other countries. The commission uses as its standards the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international agreements. The commission gives independent policy recommendations to the president, the secretary of state, and Congress.

George, a Princeton Law School professor, is a prominent Catholic thinker who was elected to head the commission last week. Lantos Swett is the daughter of the late U.S. Rep. Tom Lantos, a California Democrat dedicated to human rights and religious freedom.

Both said in the Wall Street Journal that religious liberty means there should be a “heavy presumption” against coercing others to act against their reli-

gious duties.

“This is a presumption that can be overridden only when necessary to achieve an essential public interest and when no less-restrictive alternative exists,” they said. “Because the freedom to live according to one’s beliefs is so integral to human flourishing, the full protections of religious liberty must extend to all — even to those whose answers to the deepest questions reject belief in the transcendent.”

Compulsion on religious matters can only produce outward conformity, not actual conviction, the commissioners added.

“It is therefore essential that religious freedom include the right to change one’s beliefs and religious affiliation. It also includes the right to witness to one’s beliefs in public as well as private, and to act — while respecting the equal right of others to do the same — on one’s religiously inspired convictions in carrying out the duties of citizenship.”

Citing John Henry Cardinal Newman, the prominent 19th century convert from Anglicanism to Catholicism, they said conscience has both rights and duties. Honoring the rights of conscience honors the freedom of people to fulfill these duties, they said.

They criticized the idea that religious freedom is merely a “sensible social compromise” in which people agree to respect others’ freedom to avoid civil strife. They said there is a “deep ground of principle” that is the basis for the right to religious liberty “To respect fundamental human rights is to favor and honor the person who is protected by those rights — including the

rights to freedom of speech, press, assembly and religion,” the commissioners said.

Respect for others’ religious freedom allows others to address the “deepest questions of human existence and meaning” and to live authentically through “fulfilling what they conscientiously believe to be their religious and moral duties.”

George and Lantos Swett did not specify religious freedom violations in their essay. However, the commission’s latest report, released in April 2013, designated 15 “countries of particular concern” for their “particularly severe” mistreatment of certain religious communities and other communities of belief. Such mistreatment includes torture, prolonged imprisonment without charges, and disappearances.

When approved by the U.S. State Department, the designation requires official presidential action. The designation can have consequences for the country’s relations with the U.S., including economic sanctions. Official designations can be heavily contested due to political pressure and other concerns.

The State Department and the religious freedom commission named Burma, North Korea, Eritrea, Iran, China, Saudi Arabia, Sudan and Uzbekistan as “countries of particular concern.”

However, the commission had a longer list, adding Egypt, Iraq, Nigeria, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Vietnam as tier one “countries of particular concern.” It also listed a second tier of such countries: Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Cuba, India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Laos and Russia.

August 2, 2013

The Church in the U.S.

5

Fetuses from clinic won’t be released for burial by outside groups

Advocates for legal abortion and Pro-Life supporters rally in the rotunda of the state Capitol in Austin, Texas, as the state Senate meets to consider legislation to restrict abortion. The Republican-led majority in the Senate recently passed the measure to adopt tougher abortion regulations. (CNS photo/Mike Stone, Reuters)

Native Americans celebrate faith, spirituality at St. Tekakwitha gathering

EL PASO, Texas (CNS) — Nearly 600 Native American Catholics from 37 states joined in the recent annual six-day Tekakwitha Conference gathering in El Paso.

Participants from Maine to Oregon, Florida to California, attended the annual four-day event that was held in the El Paso Convention and Performing Arts Center.

Named for St. Kateri Tekakwitha, who was canonized in October 2012, the Tekakwitha Conference was originally founded to help indigenous Catholics “reinforce Catholic identity” while at the same time affirming “pride in our cultures and spiritual traditions,” which are “special gifts” to the Catholic Church, said Sister Kateri Mitchell, a Sister of St. Ann, who is the conference’s executive director. This year’s gathering was the second to be hosted by the Ysleta del Sur Pueblo of El Paso’s Tigua Tribe.

Keynote speakers at the gathering focused on the relationship of Native American cultural activities and the transformative nature of Sacraments in the Catholic Church.

Conventual Franciscan Father Miguel Briseno, pastor of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish, delivered the keynote address of the opening day of the convention. His parish is the location of the 17th-century mission of San Antonio de la Ysleta del Sur, which is the home parish of the Tigua Tribe.

He focused on the relation of traditional tribal breads and the Eucharist and its meaning for the lives of individual Catholics.

Father Briseno said we are like “the grains of wheat that are

formed into a loaf that is baked into bread through the warmth of God’s love.”

“That love is not just a warm, fuzzy feeling,” he said. “It is an act of will, a choice. God chose to love us, and we choose to love God.” He illustrated God’s continuing love and concern for people by citing stories from the Old and New Testaments leading up to the Last Supper.

Quoting from St. Augustine, he said in the Eucharist “we become what we receive.”

There is a “mystery of transformation that must take place,” he said.

Unlike ordinary food which becomes part of us, he said, in the Eucharist we become one with Christ.

When the Church gathers for the Eucharist, “God’s love is revealed in us, we change direction,” he said.

Through the Eucharist, he said, we are called to the mission of bringing Christ’s love to the world.

Augustinian Father Bob Dueweke, director of the El Paso Diocese’s Tepeyac Institute, outlined a connection between the Ysleta del Sur Pueblo’s traditional corn dance and the Sacrament of Baptism.

The dance is a sign of the unity of the tribe in praying for rain to bring new life to the earth, he said, and through the waters of Baptism we gain “identity as people of faith in Christ and called to spread His love and compassion to the world.”

He noted that the Gospels tell the story of Jesus being “catapulted into His ministry of compassion and love” at His Baptism in the Jordan.

The word Satan, he said, means “the accuser” and we feel the accusation of being unworthy. “Baptism wipes away the accusation with the new exhortation ‘you are loved,’” he said.

The Sacrament contains the “original grace of an intimacy with Christ to move humanity toward a new creation,” he said.

“It propels us toward mission.”

Among those who welcomed participants to the gathering were El Paso Bishop Mark J. Seitz, newly-installed to head the diocese, and Philadelphia Archbishop Charles J. Chaput, episcopal moderator of the Tekakwitha Conference. The archbishop, a Capuchin Franciscan, is a member of the Prairie Band Potawatomi Tribe.

Other welcoming attendees were Tigua Tribal War Capt.

Javier Loera; Pierre Solet, chairman of the Tekakwitha Conference’s board of directors; Sister Mitchell; conference board members; Tigua tribal council members and the event’s planning committee.

The agenda included 22 workshops on Catholic theology, Native American spirituality, as well as meetings of the representatives from the conferences’ six districts throughout the United States.

On the final day of the conference, participants traveled to the nearby Ysleta del Sur Pueblo on the Tigua reservation for a meal, closing Liturgy celebrated

by Bishop Seitz, and a procession of the traveling St. Kateri image, statue and relic that will be handed over to the 2014 planning committee.

Next year’s conference, which will be the 75th annual gathering, will be in Fargo, N.D.

PHILADELPHIA (CNS) — Despite requests by Philadelphia Archbishop Charles J. Chaput and Priests for Life founder Father Frank Pavone to bury 47 fetuses killed at the Women’s Medical Society led by abortion doctor Kermit Gosnell, the Philadelphia Medical Examiner’s Office says the remains “will not be released to any unrelated third party,” said spokesman Jeff Moran in a statement.

The fetuses were held as evidence during the trial of Gosnell and since his conviction May 13 for the murder of three babies born alive in his clinic. He is serving a life sentence without possibility of parole.

Even before the trial began, Archbishop Chaput offered to bury the remains of the aborted babies in an archdiocesan cemetery at the trial’s conclusion. The city of Philadelphia did not respond to the request at that time or since, according to Ken Gavin, spokesman for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.

Priests for Life also offered to bury the remains, and was also rebuffed by the Medical Examiner’s Office. Father Pavone led a protest July 19 in front of the office to pressure it to release the remains to his group, but was unsuccessful.

“The remains will be given a proper and respectful disposition by the city in accordance with our

standard practices,” Moran said in a statement issued late the same day as the protest. “The Medical Examiner’s Office is in the process of making these arrangements.”

Moran reportedly has indicated the remains would be cremated, but he did not say when cremation would take place nor how the cremated remains would be disposed.

Catholic practice requires cremated remains to be treated with respect due to the human body, and accordingly they should be buried in an appropriate vessel in the ground or in a columbarium facility.

Before his appearance at the Medical Examiner’s Office, Father Pavone issued a statement that said his group and many other Pro-Life people in the United States “intend to have a public funeral for these babies, and thousands of people have likewise expressed to the medical examiner their desire to see this happen.”

Alliance Defending Freedom, a group aligned with Priests for Life on this issue, said in a statement that “proper burial is the right thing to do, for the human dignity of the babies themselves, for the healing of post-abortive women, and for the future conscience of Philadelphia and the nation. This is what a civilized society does with its dead.”

6

The Anchor Words over the Atlantic

The recent comments by Pope Francis while flying from Brazil to Italy overnight Sunday into Monday have caused quite a bit of media attention. The newsradio station out of Boston (WBZ) made it their top story, while other media organizations also gave it prominent coverage. We have coverage of it on page 15.

What attracted the most attention from the secular media were his comments responding to a question regarding a “gay lobby” in the Vatican. The questioner had also brought up an old accusation of the breaking of vows of a monsignor who now works at the Vatican. The Holy Father began his answer by saying that the accusation against the priest had been investigated, following canon law and that nothing had been found in his past. He then spoke in general about people in the Church, be they laity or religious or clerics, distinguishing between crimes (such as sexual abuse) and sins, giving the example of when someone repents. “The Lord pardons, and when the Lord pardons, the Lord forgets and this is important for our lives. When we go and confess and truly say, ‘I have sinned in this,’ the Lord forgets and we do not have the right to not forget, because we run the risk the Lord might not forget our sins. This is a danger. This is important: a theology of sin. So many times I think of St. Peter: he had done one of the biggest sins, that of denying Christ, and with that sin he became pope.” The pope apparently did not mean Peter became pope because of that sin, but that even having done that sin, he became pope.

Pope Francis continued, “We must think about this. But, returning to your questions: in this situation (that of the Vatican official in question), I did a prior investigation and we didn’t find anything. That was the first question. Then you spoke about the gay lobby. Mah (an Italian expression which could be interpreted, “who knows?”). So much is written about the gay lobby. I still have not found someone in the Vatican with an ID card with ‘gay’ on it. They say that there is a lobby. I believe that when one finds a person like this, one must (or “should”; The Anchor is translating the Italian version of the pope’s remarks from the Vatican website) distinguish the fact that of being a gay person from the fact of lobbying, because lobbying is not good. It is evil. If a person is gay and searches for the Lord and is of good will, who am I to judge them? The “Catechism of the Catholic Church” explains in a beautiful way this, but says, wait a minute (the pope was saying this off the top of his head), how does it say it … it says, ‘these people must not be marginalized, that must be integrated into society.’”

He continued, “The problem is not having this tendency, no, we must be brothers (this word in Italian can mean “brothers and sisters”). The problem is lobbying with this tendency: avaricious lobbying, political lobbying, Masonic lobbying, so many lobbies. This is the biggest problem for me. And I thank you for asking the question.”

At that point the papal spokesman intervened and ended the press conference, which had gone on for more than an hour.

What are we to make of the pope’s remarks? WBZ apparently thought that this was a major sea change for the Catholic Church. Later in the day, on WGBH radio, a substitute hostess, who is the publisher of an LGBT newspaper, said that she was happy with it, although she was already very pleased with the pope’s emphasis on confronting the evils of poverty.

Looking at the context of the press conference, one can understand better the pope’s mindset. He was asked early by a reporter why he had not brought up many of the social issues while talking with the young people in Brazil. The question was, “You have not spoken about abortion, or marriage between people of the same sex.

Brazil has approved a law which has extended the right to abortion and has permitted matrimony between people of the same sex. Why did you not talk about it?”

His response was, “The Church has expressed herself perfectly about this. It was not necessary to go back over this, just as I also did not speak about theft and lying and other things about which the Church has a clear doctrine.”

The reporter responded, “But it is something which interests young people.” To which the pope immediately intervened, “Yes, but it was not necessary to speak about it, but rather about positive things which open the way for the youth, is that not right? Besides, the youth know perfectly well what is the posture of the Church.”

Not satisfied with that answer, the reporter said, “What is the posture of His Holiness? Can you tell us?” He answered, “That of the Church. I am a son of the Church.”

We’ve taken up a lot of editorial space to run essentially a transcript, but we think that it is illuminating to see the context of the pope’s comments. His focus is on presenting the message of Christ in a positive fashion, so that it will open the way for us to come out of our darkness and into the light which is Christ. He had spoken to the Brazilian bishops last week about the need to not only listen to people who had left the Church, but to actively accompany them, as Jesus accompanied the two upset disciples on the first Easter evening.

