09.02.94

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eanco VOL. 38, NO. 34

• Friday, September 2, J994

FALL RIVER, MASS.

FALL RIVER DIOCESAN NEWSPAPER FOR SOUTHEAST MASSACHUSETTS CAPE COD & THE ISLANDS Southeastern Massachusetts' Largest Weekly

• $11 Per Year

Stewardship chairman at Wichita conference Father Marcel H. Bouchard, pastor of Sacred Heart parish, North Attleboro, and chairperson of the Diocesan Stewardship Committee, recently attended a stewardship conference organized by the dioceseof Wichita, Kansas. He was present at the parley at the invitation of Dan Loughman, director of Development and Stewardship for the Wichita diocese and a member of the parish stewardship committee of St. Francis of Assisi Church in Wichita. Loughman and his wife Carolyn, as well as Dale and Alice Wiggins, also of St. Francis of Assisi, will speak at Father Bouchard's parish the weekend of Nov. 6 and 7, before attending a National Catholic Stewardship Conference to be held in Boston Nov. 7 to 9. Father Bouchard said that Bishop Sean O'Malley has .invited priests and permanent deacons of the Fall River diocese to attend the Boston meeting and has also asked pastors to sponsor the attendance of at least one parishioner. In Wichitil The Wichita conference had

PA YING TRIBUTE: Police officers line Linden Street in Fall River as the funeral wagon carrying the coffin of slain officer Thomas Giunta arrives at Sacred Heart Church. (Hickey photo)

City mourns slain police officer By Marcie Hickey In celebrating th<: Mass of Christian Burial for his parishioner, Fall River police officer Thomas Giunta, Sacred Heart Church pastor Father Edward J. Byington noted that while mourning the senseless shooting which took the officer's life "can't bring Tommy back," it can become the "spark which will ignite our action" in countering a culture of violence with "the virtues offaith, hope and love." Giunta, 49, was shot Aug. 24 by an apparently deranged man while handing out parking permits for the Holy Ghost Feast, held in Fall River last weekend at St. Anne's Church and Kennedy Park. Bishop Sean O'Malley presided at Giunta's Aug. 29 Mass, which had 10 concelebrants. The bishop told the congregation of Giunta's family, friends, colleagues and stat,~ and local dignitaries, including Governor William Weld, that th<: murder of the policeman was an alarming indi-

cator of "the cheapening of the value of human life." In times of tragedy, the bishop said, "Our faith in. the Lord's resurrection gives liS strength," and comfort can be found in Jesus' words that "to lay down one's life for one'sfriepds is'the supreme act of love." The loss of the popular officer, the first Fall River police officer killed in the line of duty since 1973, "deeply moved" the entire community and is a reminder of the "debt of gratitude" owed not only to the officers who daily risk their lives for others but to their families, who "share in the uncertainties and perilous existence of law enforcement," saiq Bishop O'Malley. "Today, before the body of our fallen brother, we: pledge to work together to builq a civilization based on love and trust," the bishop concluded. Father Byingto'n, who is chaplain of the Fall River police department, said it, will always be

_---111 This Issue' AIDS Ministry One Ye~lr Old PagE~

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remembered that Giunta died "while doing nice things for people." The 21-year policeman was well-known for his concern for children, and as public safety officer was a frequent visitor to local schools. The priest told the congregation, still shaken and "scared" by the senselessness of the killing, that the "savage violence" plaguing our streets has no solution except morality based on faith in God. Underlying the violence, he said, is a loss of faith: "We think we do not need God"; a lack of hope; and an absence of love for even "the least of our creatures." The cheapening of human life begins with the unborn, he said. "If society encourages violence in the womb, should we be surprised if we have violence on the streets?" Father Byington added that Giunta's funeral was an occasion to remember that our lives are not Turn to Page II

"Nurturing Discipleship" as its theme, said Father Bouchard. General presentations were given by Archbishop James P. Keleher of Kansas City, Kansas, who discussed "Spirituality in Action"; Wichita Bishop Eugene J. Gerber, liturgy homilist; and Wichita Vicar General Ronald M. Gilmore, whose opening address had "Reflection and Challenge" as its topic. Workshop subjects were "Stewardship: A Practical Approach"; "Fostering Stewardship through Parish Planning"; "Youth: Future Success of Stewardship"; and" Annual Parish Stewardship Renewal Process." The focus of the conference, said Father Bouchard, was on stewardship as a way of life, rather than merely as a means of raising funds for church support. The concept was presented as an invitation of parishioners to "planned, proportioned and intentional" giving of time and talent as well as treasure. In line with this, the Wichita presentations did not deal directly Turn to Page II

Social contract at risk says usee labor statment WASHINGTON (CNS) - Many see the social contract between workers and employers unraveling amid a changing relationship between employees and their bosses, said the U.S. Catholic Conference's 1994 Labor Day statement. "The expectation is that an employee who works hard, follows the rules and increases the productivity of the company will receive an adequate family wage, other benefits and a job until paid retirement," said the statement by Baltimore Auxiliary Bishop John H. Ricard, chairman of the USCC Committee on Domestic Policy. "The company, on the other hand, gets a skilled employee who is loyal. punctual, productive and who will use the training and skills developed on the job for the best interests of the company," Bishop Ricard said. "Yet many observers see this social contract unraveling as ties between employer and employee come loose, with less sens(: of common task, less mutual loyalty and much more uncertainty and distrust." Bishop Ricard suggested, "It may

be time to revisit the [U .S. bishops' 1986J economic pastoral and its call for new forms of partnerships and cooperation between those whose investment and management provide jobs and products and those whose daily work is the source of prosperity." The statement, "Work: Still at the Center of the Social Question," was released Aug. 25. Bishop Ricard noted that "Economic Justice for All," the bishops' pastoral on the economy, calls for new labor-management partnerships that could lead to less adversarial relations. However, it says, such partnerships are only possible when "both groups possess real freedom and power to influence decisions." "We have seen," Bishop Ricard said, "the erosion of the balance Turn to Page II

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Anchor Will Be at Cairo

Wedding Vows Included Poor

Farewell to Summer

Msgr. Higgins Looks Back

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