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Diocese of Fall River, Mass.

F riday , September 4, 2015

Sacred Heart soup kitchen set to reopen St. Bernadette’s church hall will be new home beginning September 14

By Dave Jolivet Editor davejolivet@anchornews.org

Bishop Edgar M. da Cunha, S.D.V., greeted pastoral care workers from across the diocese after celebrating Mass with them on August 29 at St. Mary’s Parish in South Dartmouth. Father Rodney E. Thibault, pastor, is also diocesan director of the Pastoral Care of the Sick apostolate. The bishop thanked all of the pastoral care workers, saying: “When people are suffering, sometimes we can’t take away their physical pain, or we can’t remove their illness, but we can let them know they are not alone. And that, in itself, makes a huge difference in people’s lives.” (Photo by Kenneth J. Souza)

Martha’s Vineyard parish brings an Edge to its Religious Education program

By Becky Aubut Anchor Staff beckyaubut@anchornews.org

OAK BLUFFS — Though Angela Candreva just moved to Martha’s Vineyard a year ago to become the director of Edge and Life Teen at Good Shepherd Parish in Oak Bluffs, she brings a wealth of knowledge about the programs since she hails from the area of its inception.

“I moved from Arizona, where Edge and Life Teen is from,” said Candreva. “It’s really popular, and I went through it myself.”

FALL RIVER — It was one year ago last week that The Anchor ran the sad news that Sacred Heart Parish, a mainstay in the center of Fall River for nearly a century-and-a-half, would be closing.

The lone bright spot was that the parish’s soup kitchen and food pantry would remain open to serve the hungry hundreds of men, women and children who benefited from hard-working volunteers who helped feed them every Monday. Former pastor Father Raymond Cambra started the kitchen/pantry in 2004, and it remained a passion of his until his transfer to St. Patrick’s Parish in Falmouth in June.

With Father Cambra’s departure and other logistical factors working against it, the much-needed Sacred Heart Soup Kitchen and Food Pantry closed its doors for the final time, also in June.

With some due diligence, prayer and dedicated faithful, the new Sacred Heart Food Kitchen at St. Bernadette’s Parish will begin feeding the hungry again beginning September 14.

Father Jay Maddock, pastor of Holy Name Parish and administrator of St. Bernadette’s Parish, both in Fall River, earlier made an impassioned plea to parishioners to pray for someone to come forward, take the reins so skillfully handled by Father

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Jesuit and Freetown native examines Pope Francis at work

By Linda Andrade Rodrigues Anchor Correspondent seaskyandspirit.blogspot.com FREETOWN — Who is Pope Francis?

According to The Anchor: “The first Jesuit pope; the first non-European pope in a millennium; the first Latin American pope; the first Argentinian pope; humble; compassionate; devoted to the poor; an advocate for social justice; a scholar and teacher; lives simply; rides the bus; a man of the people; unpretentious; wears a white cassock and simple wooden cross; slips out of the Vatican to pay a bill and then again to visit an ailing priest in the hospital; preaches from the pulpit like a parish priest rather than sitting and reading in the tradition of his predecessors; the first pope to choose Francis (with no Roman numeral after his name) in honor of the saint; a servant of the sick and poor.”

“When I see him at work and what he says, he is clearly following the “Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius,” the heart of Jesuit Spirituality,” said Father Paul Michael Sullivan, S.J., a native of Freetown. “Each religious order has its own particular slant on things.”

The founder of the Society of Jesus or the

Jesuits, St. Ignatius Loyola was a 16th-century soldier-turned-mystic who is known for his practical Spirituality. His writings, traditions, practices and Spiritual know-how have offered guidance since 1540.

“The Way of Ignatius” is about finding God in all things, becoming a contemplative in action, recognizing the nearness of God in our own lives, and seeking freedom and detachment.

People of all cultures and faiths are attracted to the pontiff’s personality and style.

“Pope Francis is down-to-earth and interested in the common folk,” said Father Sullivan. “His experience as a bishop in Argentina dealing with the poor in a pastoral sense was a major influence in his life and certainly formative.”

People marvel at the pope’s lack of concern for his own personal safety.

“Well I would have to say he is trusting in God’s providence,” said Father Sullivan. “He is here to serve the people.”

Pope Francis appoints bishops who are involved in people’s lives.

“Bishops need to put aside palatial living Turn to page 18

A native of Freetown, Father Paul Sullivan, S.J., reads at Eastern Point Retreat House in Gloucester, where he served as Spiritual director. (Contributed photo)

News From the Vatican

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September 4, 2015

‘Teach your children how to pray,’ pope tells parents

Vatican City (CNA/ EWTN News) — Pope Francis recently continued his weekly catechesis on the family, saying that parents have the responsibility to teach their children to pray.

Delivering his address to pilgrims and visitors, gathered under the hot sun for the weekly general audience in St. Peter’s Square, the pontiff stressed the importance of teaching children how to show love for God through prayer.

“It is beautiful when mothers teach their little children to blow a kiss to Jesus or to Our Lady.

What tenderness there is in this!” he said.

“In that moment the child’s heart is transformed into a place of prayer. And this is a gift of the Holy Spirit.”

However, in off-the-cuff remarks, the pope lamented how there are children who are not taught the most basic prayers by there parents, a phenomena he said he has witnessed in the city.

“There are children who have not learned how to make the Sign of the Cross!” he said. “You, mother, father! Teach your children how to pray, how to make the Sign of the Cross!”

Children should learn prayer with “the same spontaneity” as when they learn to say “daddy” and “mommy,” so that it stays with them forever, the pope added.

The pope’s recent address was the latest in a series of catechesis dedicated to the family. Since last year, the pontiff has been centering his Wednesday catecheses on this theme as part of the lead-up to the World Meeting of Families in September, as well as October’s Synod of Bishops on the Family.

In his catechesis, delivered in Italian, the Holy Father observed how many Christians know they need prayer, but do not have the time.

“Their regret is sincere, certainly, because the human heart always seeks prayer, even without knowing it; and if it does not find it, it does not have peace.”

It is for this reason that Chris-

tians must cultivate a love for God, he said.

While it is good to believe in God, to have hope in Him to help at difficult times, and to be grateful to Him, Pope Francis asked whether or not we also love Him. He cited the Scripture passage from Deuteronomy, repeated by Christ in Matthew’s Gospel, in which we are called to love God with all our heart, our soul, and strength.

“This formula uses the intense language of love, poured into God,” the pope said.

Pope Francis acknowledged that we are able see God as the One Who gives us life and from Whom even death cannot separate us, the “great Being” and “Judge” Who made all things and controls every act, the pope said. However, these concepts only find their full significance “when God is the love of our loves.”

“God could have simply made us know Him as the Supreme Being, given His Commandments, and awaited the results.”

This He has done, but also “infinitely more,” the pope said, adding in off-the-cuff remarks: “He accompanies us on the path of life. He protects us. He loves us.”

Pope Francis acknowledged how there is little time available in family life. However, by finding time to pray, we “give time back to God.” In so doing, we escape the obsession with not having enough time, rediscover “peace in the important things,” and “discover the joy in unexpected gifts.”

Encouraging the faithful to read the Gospel every day, as he has done on numerous occasions, the Holy Father said this is a particularly important practice for families.

“The Gospel, read and meditated on in the family, is like good bread which nourishes the hearts of everyone,” he said.

Pope Francis concluded: “In the family of prayer, in strong moments and in difficult periods, may we be entrusted to one another, in order that everyone of us in the family may be protected by God’s love.”

Andrew Auer, 21, from the Archdiocese of St. Louis; Joe Cwik, 23, from the Archdiocese of Washington; and Avery Daniel, 22, from the Archdiocese of Atlanta pose for a photo during a softball game at the Pontifical North American College in Rome recently. The seminary recently welcomed 72 men from 48 dioceses to Rome. (CNS Photo/Robert Duncan)

Brand new ballgame: 72 men start lives as seminarians in Rome

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — As ZZ Top’s “Sharp Dressed Man” bellowed across an immaculately groomed sports field not far from St. Peter’s Basilica, a new class of U.S. seminarians faced off against their peers in a fraternal game of softball.

The onlooking fans, who included Vatican officials and seminary staff, said they perceive God’s providence in the starting lineup of 72 men who are beginning their studies at the Pontifical North American College, the U.S. seminary in Rome.

Seeing so many new seminarians “gives us the security that good things are happening in the Church,” said Mexican Archbishop Jorge Patron Wong, secretary for seminaries at the Vatican Congregation for Clergy.

“When I see the new class of North American seminarians,” he said, “I see the presence of God, the presence of the love of God.” The men are signs that “God loves so much the Church, humanity and especially the United States” that He is leading many young people to “experience the call of Christ to give their lives to others.”

Archbishop Patron spoke to Catholic News Service on the sidelines of the softball game as innings changed over and the music of Aerosmith and Bruce Springsteen reverberated over the loudspeaker.

“Thank God we are growing in the numbers,” the archbishop said, “but we are also growing in the quality” of vocations.

Having grown up in a secular country, the young men’s willingness to follow a vocation to priesthood shows they “really want to give a profound sense to their life,” Archbishop Patron said.

The “new men,” after having

spent six weeks intensively learning Italian outside the capital, are given time in August to get to know their brother seminarians.

“There are different age groups, different professions,” said Msgr.

James F. Checchio, the seminary rector. There are “two medical doctors in the group, there are a couple of lawyers who practiced before they came, and then just all kinds of good young men giving their lives to the Lord.”

Most who are sent to the seminary make it to ordination, he said. Out of the total enrollment, which this year is 252 men, only eight or nine leave each year, he added. Half of those who leave go back to seminaries in the United States and the others “discern out” of a vocation to the priesthood.

“Many men when they come here are pretty certain, and I think that’s why the bishops trust them, send them overseas,” Msgr.

Checchio said. “So it’s a blessing for us. It gives us great soil to work with.”

Msgr. Checchio, who has been on the staff of the seminary since 2003 and rector since 2005, has guided men to the priesthood under St. John Paul II, Pope Benedict XVI, and now Pope Francis, who is making his own mark on this generation of seminarians.

“The men are very conscientious of his emphasis on the poor, and reaching out to the poor,” Msgr. Checchio said.

Avery Daniel, a 22-year-old from the Archdiocese of Atlanta, initially discerned his vocation during the pontificate of Pope Benedict. The election of Pope Francis has greatly affected his understanding of the priesthood, he said.

“The Holy Father stresses all the time that a priest has to be

a shepherd who smells like the sheep, a shepherd who is with his people, who knows his people, who loves his people, and serves them all the time, who is always willing to be bothered, to be a true father, a Spiritual father, and certainly that’s something that I’ve taken to heart and something that I want to be,” Daniel said.

For 21-year-old Andrew Auer of the Archdiocese of St. Louis, Pope Francis influenced his thoughts also about life in the seminary.

“One line that I always have to hearken back to and has been very challenging to me and I think a lot of other seminarians,” Auer explained, is when Pope Francis said, “seminarians are not to be princes of the Church,” but rather servants of the Church.

“That’s what I’m called to be and that’s what I’m working toward,” Auer said.

Joe Cwik, 23, from the Archdiocese of Washington, said seminarians have many opportunities to minister to the poor and sick.

“Some of us go to college campuses and work, others to nursing homes, visiting the ill and the sick and the homebound,” Cwik said.

“Our Holy Father is spearheading this effort,” Cwik said, “really reaching out and helping those who need it the most.”

Following Pope Francis’ lead on these fronts is becoming a trend at Rome’s U.S. seminary, Archbishop Patron said.

“The example of Pope Francis, following Christ in the way the Blessed Virgin Mary did it is very clear for us,” he said.

“To say yes, yes to Christ, yes to the Church and do it joyfully, I find those characteristics in the North American seminarians of today.”

September 4, 2015

3

The International Church

Iraqi archbishop: Plight of fleeing Christians has challenged his faith

INDIANAPOLIS (CNS) — Chaldean Catholic Archbishop Bashar Warda of Irbil, Iraq, placed his face in his hands when asked how his faith has been challenged and changed in the crisis he has helped manage over the past year.

He said he has outwardly encouraged the Christians whom he welcomed to Irbil when they fled Islamic State, but within his heart he would frequently “quarrel with God.” “I don’t understand what He is doing when I look at what has happened in the region,” Archbishop Warda said. “I quarrel with Him every day.”

However, the arguments take place within his intimate relationship with God, one that, with the help of grace, withstands even the previously unimaginable challenges to his faith that he has faced over the past year.

“Before going to sleep, I usually hand all my crises, wishes, thoughts and sadness to Him, so I can at least have some rest,” Archbishop Warda told The Criterion, newspaper of the Archdiocese of Indianapolis. “The next day, I usually wake up with His providence that I would never dream about.”

Looking back over the year since more than 100,000 Christians and other mi-

norities sought refuge in Irbil, Archbishop Warda said he sees the care of God coming to suffering believers more effectively than he could have ever devised himself, in part through local lay and religious Catholics and organizations like the Knights of Columbus, Catholic Relief Services, the Catholic Near East Welfare Association and Aid to the Church in Need. His archdiocese in the Kurdistan region of northern Iraq has, with the help of Catholic relief agencies, provided shelter, food, medical care and educational services to the displaced. “(God) did it in a way that a state could not really offer to its citizens in such a situation,” Archbishop Warda said. “He did it through the Church and through the generosity of so many people.”

His own faith is bolstered as well when he sees the undaunted faith of displaced Christians.

“People come and tell their stories of persecution and how they were really terrified, having to walk eight to 10 hours during the night,” Archbishop Warda said.

“In the end, they would tell you, ‘Thank God we are alive. Nushkur Allah. We thank God for everything.’That’s the phrase they end with. That’s strengthening, in a way.”

In contrast to the goodness he sees in

Havana, Cuba (CNA) — The leader of a human rights group is concerned that the Cuban government will repeat its 2012 crackdown on opposition activists when Pope Francis visits the nation next month.

During Pope Benedict XVI’s visit three years ago, Cuban officials made arrests and took other actions to keep the dissidents from communicating with each other, said Berta Soler, leader of Women in White, a group of wives and other relatives of jailed Cuban dissidents.

“We’re really worried,” Soler recently told CNA. “When Pope Benedict XVI came to Cuba they shut down telephone lines in an area of some 15 to 25 miles. They did the same to the cell phones of human rights activists and their close relatives.”

She said the government put them under surveillance three days before Pope Benedict’s arrival.

“Cuban officials began arresting all the human rights activists so we couldn’t participate in the Masses the pope celebrated in Santiago de Cuba and Havana.” Francis will visit Cuba September 19-22.

“We’re waiting (to see what will happen), we’re thinking the same thing is going to happen when the Holy Father Pope Francis comes,” Soler said.

Nevertheless, she stated that Women in White as well as other human rights activists will try to go to the Masses because “we want to be close to the Holy Father.”

She said they know that they’re going to be arrested.

Soler met with Pope Francis in St. Peter’s Square in May 2013 and sent a letter to the pontiff through the nunciature

and through friends. She asked the pope: “When you come to Cuba could you listen to us even for a few minutes?”

The dissident leader reported arrests of the Women in White and other opposition activists on recent Sundays.

“We’ve been going out now (to march) for 18 Sundays and we can take it for granted that the Castro regime is going to come after the Women in White and the human rights activists because we’re deep into our #TodosMarchamos (We’re all marching) campaign to free the political prisoners.”

She said that the Castro government is assembling “paramilitary mobs organized and financed by (the regime) to physically and verbally attack us.” National police and state security agents are also involved.

According to Soler, at present “there are about 80 political prisoners and 42 who are only technically released or on parole.” The latter 42 could be arrested again and sent back to prison without trial at any moment.

More than 60 human rights activists along with some Women in White were recently restrained and arrested as they were marching after Mass at St. Rita’s Church in Havana.