The Holy Spirit seems to be indicating to the Holy Father that this is the approach we should be using in these days so as to help ourselves and other people live lives which are in accordance with God’s plans for us — not just looking at the “thou shalt nots”, but looking to the love of Christ, Whose pardon sets us free.

May we embrace that spirit, in our interior lives and in our relationships with others.

August 2, 2013

Slapping Jesus in the person of His brothers

T

he reform of the Church that Pope Francis was elected to lead involves many elements, some of which pertain exclusively to the Roman Curia, others to the Church as a whole.

The Holy Father’s reform program has regularly been going deeper and broader than the superficial changes that many were expecting.

One of the urgent reforms he has been addressing frequently and ferociously is the spiritual cancer of gossip. The largely Italian bureaucracy of the Vatican Curia, and the press corps that covers it, thrive on gossip. Rumors — some true, most false — are aired, spread and repeated without a second thought.

Even during the papal election, gossip and innuendo — which when properly investigated turned out to be not only mendacious but ludicrous — swirled about some of the leading candidates for the papacy, obviously designed to spike their chances.

Pope Francis himself needed to deal with the stir of gossip started by long-time Church haters linking him to the killing and murder of priests in Argentina when he was a Jesuit superior.

But the problem of gossip goes way beyond the Vatican or bureaucratic and political institutions in general.

It’s become such a large part of culture that many people no longer even notice it.

Many newspapers, televiBy Father sion news and Roger J. Landry entertainment programs, radio talk shows, and blogs have all become tabloid, dedicating much of their coverage to the latest dirt or hardships facing those in public life.

Political parties and candidates are spending increasing resources on opposition research, focusing not just on the legitimate investigation of an opponent’s past positions, public votes and actions, but also on the nefarious strip-mining of the person’s and his or her family’s private life all the way back to grade school.

The most insidious and widespread form of gossip of all, however, is what takes place regularly at office water coolers, school corridors and playgrounds, certain websites and via social media tools — like Facebook, Twitter, blogs and comboxes — which while offering many possibilities for good, often devolve into potent platforms for gossip.

One of the reasons why many Catholics seldom hear about the sin of gossip much any more is because, sadly, many of the clergy have become so expert at it in their dealings with their brothers in the priesthood and diaconate that their consciences have ceased to be sensitive to it.

Gossip has gone global and it hurts not its objects and subjects, but collaterally damages families, neighborhoods, communities, parishes, the Church and culture.

That is why Pope Francis has been ruthlessly and repeatedly going after it.

In his daily Mass homily on April 9, he highlighted that gossiping comes from the devil.

“When we prefer to gossip, gossip about others, criticize others — these are everyday things that happen to everyone, including me — these are the temptations of the evil one who does not want the Spirit to come to us and bring about peace and meekness in the Christian community.” We need to resist that temptation, he said, by the power of the Holy Spirit, not judging anyone, keeping quiet if we don’t have something constructive to say, and, if we do, then saying it to the person involved and not “to the entire neighborhood.”

“If by the grace of the Holy Spirit,” the Holy Father said, “we succeed in never gossiping, it will be a great step forward [and] … will do us all good.”

On June 13, commenting in his morning homily on Jesus’ words in the Sermon on the Mount, he talked about the “ugly mechanism” that happens “when we denigrate another person … because we are unable to grow up and need to belittle others, to feel more important.” When “we are not able to keep our tongues in check, we all lose.”

His most extensive treatment of the evil of gossip came during Mass on May 18 when he said

Putting Into the Deep

that none of us are immune from this evil.

“We all gossip in Church! As Christians we gossip,” he exclaimed. “The gossip is hurtful. We hurt one another. It is as if we want to put each other down. Instead of growing, I make the other feel small while I feel great. That will not do! It seems nice to gossip ... I do not know why, but it seems nice, like sweet honey, right? You take one [spoonful] and then another, and another, and another, and in the end you have a stomach ache. … Gossip is like that, isn’t it? It is sweet at first but it ruins you, it ruins your soul!”

He went on to describe how gossip ruins others as well. “Rumors are destructive in the Church.

It’s a little like the spirit of Cain who killed his brother. It kills his brother!” He said that gossiping Catholics become “Christians of good manners and bad habits,” appearing to many to be faithful, while viciously cutting others down.

He described three types of gossip that we must all battle against.

First, “We supply misinformation. We say only half [the truth] that suits us and not the other half … because it is not convenient for us.” We deliberately allow others to draw a false impression of another. We say a person was arrested but fail to add “in a clear case of mistaken identity.”

Second, we engage in “defamation,” what the Church has traditionally called detraction.

“When a person truly has a flaw [and] it is big, they tell it, ‘like a journalist’ does, and the character of this person is ruined.” We can all behave like tabloid journalists, airing the dirty laundry of others in public. But those who engage in yellow journalism share only half the blame; those who eagerly listen to it, or buy papers and magazines featuring it, or drive up the Nielsen ratings of those who televise it, likewise bear responsibility.

Third, Pope Francis says, “is the slander of saying things that are not true,” which has traditionally been called calumny. Pope Francis compared it to the assassination of an innocent brother.

He went on to stress the sinful quality of gossip and call people in the Lord’s name to conversion.

“All three — disinformation, defamation and slander — are sins! They are sins! It is to slap Jesus in the person of His children, His brothers.”

Whatever we do to the least of Christ’s brothers we do to Him, the pope reminds us, and to gossip about anyone is to gossip and hurt Christ, Himself.

“How much damage gossip does,” Francis exclaimed in a June 19 catechesis on how gossip destroys Church unity. He then begged the 85,000 Christians present, and through them, Catholics across the world, “Never gossip about others.

Never!”

It’s important to know how to fight successfully against the temptation to gossip. Pope Francis mentioned it begins with not judging, keeping quiet when we can’t say anything good, and speaking directly to someone if the person needs a fraternal correction.

Other important practices would be regular Sacramental Confession to heal interiorly not only the sins of gossip but the roots that lead to it, forming the habit of thinking well rather than critically of others, giving others the benefit of the doubt, and, if you can’t help speaking about others, speaking good things behind their back.

St. Philip Neri once famously gave a gossiper the penance of going up to a tower in Rome, ripping open a pillow, and then coming back to him. When the penitent returned, Philip said, “Now go collect all the feathers.” When the man admitted that would be impossible, Philip told him that likewise it’s totally impossible to limit the damage done once we open our mouths with gossip.

Pope Francis is ardently trying to limit that damage and repair it. The reform of the Church, and the Church’s mission in the world, require it.

Father Landry is pastor of St. Bernadette Parish in Fall River. His email address is fatherlandry@catholicpreaching.com.

S

omething’s gotta give on the immigration front. There’s a growing army of undocumented immigrants, the federal government is unwilling or unable to enforce our current immigration laws, and immigration reform seems stalled in Congress — politics as usual.

A new book by Los Angeles Archbishop Jose H. Gomez, an immigrant himself (though of the legal variety), addresses this complex issue from the standpoint of our heritage as Catholics and as Americans. The book, just published by Our Sunday Visitor, is entitled “Immigration and the Next America: Renewing the Soul of Our Nation.” It is a surprisingly good and thoughtful look at this issue.

Of course, we belong to a Catholic Church, which is open to people of all nationalities, backgrounds and legal status — yes, even criminals and certainly sinners like you and me, hopefully repentant. The very word Catholic means universal, after all. We are also a nation of immigrants. Almost everyone, except perhaps the Native Americans, arrived here from foreign shores, or is descended from those who did.

Archbishop Gomez helpfully points out that the first colonizers in what became the United States were Spanish-speaking Catholics.

Our country didn’t begin

Immigration and the new know-nothings

with the Puritans and Plym- remark, ‘I don’t give a damn outh Rock, as important as about Latin America.’ those were.

Mother Eleanor McGloin Of course, nativism and had her wits about her that its attendant anti-immigrant day, for she immediately bias, often taking antiretorted, ‘I don’t give a damn Catholic forms, is a recurring theme in American history.

Locally, we recall the burning of the Ursuline convent in Charlestown in 1834, which is now

By Dwight Duncan part of Somerville.

(The site is now a branch of the Somerville Public Library.) either, your Eminence, but Even our largely Irish I am giving my life for this prelates, present one obvicause.’ She had struck preously excluded, have somecisely the right note, for he times not been as welcoming declared, ‘Good for you, Sisas they should have been to ter, I’ll give you $100,000.’” other immigrant groups in Cardinal Cushing rectithe Church, and we have a fied his initial reaction. long tradition of ethnic parI know how Cardinal ishes, as Catholics of other Cushing felt, as I’ve often ethnicities sought their own thought that I’d do anything cultural identities while for Latin America except assimilating the American read about it. We Americharacter. Cardinal Sean cans, in spite of our position O’Malley, of course, is a of leadership in the world, wonderful model in this are very nationalistic, and regard, as he has always been oftentimes woefully and dedicated to ministering to even willfully ignorant of immigrant groups, beginother peoples’ languages, ning with the Hispanic and cultures and traditions. I Portuguese communities recognize something of the from his days as a young Ca- know-nothing in myself. puchin priest in WashingRecently Pope Francis ton, D.C. visited the Italian island of But when an American Lampedusa, where a number nun visited our late great of immigrants from Africa Cardinal Cushing seekwere detained. Over the past ing funds for her Catholic couple of decades, around college in Uruguay, as Msgr. 20,000 such boat people John Tracy Ellis reports, drowned trying to reach Eu“She was cut short by the rope. The pope asked, “Who

Judge For Yourself

Cardinal says two soon-to-be saint popes had ‘great affinity’

continued from page two

that would’ve probably been atomic,” the cardinal said.

“John XXIII, unarmed like David in front of Goliath, intervened and was able to make (the leader of Russia’s Communist Party) Khrushchev and Kennedy speak with each other and make them sign a nonaggression pact,” he added.

Cardinal Comastri said that this “miracle” took place on the night of October 22 and that the result of it was peace.

“John XXIII said ‘I hope that the one who said blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called the children of God, will tell me the same one day on the threshold of paradise,’” he remarked.

“I personally met John

7

The Anchor

August 2, 2013

XXIII but from afar, during an audience, and I didn’t have the familiarity that I instead had with John Paul II,” said Cardinal Comastri.

“But I had the grace of knowing well the secretary of John XXIII, Archbishop Loris F. Capovilla,” he stated.

The archbishop told him that during the night of his papal election, he could not see the people because of the bright lights and television cameras when he greeted them on the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica.

According to the archbishop, after John XXIII greeted the people and gave his blessing, he went back inside.

“He told his secretary ‘I couldn’t see anyone. I heard

the people clapping, but this is a sign for me: if I want to see the faces of the brothers, I have to turn off the lights of pride,’” the Cardinal said.

“Only if I’m humble, I’ll be able to see their eyes and take them the light of God,” the pontiff said.

The cardinal also recalled how Archbishop Capovilla told John XXIII that the Italian media were saying he would be a transitory pope shortly after his election because of his old age.

“He smiled and replied, ‘And do you not believe that the others are not in transition? We all are passing rapidly, what is important is to believe behind is a sign of goodness.’”

is responsible for the blood of these brothers and sisters of ours? All of us respond, ‘It wasn’t me. I have nothing to do with it. It was others, certainly not me.’”

“The culture of well-being, which leads us to think only of ourselves, makes us insensitive to the cries of others,” he continued. “Who among us has wept” for the immigrants?

“The globalization of indifference has taken from us the ability to weep.”

Archbishop Gomez’ book reminds us that, in the words of the “Catechism of the Catholic Church,” “The more prosperous nations are obliged, to the extent that they are able, to welcome the foreigner in search of the security and the means of livelihood which he cannot find in his country of origin.”

While recognizing that particular immigration policies are subject to debate, Gomez urges a profound Christian perspective, one that is true to the best American traditions like the welcoming inscription on the Statue of Liberty, “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free.”

The book “Immigration and the Next America” is in the fine tradition of Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “Letter from the Birmingham Jail” (1963).

Obviously, laws and politics play a part, but Archbishop Gomez reminds us that it is vital that our laws and politics be imbued with Christ’s affirmation of human equality and solidarity: “I was a stranger, and you took Me in.”

Dwight Duncan is a professor at UMass School of Law Dartmouth. He holds degrees in civil and canon law.

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August 2, 2013

The Anchor

S

ometimes in desperation as we deal with some problem we think: “Where is God? I need Him. Why doesn’t He speak to me?” Actually, God speaks to us all the time. If we want to hear God speaking to us, all we have to do is go to Mass and listen to the Scriptures being proclaimed. All the Scripture readings at Mass have been chosen by the Church with the guidance of the Holy Spirit. When the Scriptures are proclaimed, God is speaking to us. That is why it is so very important that the proclaimers of the Scriptures prepare well, because God is using them as the conveyors of His message.

