The ANCHOR An Anchor 01 the Soul, Sure and Firm-Sf. Paul
Fall Rivel', Mass., Thursday, Aug. 21, 1975 Vol. 19, No. 34 © 1975 The Anchor $5.D:~~~E~:
N. l Religious Ed (ongress This Weekend in Hartford Thousands of teachers of religion from ail six New England states will convene in Hartford, Conn., this weekend August 2324, for the New England Congress of Religious Education. To be centered in Hartford's new Civic Center, the Congress will draw delegates from all eleven Catholic dioceses of the region. The Congress this year, f!?r the first time, has been coordinated jointly by the eleven Cath-
olic Sees .of New England. Four themes to be discussed under the overall "Faith Alive" theme are Spirituality and Theology, Catechetics, Human Potential, and Evangelization. The opening session to take place at 10 a.m. on Saturday was. prepared by the Fall River Diocese. Rev. Michel G. Methot planned the readings and songs based on a living faith. The visual presentation accompanying
Bishop Urges Warm Refugee Welcome Most Rev. Daniel A. Cronin, S.T.D., Bishop of the Diocese of Fall River, has issued the following statement regarding settlement of refugees froin So. East Asia. "Massachusetts joins our friends throughout the country in welcoming the refugees from Southeast Asia who may wish to make their home with us. We extend a particular welcome to those who have come to Massachusetts. In former times:, war-tom people have fled from death, destruction, and tyranny. They came from almost every conti-
nent to America to seek freedom and to live in peace. The history of participation of the Catholic Church in the process of resettlement has been a glorious one. The Church is now desirous of responding to the needs of the Viet-namese refugees, of cooperating with other public and private agencies in the resettlement process, thuS' extending and enriching that history. We see them as a potential enrichment of our labor force. We see them as culturally motivated toward personal and financial independence. We are Tum to Page Three
LIBERTY and JUSTICE FOR ALL By Rev. Joseph I. Dirvin, C.M.
Elizabeth Ann Bayley Seton was born Aug. 28, 1774, just a few days before the first Continental Congress met in Philadelphia to talk about social justice. She was nine years old when the colonists had done something about it by wresting their independence from Great BrItain. Many other social injustices remained, even in the idealistic young nation, such as slavery, poverty, and inequity of income, but they were either not recognized as such or ignored. It was too early a point in history. Elizabeth acquired early, however, a spirit of social compassion - which is a great step toward ·social justice - and her efforts to alleviate human misery and ignorance were steps leading inevitably. t{) the present common concern with uprooting their causes. # Her first lesson was the example {)f her grandfather, Father Richard Charlton, who as a young curate of New York's Trinity Episcopal Church was catechist to all the black slaves of the city and truly their friend. He was even an early practition. er of integration, instructing his black and white converts side by side in the same class. Then there was the example of her father, first heaIth officer of
New York, who tended the poor more than the rich and actually laid down his life for the sick poor, dying of yellow fever contraced from -Iri$ immigrants. In 1797 she founded, along with other charitable Protestant matrons, the Widows' Society in New York, to sew for and feed and nurse poor widows and orphans. She and her sister-in-law Rebecca Seton became so identified with good works that they were fondly and prophetically
the song Pass It On was prepared by the James Meloni family of Attleboro. Mrs. Ann Me· loni is coordinator of St. Mark's Parish, Attleboro }o<alls. The opening song, Men of Faith, reminds us that a faith,truly responsive and alive seeks out those most in need of God's care and love. This will be followed by a Welcoming Address by the Mayor of Hartford, prayers and readings by Archbishop John F. Whealon of Hart· ford, Rev. Lawrence Hughes, co· director of the Congress, and Monsignor John Fradet, retiring Director of Religious Education, Burlington, Vermont. The final song, PasS' It On·, .along with the visual presentation, will serve as a reminder to renew our enthusiasm for the dignity and responsibility of passing on the faith we share. Tum to Page Four
List Diocese In Top Ten
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28th NEW ENGLAND CONGRESS OF RELIGIOUS EDUCATION AUGUST 23-24, 1975 HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT
Recently released statistics from the Glenmary Research Center in Washington, D. C. show that out of the 156 dioceses - in the United States Fall River ranks 7th in ratio of priests to the total population. In the Fall River Diocese there is o·ne priest for every 594 per!lons. Only the Diocese of Worcester with one priest for every 534 people ranked high. er than Fall River in New England and in the Northeast. The Diocese of Providence and the Archdiocese of Boston, Fall River's neighboring dioceses, also ranked high in the statistics. Boston was listed as 12th in the nation with one priest for every 616 persons and Turn to Page Five
CATHOLIC SCHOOL DEPARTMENT SCHOOL CALENDAR 1975 - 1976 MONDAY THRU FRIDAY OCTOBER 1975
SEPTEMBER 1975
Tum to Page Fifteen 8 15 22 29
9 16 23 30
3 10 17 24
4 11 18 25
5 12 19 26
6 (13) 20 27
7 14 21 28
20 Days
5 12 19 26
1 7 8 6 13 14 (15) 20 21 22 27 28 29 - 19 Days
2) 9 16 23* 30
2 9 (16 23
4 11 18 25
5 12 19 26
(6 13 20 27
3 4 5 10 11 12 17 18 19 24 -25 26 15 Days
7)b 14 21 28
7 14
1 8 15
2 9 16 14 Days
18 Days
3 10 17 24 31
3 4 5 6 10 (11) 12 13 17 18 [l9] 20 24 25 26 (27 17 Days
3 10 17
DECEMBER 1975 7* 14 21 28)
1 8 15 22 29
6 13 201 27
4 11 18*
1 8 15 22 29
2 3 4 9 [l01 11 16 17 18 23 24 25 30 31 23 Days
2 9 16 23 30
3 4 10 11 17 18 (24 25 31 17 Days
5 12 19 26
APRil 1976
MARCH 1976
JUNE 1976
MAY 1976 3 10 17 24 (31)
1 2 [8] 9 15 16 22 23 29 30 22 Days
NOVEMBER 1975
FEBRUARY 1976
JANUARY 1976
FATHER nIRVIN
I
5 12 19 26
5 12 (19 26
6 13 20 27
1 7 8 14 15 21 22 28 29 16 Days
2* 9 (16)a 23) : 30
Total Days = 181 )= Holiday or vacation; no school session 1 = Professional day; schools close at end of morning session for staff in-service programs * = End of Quarter. Examinations _given during this week; report cards issued within week following. a = Good Friday b = Catholic Education Convention