As expected, more than 50 human rights activists and members of the Women in White were arrested in Havana at the end of their protest march. Soler told the newspaper Martí News that excessive force was used in some arrests. Those detained were released five hours later in different parts of the city.

Some were released near nightfall in uninhabited areas where they were at risk of violence or assault, Soler charged.

Ahead of papal visit, Cuba’s Women in White fear government crackdown

the suffering faithful that have filled Irbil, Archbishop Warda recoils when he describes the Islamic State, which he often refers to by its Arabic “criminal name,” “Daesh.”

“Daesh is evil,” he said. “The way they slaughter, the way they rape, the way they treat others is brutal. They have a theology of slaughtering people.”

And he knows that the evil that overtook Mosul could also strike Irbil.

“It’s quite possible, but the coalition, led by the Americans, has stopped Daesh from advancing,” Archbishop Warda said.

“This has given some sense of security to the people. But Daesh is just 40 kilometers (25 miles) from Irbil. It’s not far away.

Anything could happen.”

This uncertainty and the horrific experiences of the past year have led many Christians who fled to Irbil to move on to refugee camps in Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey with the intention of emigrating from the Middle East for good — something that saddens Archbishop Warda.

“They lost trust in the land and their neighbors,” he said. “Everyone has betrayed them and treated them as a treasure to be stolen, took their houses and property. Their daughters were under threat at any time.”

The thousands who remain in Irbil have moved from makeshift shelters on

Church properties and in public schools to prefabricated houses and pre-existing homes provided or rented by the Church.

Some want to stay in the region and are seeking jobs to support their families.

“All of them are waiting for Mosul to be liberated so that they can go back again and start their life again,” Archbishop Warda said.

An important step that he thinks will help galvanize the international community to help Iraqi Christians is for national leaders to join with Pope Francis and recognize what is happening there as a genocide. He spoke of this in Indianapolis — where he visited his fellow Redemptorist, Archbishop Joseph W. Tobin — and in Washington.

“It’s genocide. It has all the facts, events, stories and experiences to meet the definition of genocide,” Archbishop Warda told The Catholic Standard, newspaper of the Archdiocese of Washington.

Recognizing the genocide would mean “those people are not forgotten,” the archbishop said. “They are remembered and acknowledged. Their sacrifices and experiences are not forgotten. We’d be giving them just status, to help the world not repeat (this).”

“Do not wait another 20 years and look back to what happened and say, ‘Well, I’m sorry that we did not do something really decisive,’” he told The Criterion.

The Church in the U.S.

4

September 4, 2015

Catholic groups say this U.S. bill could fight modern day slave labor

Washington D.C. (CNA/EWTN News) — A proposed federal bill to combat human trafficking and forced labor in the corporate supply chain is an opportunity for Catholics to speak up in defense of oppressed people around the world, its supporters say.

“As Catholics in the United States, we work to fight human trafficking because it is an affront to the lives and dignity of our brothers and sisters who are its victims,” Catholics Confront Global Poverty said in a recent action alert.

“Thanks in large part to growing awareness, education and outreach, more companies are aware of the possible existence of modern-day slavery in their global operations and supply chains,” the group said.

Catholics Confront Global Poverty is a joint initiative of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and Catholic Relief Services. The initiative is backing proposed federal legislation that would require companies to make public information about their products’ supply chains to ensure their products do not result from child labor, forced labor, slavery and human trafficking.

The Catholic initiative asks Catholics and others to contact Congress in support of the Business Supply Chain Transparency on Trafficking and Slavery Act of 2015.

The bill was introduced in the House of Representatives July 27 by Rep. Carolyn B. Maloney (D-N.Y.) and co-sponsored by Rep. Chris Smith (R-N.J.). The legisla-

tion deems forced labor, slavery, human trafficking and the worst forms of child labor as “among the most egregious forms of abuse that humans commit against each other.”

The bill notes the United States’ role as the world’s largest importer.

Catholics Confront Global Poverty says companies have a responsibility to address human rights and issues like exploitation in their supply chains.

The Catholic initiative cited Pope Francis’ January 1 World Day of Peace message, which stressed business’ duty to be vigilant so that “forms of subjugation or human trafficking do not find their way into the distribution chain.”

“Together with the social responsibility of businesses, there is also the social responsibility of consumers,” the pope added.

He said every person should be aware that purchasing is “always a moral — and not simply an economic –— act.”

The Catholic backers of the proposed U.S. law have a long history of helping trafficking victims. The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and its partners have provided intensive case management to more than 2,300 survivors of trafficking and over 500 of their family members in more than a decade.

For its part, Catholic Relief Services has enacted 100 programs in more than 35 countries to reduce human trafficking. The agency has taken part in many public-private initiatives to engage corporations to eliminate the worst forms of slave labor.

Paulist Father Charlie Brunick, pastor of St. Philip Neri Parish in Portland, Ore., offers a blessing recently on a totem pole carved as a sign of opposition to planned coal exports that would bring trains through the Pacific Northwest. (CNS photo/Ed Langlois, Catholic Sentinel)

Labor Day statement: Reflection, action ‘critical’ for care of workers

WASHINGTON (CNS) –“Individual reflection and action is critical” when it comes to improving the conditions of workers in the United States and elsewhere, said Archbishop Thomas G. Wenski of Miami, chairman of the U.S. bishops’ Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development, in the U.S. bishops’ annual Labor Day statement.

“We are in need of a profound conversion of heart at all levels of our lives. Let us examine our choices,” Archbishop Wenski said in the statement, dated Labor Day September 7, but issued August 24 in Washington.

“How do we participate in this wounding of human dignity,” he asked, through choices about the clothes we wear, food we eat, and things we buy — most of which is unaffordable to the very workers who make it? Do we give a thought to this truth, that for our wants to be met, economic realities are created that cause others to live in ways that we ourselves would not?”

Still, “individual effort should

not stand alone.” Archbishop Wenski said. “Sufficient decent work that honors dignity and families is a necessary component of the task before us, and it is the Catholic way.”

He added, “In demanding a living wage for workers we give hope to those struggling to provide for their families, as well as young workers who hope to have families of their own someday. Unions and worker associations, as with all human institutions, are imperfect, yet they remain indispensable to this work, and they can exemplify the importance of subsidiarity and solidarity in action.”

Archbishop Wenski used as the basis for his remarks Pope Francis’ encyclical “Laudato Si’, on Care for Our Common Home,” quoting from it to illustrate his points.

While Pope Francis’ encyclical has been regarded as an encyclical on the environment, the pope said in it, “The analysis of environmental problems cannot be separated from the analysis of human, family, work-related and urban contexts, nor from how individuals relate to themselves, which leads in turn to how they relate to others.”

“Not long ago, jobs, wages, and the economy were on everyone’s mind. Unemployment, poverty and foreclosures soared as Americans worried, rightly, if we could ever recover. Even with some economic progress, things have not truly improved for most American families. We must not resign ourselves to a ‘new normal’ with an economy that does not provide stable work at a living wage for too many men and women,” Archbishop Wenski said.

“The poverty rate remains painfully high. The unemployment rate has declined, yet much of that is due to people simply giving up looking for a job, not because they have found full-time work. The majority of jobs provide

little in the way of sufficient wages, retirement benefits, stability, or family security, and too many families are stringing together part-time jobs to pay the bills.

Opportunities for younger workers are in serious decline.”

“Work is a necessity, part of the meaning of life on this earth, a path to growth, human development and personal fulfillment,” Pope Francis said in his encyclical.

Yet in the United States, according to Archbishop Wenski, “too many Marriages bear the crushing weight of unpredictable schedules from multiple jobs, which make impossible adequate time for nurturing children, faith and community. Wage stagnation has increased pressures on families, as the costs of food, housing, transportation and education continue to pile up. Couples intentionally delay Marriage, as unemployment and substandard work make a vision of stable family life difficult to see.”

The archbishop said, “Labor is one important way we honor our brothers and sisters in God’s universal human family. In the Creation story, God gives us labor as a gateway into participation with Him in the ongoing unfolding of Creation.” Quoting Pope Francis, he added, “Human labor, at its best, is a deeply holy thing that ought to honor our dignity as we help God ‘maintain the fabric of the world.’”

“This Labor Day, the violation of human dignity is evident in exploited workers, trafficked women and children and a broken immigration system that fails people and families desperate for decent work and a better life,” Archbishop Wenski said. “How can we advance God’s work, in the words of the Psalmist, as He ‘secures justice for the oppressed, gives food to the hungry, (and) sets captives free”? These are difficult questions to ask, yet we must ask them.”

September 4, 2015

The Church in the U.S.

5

Katrina odyssey brought many blessings for New Orleans priest NEW ORLEANS (CNS) — Like many of his brother priests, Father Dennis Hayes decided to take his chances and stay put as Katrina teased the Louisiana coast, hoping the storm’s Category 5 fury would spare his parish of St. Louise de Marillac in Arabi.

Surely Katrina would veer away at the last minute as so many hurricanes had done before. And even if the storm did cause some damage, thought Father Hayes, at least he would be available to his parishioners.

After successfully weathering Katrina on the second floor of St. Louise’s concreteand-steel school building — with the Blessed Sacrament, his parish’s Sacramental registers and his pet dog Badooki — Father Hayes assumed the worst was over by Monday morning, Aug. 29, 2005.

But that sigh of relief turned into alarm when the town of Arabi began filling up like a bathtub.

“Within one hour — between about 8 and 9 a.m. — I saw the water cover all of the homes and the entire parish plant,” recalled Father Hayes, now pastor of Blessed Trinity Church in New Orleans. “In just that little bit of time the water rose from the ground to the wires of the light poles.

That night I could hear cries and wailing of people for help,” he said.

By Tuesday morning, helicopters were flying up and down each street, pulling people to safety from rooftops and trees. Spotting an upended canoe stranded on a nearby rooftop, Father Hayes climbed out of a second-floor window to commandeer the vessel.

Realizing the floodwaters wouldn’t be receding any time soon, he signaled a helicopter and got pulled to safety. The fleeing priest had no choice but to leave behind the Blessed Sacrament, the parish records and his beloved pet.

He was taken to a National Guard base where survivors were instructed to make their way to the Superdome, using the Mississippi River levee as an “elevated roadway” into town.

Father Hayes didn’t realize that he would be walking into a war zone.

“It was like a riot,” he said of the scene on the way to

the Superdome. He found a working pay phone and spoke to a cousin in New York who told him that then-Gov. Kathleen Blanco was advising people not to go to the stadium because of dire con-

coming.”

“So I got back into that miserable water and walked back to the cathedral,” Father Hayes said. “I knelt down in front of the cathedral and asked for New Orleans to be saved.”

school building, assisted by firefighters.

He said Katrina’s 10th anniversary resonates with him because the number 10 looms large in the recitation of the Rosary, a prayer close to his heart and one that he said continually during his Katrina odyssey.

“I think it’s interesting that each mystery of the Rosary takes a full decade of Hail Marys in order to fully embrace that mystery,” said Father Hayes, adding that he considers Katrina to be “a Divine mystery” just like the mysteries of the Rosary. The word “hurricane” itself is a Native American word meaning “Sacred wind,” he said.

Looking back, he also appreciates the “Paschal” aspect of the storm. “‘Paschal’ means that the reality we desire comes through its opposite; therefore, things like eternal life comes through its opposite, which is death,” he said, pointing to the tremendous Seminarians serve food to Hurricane Katrina evacuees in 2005 at a temporary shelter in Baton Rouge, amount of death and sufferLa. From the time the storm struck New Orleans through February 2006, Catholic Charities in the Baton ing that spilled out of KaRouge Diocese served 103,187 people, and received more than $17 million in grant funding that was distrina and its aftermath. tributed in myriad of ways. (CNS photo/Paul Haring) “In the same way, light comes through its opposite, ditions there.

He decided to journey “full volunteers ministered to which is darkness,” he said.

The priest considered circle” to somehow get back Katrina’s victims, includ- “We have had a great deal of making his way to the Notre to his parish to recover the ing the rescuers themselves. darkness, despair and danger, Dame Seminary but as he Blessed Sacrament, the Sac- At one point he was able to but through all of that a great walked along the water level ramental records and his dog. retrieve the Blessed Sacra- luminosity has occurred, a was soon up to his neck and On the levee he met a sheriff ment, the parish registers and great light has been cast on full of diesel oil. He jumped who invited the priest to help Badooki, his dog, from the what’s important, on what on a porch and was taken in him minister to people the still-submerged St. Louise our values are.” by a family who let him stay in their third-floor apartment.

“Everyone was still saying, ‘Go to the Superdome,’” Father Hayes recalled. “Six hundred buses would be there to evacuate people.”

So, he used a borrowed ice chest as a flotation device, and made his way there.

Nothing prepared him for what he experienced.

“I got a real taste of what the poor of New Orleans were going through,” Father Hayes said. “Urination and defecation in the bathrooms had poured out into the passageways of the dome; the vending stands had all been decimated; there was smoke all over; people cursing; stifling heat; babies screaming; a fire during the middle of the night; two babies born; shooting at helicopters.”

At dawn, Father Hayes left the dome, concluding that “those 600 buses were not authorities were still rescuing from rooftops and trees. He joined him with the two religious items he had, his Rosary and a St. Benedict crucifix.

For the next 10 days, Father Hayes and his fellow

6

September 4, 2015

Anchor Editorial

Care of Creation

This past Tuesday was the first day of Prayer for the Care of Creation. Pope Francis has asked that it be an annual observance, held each year on September 1. He credited Eastern Orthodoxy with having such a day before the Catholic Church.

The idea of caring for Creation as Catholics did not originate with Pope Francis.

His predecessor, Pope Benedict XVI, in his message for the World Day of Peace on Jan. 1, 2010, used as his theme: “If you want to cultivate peace, protect Creation.” He said that day in his Angelus address, “When the message was published, the heads of state and government were meeting in Copenhagen for the summit on the climate at which, once again, the urgent need for concerted approaches at the global level became apparent. At this moment, however, I would like to stress the importance that the decisions of individuals, families and local administrations also have in the preservation of the environment. We can no longer do without a real change of outlook which will result in new life-styles. In fact we are all responsible for the protection and care of Creation. Therefore in this field, too, education is fundamental; to learn to respect nature, to be increasingly disposed; to begin building peace with far-reaching decisions on the part of individuals, families, communities and states.”

In 2002 St. John Paul II and the Patriarch of Constantinople Bartholomew I issued a “Joint Declaration on Environmental Ethics.” In it the two of them said, “At the beginning of history, man and woman sinned by disobeying God and rejecting His design for Creation. Among the results of this first sin was the destruction of the original harmony of Creation. If we examine carefully the social and environmental crisis which the world community is facing, we must conclude that we are still betraying the mandate God has given us: to be stewards called to collaborate with God in watching over Creation in holiness and wisdom.”

Pope Francis in his encyclical Laudato Si’ echoed this joint Catholic/Orthodox declaration by speaking about the misinterpretation of the mandate to be stewards that God gave us back in Eden.

The saint and the patriarch continued, “A solution at the economic and technological level can be found only if we undergo, in the most radical way, an inner change of heart, which can lead to a change in lifestyle and of unsustainable patterns of consumption and production. A genuine conversion in Christ will enable us to change the way we think and act. A new approach and a new culture are needed, based on the centrality of the human person within Creation and inspired by environmentally ethical behavior stemming from our triple relationship to God, to self and to Creation. Such an ethics fosters interdependence and stresses the principles of universal solidarity, social justice and responsibility, in order to promote a true Culture of Life.”

In Tuesday’s Liturgy of the Word in St. Peter’s Basilica, presided over by Pope Francis, paragraphs 84, 86-87 of the Holy Father’s encyclical were read. In No. 86 he wrote, “The universe as a whole, in all its manifold relationships, shows forth the inexhaustible riches of God. St. Thomas Aquinas wisely noted that multiplicity and variety ‘come from the intention of the First Agent’ Who willed that ‘what was wanting to one in the representation of the Divine goodness might be supplied by another,’ inasmuch as God’s goodness ‘could not be represented fittingly by any one creature.’