In all of the Scripture readings this weekend, from Ecclesiastes, Colossians and St. Luke’s Gospel, God speaks to us powerfully about detachment from earthly goods and attachment to what lasts forever.

Seek to become rich in what matters to God The book of Ecclesiasdemanded of you; and the tes speaks to us about the things you have prepared, to passing nature of things in whom will they belong?” the world. “All things are That realization drives Ecvanity,” the author tells us. clesiastes to ask, “What profWe cannot take anything with us as we go, but must leave Homily of the Week it to others. “What Eighteenth Sunday profit comes to a in Ordinary Time man from all the toil and anxiety of heart

By Father with which he has Philip A. Davignon labored?”

God Incarnate makes the same point in the Gospel about it comes to a man from all the ultimate futility of earththe toil and anxiety of heart ly belongings. He presents a with which he has labored?” parable of a man’s building The Jewish people echoed larger barns to store his grain that question for centuand all his goods. The man ries waiting for an answer. places his security and hope Christ gave the response in in these earthly possessions this Sunday’s Gospel. He and thinks to himself, “You contrasted the foolishness have so many good things of trying to store up earthly stored up for years, many treasures for oneself with the years, so rest, eat, drink and wisdom of “those who seek be merry!” But God in the to become rich in what matparable responds, “You fool! ters to God.” This night your life will be There is a labor that is not

vain. There is a wealth that rust cannot corrode, moths cannot destroy and thieves cannot steal. This work done for God — with the love for God and others that St. Joseph and Jesus showed in their Nazarene carpenter shop — brings with it an eternal pension plan.

St. Paul expands on what it means to “seek to become rich in what matters to God” in his letter to the Colossians. “Seek what is above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Think of what is above not what is on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.” Those who are rich with real treasure place their hearts in God, in Heaven, in eternity. They seek what leads them to God and put to death everything opposed to God, like immorality,

impurity, greed, lying and various other earthly desires that lead only to counterfeit and passing pleasures.

When God speaks to us we don’t always like what He has to say. It’s like children in a supermarket with their mother. “Can we get this? Can I have this?”

Mother says, “No, put it back.” Even though the child doesn’t understand, mother knows best.

In this case, God knows best. We are heirs of an eternal inheritance if only we place our hearts in this lasting treasure and order our actions toward it.

May the Lord give us the grace to listen carefully to His words and to “seek what is above,” so that we may find eternal treasure where, as St. Paul says, “Christ will be all in all.”

Father Davignon is a retired priest of the Fall River Diocese living in Attleboro.

Upcoming Daily Readings: Sat. August 3, Lv 25:1,8-17; Ps 67:2-3,5,7-8; Mt 14:1-12. Sun. August 4, Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Eccl 1:2;2:21-23; Ps 95:1-2,6-9; Col 3:1-5,9-11; Lk 12:13-21. Mon. August 5, Nm 11:4b-15; Ps 81:12-17; Mt 14:13-21. Tues. August 6, The Transfiguration of the Lord, Dn 7:9-10,13-14; Ps 97:1-2,5-6,9; 2 Pt 1:16-19; Lk 9:28b-36. Wed. August 7, Nm 13:1-2,25—14:1,26-29a,34-35; Ps 106:6-7,13-14,21-23; Mt 15:21-28. Thurs. August 8, Nm 20:1-13; Ps 95:1-2,6-9; Mt 16:13-23. Fri. August 9, Dt 4:32-40; Ps 77:12-16,21; Mt 16:24-28.

D

The failures of the U.S. international religious freedom policy

r. Thomas Farr of Georgetown’s Berkley Center is one of the true Good Guys on the Washington scene. His June 13 testimony before the National Security Subcommittee of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform was a thoughtful, sobering reflection on the failures of U.S. international religious freedom policy.

Farr speaks with authority, for he was the first director of the State Department’s Office of International Religious Freedom in 1999-2003 and has been deeply engaged in the battle for religious freedom around the world ever since.

He has done so from conviction — this is the right thing to do — and from prudential policy judgment: religious freedom advances the cause of peace, for countries that violate the first freedom internally are, in the main, countries “whose internal stability, economic policies, and foreign policies are of substantial concern to the United States.”

So if the promotion of religious freedom abroad (like its defense at home) is the right

on the persecutors. play and the smart play, why That, in turn, suggests andoes the United States do it so other structural reason why the badly? effort to promote religious freeWhy, to cite Farr’s testidom internationally, mandated mony, is it “difficult to name a single country in the world over the past 15 years where American religious freedom policy has helped to reduce religious persecution or to increase religious freedom in

By George Weigel any substantial or sustained way?” Why is the opposite true: by the Congress, hasn’t worked: that “in most of the countries it hasn’t been thought through where the United States has strategically. Or as Farr put it, in recent years poured blood, forbearing to mince words, no treasure, and diplomatic resources (such as Iraq, Afghani- president or secretary of state has made a concerted, sustained stan, Pakistan, Egypt, China, effort to “integrate the advanceSaudi Arabia, and Russia), ment of religious freedom into levels of religious freedom are the foreign policy of the United declining and religious perseStates” since the International cution is rising?”

Religious Freedom Act was Farr suggests several strucpassed in 1998. tural reasons why.

Because of that, most proFirst, the U.S. approach to international religious freedom fessionals in the U.S. Foreign Service don’t take religious is largely rhetorical: annual reports are issued, speeches are freedom seriously as a foreign policy concern; indeed, Farr made, lists of egregious persetestified, “Our diplomats are cutors are published. None of not being trained to know this, however, has much effect

The Catholic Difference

what religious freedom is and why it is important, let alone how to advance it.” And if the superiors in the White House and at Foggy Bottom don’t insist that strategic policy planning include religious freedom issues, the “deep-seated skepticism in our foreignpolicy establishment that religious freedom is in fact important for individuals and societies” (a skepticism that reinforces the faux-realist view that religious freedom is not “real foreign policy”) will remain the default position in the Foreign Service.

Which leads us to another, related structural problem. The Office of International Religious Freedom was established in the State Department by congressional mandate; State’s permanent bureaucracy, like other permanent bureaucracies, is exceptionally skillful at hermetically sealing off anything it regards as an alien body from the serious policyplanning action. Thus the office and the U.S. special ambassa-

dor for international religious freedom (a post also mandated

by Congress) have often been isolated within State, underfunded, and cut off from access to the Secretary of State and other officials with real policymaking authority.

As Farr concludes after surveying this dismal landscape, “it is hardly surprising that American diplomats and foreign governments do not see religious freedom as a priority for U.S. foreign policy. It is not surprising that religious freedom programs play little or no role in U.S. strategies to stabilize key struggling democracies such as Iraq or Pakistan, encourage economic growth on places like Egypt or Nigeria, or undermine the religion-related terrorism that is still being incubated in many nations of the broader Middle East.”

Religious freedom is right.

Religious freedom works. But promoting it remains marginal to U.S. foreign policy. Not good; not smart, either.

George Weigel is Distinguished Senior Fellow of the Ethics and Public Policy Center in Washington, D.C.

August 2, 2013

R

ecently, many Americans observed events in the Texas legislature, which provided the most recent setting for the perennial showdown between good and evil.

While some readers may wince at the perceived hyperbole, consider what it means when abortion proponents no longer resort to euphemisms but openly embrace depravity with glee.

Texas’ HB2 restricts abortions after 20 weeks gestation — by which time countless babies have survived premature birth. While this bill doesn’t end abortion, it does limit a woman to five months in con-

A

9

The Anchor

Bro-choice — Beyond the euphemisms

sidering her options concerning “For those of us guys who like an unplanned pregnancy. That girls — you know, like them time frame is equivalent to a like them — and want to have semester of school — or three relationships with them that back-to-back Lents — but still, panic ensued.

Unwanted pregnancies are the dreaded “gotcha” that haunt men who like uncommitted sex and, amidst the “Hail Satan!” chants

By Genevieve Kineke and the vulgar signs in the hands of children, what emerged from the pro-abortion side shocked may last anywhere from a few many who have settled comminutes to many years, we need fortably into the language of to think about how this bill, by choice. As University of Texas curtailing the bodily autonomy student Ben Sherman wrote, and sexual freedom of women,

The Feminine Genius

Dave vs. the volcano

As a journalist for nearly few years back, well two decades, I know I’m in a maybe a bit more than no-win business. Someone is a few, I was in an over-40 ice going to like what I do, and hockey league in the area. There were several reasons why I chose someone else won’t. That goes with the territory. Some critito play again, not the least of cisms are totally subjective. which was that I love the sport, and my doctor said it was a good way to burn off some of my stress and anxieties.

Many of the men had been in leagues for years and could skate circles

By Dave Jolivet around me, but for the most part, I could hold my own, as could others But when people feel they who weren’t out for blood and have the right to question the win at all costs. integrity of the staff or me, then After one game in which we were totally outplayed, our goalie I feel it’s time to face the volcano once again. blew up in the locker room There is no one on the Anchor calling us all names that can’t be repeated here ... or anywhere for staff who is not dedicated, hardworking, and talented in what that matter. we do.

He berated all of us. Most of Each of us realize this is a the guys knew him and knew calling; a ministry to help bring that was his way. But I was a Christ to others. It’s also a minrookie and couldn’t stand to see a bunch of guys who just like playing a game get battered that way.

I spoke up. I asked the active volcano if he really thought that anyone out on the ice that night wasn’t playing his best. I asked him if he really thought we all went out there and tanked it so we could be humiliated. The volcano went dormant for a while.

In fact the whole dressing room was like a morgue.

Then, I reached out my hand and shook hands with the volcano. He admitted he over-reacted and all was good again. In fact a couple of guys later thanked me for sticking up for them.

I bring this up because for some reason, the Anchor staff has been receiving calls, letters and emails berating the job we are doing.

My View From the Stands

istry that would pay quite a bit more in the secular world, but that’s not why we do what we do. That includes the editorial staff as well as the business and advertising staff.

Do we make mistakes? Absolutely — as does everyone in every profession.

But to call out our heart and soul is another story.

Only God can truly see into our hearts and souls, and with that, we take great comfort and solace.

If we don’t meet the standards of some readers, that’s unfortunate. But I wouldn’t trade any of my coworkers for the world. They are good people trying to do good things the best they can.

So despite getting beaten up lately, we at The Anchor will continue to lace up our skates and head back out on the ice for another game for those who look forward to job we do — with the Good Lord cheering us on.

hurts us, too.”

In case he wasn’t clear about the nature of those relationships lasting “a few minutes,” he continues: “Your sex life is at stake. Can you think of anything that kills the vibe faster than a woman fearing a back-alley abortion?

Making abortion essentially inaccessible in Texas will add an anxiety to sex that will drastically undercut its joys. And don’t be surprised if casual sex outside of relationships becomes far more difficult to come by.”

I think he’s crystallized the matter rather well. Promiscuity depends on the availability of abortion, because we have learned in the last half-century that birth control is unreliable. All that birth control did with complete success was to disconnect intimacy from childbearing in the minds of young people — and now they come face-to-face with the possibility of their actions bearing consequences.

Again, while there are an astonishing number of lateterm abortions, this legislation by no means restricts “choice” in the early months, and therefore Sherman’s deep anxiety reveals his basic premise. To young men intent on certain “joys,” any diminution of access is naturally a cause for dread. Why would strangers want to make such serendipitous pleasure “far more difficult to come by”?

It’s essential that young women consider his argument.

He defends himself in a followup column, noting that 95 percent of people have engaged

in extramarital intimacy, that women are happy to participate, and that therefore casual sex is not wrong. Setting aside the objective immorality of such behavior (which is based on authentic respect for the human person) young women need to understand why men have a vested interest in unencumbered access to uncommitted relationships. Whatever promises they make in the dark, however they package their arguments about the importance of “choice,” despite the latitude that modern society has given to young people to create their own morality, women and men approach sexual intimacy differently.

“Enlightened” women may talk about bodily integrity, freedom from coercion, and repressive religious mandates, but I do believe they want to be happy. Factoring in the laser-like focus of this eloquent undergrad would help them to choose well — for in the end, women and children can never thrive as long as the men they know are so self-serving. Nor can the larger society depend on such corrupted masculinity to promote its general welfare.

Mrs. Kineke is the author of “The Authentic Catholic Woman,” and writes from Rhode Island.

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The Anchor

August 2, 2013

Ships at Holy See: How popes once navigated more than spiritual waters VATICAN CITY (CNS) — One could say it all started with St. Peter’s fishing boat. One day, that humble vessel turned into a powerful pontifical fleet, particularly during the life of the Papal States.

