VOL. 45,
N~. 32
• Friday, ABpst ~ 2811
Southeastern Massachusetts' Largest Weekly • $14 Per Year
FALL RIVER, MASS.
Catholic Social Services faces cutback of low-income housing -
.
By JAMES N.
• CAROL HERNANDEZ
DUNBAR
on the list in public housing on hold since about the beFALL RIVER - Even as the Fall River diocese's ginning of this year:' Hernandez said. . As recent as this Sunday, Fall River Mayor Edward Catholic Social Services struggles to find homes for hundreds temporarily housed in area motels, a municipal pro- M. Lambert Jr. asserted that the city has been bearing an unfair and unequal share of housing of the region's poor, po~ to slice low-income public housing appears devasand said it is time other commutabng. nities meet the comtment to "The.most recent announcecare for their own low-income me~t by Fall River City officials '~t any given time there are 20 residents. that they want to scale-back iowfamilies sleeping overnight in cars Lambert was quoted by the income housing units will most certainly cause a greater problem in Fall River and New Bedford; and Providence Journal on Sunday as as we try to find housing for those another 50 sleeping in cars on the saying: ''We should not be asked to be the housing authority for the who can't afford to pay existing Cape," rents, even get a first month's rent - Arlene McNamee, LCSW, state," after people were priced out of Boston and other real estogether and who are paying so Director, Catholic Social tate markets. much they CaD't afford to eat:' Services, Diocese of Fall River State law demands communisaid Carol Hernandez, coordinaties to provide at least 10 percent tor ofclient applicants for the Fall . of its housing stock to low income River Area for Catholic Social residents. Fall River reportedly has 17.3 percent of its Services. . Morethan 50 homeless families are being temporarily housing as low income. In essence, Lambert and the city have been mul,ling housed at the state's expense in the Capri Motel in the razing of 100 public housing units at Watuppa Heights ~artmou~and the Hillside Motel in Mattapoisett, accord109 to estimates from the state Department of Transitional as well as downsize similar units at Pleasant View. Both were build in the 1950s. Lambert is also reported as sayAssistance. . "The reason the numbers are so high is that Fall River's ing he would like to hand back a $12.8 million Departcity administration. has put the matter of placing families Tum to page 13 - Housing
Massachusetts Appeals Dominican non tolling bells Court limits abortion in effort to end death penalty protesters' 'spe'ech ~
BY JAMES N. DuNBAR BOSTON - Members of the Massachusetts-based Pro-Life I.egal Defense Fund are molling whether to appeal last week's decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals in Boston that creates speech RSIIiction zones around abortion facilities in the state. The decision by a tIHee judge panel of the Appeals Court in the FllSt Circuit reportedly means dial legislators in Massachusetts and other states within the court's jurisdiction would be free to target ProLifers With special laws aimed at squelching their right to speak while accommodating the ~ of proabortion advocates. The decision, in die case ofAnne McGuire and others v. Thomas F. Reilly and others. was authoR:d by Judge Bruce M. Selya and joiDcd by Senior Cin:uitCourtludgeFmnt. M. Coffin and Judge Sandra L.· Lynch. They sent the case blIck. 110
the trial court. In essence, the decision reversed U.S. District Court Iudge Edward F. Hmingtoo's decision in enjoining the implementation of the so caDed"Buffe£Zone"billenactedby the [.qisla.nfe and signed by former Gov. Paul Cellucci in August 2000. According to Attorney Daniel Avila, associate ~r of Policy and ~ the Massachusetts Catholic Conference, the most contmwlSial portion. of the unanimous ruling contended that state legislalive hearings in Massachusetts "yieIdedsolidevidencethatabortion protesters are particularly aggressive." thus wammting the unequal imposition ofgovernmental restrictioos and penalties. "I1Io6e restrictions and penalties, in the court's own judgment, "dearly affect anti-abortion protestas more dian other groups." D"Avoliosaysasargued.bythe Tum 10 page 13 - Court
of
FALL RIVER - Keeping the eyes of the . tal punishinent in our state," she added. "I agree with Bishop O'Malley that getting Catholic community focused on the ongoing campaign to see the death penalty abolished in out the word of the 'For Whom the Bells Toll' their respective states and hopefully across program might cause churches and groups there America has been a priority of most American to get involved;' Sister Briggs said. "Because'this whole effort has taken on a life bishops. . . But Dominican Sister Dorothy Briggs of of its own I'm not sure whether groups or churches in the Diocese of Fall River are actuMedford has decided to add another faculty the ear - in her "For Whom the Bells Toll" ally yet participating." /" "' In essence, participating parprogram. ~. ishes and groups ring bells for The innovative nationwide initia" two minutes .at 6 p.m., on the tive has cooperating religious orga') night of any and every execunizations and .churches throughout ) tion in the United States, the the country tolling their 'I tradition time that the Angelus is bells whenever there is rung. . an execution. "I never intended this to be just Siste"r Briggs has " a Catholics effort," Sister Briggs directed the program . . ( noted. ''My intention was and is since last September to ~ave people of all faiths infrom her home, sending out nearly volved and we do have mariy 1,000 letters to church-related organizanon-Catholic groups." tions and groups. More than 100 churches in 38 states across "Your Bishop O'Malley, (Bishop Sean P. O'Malley, OFM Cap.) was very supportive and the nation are currently participating, although endorsed our efforts;' Sister Briggs said in a the greatest number of supporters are in Kentucky, llIinois and Michigan, Sister Briggs rerecent interview with The Anchor. . "I am aware that Bishop O'Malley has writ- ported. Endorsements and supporters also ·include ten a wonderful pastoral against the death penalty as well as having written to every legisla- Sister Briggs' order; the American Friends Sertor in the Fall River diocese urging them to con- vice Committee's criminal justice program in Tum to page 13 - Bells tinue the current de facto ban on the use'of capi-
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