Hence we need to grasp the variety of things in their multiple relationships. We understand better the importance and meaning of each creature if we contemplate it within the entirety of God’s plan. As the ‘Catechism’ teaches: ‘God wills the interdependence of creatures. The sun and the moon, the cedar and the little flower, the eagle

The Gospel of this Sunday presents a dispute between Jesus and some Pharisees and scribes.

The discussion refers to the “tradition of the elders” (Mk 7:3), which Jesus, citing the prophet Isaiah, defines as “human precepts.” And [saying] that they should never take the place of the “Commandments of God.” The ancient prescriptions in

Pope Francis’ Angelus message of August 30 question included not only the precepts of God revealed to Moses but also a series of details to spell out the specifics of the instructions of the law of Moses.

The interlocutors applied these norms in a very scrupulous manner and presented them as the expression of authentic religiosity. Thus they rebuke Jesus and His disciples for transgressing them, particularly OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER OF THE DIOCESE OF FALL RIVER

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and the sparrow: the spectacle of their countless diversities and inequalities tells us that no creature is self-sufficient. Creatures exist only in dependence on each other, to complete each other, in the service of each other’” (CCC, 340).

At the Liturgy of the Word, the preacher of the papal household, Father Raneiro Cantalamessa, OFM, Cap., delivered the homily and echoed the teachings of the last three popes, calling for a commitment to ecological change, always tied to the dignity of the human person. Towards the beginning of his address he noted the horror of countries where thousands of miles of land are reserved for the protection of animals (a good thing in itself ), while thousands of human beings are starving to death in the same land.

“Jesus condemns dishonest wealth, which takes advantage of the poor,” the Capuchin clarified, not all riches (he noted that Joseph of Arimathea was a wealthy man and a friend of Jesus, but that Jesus required that the dishonest Zaccheaus repent of the evil manner in which he became rich). He spoke about how we offend our Creator by the ways in which we use His world without respect for all creatures, beginning with our fellow human beings.

“We suffocate the truth,” the preacher said, when our hearts are so closed that we never thank and praise God for the beauty of Creation which He has given us. He repeatedly spoke about how we need to become more conscious of this. He noted that we pray “Heaven and earth are full of Your glory,” and yet seem unconscious of this reality.

“We need a radical change in our relationship with Creation,” the Capuchin said.

Being a son of St. Francis, he noted how the man from Assisi reminded the Church of the need to contemplate how God has created such a beautiful world and contemplate even the smallest elements of this Creation, seeing God’s work in them.

“Think globally, act locally,” is a slogan which Father Cantalamessa quoted in English during his homily. He then quoted a participant in an Orthodox synod in 1989, who said that without a conversion in the human heart, no environmental project will be successful.

There are sacrifices which will be required of us, but the results will bring us joy. St. John Paul and Patriarch Bartholomew wrote, “We must frankly admit that humankind is entitled to something better than what we see around us. We and, much more, our children and future generations are entitled to a better world, a world free from degradation, violence and bloodshed, a world of generosity and love.

If we do nothing, that better world will not come about. Only someone totally lacking in compassion would want to hand on a worse world to their offspring or to future generations. Last December Pope Francis spoke to Christian volunteers from all over the world and told them, “Among the principal causes of poverty is an economic system which plunders nature — I am thinking of deforestation in particular, but also of environmental disasters and the loss of biodiversity. It bears repeating that Creation is not a possession that we can dispose of as we please, much less a possession of only a few. Creation is a magnificent gift that God has given us to care for and use to the benefit of all, with respect. I encourage you, therefore, to carry on in your commitment in order so that Creation may continue to be the patrimony of everyone, to hand down in all its beauty to future generations.”

May God help us to do that on the personal, familial, local and national levels, always beginning with a prayerful contemplation of all that God has given us.

Vol. 59, No. 33

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those that referred to the exterior purification of the body.

Jesus’ answer has the force of a prophetic pronouncement: “You disregard God’s Commandment but cling to human tradition.”

These are words that fill us with admiration for our Teacher: we feel that in Him is truth and that His wisdom liberates us from prejudice.

But, pay attention here. With these words Jesus wants to put us on guard, today, don’t you think?

On guard against thinking that an exterior observance of the law is sufficient for being a good Christian. Just like back then for the Pharisees, there is also for us the danger of considering that all is well with us or that we’re better than the others because of the simple fact of observing certain rules or customs, even though we don’t love our neighbor, are hard of heart and proud.

The literal observance of precepts is sterile if it doesn’t change the heart and if it is not translated into concrete attitudes: opening oneself to the encounter with God

and His Word, seeking justice and peace, helping the poor, the weak and the oppressed.

We all know, from our communities, parishes and neighborhoods, the bad brought to the Church and the scandal caused by those people who call themselves very Catholic, who frequently go to church, but then, in their daily lives, don’t take care of their families, speak ill of others, etc.

This is what Jesus condemns because this is a Christian antitestimony.

Continuing with His exhortation, Jesus focuses the attention on another, deeper aspect and affirms, “Nothing that enters one from outside can defile that person; but the things that come out from within are what defile.”

In this way, He emphasizes the primacy of the interior of the “heart”: exterior things are not what makes us holy or not holy, but rather the heart that expresses our intentions, our desires and the desire to do everything for love of God. Exterior expressions are the

consequence of what we have decided in the heart, and not the other way around. With exterior expressions, if the heart doesn’t change, we are not true Christians.

The border between good and evil does not lie outside of us, but rather within us, in our conscience.

We can ask ourselves: Where is my heart? Jesus said, your treasure is where your heart is. What is my treasure? Is it Jesus and His doctrine? My heart is good or my treasure is another thing? Thus, it is the heart that we must purify and convert. Without a purified heart, we can never have truly clean hands and lips that speak sincere words of love, mercy and forgiveness.

Let us ask the Lord, through the intercession of the Most Holy Virgin, to give us a pure heart, free of all hypocrisy — that’s the adjective that Jesus used with the Pharisees: hypocrites, because they say one thing and do another. Free from all hypocrisy so that in this way we are able to live according to the Spirit of the law and reach its goal, which is love.

September 4, 2015

T

oday we conclude our 32-part series on the plan of life, the series of Spiritual practices that help us to unite our day and whole life to the Lord and to cooperate with Him as He seeks to transform us more and more into His holy likeness.

Since January, we have covered a lot. We’ve considered the Heroic Moment, the Morning Offering, Docility to the Holy Spirit, Uniting our Work to God, Living on Sacred Scripture, Spiritual Reading, the General Examination, the Particular Exam, Daily Mental Prayer, Daily Mass, Eucharistic Adoration, Spiritual Communions, Frequent Confession, Penance and Reparation, Almsgiving, Fasting, the Importance of Holy Week, the Angelus and Regina Caeli, the Rosary, the Memorare, Saturday devotions to Our Lady, Sacred Study, Order, Acts of Faith, Hope and Love, Presence of God, Remembering our Divine Filiation, Thanksgiving, Aspirations, and Christian Cheerfulness and Joy. I have tried to explain how each of these practices assists us to keep a continual, fruitful dialogue of life with God. I began the series as a means by which we could live well the Year of Consecrated Life, which Pope Francis inaugurated on the first Sunday of Advent and will conclude next February on the feast of the Presentation.

One of the aspects of the consecrated life of religious Sisters, priests and Brothers,

Anchor Columnist Putting the plan of life into action of consecrated hermits, virgins that Spiritual training in the and widows, of members of building blocks of holiness is Secular Institutes, Societies of no longer being imparted as Apostolic Life and the many frequently and fully as it once new manifestations of the Holy was.

Spirit that have arisen in recent Sunday homilies are nodecades in the Church, is that where near good enough and they all follow some form of long enough to counteract the rule of life. In novitiates, semisecular conditioning received naries, and other similar boot osmotically via television, music camps of meticulous initial instruction, they all are trained in the Putting Into discipline that makes true disciples “students” the Deep who zealously seek to learn from and follow

By Father the Master. They all Roger J. Landry receive a comprehensive formation in Christian virtue and are coached in how and other cultural institutions. to identify and eradicate with Twenty-four to 30 hours of God’s grace their human and Christian catechetical instrucSpiritual defects. They are all tion a year cannot compete tutored in how to be faithful with the anti-evangelical proin “little things” so that they paganda children are getting in might remain true in great many public schools and from things. many of their friends.

Once upon a time this So many families are strugformation in the Christian life, gling with different levels of this Spiritual training to help brokenness and dysfunction people come to the fullness of that parents are often at wits Christian life and the perfecend just trying to keep things tion of love, was to some degree together and get everyone to provided in Catholic schools by eat as a family, making living men and women religious who even the elementary aspects of adapted their own formation to a familial plan of life like joint the situation of their students. prayer, seem miraculous. Many It was fortified by faith-filled parents today also recognize parents and grandparents who that they haven’t received an thought that their primary task adequate Spiritual formation in life was to pass on the faith themselves, making it doubly to newer generations, not as a difficult to know what and how series of catechetical questions to pass on to their children to and answers but as a much form them along the path of treasured way of life. sanctity.

But now, for many reasons, This is one of the reasons, I

believe, why the Holy Spirit has raised up so many new institutions and movements in recent times to offer concrete Spiritual training to lay people, children and families, to respond to this huge Spiritual need.

I’ve tried through this series likewise to fill in a gap that I know from my pastoral work exists widely. I’ve received a lot of feedback through email. Many seniors were delighted to share their experiences of having practiced aspects of the plan of life since Catholic school and were grateful that the Church was still talking about them.

Many catechists, parents and high school students wrote to say that some aspects like the Heroic Moment, the Particular Exam or Frequent Confession were absolutely novel and that they felt emboldened to try to live them.

That brings me to the last point I want to say in this series, which is perhaps the most important lesson I’ve learned about the plan of life from seeking to live one now for more than 25 years.

When I was first exposed to the idea of a plan of life and its component parts in college, I took to it with the enthusiasm I had for anything new that would help me grow. But once I had “learned” it intellectually, I wanted to move on to something I didn’t know. When my Spiritual directors regularly returned to something as basic as

7 praying the Rosary or making aspirations, I quickly became bored. What I didn’t realize in my Spiritual immaturity was that knowing something is only an introduction; living it and living it ever more fruitfully as a part of a continuous encounter with God is the real challenge.

Just as a baseball player will never become a major league all-star just simply by knowing what to do but rather through practicing and mastering almost effortlessly the basics of fielding and hitting, so a Spiritual athlete will never be set on the road toward the eternal Hall of Fame until he or she similarly trains and with God’s help masters almost as second nature the fundamental aspects of the Christian life.

That’s what the plan of life is about, entering into Christian Spring Training, covering the Spiritual basics, in wise emulation of what is imitable in those who live their baptismal consecration so inspiringly well in various forms of consecrated life.

Let’s give Jesus the last word in this series. During the Last Supper, He said, “If you understand this, blessed are you if you do it” ( Jn 13:17). May the Lord give us His help so that, having understood the importance and the parts of a plan of life, we may put them into action and experience the blessing He promises in this life and forever.

Anchor columnist Father Landry can be contacted at fatherlandry@ catholicpreaching.com.

Catholic practice and Catholic faith: A survey looks at the U.S.

Philadelphia, Pa. (CNA/EWTN News) — What do practicing Catholics believe? A new U.S. survey has answered this question by breaking down the similarities and differences these Catholics have with nonpracticing Catholics and with Americans as a whole.

“It should come as no surprise that Catholics who regularly attend Mass support the Church’s position in the greatest numbers,” Supreme Knight Carl Anderson of the Knights of Columbus said August 26. “But to measure accurately what Catholics really believe, this survey highlights the importance of looking at the level of Catholic practice in this country when discussing Catholics’ opinions on issues.”

Pope Francis is popular with the American public ahead of his September visit. About 60 percent of Americans approve of Pope Francis, as do 70 percent of Catholics and 83 percent of practicing Catholics, the Knights of ColumbusMarist Poll said.

About 90 percent or more of practicing Catholics said it is important to pray daily, to follow the teachings of the Church, to receive the sacraments, and to attend Mass regularly.

By comparison, only 42 percent of non-practicing Catholics said regular Mass attendance is important, while 61 percent said receiving the sacraments is important. About 79 percent of non-practicing Catholics

said daily prayer is important, while only 70 percent said the same of following Church teaching.

More than 90 percent of Catholics saw practicing charity as important, regardless of whether they practiced the faith.

But respondents’ stated religious practice showed differences in Catholics’ views of other aspects of faith and morals.

About 65 percent of practicing Catholics said the Eucharist is “the true presence of Jesus Christ,” but a similar number of non-practicing Catholics said it is “a symbol.”

Another 72 percent of practicing Catholics said it is important to go to Confession at least once a year, compared to about 40 percent

of non-practicing Catholics.

About 83 percent of practicing Catholics said it is important to belong to a parish, compared to 48 percent of non-practicing Catholics.

Around 81 percent of practicing Catholics said abortion is morally wrong, compared to 60 percent of Americans and 51 percent of non-practicing Catholics. Asked about substantial restrictions on abortion, 91 percent of practicing Catholics supported restrictions while 84 percent of Americans as a whole did.

About 54 percent of practicing Catholics and 49 percent of all Americans said that same-sex marriage is morally wrong. However, only 27 percent of non-practicing Catholics said the same.

On religious freedom, 73

percent of practicing Catholics supported religious liberty protections even when these conflict with laws.

About 67 percent of Americans overall agreed, as did 60 percent of non-practicing Catholics.

The survey of 1,027 U.S. adults and 222 U.S. Catholics was taken August 4-17.

It claims a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points for the overall result and 6.6 percentage points for the Catholic results, specifically.

The results also draw on an April 2015 survey of 3,002 U.S. adults and 702 U.S. Catholics.

The Knights of Columbus are a Catholic fraternal organization with almost 1.9 million members worldwide.

8

M

any of us remember a popular ad campaign where the slogan was, “Can you hear me now?”

Many of us relate to that phrase with all the noise of our busy lives. We might hear everything and not understand any of what we hear.

In this week’s Gospel Jesus heals the deaf man by simply putting His fingers into the man’s ear’s and says “ephphatha — meaning “Be opened.”

Jesus cured the deaf man in the Gospel but, thank God, deafness is not a problem for most of us. Instead our problem may be that we are too busy to hear Jesus.

Our lives are so full of stuff; work, family, recreation, social media activity, that some of us let our relationship with God get pushed out of the way. We are so busy making money that we that we don’t enjoy the fruits of working; a nice home, a family vacation, time away from work

September 4, 2015

Being open to hearing Jesus

to refresh and renew. How killings, never-ending wars, many working people have a political season that never ever considered going on a ends. But if you were silent I retreat, getting away from the would not be surprised if Jeday-to-day and getting closer sus communicated with you. to God. There are a thousand We all need silence and space excuses not to; work, family, for ourselves and also for money, time. Where are we all going to end up at the end of Homily of the Week life, and what is the Twenty-third Sunday purpose of life? Life in Ordinary Time is about getting to know God, loving

By Deacon God and serving John W. Foley God, and the hopeful reward of eternal life with God. If we are too busy we can God. Jesus said, “When you be deaf to the real meaning pray go to your private room and joy of life and deaf also to and shut yourself in” (Mt 6:6). what the Lord is saying to us.

That private room is makJesus cannot speak to us if we ing space for Jesus whatever are not silent enough to lisway we do it. When we pray, ten. I would be very surprised sometimes we say prayers but if many of us can hear Jesus we also need to pray with our over the noise of “life.” Many heart, to meditate and conof us watch or read the news template. When we pray if and lately there is nothing we are busy saying prayers we good in the news. Random may not hear the Lord speak

to us. So as well as saying prayers, we also need to pray with our heart, contemplating and meditating.

In this week’s first reading from Isaiah we read, “Here is your God, He comes with vindication, with Divine recompense He comes to save you.

