08.28.92

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t eanc 0 VOL. 36, NO. 34

Friday, August 28, 1992

FALL RIVER DIOCESAN NEWSPAPER FOR SOUTHEAST MASSACHUSETTS CAPE COD & THE ISLANDS

F ALL RIVER, MASS.

Southeastern Massachusetts' Largest Weekly

$11 Per Year

He touched nearly everyone

Msgr. Anthony 'Gomes dies at 77

NAZARETH CAMPERS Brian Boissoneau (left) and Kenny Stanko were among those meeting Bishop Sean O'Malley during the bishop's first visit to the Westport grounds ofSt. Vincent de Paul, Catholic Boys and Nazareth day camps. Story, more pictures page 11. (Breen photo)

Republicans support life, school choice, also death penalty, gun' possession HOUSTON (CNS) - The platform adopted at the Republican National Convention in Houston reflects support for the U.S. bishops' stands on abortion and educational choice but differs from them on such issues as the death penalty, welfare reform and gun control. "We believe that most problems of human making are within the capacity of human ingenuity to solve," said the 95-page document approved with little debate. The platform's strong call for restrictions on abortion - including a constitutional amendment against it - was its most controversial selection in pre-convention discussion, "We believe the unborn child has a fundamental individual right to life which cannot be infringed," the platform says, "We therefore reaffirm our support for a human life amendment to the Constitution, and we endorse legislation to make clear that the 14th Amendment's protections apply to unborn children. We oppose using public revenues for abortion and will not

A priest who in one way or another touched nearly everyone in the Fall River diocese during his years ofactive ministry died August 23. Msgr. Anthony M. Gomes, 77, was for 29 years pastor of Our Lady of Angels parish, Fall River, until his retirement in June, 1990. But that was only the beginning of his commitments. In September 1967, while remaining a pastor, he was named moderator of Fall River District I of the Diocesan Council of Catholic Women, coordinator of the, annual Bishop's Ball, and assistant director of the Catholic Charities Appeal. In 1969 he assumed directorship of the Appeal and in 1983 became diocesan moderator for the Diocesan Council of Catholic Women, holding both positions, as well as that of Ball coordinator, until he , retired. Direction of the Appeal and Ball, both virtually year-round tasks, demanded much of Msgr. Gomes' time, but never interfered with 7 a.m. and 4 p.m. daily Masses at Our Lady of Angels, nor with daily home communion calls in the 1,300-family parish both before and after the 7 a.m. Mass. For many years the pastor was alone in the parish, with the exception of visiting priests who assisted

him with the nine weekend Masses at Our Lady of Angels. Despite his busy schedule, Msgr. Gomes seldom missed a University of Notre Dame football game, whether away or at home. A 1938 graduate of the university, his devotion to its team, which he served for years as a chaplain, was legendary, extending to the setting

MSGR. ANTHONY GOMES

up of a Fighting Irish room at his rectory, from which souvenirs overflowed to his Catholic Charities office. His affection was reciprocated. In 1982 he was named Man of the Year by area Notre Dame alumni and he proudly wore a ring designed for members of the university's 1988 championship football team. Engraved on the ring are the words: "Truth-Love-Commitment." Those words, noted Jean Judge, retired Lifestyle editor of the Fall River Herald News, in a June 3, 1990 interview with Msgr. Gomes, recurred again and again in a volume of retirement tributes to the priest compiled by Diocesan Council of Catholic Women members. She added that "Through the years, he has tried to live by the Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi and continued to believe that 'a priest comes to serve rather than be served,' that as Christ went about doing good, so should a priest." But the pastor shrugged off his crowded agenda, saying "God managed it; managed to give me the time to do it all. I've just been doing what I should be doingI've loved every day of it." The other day Ms. Judge recalled that after her interview appeared, Msgr. Gomes called her and comTurn to Page 13

Pope begs for peace in Balkans

LORENZAGO DI CADORE, Italy (CNS) - Pope John Paul II renewed his "pressing appeal" for peace in the former Yugoslavian republics after church officials gave fund organizations which advocate ,pessimistic assessments about endit." Despite efforts by Republicans ing the war soon. He supported "important interfor Choice and the National Republican Coalition for Choice and national initiatives" to work out a a comment by first lady Barbara peace plan to be carried out as Bush that abortion was a personal quickly as possible. The pope spoke Aug. 23 during issue that had no place in the platform, the abortion section of the his Sunday midday Angelus talk from Lorenzago di Cad ore, in the platform was not changed. On ed ucational choice, the plat- northern Italian mountains where form backed the right of parents he was vacationing. In the audience "to choose for their children among were refugees from Bosnia-Herzegthe broadest array of educational ovina, scene of fierce fighting. The papal appeal was preceded choices, without regard· to their by establishment of diplomatic income." It did not outline a specific pro- relations between the Vatican and gram of tuition tax credits or Bosnia-Herzegovina Aug. 20. The vouchers for parents of children in Vatican announcement expressed private or parochial schools. Pres- hope that the move would help ident George Bush has proposed a bring peace, But church officials witnessing pilot program that he has dubbed the fighting were pessimistic about the GI Bill for Children, The Republican platform also an end to the war any time soon. echoed the U.S. bishops' Adminis"The situation is getting worse trative Board's 1992 statement on from day to day," said Father Mila political responsibility or other Anicic, chancellor of the diocese bishops' statements on such issues of Banja Luka, in Serb-controlled as: Bosnia. - Opposition to public school "The Serb majority is putting into practice its so-called 'ethnic Turn to Page 13

cleansing,''' he said in a message prepared for the pope. Ethnic cleansing refers to Serb efforts to rid large sections of Bosnia of non-Serbs, mainly Catholic Croats and Muslim Slavs. Banja Luka has been declared the capital of the Serbian swatch of Bosnia. "It's not a matter of war, because Catholics possess neither arms nor provoke' incidents," said Father Anicic. "It's a case of irrational mistreatment - arrests and deportations - of houses destroyed and of the persecution of Catholics and Muslims inthe territories where they have lived for centuries," he added, Many Catholics have fled, while others, mostly men, are in concentration camps, he said. "Regarding women:children and the elderly, some have been murdered, while others - almost crazed .- hide in the woods," said Father Anicic. Pessimism also was expressed by French Cardinal Roger Etchegaray, who visited Bosnia and Croatia Aug. 14-18 .as a papal envoy. "N 0 one can see a way out in the immediate future," he told Vatican Radio after returning.

Cardinal Etchegaray heads the pontifical councils for jus'tice and peace and "Cor Unum," the Vatican emergency relief agency. He visited the Serbian-besieged Bosnian capital of Sarajevo and camps for displaced people in Bosnia and Croatia. Archbishop Vinko Puljic ofSarajevo has criticized U.N. peacekeeping forces in his area of ignoring church requests for help in obtaining information about deaths and injuries among priests and other church workers in the republic. "It offends us to hear all the stories, by which they IU nited Nations] try to conceal their own avoidance of responsibility for defending the human right to life, as well as the sovereignty of a state which they themselves have recognized," Archbishop Puljic told Croatianjournalists. He charged the peacekeeping forces with serving the interests of the Serbians. "Whenever the Serb side has asked for a cease-fire, it was only to bring a new load of ammunition. Once we'd accepted this cease-fire and the ammunition was delivered, the war started again, even more ferociously," he said.


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08.28.92 by The Anchor - Issuu