While St. Peter’s boat was clearly used for fishing and helping Jesus preach to the crowds on shore, the papal navy was decidedly used for defense, conquest and commerce.

Historians believe the pontifical navy was established in the 10th century by Pope John VIII. Popes Nicholas V and Sixtus IV sent military ships against the Turks during the Ottoman wars, and the “St. Bonaventure” was commissioned by Pope Sixtus V to fight seafaring pirates in the 16th-century.

The armed frigates, corvettes, steamer ships and schooners were blessed with the names of the saints, the most popular being “St. Peter” and “St. Paul.” At least one was named for a female saint, St. Firmina, and one gunboat was called the “Immaculate Conception.”

The fleet was beefed up when the Papal States were under considerable threat, first by the French in the 18th century and then by burgeoning Italian nationalism in the 19th century.

Armed papal ships guarded the Italian port of Civitavecchia and cruised the waters of the Adriatic and Mediterranean seas

in search of contraband. Three paddle steamers built in England joined the fleet in 1842 to run upstream the Tiber River, a major route for bringing commercial goods and materials to Rome.

Another paddle ship joined the ranks, and in 1848 the ships were used to fight nationalist forces that sought to end the popes’ temporal power and establish a Roman Republic.

The pontifical navy came to an end with the end of the Papal States in 1870.

Even though the Holy See no longer had direct access to the sea, it still signed the League of Nations’ “Convention and Statute on the Freedom of Transit” of 1921.

Known as the Barcelona Convention, it gave landlocked territories, like the Holy See, the right to have their own ships and access to the high seas.

One world leader wanted to take advantage of the Vatican’s right to sail a ship at sea.

In an attempt to bring desperately needed food and medicines to Europeans during World War II, the prime minister of Vichy France, Philippe Petain, wrote to Pope Pius XII asking him to allow the American aid to be transported on ships flying the Vatican flag in the hopes that its widely recognized neutrality would be respected.

Even though the pope was deeply concerned about bringing

relief to the people, he was advised to scrap the idea by a secretary who reportedly quipped that not only would they have to hold an exam to hire a fleet admiral, the Vatican newspaper headline would scream: “From the Barque of Peter to the Vatican Fleet.”

The right to a papal flotilla was reaffirmed in 1951 when Vatican City State published an official decree on “The Maritime Navigation under the Flag of Vatican City State.”

The document codifies the rights and procedures for having ships that belong to Vatican City State, Vatican citizens or Vatican bodies so that they may engage in the maritime transport “of people or things heading toward or coming from Vatican City.”

It allows for a special department within the Vatican’s governing office to be dedicated to the administration and regulation of Vatican maritime transportation and is tasked with the registration of all Vatican ships.

Basically it provided the norms needed to comply with the earlier convention and made sure the Vatican would “be able to launch its hypothetical fleet or, in any case, allow for the navigation of ships sailing under the Vatican flag,” the Vatican newspaper said in a July 2010 article.

It would not be the last time the Vatican adopted laws governing resources and infrastructure it completely lacked.

In July, the Vatican updated its criminal codes to be in compliance with other international treaties it has signed over the years. The new laws have expanded the jurisdiction of Vatican City legal system to include crimes “committed on board a ship flying the flag of the state or an aircraft of the state” of Vatican City.

By including crimes against the security of airports, maritime navigation or oil-drilling plat-

The 1571 Battle of Lepanto between the fleet of the Holy League — a coalition that included the Papal States — and the Ottoman Empire is depicted in an early 20th-century illustration. Historians believe the pontifical navy was established in the 10th century by Pope John VIII. Two symbols appear at the bottom of the illustration. The left one is associated with St. Mark the Evangelist and the right, the Vatican coat of arms. (CNS photo/courtesy of Art Resource, New York)

forms — even though the Vatican currently has no ships, fixed platforms in the sea or airport — it allows the Vatican to cooperate with other governments and even extradite a person who committed the crime elsewhere, but may be trying to hide in the Vatican.

The new laws, however, repealed several crimes and punishments from the 1951 decree. The crime of flying a Vatican flag on the mast of a vessel at sea without authorization seems to have remained intact with a punishment of one to five years detention and

a fine that should not exceed the value of the boat.

Interestingly, the 1951 decree made no specifications as to what nationality the papal fleet’s commanders and sailors must be.

Therefore, in theory, there can be a multinational crew.

But for now the only Vatican ship that exists and isn’t dry-docked is a 17th-century wrought-iron galley ship sculpture spouting streamlets of water from its masts and hull in a fountain not far from the Vatican Museums.

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The Anchor

August 2, 2013

Cardinal O’Malley to youth: Witness by building strong Marriages

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (CNA/EWTN News) — Cardinal Sean P. O’Malley of Boston encouraged thousands of pilgrims at a catechesis talk in Rio de Janeiro to choose carefully and use the right criteria when picking a spouse.

“Don’t marry someone

because they’re rich or you share the same hobbies, marry someone because you share the same sense of mission,” he said July 26 at the city’s entertainment venue, Vivo Rio. “Get married to have children!” he emphasized to the young people present.

Millions of pilgrims from

across the globe poured into Rio for the July 23-28 World Youth Day events, which include three mornings of catechesis sessions with various bishops.

Cardinal O’Malley advised about 5,000 English-speaking young adults gathered at his catechesis session to avoid the trap of the “hook-up culture” and of cohabitation.

“That’s just a train wreck waiting to happen,” he said.

“When you’re looking for a spouse, pray to the Holy Spirit to find the right person and pray to be the right person.”

He also urged them to consider adoption rather than abortion in the case of a crisis pregnancy.

The cardinal interacted with the audience as he spoke of the importance of evangelizing in the West even more than in poorer countries.

“You need to be missionaries on the Internet, in schools, in neighborhoods, helping people find God,” he remarked.

“We have a big responsibility and the first thing required is our own conversion and that is not easy,” Cardinal O’Malley stated. “Actions speak louder than words, our actions must show love for God.” He recalled attending a talk

by Mother Teresa of Calcutta, and said that he and his colleagues “felt the presence of God, and there wasn’t a dry eye in the auditorium.”

“If people see us in action, then they will be more willing to hear us,” he noted.

The cardinal emphasized that people should apologize

for sins, but never apologize for the Gospel.

“Are you going to be that Catholic always apologizing for your faith or evangelizers?” he asked.

He then told them a Japanese parable of a rich man who had a beautiful house on a mountain and realized that a tsunami was going to kill people at the beach.

“He didn’t have time to go warn them so he set his beautiful home on fire,” said Cardinal O’Malley.

The ones who climbed the mountain to rescue the man were saved from the tsunami, he explained, but the ones that stayed at the bottom died.

“When we climb a mountain to help someone’s soul,

we feel we’re doing God a favor when in fact, we could be saving our own,” he stressed.

The cardinal also cautioned that “(d)iscipleship isn’t a solo flight.” Rather, he said, “you learn it like you learn a language, you learn it through a community that speaks that language.”

While the road of evangelization is tough, it is important, he said, lamenting that too many people consider themselves “spiritual, but not religious.”

“Jesus didn’t come and die on the cross so we could just have warm fuzzies of singing songs of poetry.”

“It’s about responsibility,” he explained. “Your role as evangelizers begins now.”

To advertise in The Anchor, contact Wayne Powers at 508-675-7151 or Email waynepowers@anchornews.org

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August 2, 2013

The Anchor

Pope is most influential, second mostfollowed world leader on Twitter

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Pope Francis is the most influential world leader on Twitter, with the highest number of retweets worldwide.

He also is the second mostfollowed leader of the world, running behind — albeit by a long stretch — U.S. President Barack Obama.

The rankings were released July 24 in a recent study titled “Twiplomacy,” which refers to the use of Twitter by world leaders.

The study compiled a wide range of data from the Twitter accounts of 505 heads of state, foreign ministers and governments from 153 countries during the month of July. It was conducted by the communications firm Burson-Marsteller and published on twiplomacy. com.

More than three-quarters of all world leaders have a presence on Twitter, the report said.

President @BarackObama is the most followed head of state, with more than 33.5 million followers, and has the fourth-most popular account overall, right behind Lady Gaga, it said.

But the second most-followed world leader is Pope Francis, with 7.2 million followers spread across his nine different language-based @ Pontifex accounts.

Not far behind in third place is @WhiteHouse and @ LaCasaBlanca with 4 million followers combined.

But despite Obama’s strong following on Twitter, Pope Francis is the most influential world leader with the highest number of retweets, the report said.

While Obama’s Twitpic of him hugging his wife Michelle marking his re-election win was the most popular tweet of

all time with 806,066 retweets, a typical @BarackObama tweet gets on average about 2,300 retweets.

Pope Francis, on the other hand, gets more than 11,100 retweets for every Spanish tweet and 8,200 retweets for each English tweet.

While @Pontifex follows no one but its other @ Pontifex language accounts, the pope is followed by 40 of the world’s leaders, including the Israeli government, prime minister and minister of foreign affairs and the president of Lebanon.

According to the report, many of the pope’s followers are leaders or top foreign ministers from former Soviet states, including Kazakhstan, but not the Russian Federation. Leaders from Africa and Latin America also follow him.

The pope is also followed by Czech Prince Karel Schwarzenberg, who is one of very few VIP European papal followers.

The most popular @ Pontifex tweet was Pope Francis’ first tweet four days after his March 13 election.

It said: “Dear friends, I thank you from my heart and I ask you to continue to pray for me. Pope Francis.” It was retweeted more than 37,100 times and favorited by more than 22,500 accounts.

General audience days on Wednesdays and the Angelus prayer on Sundays are the most active days of the week for the @Pontifex accounts, though they are now sending out on average 71 tweets a day.

The vast majority of tweets are sent at noon and 1 p.m. Rome time.

A word cloud shows the words used most often in the pope’s tweets are “God,” “Jesus,” “lives,” “love,” and “let.”

Be sure to visit the Diocese of Fall River website at fallriverdiocese.org The site includes links to parishes, diocesan offices and national sites.

Hugh Jackman stars in a scene from the movie “The Wolverine.” For a brief review of this movie, see CNS Movie Capsules below. (CNS photo/Fox)

CNS Movie Capsules NEW YORK (CNS) — The following are capsule reviews of movies recently reviewed by Catholic News Service.

“R.I.P.D.” (Universal) Scattershot action adventure about a corrupt Boston cop (Ryan Reynolds) who, inspired by the love of his trusting wife (Stephanie Szostak), decides to return to the straight and narrow. Informed of this change of heart, however, his even more crooked partner (Kevin Bacon) kills him and covers up the crime. Waking up in the afterlife, the slain officer is given the opportunity to forestall judgment of his misdeeds by serving on a celestial police force called the Rest in Peace Department (lead

by Mary-Louise Parker). Uneasily paired with a crusty Wild West-era lawman ( Jeff Bridges), he must hunt down dead villains who have managed to evade divine justice by lingering on earth — a pursuit that eventually sheds new light on the circumstances of his own demise. Director Robert Schwentke’s adaptation of Peter M. Lenkov’s series of graphic novels features convoluted postmortem dynamics only some of which are compatible with Christian faith. Though Bridges struggles to sustain the proceedings with amusing bravado, the screenwriters’ attempt to combine a buddy movie with a specialeffects extravaganza, a comedy and a redemptive romance dooms the film to attention-deficit ineffectiveness. Much action violence

with fleeting gore, a nongraphic marital bedroom scene, brief partial nudity, occasional adult humor, a few instances of profanity, considerable crude and crass language, a couple of obscene gestures. The Catholic News Service classification is A-III — adults.

The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 — parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.

“The Wolverine” (Fox) Macho superhero adventure in which the titular character (Hugh Jackman) — whose distinctive gifts include tougher-than-steel claws that sprout from his hands — slices and dices his way through Japan while protecting the heiress (Tao Okamoto) to an old friend’s

(Haruhiko Yamanouchi) industrial fortune. Physical and emotional angst make director James Mangold’s action picture — based on Marvel’s X-Men mythos — a heavy lift for casual viewers. Still, the relentless combat involves only moderate gore, and occasional flashes of wit offer some relief from the fog of testosterone. Constant action violence with some blood, ritual suicides, a nonmarital bedroom scene, rear nudity, mature references, at least one use of the F-word, occasional crude and crass language. The Catholic News Service classification is A-III — adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG13 — parents strongly cautioned.

Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.

Diocese of Fall River TV Mass on WLNE Channel 6 Sunday, August 4, 11:00 a.m.

Celebrant is Father James J. Doherty, CSC, pastor of St. Mary’s Parish in Taunton

August 2, 2013

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The Anchor

Our readers respond Unacceptable by today’s standards It was with sadness that I learned of another parish closure in our diocese. While I was not surprised that SS. Peter and Paul Parish at Holy Cross Church will soon close, I was, however, more shocked to learn it first from the Fall River Herald News rather that the diocesan newspaper. I understand that this is a weekly paper but in the age of instant information, I think the diocese needs to revisit how news is transmitted.