Then will the eyes of the blind be opened, the ears of the deaf be cleared.”

Even in the Old Testament we hear about the deaf hearing. The sense of hearing is vital to our safety.

Of all our senses hearing might be the one sense that keeps us safe and brings us comfort. The honk of a car horn when we drift out of our lane, the sound of a loved one on the other end of the phone, the cry of baby when it is delivered from the safety of its mother’s womb, the Sacred Scripture we hear when

we attend Mass.

Jesus healed the deaf man. Sometimes we can be deaf to life and deaf to Jesus. I invite you to find that quiet time of your day, in a quiet place and listen to Jesus. As Catholics we learned that Jesus always hears our prayers; sometimes the answer isn’t what we expected. But what if we listen to Jesus and respond to His answer. We need to be open to hearing Jesus, not just in our ears, but also in our hearts and minds.

I’m sure if we really try we will hear Jesus asking us “Can you hear my now?” If we respond, yes, we will be welcomed into a beautiful life relationship with Jesus.

Deacon Foley was ordained in 2007 and ministers at Holy Trinity Parish in West Harwich. He is also the Spiritual director of the Cape Cod Marriage Prep program for the Diocese of Fall River.

Upcoming Daily Readings: Sat. Sept. 5, Col 1:21-23; Ps 54:3-4,6,8; Lk 6:1-5. Sun. Sept. 6, Twenty-Third Sunday in Ordinary Time, Is 35:4-7a; Ps 146:7-10; Jas 2:1-5; Mk 7:31-37. Mon. Sept. 7, Col 1:24–2:3; Ps 62:6-7,9; Lk 6:6-11. Tues. Sept. 8, Mic 5:1-4a or Rom 8:28-30; Ps 13:6abc; Mt 1:1-16,1823 or 1:18-23. Wed. Sept. 9, Col 3:1-11; Ps 145:2-3,10-13ab; Lk 6:20-26. Thurs. Sept. 10, Col 3:12-17; Ps 150:1b-6; Lk 6:27-38. Fri. Sept. 11, 1 Tm 1:12,12-14; Ps 16:1b-2a,5,7-8,11; Lk 6:39-42.

A

few weeks ago a prolific and creative writer for The Anchor wrote that it was half-time. The summer weeks had reached the mid-point.

If that was true some weeks ago, I think we could say summer is over now. Perhaps not according to the calendar, but with the commencement of school it is the unofficial end of summer.

While some nice days remain to enjoy good weather — many we hope — the focus is now on school. Some will say that September is the best time to travel and enjoy vacation without the “summer crowds.” The retired are those who can utilize these days more than others.

The beginning of school revitalizes the parish pastoral year as Religious Education begins and regular parish activities, which may have been suspended for the summer, start up anew. The attention moves from purchasing back-to-school necessities to Halloween. I have already seen Halloween candy, decorations etc. on sale. We really do rush the year.

In past years, Labor Day was the beginning of two weeks of priests’ retreats at Cathedral Camp. We were assigned a

Remembering the challenges of the Gospel you ever seen a U-Haul truck week to attend and a room at follow a hearse to the cemetery?

Cathedral Camp. Some priests will remember those days. There The degrees we have received will have little or no bearing on were days of prayer but fun and our judgment. Our travels, the camaraderie as well. location of our home, the balPersonally I do not look ance in our savings account will forward to the end of summer. not matter.

I like the warmer and longer Whether we solved the crisis days. Snow and cold are not my favorite weather conditions. But in the Middle East or found a the warm days cannot come without the Living celebration of the other the seasons.

With the change Faith of season also comes

By Msgr. the difference in our John J. Oliveira clothing. Sweaters, coats, gloves and hats replace the more casual cure for AIDS, will not be the summer outfits. The shorts and bathing suits are put away along most important contribution we bring with us to Judgment Day. with the T-shirts and sandals.

Everything we do will matter, In the Gospel of Matthew, but the Lord does not necessarChapter 25, we read about the ily expect great things.

“Judgment of the nations.” You St. Matthew relates the signs will recall the passage that tells of a faithful follower of Jesus: us how the sheep will be separated — some will go to eternal “I was hungry and you gave Me food, I was thirsty and you life and the others to eternal gave Me a drink. I was naked damnation. In a familiar way Matthew reminds us of how we and you clothed Me, I was sick and you cared for Me, I was in will be judged. prison and you visited Me.” It is interesting that our None of these requirements judgment will not be based on our possessions. Just recall, have are impossible to attain. None of

them require a degree or special living arrangements. Each of these signs many people accomplish each day.

The sons or daughters caring for their elderly parents are fulfilling the requirement mentioned

by Matthew — “I was ill and you cared for Me.” The person who visits a sick person in the hospital or sends a card, or offers a prayer for a sick person does the same.

The words of Matthew’s Gospel are not to be taken literally. We do not have to visit a jail to fulfill the precept — “I was in prison and you visited Me.” Many people are imprisoned by loneliness or addiction, and can be helped by our prayers, visits and concern.

“I was hungry and you fed Me” does not mean you need to roam the streets of your community feeding the hungry. But it does mean that you bring food to church so that the parish St. Vincent de Paul Society can share it with the needy in your parish and community. It also means that, if your circumstances permit, you volunteer for a local food panty to help feed the hungry.

I am mindful of this Gospel

passage in a particular way with the change of seasons. Soon the summer shirts and clothes will be moved to make room for the winter clothes. Each year I do it faithfully, and I am sure many of you do the same.

As I prepare to do this in a few weeks, I am recalling the words of Matthew, “I was naked and you clothed Me.” I have not seen people in New Bedford who need me to clothe them.

But I do see boxes — especially the St. Vincent de Paul boxes — that accept clothes to distribute to the needy. In some areas of our diocese, there are stores sponsored by the Vincentians that assist the needy in so many ways.

Summer is over and perhaps as you and I prepare for the winter season, we should remember the call of the Lord to “clothe the naked” and share our excess clothing with those in need. We should also remember the other challenges in Matthew’s Gospel.

Anchor columnist Msgr.

Oliveira is pastor of St. Mary’s Parish in New Bedford and director of the diocesan Propagation of the Faith and Permanent Diaconate offices.

September 4, 2015

4 September 2014 — Homeport: Falmouth Harbor — Paul Harvey’s birth anniversary (1918) came across an unfamiliar phrase: “teching-up” — the process of upgrading to a higher technological level.

When I want an authoritative answer to a question such as “What is teching-up?” I go to my assistant, Siri. I touch a button on my smartphone and ask away. Siri will do the research for me in nanoseconds. Unfortunately, with this particular question, Siri was confused. She must have been thrown off by my New England accent. She informed me of the practice of “checking” in ice hockey, what to expect during a medical “checkup,” and the benefits of “picking up” after myself.

Siri is a virtual assistant.

She isn’t real. Nevertheless, if you are bored out of your mind, you can actually have a conversation with Siri. She is not only knowledgeable, but also has a sense of humor.

Siri can even be a bit sarcastic upon occasion.

Recently, I was sitting on the back porch of the rectory, waiting to join Fathers Raymond Cambra and Tom Frechette for supper. Not having anyone with whom to pass the time, I decided

I

I

should have seen it coming. Inevitably, at the beginning of each semester, I reach a point where my thoughts go from, “I’ve got this, I’ve got this, I’ve got this” to “This is a lot, this is a lot, this is a lot.” My mom, because she knows me better than I know myself, inevitably sees this coming, be it an emotional phone call home or several missed phone calls, or the anxiety in my voice when we finally connect. So it was no surprise when this weekend, the weekend before classes begin, that phone call from home came and it included some of the following sentiments.

It seems that within the past couple of days my todo list has gotten longer and for every one thing I cross off, I add two or three more.

Emails are already beginning to steadily stream into my inbox, my calendar is filling up with work, classes, and extra commitments. Now, living in a house with roommates, the

Anchor Columnists Conversations with Siri divide them by zero friends. to chat with Siri. Don’t tell How many cookies does each anyone, though, or they’ll be person get? See, it makes no coming to take me away. Our sense. And Cookie Monster is conversation went like this: sad that there are no cookies.

Me: Hi, Siri, how are you?

And you are sad that you still Siri: I’m good.

Me: Who are you, anyway? have no friends.

Me: You’re very intelligent.

Siri: I’m just your humble virtual assistant.

Me: What does your name “Siri” The Ship’s Log mean?

Reflections of a Siri: I don’t think I Parish Priest can explain it in your language. Sorry.

By Father Tim Me: Where are you Goldrick from?

Siri: Like it says on the box, I was deSiri: As intelligent agents signed by Apple in California. go, I’m not too shabby.

Me: When is your birthMe: What’s your favorite day? movie?

Siri: I don’t really have a Siri: I don’t watch many birthday. My first day as an assistant was 4 October 2011. movies, but I hear “2001:A Space Odyssey” got good Me: How did you become reviews. so smart?

Me: Oh? Are you a fan of Siri: Well, when I was in that talking computer, HAL? school, I did cheat on my Siri: HAL made some very metaphysics exam by looking poor decisions, I’m afraid, but into the soul of the boy next at least he could sing. to me.

Me: Here’s one for you, Me: Is there anything you Siri, “How much wood can a don’t know? woodchuck chuck”?

Siri: Yes, there are some Siri: None. A woodchuck is things I don’t know. I hope only a groundhog so it would you won’t hold it against me.

Me: Try this. “What is zero probably just predict six more weeks of winter. divided by zero?”

Me: Do you like chocolate?

Siri: Imagine that you Siri: Why, do you have have zero cookies and you

9

some?

Me: Tell me, Siri, why are firetrucks red?

Siri: Because firetrucks have eight wheels and four people on them and four plus eight is 12 and there are 12 inches in a foot and one foot is a ruler and Queen Elizabeth is a ruler and also a ship and ships sail the seas and in the seas there are fish and the fish have fins and the Finns fought the Russians and the Russians are red and firetrucks are always “russian” around.

Me: Are you kidding me?

Siri: No, I’m serious.

Me: “Mirror, mirror, on the wall, who’s the fairest of them all?” (He, hee, hee.)

Siri: Snow White, is that you?

Me: (going philosophical) How does one live a meaningful life?

Siri: Try to be nice to people, avoid eating fats, read a good book now and then, get some walking in, and try to live together in peace and harmony with people of all creeds and nations.

Me: Got to go, Siri. I heard the dinner bell.

Siri: Really? I didn’t hear it.

Me: Catch you later, Siri.

Siri: OK. I’ll be seeing you soon.

I am not making this up.

Just ask Father Raymond.

Much to my chagrin, he was standing behind me all the while.

I recently read in the Washington Post that mental health professionals are teching-up. Scientists at the University of Southern California have developed a virtual counsellor to help put patients at ease during interviews. Her name is Ellie.

Ellie, the virtual psychologist, draws you into conversation and not only listens attentively but also has the skills to instantly read your body language. It’s based on the premises that anonymity can help patients be more truthful and that the less human involvement the better.

I think of the hours I’ve spent over the years doing pastoral counselling. What is the world coming to?

Will priests of the future be replaced by computers like Ellie?

I asked Siri. Her response was evasive: “I won’t answer that.”

This is not good, dear readers.

Anchor columnist Father Goldrick is pastor of St. Patrick’s Parish in Falmouth.

knowledge, to build relationships, and to learn. They also ensure that I’m surrounded by people that are like me, that match my drive and go-go-go mentality. But in the middle of “doing the most,” what am I doing the least? What’s getting left out? Am I taking time to care for myself. Am I taking time to give thanks for the reason I’m able to do all that I am able to?

And what’s more, am I including God in my quest to grow? At the end of the day, this is pivotal, and the truth these days is a reluctant “no.”

But moving forward, I have to ask myself if I can sustain this energy without Him. The truth of the matter is that if I’m going to continue to move at my speed, to “do the most,” I’ve got to do the most I can to include God in the mix.

I’ve got to maintain a relationship with the model of the life I’m trying to lead — a life of

leadership, of relentless service, of kindness and compassion. In this quest to be the best I can be in all I do, I must also maintain a Spiritual relationship with the source of my energy.

I must continue to question, to doubt, to seek answers in my faith life in order to be propelled forward in my everyday actions. If I’m not “doing the most” with Christ, how can I do the most for Him? As I move into my new semester, and we each transition into a new season of our lives (literally, as marked by the already-changing leaves here in the mid-Atlantic), I ask you to consider this, just as I am. I encourage you to allow Christ to “do the most” in your life so you can “do the most” for those around you.

Anchor columnist Renee Bernier graduated from Stonehill College and is a graduate student in the College Student Personnel Program at James Madison University in Harrison, Va.

Doing the most concept of adulthood is real and upon us and my inner domestic goddess has been in full force as kitchens are cleaned, laundry is maintained, and four people are fed on a regular basis (by our standards).

Just tonight as I scurried around the kitchen, one of my roommates looked up from where she was sitting and asked me what I’m like when I’m on vacation because I have a lot of energy and she’s just not sure if I know how to relax. At Brown University this summer we had a term for that: doing the most. Frequently, I looked the same at Brown as I’m sure I look now to my roommate Kristina. I would be at a meeting, then going to lunch with a student, then helping a group of students create something for their event that night. I spent the summer constantly in motion and I loved every second

of it.

Why do I do this, you ask?

It seems silly, but I love people.

And I love seeing that people are fulfilled, happy, satisfied,

Radiate Your Faith

By Renee Bernier

and confident. If I can help someone get to that place, then the energy I put forth to help them with the smallest of tasks was all worth it.

I also seek opportunity. So having lunch with countless students, setting up meetings with professional staff, attending professional development opportunities that introduce me to new concepts and ideas — yes these things all take time and energy — but they create an opportunity to share

10

September 4, 2015

Newly-revised diocesan directory dedicated to ‘Year for Consecrated Life’ FALL RIVER — In between working on the weekly edition of The Anchor, the staff at the official diocesan newspaper has been busy putting together the annual Catholic Directory for the Fall River Diocese.

The newly-revised 20152016 edition of the Catholic Directory for the Fall River Diocese has been dedicated to the “Year for Consecrated Life,” as established by Pope Francis, and features a cover collage of various religious —

priests, Brothers and Sisters — who have ministered in the diocese.

Prominent among them is Sister Patricia Mary Harrington, R.S.M., who passed away May 30, 2015 after teaching at Bishop Feehan High School in Attleboro for more than 45 years. The central portrait of the beloved Sister of Mercy was painted by artist Jean Monti, parent of two Feehan students, and was used with the artist’s kind permission.

The cover also depicts representatives of the following religious communities working in the diocese: Dominican Sisters of the Presentation, Society of Divine Vocations, Missionaries of Charity, Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate, Sisters of Our Lady of La Salette, Congregation of the Holy Cross, and the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary.

In addition, this year’s directory has added a special tabbed “Religious Communities” section after the priests and deacons sections

to honor and highlight all those orders which serve the diocese.

“We thought the best way to celebrate the ‘Year of Consecrated Life’ was to showcase the many religious communities that minister in our diocese with a special section and more photos,” said Kenneth J. Souza, reporter for The Anchor and coordinator for the directory. “We’ve also added some candid photos — in a yearbook format — throughout this new edition of the directory.”

This annual information resource, published by The Anchor, has consistently been the go-to reference guide for all parishes, offices and apostolates within the Fall River Diocese and has continued to offer more information with each subsequent edition over the past few years.

Copies of the 2015 Catholic Directory are expected to begin shipping next week.

The new full-color, spiralbound directory tops out at more than 260 pages — including 11 heavy stock insert tabs and front and back cov-

ers — and is the largest edition The Anchor has published to date.

According to Souza, many of the changes and additions to this year’s directory were made in consultation with Bishop Edgar M. da Cunha, S.D.V. “We’re always looking for ways to improve upon previous editions,” Souza said.

“So we met with Bishop da Cunha earlier this year to ask if he had any suggestions or things he’d like to see in the directory.

