09.16.83

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FALL RIVER DIOCESAN NEWSPAPER

t eanc 0

FOR SOUTHEAST MASSACHUSETTS CAPE COlD & THE ISLANDS

FAll RIVER, MASS., FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 1983

VOL. 27, NO. 36

$8 Per Year

'Called to be enterprising stewards'

Catechists honored Sunday

The bishops of the United States have designated the third l'~~ ~.,~ Sunday of September as Cate­ chetical Sunday. It is a day on which every parish community seeks to focus on one of its most important functions, the ministry of catechesis. The theme for each year is chosen from the readings OU that Sun­ day so that the liturgical action and the ministry of the Word in paricular can reinforce the theme in a prayerful setting. The 1983 theme, "CaIle:i to Be Enterprising Stewards", is based on the Gospel reading for the 25th Sunday of the year. One first learns to be an en­ terprising steward in the context of family. In the domestic church, the church of the home, children learn particularly by the example of their parents to be enterprising stewards of themselves, the community, the Formal or informal, CCD classes are vital ~o the formation of young Christians. world and the faith. Pope John Paul II 'in ·Familia­ say, Catechetical Sunday, Sep­ Catechists have -a special re­ logue with God, as a community ris Consortio sets forth the fol­ sponsibility to be enterprising tember 18, is the day we high­ lowing general tasks for the at the service of men and women. .' Catechists are called to be en- stewards of the faith and ~he light those called to assist the Christian family: 1) to form a church's mission to proclaim the community of persons; 2) to . terprising stewards, not only of message of Jesus. reign of God as catechist/ Throughout the diocese par­ transmit life and values; 3) to their own lives but of their cate­ . teachers in parish programs. ·.ishes will be commissioning chetical ministry. Whether work­ participate in the development A special Catechetical Sunday those whose ministry this yea·r of societies; 4) to serve the life ing with children, adults or fam­ Liturgy will be celebrated by will be teaching others. Al­ and mission of the Church as a ilies, catechists help people rec­ the Reverend George W. Cole­ though it is true that each of us ognize their gifts and use them believing and evangelizing com­ munity, as a community in dia- for the good of the kingdom. catechizes by what we do and man assisted by Reverend Mar-

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Billings

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eel H. Bouchard] at the Bishop Stang High School Chapel. This Liturgy will be televised on Channel 6 at 10:30 a.m. Sun:lay. Bishop's Letter In connection with Cateche­ tical Sunday, Bishop oDaniel A. Cronin has asked that the fol­ lowing letter be read in parishes this weekend: . "Each year, Catechetical Sun­ day provides every parish com­ munity of faith an opportunity to focus upon one of the most important apostolates, that of catechesis. The observance is scheduled to coincide with the beginning of the academic year, when efforts in this apostolate begin in earnest. "We tend to think of catc­ chesis as confined in its scope to parish program of religious education for youngsters, those in Catholic schools and those whom we serve in the CCD pro­

grams. As a matter of fact,

catechesis touches everyone in

the parish community of faill:;

it helps all people to develop

their min:ls by stimulating their

intellect and challenging them to

discern the Spirit which 'lead:>

them and enables them to live the Good News. "As disciples··ofChrist, we are called to be stewards of our own Tum to Page Six

Family Planning Method

Over 97 percent effective By Pat McGowan Drs. John and Evelyn Billings are the developers and propoun­ ders of a better than 97 percent effective method of natural fam­ ily planning. They have traveled to 50 coun­ tries to spread word of their dis­ coveries and techniques with the ambition of "getting this knowl­ ege to every woman of repro­ ductive age." They have been acclaimed by religious leaders from the pope ~ down, by members of the medi­ cal establisment and most im­ portantly by the millions of par­ ents who have followed their guidelines for happy, healthy pregnancies. You'd expect them to be a couple of dynamos, right?

·Wrong. The doctors, both 65, are so soft spoken that reporters at a press conference last week had to strain to hear them, so relaxed that they faced TV .Jights and the print media as comfort­ ably as if seated in their own living room. They made the diocesan Fam­ ily Life Center their headquar­ ters for a five-day stay in the diocese, during which they had few idle moments. Shepherded by 'Father Ronald A. Tosti, diocesan director of family ministry, and Sister Lu­ cille Levasseur, director of the ministry's Billings Natural Fam­ ily Planning Program, they shut­ tled between radio and televi­ sion appearances, spoke at a well-attended lecture at oBishop

Connolly High School, Fall River, met with Bishop Daniel A. Cronin at the diocesan chan­ cery office and conducted lec­ tures for Billings Method in­ structors and clients at the Fam­ ily Life Center. Also at the center, -lectors for a Mass couples who had training as Billings received certificates.

they were at which completed instructors

The schedule was not unusual for the couple who had toured the United States extensively before reaching New England and who left the area for en­ gagements in Yugoslavia, Italy, Canada, Brazil, Korea, Taiwan and Hong Kong, aU before reTurn to Page Six

I

DRS. EVELYN and John Billings lector at Family Life Center Mass. (Rosa Photo)


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