Catholics need to hear news that affects the Church from Catholic sources and perspective and not have to wait a week or hear it from the uninformed and often slanted secular media. Given that you are on a (not undeserved) hiatus, readers will not hear of the closure from a diocesan source until sometime in August which is unacceptable by today’s standards.

The Diocese of Fall River does a woeful job in general of getting out information. Just check out its website under “news,” where you will find the most recent entry dated 6/14/2013 and links to ministries and resources that are outdated and/or broken. One of the great things about the recent election of Pope Francis and the preceding conclave was all the new media coverage and almost instant picture of what was happening. We could be in St. Peter’s Square with the Universal Church when the white smoke appeared. I could “tweet” with fellow Catholics, including priests and bishops from all over the world as if we were all there to-

gether.

I will be following coverage of World Youth Day over the next few days. The secular media will ignore it and it’s too bad that anyone who relies on just The Anchor for news will hear about it in two weeks along with the closing of SS. Peter and Paul Parish.

Adam Morin Fall River EXECUTIVE EDITOR RESPONDS: Thank you for your understanding while giving us some constructive criticism. On page three we do have an article about the closing of the parish. The clergy and lay staff of the diocese have been working together over the years to see how we can constantly improve our transmission of information to the general public. It is a challenge, since we have a limited amount of employees, who often are diverted to other tasks.

I would echo what Dave Jolivet says on page nine about The Anchor staff and expand it to the other employees of the diocese (in Fall River and in the parishes) — they do their best, but none of us are perfect.

Agree with overstepping issue Although I am sure that the executive editor’s comments are well-meaning, having taught mass communication for 30 years, I must agree with James Lengyel that the executive editor has overextended his role (“Overstepping his role,” July 19, 2013).

A “Letters to the Editor” or “Our readers respond” section of a publication is not the same as an “advice” column. The editor

should only intrude when there is a misstatement of fact or when it is necessary that a writer’s credentials or affiliations need to be revealed when responding to a pertinent issue. I can understand an editor correcting a specific Liturgical or doctrinal error, but I cannot understand the intrusion of his or her opinion or personal interpretation of the matter. Letters to the editor should receive responses from other readers, who may have expertise on the subject or not.

I have reviewed “Our readers respond” pages under the former editor in past editions of The Anchor and do not find that the current editor is “in continuation of a practice of my predecessor.” Frequent, overextended responses to readers’ letters by the former editor cannot be found.

I have also reviewed a number of secular newspapers and past issues of Catholic New York and The Criterion of the Indianapolis Archdiocese (archdioceses where I have been a parishioner and newspapers to which I subscribe). I find no intrusional approaches to letters to the editor. Any explanations, corrections or comments by the editors of those periodicals are extremely rare. I believe that the opposite approach discourages both writers and readers.

John Lawrence Darretta, Ph.D. Professor Emeritus, Mass Communication Iona College, New Rochelle, N.Y.

you would probably prefer that I not do so): You are correct in your statement that my predecessor did not respond to letters as much as I have (I reviewed the 18 months of Father Landry’s editorship and saw that he did not respond to the vast majority of letters and when he did, rarely were his responses longer than the letters [he did not respond to your letter on April 6, 2012, responding to a letter from Father Barry Wall, which was commenting on a column by George Weigel]). So, I stand corrected in that regard. The New Oxford Review often has its writers respond to letters in their letters section, but I admit that other than there I am not aware of other publications which do that.

In terms of my responses discouraging people from writing to the paper, according to the staff that has not been the case. As I tried to explain in my response to Mr. Lengyel, sometimes my responses are meant to try to bring out the position of the diocese on certain matters. Just as I responded to Father Johnson, I also responded to Msgr. Smith last year, who was coming from a quite different perspective.

That being said, many readers have told me that they enjoy the responses (I guess the people to whom I have responded might not concur with them). I do truly pray about this, both about the responses and for the letter writers.

EXECUTIVE EDITOR RESPONDS (although I could joke that

Grateful for story I read the superb article which Dave Jolivet wrote on our Day of Evangelization for the first time last evening at our parish meeting. Thank you very much for this excellent piece. I know from

terns that reveal themselves when you look at the body of work of a particular director,” Father Gumbert said. “The idea is that your religious background has a huge influence on your imagination — how you see the world and how you imagine the world to be. The Catholic worldview is just very rich and it’s distinct from the classical Protestant and even the classical Jewish imagery of the world.”

According to Father Gumbert, Catholicism generally posits the world as a reflection of God and, in turn, the beauty within that world is evidence of God’s creation. Director John Ford, for example, best known for classic westerns such as “Stagecoach” and “The Searchers,” was raised an Irish-Catholic and would often shoot gorgeous panoramic vistas of the western desert which he viewed as a “mysterious and beautiful place.”

Another idea unique to Catholicism is the Sacramental system, which Father Gumbert said is “filled with mediation and mediators.”

“Catholics see the world as being a complex place filled with relationships that require mediators,” he said. “So if you watch a Frank Capra or a John Ford film, there are all these different levels of people who need assistance from other people.

They can’t accomplish their goals on their own.

“This is very different from the Protestant imagination, which views the Sacred as very accessible on a personal, individual basis. So you have the lone hero often expressed in the western genre — that comes more from a Protestant background. A director like Howard Hawks, for example, is a great contrast with John Ford.

Both worked extensively with John Wayne. But John Ford’s westerns are very different from

Priest to examine Catholic influence in Hollywood films

the reactions of other good folks that we did not expect such an extensive and very moving depiction of the work which the Holy Spirit is leading us here at St. Vincent de Paul Parish in Attleboro. You did a great job weaving together all aspects of our parish community and this common mission of evangelization so seamlessly.

Personally, I found your description of the Prayer Team’s activities and the reference to the critical inclusion of our Homebound Missionaries very inspiring. You captured perfectly the foundation of prayer which underpins our parish DOE. You leave the reader in no doubt that prayer is the wind in our sails. Thank you again.

Moreover, your Scriptural reference put the focus precisely on what the Lord has entrusted to us here in Attleboro at this time in salvation history: the fulfillment of His Great Commission.

This prominent story has united the folks of our DOE teams more closely in the sense that we are doing something beautiful for the Lord. Each DOE member quoted, thanks to your skills, displays a common understanding of the mission which our wonderful priests have set before us.

We are deeply grateful, Dave, for your work on our behalf. Please be assured that you and your family are in our prayers here at St. Vincent’s.

God bless, John Rae-Kelly DOE Publicity Team St. Vincent de Paul Parish Attleboro

continued from page one

encounter the Sacred. The closest we come to God is through our conscience in our Catholic imagination.”

Father Gumbert will be discussing Hitchcock and other well-known Hollywood filmmakers as part of the third and final installment of the Summer Catholic Reflections Series at Christ the King Parish in Mashpee on August 13 at 7 p.m. Father Gumbert’s lecture, titled “The Catholic Imagination in Hollywood Directors,” will examine various filmmakers from Catholic backgrounds who tell stories unique to their cultural and religious influences.

In addition to Hitchcock, Father Gumbert will be delving into the work of such noted auteurs as John Ford, Frank Capra, Martin Scorsese, and the Rhode Island-bred comedy team of Peter and Bobby Farrelly, in whose film “Me, Myself and Irene” Father Gumbert had a bit role as a Catholic priest

celebrating actor Jim Carrey’s wedding.

Ironically enough, Father Gumbert had previously celebrated the ceremony for his codirector, Peter Farrelly, in real life, so he didn’t find the role to be much of a stretch.

“I’m closer to their mom and dad, but I like their work a lot,” said Father Gumbert, who also had a blink-and-you’ll-misshim cameo in the duo’s “There’s Something About Mary.”

“They have a low-brow sense of humor, but they’re fun guys and they remain interested in the common bloke who takes a while to figure things out.”

Based in part on one of the courses Father Gumbert teaches at Providence College, “The Catholic Imagination in Hollywood Directors” will examine how the unique worldview of Catholicism has influenced many acclaimed Hollywood directors over the years.

“I’m interested in the pat-

Howard Hawks’ westerns. I’m going to talk a bit about that and show some clips.”

A trained filmmaker himself whose documentary credits include 2003’s “Saving Grace” and 2009’s “Red Terror on the Amber Coast,” Father Gumbert initially caught the directing bug while he was studying for the priesthood in San Francisco.

“When I was in seminary in the Bay area, I worked at a television station,” he said. “The Catholic newspaper there produced a cable television news show and I just absolutely loved working on that. I had also been a photographer for years and I think very visually.”

A Dominican Friar of the Western Province, Father Gumbert decided he wanted to learn more about film and video production and was given permission from his order to enroll in the University of Utah’s film program, where he received his Continued on page 18

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The Anchor

August 2, 2013

Lector at Papal WYD Mass says she encountered Church

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (CNA/EWTN News) — The young woman who proclaimed a Scripture reading at the Papal Mass at World Youth Day said that it was an unforgettable experience that enabled her to encounter the Church in a unique way.

“It was amazing to look out and see more than three million people, and to think that this is all due to 12 men who said ‘yes’ to God’s call 2,000 years ago,” said 19-year-old Katherine Bauman, a native of Denver, Colo.

Bauman, who is studying theology, education and classical languages at Benedictine College in Atchison, Kan., proclaimed the first reading at the World Youth Day Closing Mass with Pope Francis on Copacabana Beach.

The July 28 Mass, which was moved from its original location in western Rio de Janeiro due to heavy rains, drew an estimated 3.2 million people.

Looking out over a massive sea of pilgrims from around the world, Bauman was amazed.

“It was an incredible experience,” she told CNA. “It expanded my perception of the diversity and the richness of our Church … all the different cultures gathered together.”

“Having this experience in a Latin American country, with a Latin American pope, returning here for the first time — it’s so powerful,” she continued. “It showed me that I’m part of something a lot bigger than just me.”

In early June, Bauman got a phone call inviting her to read at the Mass. She was completely shocked, and it took her a while to process the fact that she would be reading in front of several million people and Pope Francis.

As the event drew closer, she became “a bit nervous” about speaking in front of so many people. But the nervousness was replaced with excitement when she got up on the altar.

“I was just so immersed in the moment,” she said, adding that “it’s really not about me anyway.”

This is the first time Bauman has attended a World Youth Day, although she was just miles away from the 1993 festivities in Denver, where she was born. Just two weeks old at the time, she was not at the events then, but has wanted to attend a World Youth Day for years.

Two decades later, Bauman is finally attending the international youth gathering and will be celebrating her 20th birthday in Brazil, making the event even more memorable, though she does not have any special plans for her birthday.

“It’s a pilgrimage,” she explained, although she joked that “I’m hoping to have ‘Happy Birthday’ sung to me in at least three different languages.”

Bauman came to Brazil with a U.S. group from the Christian Life Movement, an international ecclesial movement started in South America. They arrived a week early to do mission trips in the favelas — or slums — of Sao Paolo, an experience that she described as “overwhelming.”

Her group painted the local outreach center, conducted catechesis with the children and visited families in their homes to talk with them, pray with them and listen to their stories.

These visits were “startling,” Pilgrims pack Copacabana beach for the World Youth Day closing Mass in Rio de Janeiro July 28. In atBauman said, explaining that she tendance was an estimated three million people — one of the largest crowds in the history of World was “struck by the openness of the Youth Day. (CNS photo/Stefano Rellandini, Reuters) people in this culture in general, but especially of the people in the

Make definite commitments, Pope Francis urges youth

Katherine Bauman reads the first reading during the Mass for the Evangelization of Peoples July 28. (EWTN photo)

favelas. They didn’t know us, but they invited us into their homes and they poured their hearts out to us.” She contrasted this with the United States, where it is “almost a social taboo” to really open up and touch someone’s heart upon first meeting them.

“But we are meant for a true encounter with one another, which is what I experienced in the slums, and I believe that we can learn a lot in this area from other cultures,” she reflected.

Bauman has also worked with the poor in Denver for several years, through a program called Christ in the City that brings young people from around the country to serve local homeless.

Commenting on Pope Francis, who also visited a favela during his trip to Brazil, she said that she is “really touched by what he does, especially by the spontaneity of the love that he shows.”

“It’s clear that he sees the person first, and his primary goal in any encounter is to love the person without reservation.”

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, (CNA/EWTN News) — In his encounter of thanks with the volunteers at World Youth Day, Pope Francis exhorted the young people to make commitments, and not be afraid to follow God’s will into Marriage or consecrated life.

“God calls you to make definite choices … to respond to your vocation is to move towards personal fulfillment,” Pope Francis told the thousands of volunteers gathered to meet with him in Rio de Janeiro July 28, shortly before he returned to Rome.