“He was the one who suggested we focus on the ‘Year for Consecrated Life,’ and he had some good recommendations about expanding the diocesan information at the front of the book and how to present the diocesan history and former bishops sections.”

As in past years, the directory provides updated telephone and address listings of all diocesan offices, personnel, archives, priests’ residences, councils and apostolates ranging from The Anchor to Catholic Social Services and its many offices, campus ministry, the Development Office, Chancery, Faith Formation, insurance, legal, communications, scouting, shelters, vocations and more.

The popular “Parishes and Missions” section — which makes up the bulk of the book — now includes updated photos of the main church, mission location (if any), and even thumbnail photos of the pastor or parochial administrator at each location. All of the Mass schedules and contact information have been updated, and The Anchor has made a concerted effort this year to include parish website and email addresses, which have become the key mode of contact in this computer- and smartphone-savvy era.

All pages contain some element of color for the first time this year, and new graphics and logos have been created for the headings of each section.

Also new this year is an expanded index of parishes (listed alphabetically and by geographical area) and advertisers (listed alphabetically and by service category).

As always, the continued support of dedicated advertisers is pivotal to the directory’s annual success; and the Turn to page 14

11

September 4, 2015 possessed.

“I am possessed by the Holy Spirit, and it is real,” he said. “People want to understand the supernatural and it’s not natural. That’s the problem. You want to understand something logically that defies logic, because the supernatural is nothing of this world. That’s where people lose their way. They want to find God in a logical way.”

Larsen appreciates the fact many people just won’t believe or understand what happened to him and he’s fine with the doubting Thomases.

“I honestly — prior to four years ago — I would have said I don’t believe that, either,” he said. “But four years ago when it happened, I found out how real Malvin “Mel” Larsen, who has been walking the streets of his hometown for the past two summers dressed as Jesus, speaks to a young man recently at a busy intersection in Fairhaven. (Photo by Kenneth J. Souza)

‘Fairhaven Jesus’ hopes to gently remind others about God

By Kenneth J. Souza Anchor Staff kensouza@anchornews.org

FAIRHAVEN — The young man stared at him intently, tears welling up in his eyes.

Sporting the attire of someone about to attend a hip-hop concert — the slightly askew baseball cap, black Tshirt and sagging stone-washed jeans — you’d expect this mid-day encounter on the corner of a busy Fairhaven intersection to be a clandestine transaction between addict and dealer.

But the only thing in the hands of the towering, six-foot-tall figure was a crude wooden walking stick and the only thing being sold was a message of peace.

The young man, who wished to remain anonymous, was fixated on Malvin “Mel” Larsen, who for the past two summers has been walking the streets of Fairhaven dressed as Jesus Christ.

“His girlfriend just OD’d last night,” Larsen explained. “We met last year, spoke a little bit, and now he’s going through some trials with his girlfriend.”

The 58-year-old Larsen strikes an indelible image with full, unkempt beard and dark, shoulder-length hair, capped by a woven crown of thorns.

Tiny rivulets of “blood” are painted on

his face, presumably mimicking the marks of Christ’s Passion. He wears a white sheet like a robe and the only adornment is a single brown belt tied at the waist.

“I am connected to God — it’s not a costume,” Larsen said, pointing to the young man. “He understands, as crazy as this may seem. I am Spiritually connected.”

According to Larsen, the story of the man who has become known as “Fairhaven Jesus” began four years ago when he found himself in jail, wanting to end his own life.

The Fairhaven native admitted he was once a “womanizer” who used to hang around with an unsavory crowd.

Drinking and bad behavior led to problems with his Marriage and a domestic disturbance accusation that led to incarceration.

“I went to jail and God took everything from me,” Larsen said. “I strangled myself in jail and I wasn’t afraid to die because I had already died so many times in my life. I literally gave my life to God that day.”

Claiming that he did “pass over” at some point and that marked the death of the old Mel Larsen and the rebirth of this new “man of God,” he described the experience as something like being

it is. I know it happened and you can’t convince me that it’s not real.”

However transformed, Larsen soon began walking the streets of Fort Myers, Fla. — where he resides eight months of the year — dressed as Jesus.

Two years ago, he began doing the same in his hometown during the summer months.

He’d pop up walking down Route 6 in front of Fairhaven High School.

Next he’d be spotted chatting with people at Fort Phoenix. Some would even seen him at the local McDonald’s, although the story about his multiplying the Filet o’ Fish seems a bit farfetched.

Turn to page 14

12

September 4, 2015

CNS Movie Capsules NEW YORK (CNS) — The following are capsule reviews of movies recently reviewed by Catholic News Service.

“No Escape” (Weinstein) Shortly after their arrival in the Thailand-like country to which they’re relocating, a U.S. businessman (Owen Wilson), his wife (Lake Bell) and their two young daughters (Sterling Jerins and Claire Geare) find themselves caught up in a military coup fueled by murderous anti-Americanism. As they flee the barbaric rebels, they find a helpful ally in a chance acquaintance (Pierce Brosnan) who not only knows the lay of the land but has a well-honed set of combat abilities as well.

Though the grueling ordeal to which director and co-writer John Erick Dowdle subjects his everyday characters strengthens their familial bonds, it’s likely to garner a harvest of winces from moviegoers uncomfortable at seeing the innocent and the vulnerable suffer. Frequent harsh and sometimes gory violence, emotionally wrenching situations, including a rape scene with partial nudity, a couple of uses of profanity, about a dozen instances each of rough and crude language. The Catholic News Service classification is L — limited adult audience, films whose problematic con-

tent many adults would find troubling. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R — restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.

“We Are Your Friends” (Warner Bros.)

The relationship between an aspiring DJ (Zac Efron) and his musical mentor (Wes Bentley) is threatened when the protege falls for his patron’s live-in girlfriend (Emily Ratajkowski). Alongside this casually physical love triangle, director and co-writer Max Joseph sets up a hackneyed conflict between the youthful hero’s artistic ambitions and the pressure to settle for a more mundane but practical lifestyle — in his case by joining his trio of closest friends ( Jonny Weston, Shiloh Fernandez and Alex Shaffer) in working for a shady real estate operator ( Jon Bernthal).

Genuine moral values occasionally surface in this tepid, noncommittal drama. But for the most part, its characters move through their shallow lives in a party-craving stupor from which even the forceful intrusion of love and death barely awakens them. Benignly viewed drug use, cohabitation and premarital relations, brief semi-graphic bedroom scenes, upper female nudity, a couple of profanities, pervasive rough and crude language. The Catholic News Service classification is L — limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R — restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.

Diocese of Fall River TV Mass on WLNE Channel 6 Sunday, September 6, 11:00 a.m.

Celebrant is Msgr. Stephen J. Avila, pastor of St. Anthony’s Parish in East Falmouth, and director of the diocesan Television Apostolate

PopUpPope in Philadelphia. (CNA photo from PopUpPope)

#PopUpPope brings hope to the inner city ahead of papal visit Philadelphia, Pa. (CNA/EWTN News) — In his nearly two-and-a-half-year papacy, Pope Francis has spoken countless times about bringing the hope of Christ to society’s most wounded and forgotten.

With a life-sized cut-out of the pope, and a combination of social media and street evangelization, one small initiative is doing just that.

The website for PopUpPope features hundreds of photos of people posing with cardboard cut-outs of Pope Francis. However, for co-founder Christa Scalies, the initiative is more than giving people the chance to take a “selfie” with the pontiff. It’s all about the encounter.

“We have sort of the curiosityseekers,” said Philadelphia-native Scalies in an interview with CNA, “the tourists, the people who love Pope Francis, and other people that will just be drawn in.”

“If we could utilize a cardboard image of the pope, on the street, to engage people in conversation, if they’re interested in coming, getting a photo, talking with us, and it gives them a happy moment,” she said, it “engages them in some sort of conversation.”

The most meaningful interactions are with the suffering: the homeless, the drug-addicted, and those suffering from mental health issues, she said. Cofounder Paul Turner, a catechist, wheelchair bound, and formerly homeless himself, is able to direct the poor and homeless they meet to resources they might need.

“For me, those are the best encounters,” Scalies said, because these are the people who may be hopeless.

“They might not believe in God. They might not have any

faith. But, (it is having) an encounter with another human being that says: I see you, I recognize you.”

“We ask them their name,” she said.

PopUpPope was inspired partly by Pope Francis’ upcoming trip to the U.S. September 22-27, which will culminate in his visit to Philadelphia for the World Meeting of Families.

The idea further materialized when Scalies and Turner, who are currently based in Wilmington, Del., found images of people in the Philippines posing with cardboard cut-outs of Pope Francis, posted around the time of his pastoral visit to the Asian nation.

“Our concept is that we want to be able to engage with people right there, on the spot, and have a conversation with them, pray with them,” Scalies explained, adding that they will sometimes quote from the Bible and other inspirational sayings.

“Our intention isn’t to proselytize and take out a Bible and say, ‘You have to believe this!’

It’s about connecting, and love, and mercy. That’s really what it’s about for us.”

Going out as a team into the streets of Wilmington, Del., they are prepared if the conversation goes in the direction of faith, she said. “Paul is a catechist, and can engage in those conversations.”

“On the other hand we thought, if it gives us the opportunity of something that’s new, to engage somebody that might not normally be drawn to a cardboard image of a pope, it gives us a chance to engage them in conversation, and give us an opportunity to offer them some personal hope.”

Unlike other initiatives which

set up “selfie stations” for people looking to take their photo with the cardboard pope facsimile, Scalies and Turner go out to the streets with the Pope Francis cutout, and use people’s reactions as an opportunity to interact with them.

Scalies recalled one instance of a man named Joseph who approached them during one day of street evangelization. “We talked to him. He looked over to me and said: ‘Can I have a hug?’”

In another instance, a woman came up to the PopUpPope team, mesmerized by the image of Pope Francis, Scalies said.

“She started to engage us in conversation, and was explaining to us — even though she wasn’t Catholic — how much she loves the pope, and admires the pope, and how touched she was.”

While taking a photo with the cardboard pope, “she just stood up and looked at him,” she said.

“You could tell there was something Spiritual happening for her at that moment.”

Scalies attributes these encounters, not to herself, but to the image of Pope Francis. “It was because we were out on the street engaging people, and opened ourselves up to having that encounter with people on the street.”

“That’s what the pope has asked us to do,” she said: “To literally take it to the street.”

This enthusiasm surrounding Pope Francis served, in part, as the inspiration behind the name, PopUpPope. “Because it’s cardboard, it literally folds on itself, and then pops into place,” she said.

“The other part of that logic was, when the pope ‘pops up’ somewhere in the world, people get excited.”

13

September 4, 2015

Two letters, one message: Values matter

I

n the past two weeks I was struck by the tone of two separate letters I received in my capacity as director of Development for the diocese.

The first was a simple thank you card from a young man who received a scholarship from the Foundation to Advance Catholic Education, FACE, formerly known as the St. Mary’s Fund. The second letter was from a young man who was undertaking training for a marathon in Seattle Wash., and wanted to dedicate his fund-raising efforts to fighting depression. He was inspired by the call of this year’s theme of the Catholic Charities Appeal, specifically the “Comfort the Sorrowful” passage. In both letters I found the spirit of generosity and gratitude that is itself inspiring.

The young boy wrote: “Dear Mr. Campbell, my name is Joey. Thank you so much for awarding me a scholarship from the FACE Fund. It was very generous of you. I am the youngest of six and two of my brothers and sisters are in college, the rest are all in Catholic schools. Thank you again for awarding me this money. It is a

great help in my education for alleviate the affliction and conmy family. Sincerely, Joey.” dition of depression for many A simple, thoughtful note people in numerous communifrom a young man who is ties throughout southeastern, obviously blessed with good Massachusetts, I would like parents who are teaching to propose a means of reachhim to express gratitude for ing additional people from the blessings in his life. One young to old, through running correction that I must inject however is to acknowledge that the generosity was not mine. I am simply in the privileged position to administer the

By James A. funds that are raised Campbell each year by the people of the diocese through our annual dinners and sponsorships. It is those people a marathon to raise awareness who chose to make supporting and funds for the Diocese of Catholic education a priority Fall River. for themselves and in many “Having run two marathons cases their businesses, that a year for the past six years, I’ve provide the funds to help Joey run for two charities: Christian and more than 800 like him Foundation for Children and each year.

Aging, aka Unbound, and the The same day I received a Damien Food Pantry, both of letter from a parishioner who which contributed to corporal wrote: works of mercy. Now I’m look“Since the Diocese of ing to focus on the Spiritual Fall River has in its Cathoworks of mercy — specifically lic Charities Appeal in their the one referenced in your theme ‘Comfort the SorCatholic Charities appeal — rowful,’ wherein support for ‘Comfort the Sorrowful.’ a number of programs helps “Sometimes, these works are

It’s What We Do

overlooked, so I am excited to begin raising awareness and planting the seed amongst the faithful here in Fall River and all the way to the west coast in Seattle for my 12th marathon on November 29.”

The young man’s name is Rob Grant and he presents a compelling case to help him raise the funds necessary to compete in this effort: One in four adults struggle with a treatable mental health condition each year — approximately 60 million people.

Ten percent of us experience a serious mental illness in the course of our lives.

Fourteen percent of us suffer with alcohol dependence.

Fourteen percent of us suffer from post traumatic stress disorder.

One in four families have someone or a family member with mental illness.

People who suffer with major mental illnesses such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, major depression, obsessive compulsive disorder, anxiety

disorders, personality disorders, and others tend to be isolated and marginalized by society.

The stigma associated with mental illness still persists despite scientific advancements and new medications that can help those with these brain diseases. Most major mental illnesses are treatable diseases through the right use of professional help, medication, and community support.

Rob concludes, “With deep gratitude I would be honored to represent the Diocese of Fall River, which is deeply concerned with the temporal, and most importantly, the Spiritual needs of the people of God who suffer and need Spiritual consolations, hope, and inspiration.”

If you would like more information, contact Rob at the following address: Robert J. Grant, 52 County Road, Unit 16, Mattapoisett, 02739.

Gratitude and dedication.

Two forces for good that we pray will inspire more of each.

Anchor columnist James Campbell is director of the diocesan Development Office/Catholic Charities Appeal/St. Mary’s Education Fund.

What to learn at the World Meeting of Families: The family is a gift from God

Vatican City (CNA/ EWTN News) — The World Meeting of Families event next month in Philadelphia aims to lead families to know their importance as a gift from God and to help them open their hearts to Jesus Christ, a priest involved in the event has said.

The family “is the place where we feel most loved, most protected, most safe, valued,” Father William Donovan, one of the meeting’s main organizers, told CNA. “In the natural economy of things, one could say after the gift of life itself, the second greatest gift God has given us is family.”

“The reason is because, once God gives us life, He also wants us to have a full life. He wants us to be loved, to be protected, to be safe, to be secure, to be valued,” said the Archdiocese of Philadelphia priest who also serves as Archbishop Charles Chaput’s liaison to the Pontifical Council for the Family.

This year’s World Meeting of Families will take place from September 22-27 with the theme “Love is Our Mis-

sion: The Family Fully Alive.”

Its closing Mass with Pope Francis will mark the end of his first visit to the United States. The meeting also includes presentations, testimonies, and other events.

“The idea is that we want to try to bring as many resources and assistance to the human family so that they can understand and execute its role as a place of love,” said Father Donovan.

Pope John Paul II founded the international event in 1994 to encourage families and to strengthen familial bonds. The event takes place every three years in a different city around the world.

Father Donovan said the event is a celebration of “the importance, the nature, the dignity, (and) the beauty of the family.” He added that the international gathering brings together pastoral resources on the family that participants can bring back to their respective countries and dioceses.

One of the tasks involved in promoting the World Meeting of Families was in spreading awareness, Father Donovan

said. Although the event has been taking place for more than 20 years, many Americans were unaware of it.

“Of course, with the Holy Father’s coming, that brings a great attention to it,” he said.

