e VOL. 46, NO. 32
• Friday, August 30, 2002
FALL RIVER, MASS.
Southeastern Massachusetts' Largest Weekly • $14 Per Year
Thousands enjoy Great Feast of the Holy Ghost
A NEW teacher orientation was sponsored August 22 at Bishop Connolly High School, Fall River, by the Catholic Education Center. About 60 new teachers and many veteran instructors attended. From left are Gary Porter, Bishop Feehan, Attleboro; Principal Denise Peixoto, St. Mary-Sacred Heart School, North Attleboro; Kristen Gay, first-year teacher from St. Mary-Sacred Heart; and fellow teacher Courtney Sandham. (Anchon'Gordon photo)
FALL RIVER - The Great Feast of the Holy Ghost of New England attracted more than 250,000 people to five days of religious and festive events that concluded Monday evening with a banquet at White's of Westport. According to Luis Silva of Fall River, public relations officer for the 17th annual summer celebration, visitors and pilgrims came from Portugal, the Azores, Canada, California and nearby Rhode Island as well as New Jer-
sey and Connecticut. Dozens of buses carrying visitors arrived and were parked in lower Kennedy Park. "Police estimated the combined attendance at all of the events, many held in upper Kennedy Park and others in nearby St. Anne's Church, at some 250,000," Silva reported. The Holy Ghost Feast is also celebrated in all nine Azorean Islands, where it ha~ survived since Tum to page eight - Feast
Diocesan schools open doors to an estimated 9,000 students By DEACON JAMES N.
DuNBAR
FALL RIVER - Catching up with busy SuperintendentofSchools George A Milot in the hectic week before school starts always means an interview on _the run. Nevertheless, it is traditionally upbeat, and was so again this year. "We have a mandatory marriage
preparation course in place in the high schools; we're bent on updating the religious curriculum for all students; and we're also coordinating the ~vailability for teachers to continue their education with master's degrees at two local colleges," said Milot in a thumbnail sketch of what's new as schools
opened. Caught between meetings and en . route to a conference at UMassDartmouth, Milot talked assertively BANNER EMBLAZONED with a white dove, symbol of about the dedicated planning and the Holy Spirit, is carried in the procession during Sunday's what's immediately ahead. Students in the diocese's Catho- events of the Great Feast of the Holy Ghost of New England lic high schools and some elemen- that drew hundreds of thousands of visitors to Fall River last weekend. (Photo courtesy of Luis Silva) Tum to page I3 - School
Area groups to host day-long gatherings Catholics to rekindle faith at FIRE Rally in Hyannis .. 7'5 inspirational events at Cape Cod Melody Tent include Mass and speakers.
~ September
HYANNIS - Hoping to imitate its successful 1995 turnout, the Cape Cod Prayer Group Deanery is again sponsoring the allday FIRE Rally on September 7 featuring noted authors, TV personalities, lecturers and evangelists. The event, which begins with a Mass at 9 a.m., celebrated by Bishop Sean P. O'Malley, OFM Cap., is hailed as an old-time revival meeting presented by the FIRE Team of the Franciscan University in Steubenville, Ohio. FIRE, an acronym that stands for Faith, Intercession, Repentance and Evangelism, is the key to Catholics renewing their relationship with God through prayer, turning back to a Christ-centered life, and holding up their baptismal commitment to spread the Gospel. Tum to page I3 - FIRE
Charismatic prayer groups planning day of recollection ~
Prayers, reflections and songs will center on pres-
~rice of the Holy Spirit.
TAUNTON - Members of Portuguese charismatic prayer . groups from parishes in the Fall River and Providence dioceses will gather September 7 at St. Anthony's Parish here for a day of recollection. "It will be a full retreat day, a day of prayer, reflection and song, beginning at 8 a.m., and lasting until 7 p.m.," said Father Jose AF. dos Reis of Our Lady of Health Parish, Fall River, who is a director of the event and also has a parish group that will be participating. Father Daniel O. Reis, pastor of Immaculate Conception Parish in New Bedford, Father Henry S. Arruda, pastor of St. Anthony's, the host parish; and Father John J. Oliveira, pastor of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish, New Bedford, are co-directors assisted by a Tum to page I3 - Charismatic