The pope was first addressed by two of the volunteers, one from Brazil and one from Poland. The Brazilian told that “we volunteers are here with great joy in order to bear witness” to Christ and thanked him for the visit to this country.

Victoria, the Polish volunteer, told him that “with joy we await you in our country,” and added, “we shall, with God’s help, do all that is in our power in order that the next World Youth Day might be even more beautiful.” Earlier in the day, Pope Francis had announced that the next event is to be held in Krakow, the city of Blessed John Paul II, in 2016.

Pope Francis responded by saying that “I could not return to Rome” without having thanked all the volunteers for their “countless” acts of loving service to the pilgrims in Rio. “With your smiles, your acts

of kindness and your willingness to serve, you’ve shown it is more blessed to give than to receive.”

Their example, he said, was in the model of St. John the Baptist, who prepared the way of the Lord. “Every one of you,” he said, “was a means … to meet Jesus. And this is the most beautiful service we can give as missionary disciples, to prepare the way so that all might meet, know, and love the Lord.”

Pope Francis prayed that those who had responded generously to the call for World Youth Day volunteers may “always be generous with God and with others. One loses nothing thereby, but gains great enrichment in life.”

From that basis, the Bishop of Rome talked about the importance of being generous with God and others on a larger scale, a lifelong scale.

“God calls each of us to be holy … but He has a particular path for each of us.”

Some, he said, “through family life in the Sacrament of Marriage.” He noted that many consider Marriage “out of fashion,” and added that “in a culture of relativism and the ephemeral, many (say) it is not worth making a lifelong commitment, a definitive decision, forever, because we do not know what tomorrow will bring.”

“I ask you instead to be revolutionaries, to swim against the tide. Yes, I am asking you to rebel. To rebel against this

culture that sees everything as temporary, and ultimately believes you are incapable of responsibility, of true love.”

“I have confidence in you,” he assured them. “And I pray for you.”

He re-iterated, “have courage to swim against the tide, to be happy.”

Pope Francis added that also, some are called to be priests, giving “themselves to Him more fully” and loving “with the herd of the Good Shepherd,” and some are called to religious life, “giving of themselves for the sake of all.”

He recalled the day when he first heard God calling him to the priesthood, as he was on his way to a parish for Confession at the age of 17.

“Do not be afraid of what God asks of you … in Him we find real joy.”

To those who do not yet know what God is calling them to, the pope urged them to “ask the Lord, and He will show you the way.”

Pope Francis concluded by thanking them again for their service, and assuring them of his prayers. He led them in praying the Hail Mary, and blessed them, seeming to have finished his encounter with them.

But, as he was preparing to leave, the Holy Father took back the microphone from the encounter’s emcee, and added one last comment to the World Youth Day volunteers.

“One more thing: pray for me!”

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August 2, 2013

ever it is — are transparency and honesty,” the pope said, according to the Associated Press.

Pope Francis also mentioned the need to delve more deeply into the role of women in the Church.

“The role of women doesn’t end just with being a mother and with house work … we don’t yet have a truly deep theology of women in the Church,” he said, while underscoring that the ordination of women is not possible.

Finally, the Holy Father offered the media a preview of his schedule. Two Italian trips, one to Cagliari and one to Assisi, are on his agenda for September 22 and October 4, respectively.

Pope Francis listens to a question from a journalist on his flight heading back to Rome July 29. The pope answered questions from 21 journalists over a period of 80 minutes on his return from Brazil. (CNS photo/pool via Reuters)

Pope gives surprising in-flight press conference

Rome, Italy (CNA/ EWTN News) — Pope Francis finished off his trip to Brazil with one last unscripted moment by holding a one-hour-and-20-minute press conference during the flight back to Rome.

The July 28 meeting with journalists covered everything from the canonization of Blessed John Paul II to an investigation of a Vatican monsignor who allegedly lived in a homosexual relationship.

Msgr. Battista Ricca was recently made secretary of the commission of cardinals that oversees the Vatican bank. He was the target of an internal investigation after Italy’s L’Espresso magazine accused him of improprieties while working at the papal nunciature in Uruguay from 1999 to 2001.

Further inquiry “found nothing,” said the pope.

“I’d like to add,” the pontiff said according to news reports, “that many times we seem to seek out the sins of somebody’s youth and publish them. We’re not talking about crimes, which are something else. The abuse of minors, for instance, is a crime.

“But one can sin and then convert, and the Lord both forgives and forgets. We don’t have the right to refuse to forget … it’s dangerous,” he

said.

Pope Francis also revealed that the date for the canonization of Blesseds John XXIII and John Paul II will probably not be this coming December 8, due to the winter weather that would make travel from Poland difficult at that time of year.

Cardinal Stanislaw Dziwisz of Krakow, Poland suggested that the late November feast of Christ the King or next spring’s Feast of Divine Mercy are two possibilities, the pope explained.

Among other important issues the Holy Father addressed were: the reform of the Vatican’s Institute for Religious Works, commonly called the Vatican bank, the need to develop a deeper “theology of women” in the Church, and whether or not he would accept someone with a homosexual tendency as a priest in his diocese.

Pope Francis reiterated the Church’s belief that having a homosexual orientation is not sinful but engaging in homosexual acts is.

“Who am I to judge a gay person of goodwill who seeks the Lord?” he said in response to a question about whether he would accept a celibate, homosexual priest in his diocese.

“It (the “Catechism”) says they should not be marginalized because of this but that

they must be integrated into society,” he added, according to the BBC. Pope made his remarks as he addressed the possibility of a “gay lobby” within the Vatican, which has been the subject of discussion in the Italian press.

“There’s a lot of talk about the gay lobby, but I’ve never seen it on the Vatican ID card!” he joked, according to John Allen of the National Catholic Reporter.

“You have to distinguish between the fact of a person being gay, and the fact of a lobby,” the pope told journalists.

“The problem is not having this orientation,” the pontiff stated. “We must be brothers. The problem is lobbying by this orientation, or lobbies of greedy people, political lobbies, Masonic lobbies, so many lobbies. This is the worse problem.”

As for the Institute for Religious Works, known by its Italian acronym IOR, Pope Francis said his decision about how to reform it is still up in the air.

Among the options he listed are turning it into an aid fund, making it an “ethical bank” or closing it down.

“I don’t know how this story will end.

“But the characteristics of the IOR — whether it’s a bank, an aid fund or what-

But looking even further ahead, the pope said he would like to visit Jerusalem and Patriarch Bartholomew I who has invited him, along with the Israeli and Palestinian governments.

A trip to Asia is also a possibility, especially since Benedict XVI did not make it there, but the pontiff said it is only an idea at this point. He did offer the Philippines and Sri Lanka as the two likely candidates.

The papal plane arrived at Rome’s Ciampino Airport on Monday morning, and after landing Pope Francis paid a quick visit to St. Mary Major Basilica in Rome to give thanks for World Youth Day.

Pope says he’d rather trust God than live in bullet-proof bubble ABOARD THE PAPAL FLIGHT FROM BRAZIL (CNS) — With a few Vatican police standing at attention in the very back of the Alitalia plane flying him back to Rome, Pope Francis told reporters about his security even before being asked.

“My security staff is very, very good and now they are letting me do a little bit more,” but they must do their jobs, which is to protect him, he said.

Beginning his first news conference as pope with a review of his July 22-28 stay in Brazil for World Youth Day, Pope Francis said it was “beautiful” and “spiritually it did me good.”

“I am tired, but happy,” he said, explaining that the joy of the Brazilian people and the happiness of millions of young people gathered in Rio de Janeiro rubbed off on him. And that was partially because he actually had an opportunity to be up close and personal.

But he also acknowledged that all that close contact made some

people nervous.

Driving into Rio de Janeiro July 22, the pope’s car was mobbed by a crowd, yet the pope insisted throughout the trip on riding in a popemobile with open sides and wading into crowds to bless or hug people and kiss babies.

The pope said, “The climate was spontaneous,” just as he’d hoped. “With less security I could be with the people, embrace them, greet them without armored cars.”

“Security lies in trusting people. It’s true that there’s always the danger that a crazy person will try to do something, but there’s also the Lord,” he said. Sealing off a bishop behind bullet proof glass “is also craziness,” but he said he prefers the craziness of trust.

Pope Francis told reporters it is true that sometimes he feels trapped inside the Vatican; he thinks Rome is a beautiful city and would really like to be able to go for a walk.

Pope Francis speaks with residents during a visit to a home in the Varginha slum in Rio de Janeiro July 25. (CNS photo/L’Osservatore Romano via Reuters)

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Youth Pages

August 2, 2013

The students from the Class of 2014 at Holy Name School in Fall River recently raised $635 at their car wash.

Children in the summer camp program of All Saints Catholic School in New Bedford recently worked on a project in the schoolyard, and later went to The Children’s Museum in Easton on a field trip.

Students from St. James-St. John School in New Bedford recently had Fun Day with faculty, staff and students enjoying line dancing.

Fully revised and updated ...

2013-2014 Diocese of Fall River Catholic Directory ... shipping in August!

Published by The Anchor Publishing Company P.O. Box 7, Fall River, Massachusetts 02722 Please ship _____ directories x $18 each, including shipping and handling. Total Enclosed $_____ NAME ____________________________________________ ADDRESS _________________________________________ CITY _____________________ STATE _______ ZIP _____ Please make checks payable to “Anchor Publishing” For more information, email theanchor@anchonews.org, call 508-675-7151, or order online at www.anchornews.org

August 2, 2013

I

n an episode of “Ice Road Truckers,” a driver was about to cross a frozen river, and while being filmed for a national audience, he did not hesitate to continue living his faith by taking out his Rosary, clutching it tightly in his hand, and beginning his prayer for a safe crossing. This man did not keep his faith private; he voiced it without fear or reservation.

Jesus sent out 72 disciples, in pairs, to every town and place He intended to visit.

Their task was to cure the sick and say to them, “The Kingdom of God is at hand for you” (Lk 10:20). They voiced their faith in Jesus and went out to work. When they returned rejoicing from their harvest, Jesus said to them, “Rejoice, because your names are written in Heaven” (Lk 10:9).

Your name is also written in Heaven. But, are you a laborer in the vineyard of the Lord? Or does His calling fall on deaf ears? Do you keep your faith personal

Youth Pages Don’t keep it personal

because of fear, weakness or who preached Christ and the shame, or do you proclaim it Good News of salvation in because you truly believe? Is the squares of cities, towns your faith lived only in words and villages. This is no time or is it alive with spreading to be ashamed of the Gospel. the Good News in kindness It is time to preach it from and good deeds? Remember, the rooftops” (Blessed John “Faith without works is dead” Paul II, World Youth Day ( Jas 2:26). “Be doers of the 1993). word and not hearers only” Not keeping your faith ( Jas 1:20).

At Mass you listen, speak, pray, sing and sometimes even dance. But, what good is all of this excitement, particiBy Ozzie Pacheco pation and celebration if you don’t take it outside the walls of the church? Now is the time not to keep your private or personal is walkfaith private. If you want to ing the path to becoming a live the Mass outside the saint. And if you think you walls of your church, then don’t have what it takes to live by the final words of the become a saint, think again. I Mass, “Go and announce the have some good news for you.

Gospel of the Lord.” Don’t Read on. keep it to yourself. Don’t “We need saints without keep it personal. Share it! cassocks, without veils. We “Do not be afraid to go out need saints with jeans and on the streets and into public tennis shoes. We need saints places like the first Apostles who go to the movies, that

Be Not Afraid

Poles thrilled to hear next World Youth Day to be in Krakow

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (CNA/EWTN News) — Young Polish men and women gathered in Rio rejoiced at Pope Francis’ announcement that Krakow, Poland will host the next World Youth Day in the summer of 2016.

“I haven’t got words, I don’t know what to say,” said Hanna Banas, 25.

“We had heard it could be in Poland but we weren’t sure,” she told CNA. She was with a group gathered among the three million youths at Copacabana beach July 28 for Mass with Pope Francis. The final Mass was the capstone of the world’s biggest Catholic youth gathering, which witnessed five days of celebrations.

After the pope announced World Youth Day would be held in Krakow, thousands of Poles who were scattered across Copacabana Beach cheered loudly. They waved their flags, screamed and posed for other youths who enthusiastically took their pictures.

Krakow pilgrim Anna Lesniara was among them.

“Yesterday and today were the best two days for me because we were all here today

and because of this amazing announcement,” she remarked.

She said she wants to be a volunteer in 2016 after experiencing her first World Youth Day in Rio de Janeiro.

“Here so many people helped me and I want to help them in Krakow,” stated Lesniara. “I’m so excited and I’ve met so many different cultures and wonderful people.”

Ján Olczykowski, aged 28, said the Krakow selection was “marvelous” news.