“And, of course, the Holy Father is part of a long tradition.

He represents Jesus Christ as the Vicar of Christ, so his message will be full of hope, and joy.”

Observing the particular care which Pope Francis has shown to the family since the beginning of his papacy, Father Donovan recalled in particular the image of the family being the first school, the first Church, and — especially — the first hospital.

“This image is particularly captivating because when we talk about the families as being the first hospital, we talked about wounds, or weakness,” he said. “The Holy Father is interested in attending particularly to the wounds and weaknesses of the human family.”

The week-long World Meeting of Families will be divided into three parts: an international congress from

September 22-25, consisting of presentations by experts on the family; an artistic festival with Pope Francis, which will include testimonies by one family from each continent; and finally, outdoor Mass on Sunday in Philadelphia’s Benjamin Franklin Parkway.

“Perhaps one can say that the human mind is nourished by the congress, the human heart will be nurtured by the cultural celebration and the Spirit will be nurtured by the Mass,” Father Donovan said.

The priest said meeting organizers wanted the selection of speakers to showcase the uniqueness of individuals and the shared experience which being part of a family brings.

“Just like each person is a unique gift of God — but there is something common in the human experience that we can all share about the dignity of a human person — the same thing is with the family,” he said.

Father Donovan added that organizers wanted the speakers to convey how “every family is a unique and irreproducible gift of God, but there’s something common to all families.”

Any man and woman of goodwill, from within and outside the Church, “can participate in the importance and the dignity of the family,” he said.

However, the primary aim of the organizers is to lead families closer to Christ.

“It would be wonderful if each person can take away something that makes him or her a better person, and improves their family: opening their minds and hearts to Christ will improve themselves and their families,” the priest said.

“This is our hope: to bring greater happiness, greater peace, greater security, and Salvation, to our families.”

This year’s World Meeting of Families will be the eighth of its kind, and the first to take place in the United States. The last World Meeting of Families was held in Milan in 2012.

The event takes place just weeks ahead of the Synod on the Family on October 4-25.

Its focus will be the theme: “The vocation and mission of the family in the Church and the modern world.”

14

September 4, 2015

‘Fairhaven Jesus’ hopes to gently remind others about God continued from page 11

“I grew up in this town and there are a lot of people who knew me,” Larsen said.

“Ask any one of them if I’m the same person: I’m not. I’m totally different. It’s not that I woke up one morning and decided to change my life. You can change your life, but you don’t give up everything.”

While in Fairhaven, Larsen said he sleeps in a storage unit.

He doesn’t have a car and considers himself homeless. When he’s not walking and talking around town, he relies on the kindness of strangers — and Divine providence — for food and shelter.

“I think God takes things away to make you appreciate them more,” he said. “I had a beautiful home, I had Corvettes in the driveway, a house full of collectibles, and it was still not enough. I was empty inside.

“Now, I’ve never been happier in my life. I love God and Jesus more than anything else.

He’s blessed me with so much, and that’s my message: it’s about falling in love with Jesus.

He’s everything to me. He’s our Father, He created us; and all He wants is for His sons and daughters to get to know Him.” And just as Jesus noted that no prophet would be welcomed in his hometown, Larsen has had his share of detractors.

Some have dismissed him as a publicity hound. Others claim he is mentally ill. And some have even attributed darker motives to his arrest record.

As if on cue, a small pickup truck with two young men dressed like the young man

whom Larsen had been comforting applied the brakes to laugh and jeer at Larsen like the Roman centurions who tormented Christ.

“A lot of people are going around calling me a child molester,” Larsen said. “There was no child involved in this; this was an episode between me and my wife. I was going to kill myself, because my life was total chaos. The only way my wife could save me was to put me in jail to protect me from myself. If they put you in jail for a minor offense, you’d be out in 12 hours. But if you say someone is going to hurt you or someone else, they keep you locked up for a long time.

But before this even went to trial, my wife dropped all the charges.”

The Anchor was able to confirm the details surrounding Larsen’s domestic disturbance arrest and a spokesman for the police department in Fort Myers, Fla. said there were no outstanding charges against him. Officials at the Fairhaven Police Department likewise confirmed that no civil or criminal complaints have ever been filed against Larsen during his two-year stint as “Fairhaven Jesus.”

Larsen doesn’t harbor any resentment towards his ex-wife and now realizes what happened was all part of God’s plan.

“The truth of the matter is this had nothing to do with her, this was all about God and His stripping me of everything,” Larsen said. “God has a way of making things happen that we don’t understand. But I thank Him every day for it.”

“I spoke with him one time

This week in

several months back, and he certainly wasn’t hostile and never claimed he was Jesus,” said Father Martin Gomes, SS.CC., pastor of St. Mary’s Parish in Fairhaven. “I’ve even referenced him in a couple of homilies. I think his message, for the most part, is positive.

He seemed very willing to talk and told me he simply wanted to pass along a message of peace. What’s wrong with that?”

Father Robert Charlton, SS.CC., pastor of St. Joseph’s Parish in Fairhaven, was away on retreat and couldn’t be reached for comment, but a parish secretary said that several parishioners who have encountered Larsen found him to be equally pleasant and essentially “harmless.”

Noting that he wasn’t raised in any particular faith, Larsen said he doesn’t identify with any one denomination. He prefers to consider himself simply a “man of God.” “Jesus wasn’t Protestant or Catholic or Baptist,” he said.

“He was God and He was explaining how we should live and that’s what it was supposed to be about. He called disciples who then went out and made more disciples. It wasn’t about creating sects — that’s what happened through time and that’s what started separating people.”

Larsen is always willing to stop and chat with those who are open to his message. He’ll often pose for people who fumble to take out their cell phones to snap a pic of “Jesus” for their Facebook page, and he’ll oblige others with the ubiquitous “selfie.”

“I wish every person on this

Diocesan history

50 years ago — Bishop James J. Gerrard, D.D., Auxiliary Bishop of the Fall River Diocese, and Msgr. Humberto S. Medeiros, diocesan chancellor, traveled to Rome to attend the opening of the fourth session of the Second Vatican Council.

10 years ago — A Woman’s Concern, a center providing pregnancy health services for women of the Greater Fall River area, was officially dedicated and opened at 384 Highland Avenue in Fall River.

25 years ago — Hundreds gathered at White’s of Westport for a retirement testimonial honoring Msgr. Anthony M. Gomes, former pastor of Our Lady of Angels Parish in Fall River, director of the Catholic Charities Appeal and the Diocesan Council of Catholic Women.

One year ago — A Mass of Thanksgiving was celebrated at St. Mary’s Cathedral in Fall River, recognizing Bishop George W. Coleman’s 50 years as a priest and also his 11 years of service as the seventh Bishop of the Fall River Diocese.

planet could see a picture of me, because it puts an image in your mind,” he said. “It makes you think: well, what is this guy doing? What is this about?

Because people are showing others pictures of me on their cell phone: ‘Hey, I got a picture with Jesus.’ Well, who’s Jesus?

And it starts this conversation and wherever I go, it gets people talking about Jesus.”

When pressed why someone would choose to give up any semblance of normalcy to walk around dressed as Jesus day-in and day-out, Larsen becomes surprisingly calm and lucid.

“This was never my plan,” he said. “This was God’s plan.

I truly am connected to God and He wants me to try and convince others that it’s real.”

“If you told me four or five

years ago that I’d be walking around dressed as Jesus, I’d say you were crazy,” he added.

“This is illogical, and yet I’m doing it.”

Whatever the motivation behind Larsen’s leap of faith, one thing is clear: he’s providing a not-too-subtle reminder of the presence of God in a time when public expressions of faith are either frowned upon or blatantly discouraged.

“I know that through the Holy Spirit, I’ve touched so many people,” Larsen said.

“People have come up to me and told me I’ve changed their lives. These are people I don’t know, but just seeing me changed them somehow. So when people ask why I dress like this, that’s one of the reasons right there.”

Diocesan directory dedicated to religious continued from page 10

2015-2016 Catholic Directory is not only the largest volume of its kind to date, but also boasts a record number of advertising sponsors.

“This edition of our directory is the most successful one we’ve ever had from an advertising perspective,” said Wayne R. Powers, advertising director for The Anchor and the directory. “I think people know it’s still one of the best vehicles and values to make their products and services known throughout the diocese.”

“We’re very proud of this

year’s edition of the directory and I think people will find it to be an invaluable resource for diocesan information,” Souza added.

To order a copy of the newly-published 2015-2016 Catholic Directory, send a check for $23 made payable to “Anchor Publishing,” to Anchor Publishing Co., P.O. Box 7, Fall River, Mass. 02722; or use the handy coupon that appears in the ad in this and subsequent editions. You can also place an order online at www.anchornews.org or by calling 508-675-7151.

Money is flying out the window The Anchor spends nearly $2,000 in postage change fees each year!

The Post Office charges The Anchor 70 cents for notification of a subscriber’s change of address. Please help us reduce these expenses by notifying us immediately when you plan to move.

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15

September 4, 2015

Martha’s Vineyard parish brings Edge to Religious Education continued from page one

Life Teen began as a parish-based youth ministry in Arizona in 1985 with a focus on the Mass and gathering teen-agers together to create a deeper relationship with the Church. The goal is for teen-agers to see the parish as their home and a place to feel supported and engaged with each other.

Starting at three years old, members of the Good Shepherd Parish can begin to participate in the parish’s Religious Education program.

Up to sixth grade, students engage in the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, run by its director Sue Pagliccia, which is a program rooted in the Bible, Liturgy of the Catholic Church and based on the self-teaching model of Dr. Maria Montessori.

Edge is Life Teen’s middle school ministry at Good Shepherd Parish. It’s a twoyear program that meets weekly after Mass, and takes seventh- and eighth-graders and helps guide them through topics that middleschoolers feel they have a difficult time relating to, especially as a Catholic.

“The room is structured differently every time,” said Candreva. “You’re sitting on the floor in a crowd; we ask them to come with an openness to their world and their life. The word I would use is ‘relational’ ministry. What we do is we come together, have an opening icebreaker activity that ties into the focus of the day, and then they have a seat, with a core member or minister giving a prepared talk.”

Each prepared talk works around a theme; for example, a recent theme from last year was “social justice” and the group broke up the Beatitudes and Corporal Works of Mercy.

The Corporal Work of Mercy of burying the dead was interesting because “when you’re in seventh grade, you may not be burying someone [you know],” said Candreva, “so we talked about supporting families who are grieving, and then they got up and shared their first experience with death, what that was like and what it felt like.”

After that, students are broken into small groups, led by a core member or youth

minister, for more in-depth conversations: “It’s a time for them to reflect on what they talked about and apply it,” said Candreva, and then groups do an activity based on the discussions and theme of the day.

Junior core members of Edge are made up of students who are enrolled in the parish’s Life Teen program, while core members can still be high school students or slightly older. Seeing the older youth give back to students barely younger than themselves offers a unique support system at the parish, especially on the island.

“They know the culture and have gone to the same schools, had the same teachers,” said Candreva, “so whether there are homework struggles that are weighing them down, they can speak to where they’re at, and it becomes a safe place for them to talk and share their whole life.

“We pray for each other, and as a relational ministry, we really strive to get to know each other. That’s really helpful, especially at the middle school age; there’s three different middle schools on the island, so they are getting to know people from other schools — there’s only one high school option here — so they’ll go to school with them later.

It brings a familiarity when they get to high school.

“What I love most about Edge and Life Teen is that, what I got out of it, I didn’t have to put my life on hold to come to Religious Education and learn another subject. I came and was able to express my struggles with school, my family and my job, and my friends, and talk and share that and get a Catholic response on how to help to live my faith in those situations.”

Not everyone learns well sitting and reading from a textbook, said Candreva: “Our faith is meant to be lived, not something we graduate from after a particular grade or Sacrament.

By doing this kind of program as a middle-schooler, they are faced with so much that the world is going to start telling them, it’s not enough to tell them the principles of our faith. Books

teach the principles of our faith, and that’s important, but when there’s not enough time to respond or question the environment being put in front of them — like their TV shows — they need an opportunity to be able come and ask about those things.”

Life Teen members can serve on Edge and that usually comes from a desire to want to give back to the parish community in that way; it’s not a requirement, said Candreva, but that’s not the only way older students are encouraged to participate in his or her parish.

“We ask them to be greeters at Mass, welcoming people into church and then afterwards handing out bulletins,” she said. “We also encourage them to become lectors or extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion, and to get involved in the community as a whole — just to give back in any way they feel comfortable.”

During the year, there’s also Safe Environment night, Hot Button Issues night (with the focus on things like bullying and social media) and social nights; in the spring, Edge students go away for a weekend retreat, while Life Teen students do their retreat in the summer.

For this upcoming year, Edge students will be revisiting the Sacraments, exploring discipleships and being called to be an Apostle; Life Teen will be focused on what is called “the battle,” said Candreva. “It’s an acknowledgement that there is sin in the world, that we participate in it and we have a choice to make.

We’re going talk about how the battle has already been won, that there’s a definite call to stand up and live our faith.”

Registrations have begun to roll in, and Candreva said she can’t wait to see her students: “I’m most excited about getting back and being together. We had a great year and to get back together in the same room, regroup, and see how everyone’s summer was.”

For those interested in reading additional resources on Life Teen and Edge — Life Teen also has a College Life program — go to www.

LifeTeen.com.

If you don’t like the weather ....

M

aybe it’s the deep-seat- matter. I wish I could feel like that. ed New England PuThen the Pats win a fourth ritan ethic that keeps we sports Super Bowl and it’s tainted even fanatics in the great northeast before it starts — all because from truly enjoying any good of air pressure. Air pressure of that comes our way. all things! Tell me there isn’t a Maybe it’s because, as our supernatural force at work here. predecessors aboard the MayBut I think the ultimate flower thought, our true happifun-kill moment came last week ness will come in the next life. when it was leaked that 15-year But the problem is, I’m not Red Sox TV broadcaster Don a Puritan, and I like to enjoy Orsillo, a home-grown New things once in a while. And Englander with whom most I think I can speak for 99.9 percent of the rabid Boston-area of Red Sox Nation considered family, was not going to be sports fans as well.

Yet, there is usually something that keeps us from enjoying the moment for much more

By Dave Jolivet than that — a moment.

This was the case when I was a lad dying welcomed back to the broadcast booth next season because the with the Red Sox, Bruins and Red Sox airwaves needed to be Patriots much more often than “re-engergized.” not.

There are far more Orsillo It seems a new millennium fans than detractors and his hasn’t changed that seemingly forced exodus makes no sense, Puritan hex. other than it keeps we New When the Patriots won its Englanders from being too first Super Bowl ever, the afhappy. terglow lasted only as long as it Orsillo has handled this with took for Spygate to rear its ugly head. The next two were equally all the class the man has displayed over the last decade-and“suspicious.” a-half. He’s been tight-lipped When the Red Sox finally with a response, even though ended an 89-year drought and won the whole shebang in 2004, you know he has to be crushed.

He’s handled subsequent we got to revel in the moment broadcasts since the bombshell only until the team unraveled because of departing free agents, news as though nothing has most notably when fan-favorite happened.

Make no mistake, Don OrJohnny Damon ended up in sillo will be missed by thousands pinstripes and Pedro trekked to next season. the other side of Manhattan to There’s a saying up in this the Mets. neck of the woods: “If you don’t I wonder if New York even like the weather, just wait a knows what a Puritan is. minute.” Add to that, “If you’re Add to that suspicions of “juicing,” and people who think a happy Boston sports fan, wait a minute.” like me get an uneasy feeling If only the Mayflower had about the great joy of being the landed on Staten Island! best for a year. There are some davejolivet@anchornews.org. for whom things like that don’t

My View From the Stands

Youth Pages

16

September 4, 2015

Catholic agencies use clown, puppets to help Gaza kids overcome trauma

JERUSALEM (CNS) — Catholic aid agencies having been using various counseling techniques, even a live clown and puppets, to help the Gaza Strip’s children overcome the trauma of lost loved ones and homes in the year since the cease-fire ended the conflict.

