t eanc 0 VOL. 42, NO. 31 •
Friday, August 14, 1998
FALL RIVER, MASS.
FALL RIVER DIOCESAN NEWSPAPER FOR SOUTHEAST MASSACHUSETTS CAPE COD & THE ISLANDS Southeastern Massachusetts' Largest Weekly
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St. Stan's pilgrims seek spiritual roots in Europe •
Journey takes them to Poland and Italy for more than they bargained for. By JAMES N. DUNBAR
FALL RIVER - When 42 members and friends ofSt. Stanislaus Parish decided to join pastor Father Robert S. Kaszynski on a pilgrimage to search the original roots of the parish in Europe they had no idea of the rich spiritual journey on which they were embarking. The I5-day adventure took them to the village of Szczepanow outside Krakow, Poland, wherf: parish patron St. Stanislaus was born in 1030; to the International Headquarters of the Divine Mercy where Blessed Faustina served as portress and where she died in 1938; to the Nazi death camp at Auschwitz; to the shrine of Our Lady of Czestochowa and to the crypt chapel at Assisi in Italy where St. Stanislaus was canonized. There was also an inspirational trip to Pietrelcina in Southern Italy where they heard about ·famed stigmatist, Capuchin Father Padre Pio and his marvelous and often miraculous ministry of reconcilia-
tion and healing. "All in all, it was the mos~ enriching and spiritually moving pilgrimage I have taken in all of the 38 years our parish has been making these annual pilgrimages" Father Kaszynski, who is widely known as "Father K," said. The idea originated two years ago during the parish's centennial anniversary. "We felt we woul~ like to touch base with the original roots of St. Stan's that brought abou~ the parish that was 100 percent Polish in 1898 and part of the Polish ghetto in this city's south end," Father K reported. ' Although the parish membership currently includes 13 or 14 nationalities, the pastor, who has been at St. Stan's for more than 36 years, said he realized "That part of the richness of an ethnic parish is not that others would buy into Polishness. Rather, it is that Polish, Slavic culture brings its richness as a way of augmenting what is American culture." He added that: "Slavic spirituality brings its own depth of richness to liturgy and devotional life in general." Since the trip usually involves a second country, the group this year Turn to page nine - St. Stan's
Maronite parishes prepare for Jubilee Year 2000 •
Icon of Christ will be hosted by local Maronite churches in Fall River and New Bedford.
ish is putting together a pamphlet about the Maronites. "There's a strong movement to let people know, especially young people, who the Maronites are and what our history is," said Ferris. He added that the parish has been sayBy MIKE GORDON ing Pope John Paul II's Jubilee ANCHOR STAFF prayer after every Mass as part of the preparations and celebration. FALL RIVER-Maronite At the 35th convention of the churches throughout thf: region have been making plans and National Apostolate of Maronites, preparations to celebrate the Jubi- held recently in Pittsburgh, Msgr. lee Year 2000 and two local Ronald Beshara gave a review of churches of the Eparchy, St. An- millennium preparations and ofthony of the Desert in Fall River fered some thoughts. "We must be centered on buildand Our Lady of Purgatory In New ing wisdom and knowledge and Bedford, will take part in some EMBROIDERY ON an old chasuble depicts the bodily assumption of the Blessed Virgin opening minds, to make space special events as part of that celdaily to the catechists of the Gos- Mary into heaven. (eNS photo by John Pole) ebration. Msgr. Nonnan J. Ferris, pastor pel," said Msgr. Beshara. The Eparchy of St. Maron, of S1.. Anthony's, said he is lookbased in Brooklyn, N.Y., covers ing forward to the jubilel~ and his Because.ithe·feast celebrating M~r¥·s~~sumptio~ heaven falls on Satursome 16 eastern states. parish has been working on sevday, Aug.lp, it 'will still be a holy day f()~ ~~tin-rite Ca., ' but not a holy day of Msgr. Beshara spoke of people eral projects. "We're putting toobligation..ln1991, the U.S. bishops lifted ~he oblig~ ... . t feast falls on a wanting more spirituality in their gether a shortened book of the brelives. "I suggest that what is unSaturday Mohday. Th'b' liturgical celebration of t ',"".' "i~. ..I·. ins the same. viary for parishioners and hope ., they will pray those prayers regu- folding in the hearts and minds of The only diffe'rence is that the obligation to attend~s is lifte,~~holics are still larly. We're also planning a pil- the human family is an age of invited and encouraged to celebrate the feast by attending Mass. qur Lady of the grimage to S1.. Anthony of Padua awareness," he said, adding that _ many people today are experiencAssumption is the patroness of the Diocese of Fall River. in Lawrence, with other parishes." Turn to page three Maronite Msgr. Ferris also said his par-
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