“Poland will embrace the entire world,” he said. “Being here will all these good people of Brazil, we want to receive all young people.”

Olczykowski said that what he likes best about Pope Francis is that he is “very close to people, just like Blessed John Paul II.” Other Polish pilgrims voiced their deep enthusiasm.

“I’m so happy and excited that it will be Krakow because I’m studying medicine there,” said Magdalena Witowska.

“This is really going to strengthen our faith and unite the youth in Poland,” she remarked.

The 23-year-old said that what she best likes of Pope

Francis is that on his way to the stage, he blessed the children.

“I’m very, very happy, I like everything of Pope Francis!” exclaimed Bartosz Kot, another pilgrim. “This is going to really help Poland.”

Banas said she loved that the pope said “We shouldn’t be afraid of going to the world and proclaiming Jesus.”

Blessed John Paul II, the former Archbishop of Krakow, gave great energy to World Youth Day celebrations before his death in 2005.

His presence was felt in Rio, where a case containing a relic of the late pontiff was on display.

It will remain in Brazil until October 13 for veneration by young people in the St. Sebastian Cathedral of Rio de Janeiro.

At the end of the Mass, Polish Cardinal Stanislaw Rylko, president of the Pontifical Council for the Laity, addressed the millions of youth gathered at the beach.

Pope Francis then gave five pairs of young people a prayer book and a small copy of the Corcovado statue of Christ the Redeemer, the symbol of “The Marvelous City.”

17

listen to music, who hang out with friends.

“We need saints who put God in f irst place, ahead of succeeding in any career. We need saints who look for time to pray every day and who know how to be in love with purity, chastity, and all good things. We need saints, saints of the 21st century with spirituality appropriate to our new time.

“We need saints who have a commitment to helping the poor and to make the needed social change. We need saints to live in the world, to sanctify the world and to not be afraid of living in the world by their presence in it.

“We need saints who drink Coca-Cola, who eat hot dogs, who surf the internet and who listen to their iPods.

“We need saints who love the Eucharist, who are not afraid or embarrassed to eat a pizza or drink a beer with their friends. We need saints who love the movies, dance, sports,

theater. We need saints who are open, sociable, normal, happy companions. We need saints who are in this world and who know how to enjoy the best in this world without being callous or mundane. We need saints.”

This poem titled “We Need Saints,” written by a Brazilian who was inspired

by Blessed John Paul II’s visit to his country some years ago.

Stand up for what you believe! Shout your faith out loud! Be a laborer for peace and love! And like the millions of youth that gathered in Rio for World Youth Day, and the millions more throughout our world, together, let us “Go make disciples of all nations” (Mt 28:19).

We inherit the Kingdom of God through works of faith and charity: First service, then salvation.

God bless!

Ozzie Pacheco is Faith Formation director at Santo Christo Parish, Fall River.

Lynnette Ouellette, Connie Arruda, and Normand Ouellette recently delivered 12 bags of yarn to St. Vincent’s Home in Fall River.

Parishioners donate yarn to St. Vincent’s Home

Fall River — Chapter 441 of Catholic Financial Life at St. George’s Church in Westport recently held a yarn collection and donated more than 12 bags of assorted yarn to St. Vincent’s Home in Fall River for volunteers to make afghan blankets.

Chapter President Normand Ouellette and Vice President Lynette Ouellette organized the collection which lasted for more than three weeks. An announcement was posted in the St. George’s Parish bulletin, and Father Maurice Gauvin’s mother even donated a bag of yarn.

Since receiving the yarn donation, volunteer Connie Arruda and others have been hard at work hand-knitting afghan blankets for the children and youth of St. Vincent’s. To date, more than 120 blankets have been made by Arruda and a team of dedicated volunteers.

The handmade blankets provide the children with a sense of security, keeping them safe and warm and giving them with hope for a brighter future.

To donate yarn or squares of crocheted/knitted yarn, please contact Melissa Dick at St. Vincent’s by calling 508-235-3228.

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August 2, 2013

Priest to examine Catholic influence in films continued from page 13

MFA in 1992. That same year he was hired to run the film program at Providence College, where he’s been ever since.

His personal taste in films runs the gamut from the aforementioned Hitchcock and Ford, to trendsetters like F.W. Murnau and Orson Welles, to a surprising penchant for horror fare like John Carpenter’s “Halloween” and Brian De Palma’s “Carrie.”

“De Palma wasn’t raised Catholic … he was mostly influenced by the Quakers, I think,” he said. “But he was very much a Hitchcock fan and Hitchcock was, of course, very influenced by his Catholic background.”

Of course, a discussion of the Catholic influence on filmmakers wouldn’t be complete without mention of Martin Scorsese — the Italian-American whose devout Roman Catholic upbringing and brief consideration of a vocation to the priesthood looms large in his oeuvre.

“Catholicism is very important to Scorsese,” Father Gumbert said. “He’s very interested in St. Francis’ notion of living in an unethical world — how can you have an ethical conscience while trying to follow the Gospel and live in this world of petty gangsterism? It’s interesting to him how these two worlds clash. Catholicism presents all these ideals of how things should be or could be. There’s a tension between the ideal and the real and Scorsese is interested in that dichotomy.”

Father Gumbert even appreciates Scorsese’s much-maligned “The Last Temptation of Christ,” the director’s 1988 film based on Nikos Kazantzakis’ fictional novel.

“I thought it was very powerful,” he said. “I had no problems with it. I thought in the end it went back to the original story and it was really well done.

What I read was that Scorsese wanted to do a film that showed the human side of Christ. We all know about His Divine side — we sometimes overemphasize it. But we don’t often think of Him as human and I think he wanted to emphasize that.”

Father Gumbert is quick to point out that while most of the directors he examines are not practicing Catholics, it’s evident that the Catholic influence on them at an early age has continued to permeate their work.

“Even Hitchcock drifted from the Church at one point, but he came back later in life,” he said. “His wife converted to

Catholicism and his daughter, Patricia, married a prominent Catholic.”

Hitchcock even based an entire film on one of the seven Sacraments — 1953’s “I Confess,” starring Montgomery Clift as Father Michael William Logan, a Catholic priest who struggles with keeping the Seal of Confession after hearing someone confess to murder.

While Father Gumbert admitted that other religious views subscribe to similar notions of morality and right and wrong, it’s the use of a mediator — through the Sacraments administered by a priest — that is a uniquely Catholic idea.

“Guilt is important, Confession is important, as are all the Sacraments — once again, through this mediator,” he said.

Father Gumbert also noted how Hitchcock would sometimes take Catholicism and “turn it on its head.” One classic example is how he often depicts mother figures in negative ways.

“In Catholicism, the Blessed Virgin Mary is very important and Catholic artists will often portray the role of the mother in a very positive light,” Father Gumbert said. “But in Hitchcock the role of the mother is … often quirky or domineering.

In ‘Strangers on a Train,’ the mother is very weird; in ‘Psycho,’ the mother’s dead but she still possesses Norman and has tremendous power; or Claude Rains’ mother in ‘Notorious’ — she’s an ominous figure.”

Although he’s hard-pressed to pick a single favorite Hitchcock film, Father Gumbert admits “Vertigo” remains one of the Master of Suspense’s greatest achievements. “‘Vertigo’ is a film about going to the movies,” Father Gumbert said. “It’s a film about seeing and trying to control what you see.

“St. Thomas Aquinas wrote extensively about seeing and how appearances can fake us.

Some things aren’t what they appear to be, and Hitchcock was very interested in that concept. All these things are really built into Hitchcock’s work and by understanding his Catholic background, you can get a better insight into his films.”

Father Kenneth Gumbert, OP, will present “The Catholic Imagination in Hollywood Directors” at Christ the King Parish in Mashpee on August 13 at 7 p.m. For more information visit www.christthekingparish.com or call 508-477-7700.

The buildings at the National Shrine of Our Lady of La Salette in Attleboro are always open during normal business hours. From the Chapel of Light to the Masses held at the Shrine, visitors are invited to take their time to pray and renew their faith. (Photo by Becky Aubut)

La Salette Shrine — More than just lights continued from page one

the fish, frogs and turtles found in the Rosary Pond. Many individuals will start his or her day saying the Rosary before Mass, or light a candle in memory of a loved one.

“It’s a spiritual atmosphere and really easy-going,” said Mary Fernandes. “Some people come in to soak it in; they come here and everything is released off their shoulders. It’s like a different world here. You can let everything go. We have people come regularly here, just for that reason.”

Fernandes has been manning the welcome desk at the Shrine since 2003, and 10 years later she still relishes the peaceful atmosphere the shrine provides to those faith-filled individuals looking to find harmony in a difficult world.

“It’s sad because a lot of people don’t realize that it’s here,” said Fernandes. “Once they do and they’ve come, it seems like they can’t wait to come back.

Even when I drive in here, I feel a load off my shoulders.”

Bea England, a visitor from Rhode Island and parishioner of St. Charles Borromeo Parish in Woonsocket, had not been to the shrine in a while because of gas prices, but “today is a getaway day,” she said, as she admired a large bullfrog relaxing amid the cattails of the Rosary Pond.

England said she was ready for a peaceful day of prayer and solitude, enjoying the time of year when there are less people at the shrine. Having turned off her cell phone, England said she knows she isn’t the first person embracing some quiet time with the Lord.

“These are holy grounds.

There’s no question about that.

You can’t begin to even imagine the amount of healing, prayers,

tears, broken hearts — all that has gone on here. Some of [the stories], people don’t talk to anyone so no one really knows,” said England. “There’s a lot of praying. A lot of people recognize it as holy grounds. For those who don’t, when they come here and pour out their hearts, they find out.”

The grounds are not the only holy offerings at the shrine.

Brother David is in his third year at the shrine, and is ready to share his passion with visitors — a large collection of first-, second- and third-class relics of saints.

His collection started with his patron saint, St. Marguerite d’Youville; the first Canadian saint who founded the Order of Sisters of Charity of Montreal, commonly known as the Grey Nuns of Montreal: “I’ve been associated with the Grey Nuns for 24 years,” said Brother David.

He was given a relic of St. Marguerite, received a second relic of St. Jean-Baptist de La Salle, and Brother David has been collecting relics ever since.

In 2010 he took his final vows, the same year that St. André Bessette was canonized and was given a relic of the saint.

When working in youth ministry, Brother David continued to receive relics from those saints associated with youth ministry.

Two relics of note in his collection, said Brother David, are from St. Theresa of Avila, patron saint of headache sufferers and St. Peregrine Laziosi, patron saint of those suffering from cancer.

“We get many people who are cancer patients who come here.

Any relics that I have that pertain to an illness a person has, a person can come here for prayer.

They can visit the relics anytime; they just have to call me ahead

of time,” said Brother David.

In the meantime, Brother David is working hard on a display for the relics that will be shown during this year’s Festival of Lights. The shrine is also gearing up to host large groups for their annual pilgrimages to the shrine — a recent Vietnamese pilgrimage saw nearly 3,000 people attend — as well as supporting the regular healing Masses held at the shrine.

September is the shrine’s feast month; starting September 19 the shrine will host a three-day celebration.

“It’s very busy at Christmas time,” said Fernandes, of the shrine’s peak time for visitors, “but when people who come here [now], and have only been here at Christmas time, they look around and see how peaceful it is. It’s so different. I know the lights are a big thing, but they’re not the most important thing. It’s what you get from being here, that feeling which has no words to describe it.”

The shrine is located at 947 Park Street, Attleboro; for a full list of events, visit the shrine’s website: www.lasalette-shrine. org or call the shrine directly at 508-222-5410.

In Your Prayers

Please pray for these priests during the coming weeks Aug. 5 Rev. Martin J. Fox, Founder, St. Paul, Taunton, 1917 Rev. Thomas A. Kelly, Pastor, SS. Peter and Paul, Fall River, 1934 Aug. 6 Rev. Joseph P. Lyons, Pastor, St. Joseph, Fall River Aug. 7 Rev. John F. Hogan, Pastor, St. Julie Billiart, North Dartmouth, 1986 Very Rev. Roger L. Gagne, V. F., Pastor, St. Mark, Attleboro Falls, 1987 Aug. 8 Rev. William Bric, Founder, St. Joseph, Fall River, 1880

August 2, 2013

Eucharistic Adoration in the Diocese Acushnet — Eucharistic Adoration takes place at St. Francis Xavier Parish on Monday and Tuesday from 9:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.; Wednesday from 9:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Thursday from 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.; Friday from 9:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.; and Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 2:45 p.m. Evening prayer and Benediction is held Monday through Wednesday at 6:30 p.m.

ATTLEBORO — Eucharistic Adoration takes place in the St. Joseph Adoration Chapel at Holy Ghost Church, 71 Linden Street, from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily.