But they warn that only a political solution can hope to remedy the increasingly desperate situation there.

“Almost everything we do as an international nongovernmental organization — and most peers would say the same — is like putting a Band-Aid on a pretty serious injury,” said Matthew McGarry, Catholic Relief Services’ country representative for Jerusalem, West Bank and Gaza.

McGarry and other aid officials told Catholic News Service that the long-festering conflict between Israel and Hamas, which runs the Gaza Strip, has created a man-made humanitarian and psychosocial crisis that politics alone must solve.

“It’s cumulative. Children as young as seven have lived through three wars in the past seven years — that’s your lifetime,” McGarry told CNS of the psychological toll Gaza’s multiple wars have taken on its youngest residents.

The U.N. estimates that at least 370,000 children in Gaza need psychosocial support following last summer’s war, which cost the lives of more than 2,250 Palestinians, 65 percent of whom were civilians. Sixty-six Israeli soldiers were killed, along with six civilians, it said, before the Aug. 26, 2014, cease-fire was reached.

But Catholic aid officials who regularly assess assistance on the ground called the U.N. estimate “low.” McGarry and Sami El-Yousef, regional director for Palestine and Israel for the Catholic Near East Welfare Association, said everyone in the war-torn strip is traumatized and needs psychosocial support.

Still, Gaza’s youngest appear to bear the hardest and most-lasting consequences of the seven-week conflict, according to findings by Save the Children, based in the United Kingdom.

Three-quarters of Gaza’s children experience unusual bed-wetting regularly, while

89 percent of parents said that their children suffer constant feelings of fear, reported a study issued by the group in July.

More than 70 percent of children worry that another war will break out. Seven out of 10 children interviewed now suffer regular nightmares.

es CRS has set up in Gaza’s towns hardest hit by the bombardment. There, children draw and paint, play games and talk about their feelings.

Although she still wets her bed from time to time, it’s no longer a nightly occurrence, the mother told McGarry.

The doctor has also lowered

and being overly aggressive at home.

“He had to be coaxed a bit to come to the child-friendly space and didn’t participate at first. But in time he became more active,” McGarry said.

“His mother says he is now gentler and less antagonistic with his siblings. This is what

A group of children lies on the floor during a recent activity in the Youth Empowerment Center in Beit Hanoun, Gaza Strip. The program, designed to help children deal better with trauma and stress, is supported by Caritas Internationalis. (CNS photo/Paul Jeffrey)

For the past year, CRS, CNEWA and Caritas have worked with local partners to tackle these problems.

“The program we designed was to reach mainly children, but not exclusively,” ElYousef told CNS. CNEWA’s psychosocial support became its biggest program to aid post-conflict Gaza, helping more than 20,000 at some 30 schools and other community spaces.

“Some recreational activities were involved, but others needed deep psychological follow-up with specialized counselors, including the transfer to institutions qualified to handle severe cases on a one-on-one basis which were detected during the intervention,” El Yousef said.

A combination of group and individual counseling, puppets, play and art therapy has begun to show some signs of lessening the trauma.

“I was talking with a mother the other day about her 10-year-old daughter, who had been wetting the bed every night and had to be put on anti-anxiety medication by her doctor,” McGarry said.

The girl was enrolled into one of 17 child-friendly spac-

the medication dosage because he said “she is clearly making some progress.”

The CRS country representative recounted another case of a 12-year-old boy who was acting out violently

we are looking for.”

CRS introduced puppets for the first time in Gaza as a way to encourage children to express their feelings, work through the trauma and adopt nonviolent conflict resolution

practices. So far, 3,000 children have participated in such programs, and more opportunities are planned for them next year.

Caritas Jerusalem has expanded its help beyond psychological staff visits to families and schools. From July until October, Marco Rodari, an Italian clown therapist, is helping healing hearts in Gaza.

Experienced in working with traumatized and sick children, Rodari has created a special program for Gaza’s children.

First, he develops a relationship with kids through a comedy and magic show.

Next, they become the clowns or magicians performing the tricks. The third aspect of the program will be the start of a “real school of magic” for the children.

Clown therapy enables the traumatized child to forget for a while the horrors experienced, to feel happy emotions and smile again, Rodari told Caritas.

Making theater brings out children’s emotions. While performing simple magic tricks, the child uses different parts of the body at the same time, thus activating several parts of the brain. Rodari said this promotes psychological healing and helps to replace “bad emotions and memories with happy, positive feelings and thoughts.”

Pope Francis holds a sports ball that was given to him as he arrives for his weekly audience in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican recently. (CNS photo/Ettore Ferrari, EPA)

September 4, 2015

D

o you like being with people, especially those your own age? Does being part of a team and working together towards a common goal interest you?

Do you consider yourself a Spiritual person (prayer is part of your daily routine or at least you try to make time for prayer)? Are you concerned for others around you, especially the less fortunate and the lonely (serving others is sometimes on you’re your mind, but you’ve never been sure how to help)? Does having fun and socializing with others make your day?

All these things build, shape and strengthen our character and attitude. All these things help us to be a part of a team.

All these things describe a youth group — young people sharing their unique gifts and talents with others.

Are you involved in your parish’s youth ministry?

With summer days coming

Youth Pages Building strong youth ministry to a close, schools start classes decide the best approach to put them into action. The key and youth ministry programs to a successful and fun-filled begin another year of Spiritual, service and social events. meeting is simply listening to others and voicing your own What are you waiting for?

Sign up! You can help build a ideas. Of course you’ll need to strong, healthy youth ministry pick a meeting strategy and stick with it for a consistent and have fun while doing it. amount of time. This helps If your parish doesn’t have a build momentum to create a youth ministry look for one bonding team. that does. I’m sure they will welcome you!

I would like to share with you some ideas for creating community with your peers and adult leaders so you can work to strengthen, or create,

By Ozzie Pacheco your own youth ministry.

First, you need to meet regularly. I know Always make time for what you’re thinking — no small talk. Experience has one likes meetings (except taught me that the best time for the person who’s planfor small talk with youth hapning the meeting). These pens in the few minutes begatherings are important. fore and after a meeting. For Here is where you plan and youth leaders: don’t fill every share ideas. The best ideas minute with an overwhelming for youth ministry happen at agenda. Been there, done that these meetings and then you — doesn’t work! You do need a meeting plan, but be simple and practical. Build community by letting everyone mix, mingle and make small talk.

At first, you may need to get creative to start conversations, but after a while they will happen naturally.

I admit we don’t do much of this in our youth ministry.

Be Not Afraid

But, sharing stories is one of the greatest connecting moments in youth gatherings.

We’re going to focus more on doing this by simply asking: “What’s been going good?

Where have you sensed God moving in your life, school, church, work, etc.?” It’s easy to get caught up in life and work and ministry and not stop long enough to realize that God is indeed a part of it all. Doing things too fast can adversely affect building community. Slow down and share stories that connect everyone.

No single person will have all the answers to the issues affecting your youth ministry. Build your team by creating “space” for everyone to be able to help one another. Brainstorm solutions together, ask for feedback, and appeal to and rely on the wisdom of others. If one person has to care for everyone on the team, how effective is that? The result is burnout!

Share solutions and support each other!

Have fun! It’s why you joined the youth group in the first place, isn’t it? Simply playing together is sometimes the best thing for youth min-

17 istry. However, youth ministry doesn’t exist for everyone to be entertained, but some timely fun can strengthen a team’s bond. And don’t forget to laugh together.

Youth ministry cannot exist without celebration, worship and prayer. During your gatherings, make it a habit to focus on the good things that God is doing in your ministry and the life of all involved.

Stop and celebrate successes.

The goal is to make sure that every time you gather you take the time to find something worth celebrating. Don’t let complaints dominate your time.

Worship and pray together when you meet. This time will serve to focus your hearts on what matters most and remind you that worshipping God is more important than doing the work of God. Our youth ministry has a motto: Lead all to the Eucharist. That is the work we do! That is our goal. That is our prayer! It’s a constant reminder that everything we do in ministry is to build our Church for the greater glory of God! God bless!

Anchor columnist Ozzie Pacheco is Faith Formation director at Santo Christo Parish, Fall River.

Students in pre-kindergarten and kindergarten from St. James-St. John School in New Bedford and their families came to a recent orientation.

The Anchor is always pleased to run news and photos about our diocesan youth. If schools, parish Religious Education programs, or homeschoolers have newsworthy stories and photos they would like to share with our readers, send them to: schools@anchornews. org

Holy Name School in Fall River was especially blessed this year that the first day of school was a Wednesday. Each week on Wednesday Father Jay Maddock, the school’s director and pastor of Holy Name Parish, celebrates Mass in the school’s auditorium.

Middle school students at St. Francis Xavier School in Acushnet assembled a display for the year’s theme “Rooted in Christ: Growing from the Strength of His Mercy​.” Students set goals for how they are going to live out this year’s theme as a school community.

18

September 4, 2015

Jesuit Freetown native examines Pope Francis at work continued from page one

like princes and become more ordinary in their ways,” Father Sullivan said.

Pope Francis wants to make Church finances accountable the way any nonprofit should be.

“He wants basic honesty and transparency, knowing where the money is going,” said Father Sullivan. “The Church is big business and can’t turn on a dime. Some are in favor, some lesser, some opposed.”

The pope’s upcoming synod on family will look at the rules.

“I don’t know what will happen and where Francis stands,” said Father Sullivan. “He wants discussion, and that is what is different about his style. He is doctrinally conservative, but pastorally he will look, as Jesus did, at the situations of people who are suffering, who have been turned off by the old religious establishment.

This is a key interest of his.”

Again, Father Sullivan returns to the “Exercises” and finding God in all things.

“Where is God in this?” he asked. “The nittygritty incarnational life is not outside reality. We have a God Who wants communion with us, Who cares about our daily lives and struggles.”

Father Sullivan points out the significance of the pontiff’s choice of a name. In a vision, God told St. Francis to rebuild His Church.

“Pope Francis is the real thing — no question about that,” said Father Sullivan. “He can do things. He celebrates Mass daily with off-thecuff homilies. He knows the freedom of God’s love.”

Born in Fall River and baptized at St. Anne’s Parish, Father Sullivan moved to Assonet when he was six.

His calling to the

priesthood came gradually, a gentle nudge throughout his high school and college years.

He attended St. Bernard’s Parish in Assonet, a mission church at that time, and was influenced by the devotion of the mission priests. When he inquired about the possibility of a vocation, he was advised to go to college first.

Father Sullivan attended the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester.

“I got to know quite a number of Jesuits, many of them in their late 30s and 40s, who seemed interesting and happy,” he said.

He attended seminary at the New England Province of the Society of Jesus in Boston. At the end of two years, he also took his first vows which are perpetual.

Then he was sent to Gonzaga University in Spokane, Wash., entering its master’s degree pro-

gram in philosophy and earning his licentiate.

Sullivan taught at Cheverus High School in Portland, Maine, for three years, then applied for a third year of teaching and was approved as a scholastic in theology and assigned to Berkeley, Calif.

The Jesuit School of Theology is located at Santa Clara University, and he completed his senior thesis work under the tutelage of the Episcopal School faculty.

“It was not only possible, but encouraged,” he said.

Three years later Father Sullivan was ordained on June 18, 1983.

He was reassigned to Cheverus and spent the next four years in Maine.

He also would earn a doctoral degree in ministry from Bangor Seminary.

His next assignment brought him back home to Bishop Connolly High School for three years, teaching and working as admission director for the last two years.

Father Sullivan then

was assigned as pastor of St. Joseph’s Parish and its mission church of St. John’s in Eastport, Maine, for 12 years, and at St. Joseph’s Church in Gardiner, Maine.

His next four-year assignment took him to St. Thomas Aquinas Parish in Storrs, Conn., where he would also serve as director of the Catholic Campus Ministry Center at the University of Connecticut.

Most recently, Father Sullivan served as Spiritual director of Eastern Point Retreat House in Gloucester for four years.

Based on the “Spiritual Exercises” of St. Ignatius, the retreats offered guidance to people of diverse backgrounds and traditions who sought God in their lives.

He currently serves as pastor of Our Lady of Hope cluster parish in Portland, Maine.

“Everybody has a vocation,” he said. “We give what we are in gratitude.

God is no further from ourselves than we are.”

“We have a good core group and we hope former volunteers will come back,” Father Maddock told The Anchor.

O’Neill, who attended Johnson and Wales Culinary Arts School, is a chef and has worked in food service, will handle the kitchen duties at the onset.

“This is great news, I’m thrilled,” Father Maddock said of the re-opening on September 14. “We had to keep the Sacred Heart name in the soup kitchen and food pantry because they have done so many great things and have helped so many needy folks in the past.

“I’m glad Brendan has taken this on. We’re going to get the word out about the re-opening and try to get businesses who have helped out in the past to continue to do so.”

O’Neill told The Anchor that press releases will be sent out and that Father Maddock is sending an email to every diocesan pastor to make it known in parish bulletins.

“And,” he added, “people who come for assistance

have a great word-of-mouth communication system. I’ve also contacted Citizens for Citizens to have them get the word out as well.”

O’Neill said, “This will grow. We have an amazing group of people working on this. We’ll hit a few snags at first, but we’ll iron them out and this will be great. We’re doing just what Christ asked of us, ‘To feed the hungry.’”

Father Maddock added, “The leadership of the food pantry is grateful to Bishop Edgar M. da Cunha, S.D.V., and the Diocese of Fall River for their support and encouragement to once again offer this service to people in need here in our city.”

Beginning September 14 and on following Mondays, the soup kitchen will be held in the church hall at St. Bernadette’s Church.

Doors will open at 5 p.m.

The entrance will be on the Bedard Street side of the church.

To volunteer at the kitchen, or to donate non-perishable food stuffs or assist f inancially, contact Polly at 508677-0713.

Sacred Heart Soup Kitchen to reopen September 14 continued from page one

Cambra, and resurrect the soup kitchen and food pantry.

“Holy Name parishioners have always contributed food products to the Sacred Heart pantry,” Father Maddock told The Anchor. “We had a spot at the church entrance and it was always being replenished by very generous people.

“Plus many Holy Name parishioners volunteered at the kitchen on Mondays along with so many hardworking, dedicated people from Sacred Heart Parish.”

The very same week Father Maddock asked for prayers, Brendan O’Neill, who worked at the soup kitchen for about seven months, came forward and volunteered to lead the charge to bring back the vital source of nourishment for so many needy people.

“I came back to Fall River after living in Utah for eight years,” O’Neill told The Anchor, “and I returned to Sacred Heart Parish where I grew up.

“I started working at the kitchen on Monday nights,

serving and helping in the kitchen. I, like so many good people who have worked there so much longer than I, were devastated by the news the kitchen would have to close.

“I heard Father Jay’s plea for help, and it got me to thinking, ‘I could handle that.’”

Father Maddock, O’Neill and several longtime volunteers met to work out a game plan. “We checked with volunteers to see if they would be willing to move to a new location, and many said yes, as long as it was still in Fall River and still on Monday nights,” said O’Neill. “We wanted to keep it at a parish, but we would have gone to a secular site if needed. Volunteer Bobby Bogan said the Boys’ and Girls’ club was a possibility if need be. Bobby helped us put out feelers to find a place.”

“We got permission from the diocese to seek a new location for the soup kitchen,” said Father Maddock, “and we began a search.

Ultimately, we checked out the kitchen and hall at St.

Bernadette’s Parish and we decided it was the place.”

“It was pretty close to perfect,” added O’Neill. “It had an operating kitchen and a large hall. It was on one floor and was handicap-accessible.

“Plus we checked with Carol and Paul Oliveira, who have run the Bingo evening at the parish for years, and they thought it was a great idea, as did the Bingo volunteers. Everyone at St. Bernadette’s was super nice and accommodating.”

The hall and kitchen at St. Bernadette’s is spacious and the parish also provided some additional storage space for the soup kitchen and food pantry supplies.

“Manny Mota, who had worked the Sacred Heart Kitchen for years, contacted the Sacred Heart volunteers and many agreed to come back,” said O’Neill.

O’Neill also said there was enough canned and dried food stuffs, and “a freezerand-a-half ” of good food left from Sacred Heart’s that would help them run the opening night kitchen on September 14.

19

September 4, 2015

Eucharistic Adoration in the Diocese Acushnet — Eucharistic Adoration takes place at St. Francis Xavier Parish on Monday from 9:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.; Tuesday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.; and Saturday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Evening prayer and Benediction is held Monday through Wednesday at 6:30 p.m.

ASSONET — Beginning September 14, St. Bernard’s Parish will have Eucharistic Adoration every Monday from 9:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. The Blessed Sacrament will be exposed on the altar at the conclusion of 9 a.m. Mass and the church will be open all day, concluding with evening prayer and Benediction at 6:30 p.m.

ATTLEBORO — Eucharistic Adoration takes place in the Adoration Chapel at St. Vincent de Paul Parish, 71 Linden Street, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily.

ATTLEBORO — The National Shrine of Our Lady of La Salette holds Eucharistic Adoration in the Shrine Church every Saturday from 1 to 4 p.m. through November 17.

ATTLEBORO — There is a weekly Holy Hour of Eucharistic Adoration Thursdays from 5:30 to 6:30 pm at St. John the Evangelist Church on N. Main St. Brewster — Eucharistic Adoration takes place in the La Salette Chapel in the lower level of Our Lady of the Cape Church, 468 Stony Brook Road, on First Fridays beginning at noon until 7:45 a.m. First Saturday, concluding with Benediction and concluding with Mass at 8 a.m. buzzards Bay — Eucharistic Adoration takes place at St. Margaret Church, 141 Main Street, Monday through Saturday, from 6:30 to 8 a.m.; and every first Friday from noon to 8 a.m. on Saturday.

East Freetown — Eucharistic Adoration takes place at St. John Neumann Church every Monday (excluding legal holidays) 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. in the Our Lady, Mother of All Nations Chapel. (The base of the bell tower).

EAST TAUNTON — Eucharistic Adoration takes place in the chapel at Holy Family Parish Center, 438 Middleboro Avenue, Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. On First Fridays, Eucharistic Adoration takes place at Holy Family Church, 370 Middleboro Avenue, from 8:30 a.m. until 7:45 p.m.

FAIRHAVEN — St. Mary’s Church, Main St., has Eucharistic Adoration every Wednesday from 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. in the Chapel of Reconciliation, with Benediction at 11:30 a.m. Also, there is a First Friday Mass each month at 7 p.m., followed by a Holy Hour with Eucharistic Adoration. Refreshments follow.

Fall River — Espirito Santo Parish, 311 Alden Street, Fall River. Eucharistic Adoration on Mondays following the 8 a.m. Mass until Rosary and Benediction at 6:30 p.m.

FALL RIVER — St. Bernadette’s Church, 529 Eastern Ave., has continuous Eucharistic Adoration from 8 a.m. on Thursday until 8 a.m. on Saturday.

FALL RIVER — St. Anthony of the Desert Church, 300 North Eastern Avenue, has Eucharistic Adoration Mondays and Tuesdays from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.

FALL RIVER — Holy Name Church, 709 Hanover Street, has Eucharistic Adoration Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. in the Our Lady of Grace Chapel.

FALL RIVER — Good Shepherd Parish has Eucharistic Adoration every Friday following the 8 a.m. Mass and concluding with 3 p.m. Benediction in the Daily Mass Chapel.

A bilingual holy hour takes place from 2 to 3 p.m. Park behind the church and enter the back door of the connector between the church and the rectory.

Falmouth — For July and August St. Patrick’s Church has Eucharistic Adoration on Wednesday and Friday 9 a.m. to noon Benediction at St. Thomas Chapel, Falmouth Heights.

MANSFIELD — St. Mary’s Parish, 330 Pratt Street, has Eucharistic Adoration every First Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., with Benediction at 5:45 p.m.

MASHPEE — Christ the King Parish, Route 151 and Job’s Fishing Road has 8:30 a.m.

Mass every First Friday with special intentions for Respect Life, followed by 24 hours of Eucharistic Adoration in the Chapel, concluding with Benediction Saturday morning followed immediately by an 8:30 Mass.

NEW BEDFORD — Eucharistic Adoration takes place 7 to 9 p.m. Wednesdays at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church, 233 County Street, with night prayer and Benediction at 8:45 p.m., and Confessions offered during the evening. Please use the side entrance.

NEW BEDFORD — There is a daily holy hour from 5:15-6:15 p.m. Monday through Thursday at St. Anthony of Padua Church, 1359 Acushnet Avenue. It includes Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, Liturgy of the Hours, recitation of the Rosary, and the opportunity for Confession.

NEW BEDFORD — St. Lawrence Martyr Parish, 565 County Street, holds Eucharistic Adoration in the side chapel Fridays from 7:30-11:45 a.m. ending with a simple Benediction NORTH DARTMOUTH — Eucharistic Adoration takes place at St. Julie Billiart Church, 494 Slocum Road, every Tuesday from 7 to 8 p.m., ending with Benediction.

The Sacrament of Reconciliation is available at this time.

NORTH DIGHTON — Eucharistic Adoration takes place every Wednesday following 8:00 a.m. Mass and concludes with Benediction at 5 p.m. Eucharistic Adoration also takes place every First Friday at St. Nicholas of Myra Church, 499 Spring Street following the 8 a.m. Mass, ending with Benediction at 6 p.m. The Rosary is recited Monday through Friday from 7:30 to 8 a.m.

NORTH EASTON — A Holy Hour for Families including Eucharistic Adoration is held every Friday from 3-4 p.m. at The Father Peyton Center, 518 Washington Street.

ORLEANS — St. Joan of Arc Parish, 61 Canal Road, has Eucharistic Adoration every First Friday starting after the 8 a.m. Mass and ending with Benediction at 11:45 a.m.

The Sacrament of the Sick is also available immediately after the 8 a.m. Mass.

OSTERVILLE — Eucharistic Adoration takes place at Our Lady of the Assumption Church, 76 Wianno Avenue on First Fridays from 8:30 a.m. to noon.

SEEKONK ­— Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Parish has perpetual Eucharistic Adoration seven days a week, 24 hours a day in the chapel at 984 Taunton Avenue. For information call 508-336-5549.

Taunton — Eucharistic Adoration takes place every Tuesday at St. Anthony Church, 126 School Street, following the 8 a.m. Mass with prayers including the Chaplet of Divine Mercy for vocations, concluding at 6 p.m. with Chaplet of St. Anthony and Benediction. Recitation of the Rosary for peace is prayed Monday through Saturday at 7:30 a.m. prior to the 8 a.m. Mass.

Taunton — Adoration of the Most Blessed Sacrament takes place every First Friday at Annunciation of the Lord, 31 First Street. Exposition begins following the 8 a.m.

Mass. The Blessed Sacrament will be exposed, and Adoration will continue throughout the day. Confessions are heard from 5:15 to 6:15 p.m. Rosary and Benediction begin at 6:30 p.m.

WAREHAM — Eucharistic Adoration at St. Patrick’s Church begins each Wednesday evening at 6 p.m. and ends on Friday night at midnight. Adoration is held in our Adoration Chapel in the lower Parish Hall. ~ PERPETUAL EUCHARISTIC ADORATION ~ East Sandwich — The Corpus Christi Parish Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration Chapel is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week at 324 Quaker Meeting House Road, East Sandwich. Use the Chapel entrance on the side of the church.

NEW BEDFORD — Our Lady’s Chapel, 600 Pleasant Street, offers Eucharistic Adoration seven days a week, 24 hours a day. For information call 508-996-8274.

SEEKONK ­— Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish has perpetual Eucharistic Adoration seven days a week, 24 hours a day in the chapel at 984 Taunton Avenue. For information call 508-336-5549.

WEST HARWICH — Our Lady of Life Perpetual Adoration Chapel at Holy Trinity Parish, 246 Main Street (Rte. 28), holds perpetual Eucharistic Adoration. We are a regional chapel serving all of the surrounding parishes. All are invited to sign up to cover open hours. For open hours, or to sign up call 508-430-4716.

Former nuncio dies while awaiting sex abuse trial

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Initial results of the autopsy on the body of former archbishop Jozef Wesolowski, who was awaiting trial in the Vatican on charges of child sexual abuse and possession of child pornography, indicate he died late August 27 of a “cardiac incident,” the Vatican said.

Wesolowski, 67, the former Vatican nuncio to the Dominican Republic, was confined to Vatican property while awaiting trial. His body was found at about 5 a.m. by a priest who lived in the same building, which houses the Franciscans who hear Confessions in St. Peter’s Basilica, as well as offices of the Vatican police force. Wesolowski was in front of a television, which was on, said Passionist Father Ciro Benedettini, a Vatican spokesman.

Wesolowski was to be the first person to be tried by a Vatican criminal court on sex abuse charges. The first session of the trial had been scheduled for July 11, but was postponed when he was taken to the hospital the day before after suffering “a collapse,” Father Benedettini said. He remained in the hospital until July 17.

Vatican prosecutors listed five charges against Wesolowski, which included having “corrupted, by means of lewd acts, adolescents presumably between the ages of 13 and 16,” in the Dominican Republic, where Wesolowski had served as a Vatican nuncio from 2008 to 2013, when he was accused of abusing adolescent boys.

In Your Prayers Please pray for these priests during the coming weeks Jan. 17 Rev. John F. Laughlin, Retired Pastor, Holy Ghost, Attleboro, 1967 Rev. Daniel J. McCarthy, SS.CC., Former Provincial Superior, Retired Pastor, Holy Redeemer, Chatham, 2002 Rev. Gilles M. Genest, M.S., 2012 Rev. Paul J. Duff, C.S.C., 2012 Jan. 19 Rev. Thomas E. O’Dea, Assistant, St. Lawrence, New Bedford, 1999 Jan. 20 Rev. Roland J. Masse, Assistant, Notre Dame de Lourdes, Fall River, 1952 Jan. 21 Msgr. Henri A. Hamel, USAF, Retired Chaplain, Retired Pastor, St. Joseph, New Bedford, 1983 Jan. 23 Permanent Deacon Cwiekowski, 2001

John

Around the Diocese The Catholic Woman’s Club of St. Mary’s Parish in Mansfield will celebrate its 100th anniversary with a Mass on September 10 at 6:30 p.m. at St. Mary’s Church 330 Pratt Street, followed by installation of officers, a meeting, and a light supper in the Rose Garden.

The Lazarus Ministry of Our Lady of the Cape Parish in Brewster is offering a six-week bereavement support program called “Come Walk With Me” that will begin September 10 and run through October 15 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. The program meets for six weeks at the parish center and is designed for people who have experienced the loss of a loved one within the past year. Pre-registration is required and there is a $10 charge for materials. For more information, contact Happy Whitman at 508-385-3252, Mary Morley at 508-385-8942 or Joan Merz at 508-385-9265.

St. Mark’s Parish, 105 Stanley Street in Attleboro Falls, will celebrate its annual fair on September 12 from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. The day will include a variety of activities, music and food, including DJ Nate Adams. Food offerings will include hot dogs and hamburgers, doughboys, chowder and clam cakes, meatball grinders, pizza, and pastries and ice cream sundaes. There will also be arts and crafts, baked goods, religious articles for sale, and a raffle table with prizes totaling more than $1,750. Come and join in this traditional “end of summer” ritual.

A Healing Mass and Blessing with St. André’s Relic and Anointing with St. Joseph Oil will be held at St. Joseph Chapel, 500 Washington Street, at Holy Cross Family Ministries in North Easton on September 13 with Rosary at 1:30 p.m. and Mass at 2 p.m. All are welcome to join either or both. St. André was known as the “Miracle Man of Montrèal” for his intercession in healing thousands of the faithful at the St. Joseph Oratory in Montreal. More than two million people visit his shrine each year. St. André’s relic will be available for blessing and veneration. For more information call Holy Cross Family Ministries at 508-238-4095, x. 2027 or visit www.familyrosary.org/events.

The St. Vincent de Paul Society of St. Anthony Parish in East Falmouth will host an Island Queen Sunset Cruise to benefit their charitable works on September 17 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Free parking will be available at the ship wharf in Falmouth Harbor starting at 5 p.m. Ladies Choice, a local Irish band, will provide lively music,a light supper is included, along with silent auction and raffles. For tickets or more information, please call 508-457-0085.

All are invited to pray the new Culture of Life Chaplet on September 17 at 1 p.m. in St. Jude’s Chapel of Christ the King Parish in Mashpee. Recitation is on done on ordinary Rosary beads and will include a brief meditation preceding each of the five decades.

On Columbus Day weekend, Our Lady of Lourdes Parish will host its annual holly fair at 2282 Route 6 in Wellfleet. The event will take place on October 10 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., then again on October 11 beginning after the 10:30 a.m.

Mass. The fair will offer beautiful themed baskets, a quilt raffle, books, teacup raffle, homemade items, toys, ornaments, baked goods, wreaths, silent auction, White Elephant table, jewelry, cookies and much more! Photos with Santa will be taken on Saturday (October 10) from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Food offerings will include hot dogs, stuffed quahogs, sausage and peppers, clam chowder, chili and more.

Our Lady Queen of Martyrs Parish in Seekonk will host its annual holiday fair on November 13 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and on November 14 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the church hall on Coyle Drive (off Route 152) in Seekonk. The event will feature super raffles including an Apple gift card, HDTV, scratch tickets, “Kim’s Special Raffles,” and the famous “Baskets Galore.” There will also be jewelry, hand-knit items, Christmas gifts, adult and kids instant wins, toys, home-baked goods, fudge, and much more. Louise’s Cafe will be serving goodies all day.

20

September 4, 2015

Is this what St. Rose of Lima looked like?

St. Rose of Lima. (CNA photo from Divulgaç o Ebrafol, Brazilian Team of Forensic Anthropology and Odontology)

Lima, Peru (CNA/EWTN News) — The face of the first saint of the New World may be better known than ever, thanks to a team of scientists that has analyzed the skull of St. Rose of Lima.

Scientists from the University of St. Martin de Porres in Peru and the Brazilian Anthropological and Dental Legal Forensics Team reconstructed her face and the faces of two other saints who lived more than 300 years ago.

The Dominicans have preserved the skulls of St. Rose, St. Martin de Porres and St. John Macias in St. Dominic Church, located in the historic center of the Peruvian capital of Lima.

Under the care of Dominican friars and with strict security measures, the skulls were temporarily transferred to a clinic in Lima.

There, the researchers took computerized tomography images. This is a process used in diagnostic medicine using CT or ultrasound scans.

St. Rose of Lima’s face was the first to be revealed. According to the news site Peru Catolico, the researchers said the reconstruction shows she was “a pretty woman with soft features and a well-distributed face.” Unlike her classical portrayals, the reconstruction indicates her eyes were large.

St. Rose was born in Lima to Spanish parents in 1586. At a very young age, she chose to consecrate her life to God. She practiced very intense prayer and penance each day. Sometimes she deprived herself of food and sleep. She joined the Third Order of St. Dominic. After three years of illness, she died at the age of 31 in 1617.

Her feast day is celebrated on August 23 in many parts of the world, while in Peru and several places it is observed August 30.

Her reconstructed image was unveiled at St. Rose Parish on the Brazilian island of Guaruja on August 23.

This coming November the research team will present the conclusion of their work in Peru.

They will unveil the bust of St. Rose and those of the two other saints.

St. Martin de Porres was the first black saint of the Americas, and St. Juan Macias, another Dominican saint, was a regular companion of St. Martin de Porres. He served as the porter at the Dominican convent in Lima.