ATTLEBORO — The National Shrine of Our Lady of La Salette holds Eucharistic Adoration in the Shrine Church every Saturday from 1 to 4 p.m. through November 17.

Brewster — Eucharistic Adoration takes place in the La Salette Chapel in the lower level of Our Lady of the Cape Church, 468 Stony Brook Road, on First Fridays beginning at noon until 7:45 a.m. First Saturday, concluding with Benediction and concluding with Mass at 8 a.m. buzzards Bay — Eucharistic Adoration takes place at St. Margaret Church, 141 Main Street, every first Friday after the 8 a.m. Mass and ending the following day before the 8 a.m. Mass.

East Freetown — Eucharistic Adoration takes place at St. John Neumann Church every Monday (excluding legal holidays) 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. in the Our Lady, Mother of All Nations Chapel. (The base of the bell tower).

East Sandwich — The Corpus Christi Parish Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration Chapel is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week at 324 Quaker Meeting House Road, East Sandwich.

Use the Chapel entrance on the side of the church.

EAST TAUNTON — Eucharistic Adoration takes place in the chapel at Holy Family Parish Center, 438 Middleboro Avenue, Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. On First Fridays, Eucharistic Adoration takes place at Holy Family Church, 370 Middleboro Avenue, from 8:30 a.m. until 7:45 p.m.

FAIRHAVEN — St. Mary’s Church, Main St., has Eucharistic Adoration every Wednesday from 8:30 a.m. to noon in the Chapel of Reconciliation, with Benediction at noon. Also, there is a First Friday Mass each month at 7 p.m., followed by a Holy Hour with Eucharistic Adoration. Refreshments follow.

Fall River — Espirito Santo Parish, 311 Alden Street, Fall River. Eucharistic Adoration on Mondays following the 8 a.m. Mass until Rosary and Benediction at 6:30 p.m.

FALL RIVER — St. Bernadette’s Church, 529 Eastern Ave., has Eucharistic Adoration on Fridays from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. in the chapel.

FALL RIVER — St. Anthony of the Desert Church, 300 North Eastern Avenue, has Eucharistic Adoration Mondays and Tuesdays from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.

FALL RIVER — Holy Name Church, 709 Hanover Street, has Eucharistic Adoration Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. in the Our Lady of Grace Chapel.

FALL RIVER — Good Shepherd Parish has Eucharistic Adoration every Friday following the 8 a.m. Mass and concluding with 3 p.m. Benediction in the Daily Mass Chapel. A bilingual holy hour takes place from 2 to 3 p.m. Park behind the church and enter the back door of the connector between the church and the rectory.

Falmouth — St. Patrick’s Church has Eucharistic Adoration each First Friday, following the 9 a.m. Mass until Benediction at 4:30 p.m. The Rosary is recited Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 9 a.m.

MASHPEE — Christ the King Parish, Route 151 and Job’s Fishing Road has 8:30 a.m. Mass every First Friday with special intentions for Respect Life, followed by 24 hours of Eucharistic Adoration in the Chapel, concluding with Benediction Saturday morning followed immediately by an 8:30 Mass.

NEW BEDFORD — Eucharistic Adoration takes place 7 to 9 p.m. Wednesdays at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church, 233 County Street, with night prayer and Benediction at 8:45 p.m., and Confessions offered during the evening. Please use the side entrance.

NEW BEDFORD — There is a daily holy hour from 5:15-6:15 p.m. Monday through Thursday at St. Anthony of Padua Church, 1359 Acushnet Avenue. It includes Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, Liturgy of the Hours, recitation of the Rosary, and the opportunity for Confession.

NEW BEDFORD — St. Lawrence Martyr Parish, 565 County Street, holds Eucharistic Adoration in the side chapel every Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

NORTH DARTMOUTH — Eucharistic Adoration takes place at St. Julie Billiart Church, 494 Slocum Road, every Tuesday from 7 to 8 p.m., ending with Benediction. The Sacrament of Reconciliation is available at this time.

NORTH DIGHTON — Eucharistic Adoration takes place every Wednesday following 8:00 a.m. Mass and concludes with Benediction at 5 p.m. Eucharistic Adoration also takes place every First Friday at St. Nicholas of Myra Church, 499 Spring Street following the 8 a.m. Mass, ending with Benediction at 6 p.m. The Rosary is recited Monday through Friday from 7:30 to 8 a.m.

OSTERVILLE — Eucharistic Adoration takes place at Our Lady of the Assumption Church, 76 Wianno Avenue on First Fridays from 8:30 a.m. to noon.

SEEKONK ­— Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Parish has Eucharistic Adoration seven days a week, 24 hours a day in the chapel at 984 Taunton Avenue. For information call 508-336-5549.

Taunton — Eucharistic Adoration takes place every Tuesday at St. Anthony Church, 126 School Street, following the 8 a.m. Mass with prayers including the Chaplet of Divine Mercy for vocations, concluding at 6 p.m. with Chaplet of St. Anthony and Benediction.

Recitation of the Rosary for peace is prayed Monday through Saturday at 7:30 a.m. prior to the 8 a.m. Mass.

Taunton — Adoration of the Most Blessed Sacrament takes place every First Friday at Annunciation of the Lord, 31 First Street. Expostition begins following the 8 a.m. Mass.

The Blessed Sacrament will be exposed, and Adoration will continue throughout the day.

Confessions are heard from 5:15 to 6:15 p.m. Rosary and Benediction begin at 6:30 p.m.

WAREHAM — Every First Friday, Eucharistic Adoration takes place from 8:30 a.m. through Benediction at 5:30 p.m. Morning prayer is prayed at 9; the Angelus at noon; the Divine Mercy Chaplet at 3 p.m.; and Evening Prayer at 5 p.m.

WEST HARWICH — Our Lady of Life Perpetual Adoration Chapel at Holy Trinity Parish, 246 Main Street (Rte. 28), holds perpetual Eucharistic Adoration. We are a regional chapel serving all of the surrounding parishes. All from other parishes are invited to sign up to cover open hours. For open hours, or to sign up call 508-430-4716.

WOODS HOLE — Eucharistic Adoration takes place at St. Joseph’s Church, 33 Millfield Street, year-round on weekdays 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturday 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. No Adoration on Sundays, Wednesdays, and holidays. For information call 508-274-5435.

The Anchor Sister Jane Torbet Sellmayer

MANSFIELD — Sister Jane Torbet Sellmayer, SUSC, age 75, of Hyannis died July 9 after a brief illness. Born in Oceanside, N.Y. on April 4, 1938, she was the daughter of the late Ralph C. and Mary R. (Smith) Torbet.

In addition to her Holy Union Sisters, she is survived by her children: Marybeth Smith and her husband Bruce of North Attleboro; Britt F. Sellmayer and his wife Elaine of Mansfield; and Monica Paquin and her husband Chris of Mansfield. She was the sister of Anne P. Boll and her husband Albert of San Antonio, Texas, and is also survived by her grandchildren Brendan, Kevin and Cassie Smith, Lauren Sellmayer, and Danielle and Nicholas Paquin. Her husband David B. Sellmayer predeceased her. She is also survived by three nieces and one nephew.

Sister Jane was a graduate of Nott Terrace High School, Schenectady, N.Y. and St. Mary School of Nursing, Rochester, N.Y. After her children were grown, she worked as a nurse mainly with geriatric patients. She was active in the Fall River Diocesan Council of Catholic Women. Sister Jane entered the Holy Union Sisters in Brockton in 1989 and pronounced her final vows on Aug. 14, 1994 at St. Bridget Church, Abington. Her first ministry was as a pastoral associate at St. Bridget’s Parish, Abington.

In 2000 she became a parttime pastoral associate at Our Lady of the Assumption Parish, Osterville, and part-time parish nurse at Holy Rosary Parish, Fall River. At Our Lady of the Assumption Parish, Osterville she served as spiritual advisor to the Women’s Guild, on the St. Vincent de Paul Society, the Parish Council, the Pro-Life Committee and the parish Vocation Team.

After her retirement in 2012, she continued to serve as an extraordinary minister of Holy Communion at Cape Cod Hospital, and to home-bound parishioners and volunteered with the Holy Union Sisters at The Landmark, Fall River.

A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated on July 13 at St. Mary’s Church, Mansfield. Burial followed in St. Mary’s Cemetery, Mansfield.

Donations in Sister Jane’s memory may be made to the Holy Union Sisters Mission Advancement Office, P.O. Box 410, Milton, Mass. 02186-0006.

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Around the Diocese Good Shepherd Parish in Fall River will be holding its fourth annual feast on August 9-10 from 5 to 10 p.m. and on August 11 from 12:30 to 8 p.m. Live entertainment will include King’s Row, Summer School, St. Cecilia’s Band and Brianna Grace. Food tent will be serving Portuguese, Polish and American menu items. There will be games and activities for people of all ages, a Portuguese bazaar, Chinese auction, artisans, vendors and much more. For more information call 508-678-7412 or visit www.gsfallriver.com.

The Women’s Guild of St. John Neumann Parish, 257 Middleboro Road in East Freetown, invites all to its annual Summer Barn Sale held in the parish barn on August 10 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. This oneday barn sale has a large selection of items to choose from and the prices “can’t be beat.” Admission is free.

Catholic author and CatholicMom.com contributor Allison Gingras will present a day retreat for women titled “Seeking the Hope of Trusting God” on August 17 from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. in the parish center of Holy Family Church, 438 Middleboro Avenue in East Taunton. The day will include inspiring talks, music, box lunch, water/coffee and an opportunity for the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

For more information or to register, visit: www.ReconciledToYou. com/events or call 508-243-1133.

Massachusetts’ first-ever Day of Evangelization will take place at St. Vincent de Paul Parish in Attleboro on August 24 starting at 8 a.m. Parishioners will go door-to-door around the local community.

All volunteers are welcome to join them. For more information, call 508-226-1115 or visit the parish website at www.stvincentattleboro. org.

The Lazarus Ministry of Our Lady of the Cape Parish in Brewster is offering a six-week Bereavement Support Program called “Come Walk With Me” that begins September 12 and runs through October 17 from 6:30 to 8 p.m. each night. The program meets for six weeks at the parish center and is designed for people who have experienced the loss of a loved one within the past year. Pre-registration is required and there is a $10 charge for materials. For more information or to pre-register, call 508-385-3252 or 508-394-0616.

St. Mary’s Prayer Group is hosting a Life in the Spirit Weekend on September 21 from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. and on September 22 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Our Lady Queen of Martyrs Parish Center, 385 Central Avenue (Route 152) in Seekonk. Registration is required by September 5. A fee of $10 is requested to help cover the cost of materials and Sunday dinner. Please make checks payable to St. Mary’s Prayer Group, c/o Mrs. Rita Beaudet, 191 Greenfield Street, Seekonk, Mass. 02771. To register or for further information, call Rita (508-399-7519) or Bev (508-399-7076).

Crafters are wanted for the Holiday Fair to be held at St. Mary’s Parish, 106 Illinois Street in New Bedford, on November 9-10. For more information, contact Linda at 508-995-4166.

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The Anchor

August 2, 2013

Parish outreach to young parents? There’s an app for that Joliet, Ill. (CNA) — Father John Belmonte noticed two things about the millennial generation — they were scarce in the pews, and they were always on their smartphones.

Since many millennials — people ages 18-34 — are now young parents, Father Belmonte had an idea to bridge the gap by “evangelizing, education, and re-engaging” this demographic through the “We Parent More” app.

“We wanted to make it a technological piece in the New Evangelization,” Father Belmonte said.

The app has six different buttons which include information on the Catholic faith, blogs from young

Catholic parents, Mass and Confession times for parishes across the United States, and games for kids.

Parishes can also subscribe to the app and use it as “an electronic, updated bulletin” to provide parents with information about Church happenings at the local level.

“We’re not reading parish bulletins anymore,” Father Belmonte said. “This generation is really living on their smartphones. We need to reach out to them at this really key moment in life.”

Users of the app started locally in the Diocese of Joliet, Ill., where Father Belmonte serves as superin-

tendent of Catholic schools. Numbers quickly grew to 1,200 users, from parishes across the country, from Anchorage, Alaska to Atlanta, Ga. So far, the app has received positive reviews.

“Our analysis of the usership shows our users are on the app an average of 18 minutes a day, which is a significant amount of time,” Father Belmonte said, “People see the need for it and understand the need for the application.”

As the word gets out, Father Belmonte hopes more and more parishes and pastors take advantage of the app with the goal of keeping parents connected and most importantly keep them coming to Mass.

“One of the taglines is, ‘Get off your app and go to Mass,’” Father Belmonte said. “We’d really like to see more of this demographic (at church).”

To learn more, visit: www.weparentmore.org.

We Parent More app. (CNA photo by Victor Pap)

To advertise in The Anchor, contact Wayne Powers at 508-675-7151 or Email waynepowers@ anchornews.org