Diocese of Fall River
The Anchor
F riday , September 26, 2008
Local group readies for Life Walk
Area priest addresses Budapest conference
By Deacon James N. Dunbar
By Michael Pare Anchor Staff
FALL RIVER — For Father Thomas M. Kocik of Santo Christo Parish on Canal Street, the lazy days of summer were anything but lazy. Instead, he spent much of his summer fine tuning a paper entitled, “The ‘Reform of the Reform’ in Broad Context: Reengaging the Living Tradition.” He had the honor of presenting his paper at the international conference, “Pope Benedict XVI and the Sacred Liturgy,” which took place in late August in Budapest, Hungary. Father Kocik was invited to present his paper by one of the conference organizers, Professor Laszlo Dobszay, a friend he met at a conference on liturgy at Oxford University in 2006. Dobszay is a composer of liturgical music and a specialist in Gregorian chant. The conference was held at the Liszt Ferenc Music Academy in Budapest, where the famous composer Franz Liszt lived and worked. It was co-sponsored by the St. Augustine Liturgical Atelier and the Church Music Association of Hungary. Father Kocik said the conference was an opportunity to discuss the state of the liturgy, now 40 years after Vatican II. He found it to be a constructive opportunity. He offered the following in an exchange with The Anchor last week: Anchor: Tell us a bit about the conference itself. Father Kocik: The purpose of the conference was to assess the current state of affairs in light of the teaching, pastoral activity, and directives of the Holy Father. Pope Benedict XVI, while he was prefect of the Congregation for Turn to page 12
BEGINNINGS — Bishop George W. Coleman, right, celebrated Mass last Sunday at the new St. Nicholas of Myra Parish in North Dighton. Father Timothy Goldrick, center was installed as the new pastor. Altar server Joshua Tibbels holds a sign with the parish’s new insignia. (Photo by Steve Platt)
The Pauline Year: Paul brings unity and cohesion to Christian faiths By Kenneth J. Souza Anchor Staff
FALL RIVER — As a pioneering figure in the early formation of the Church, St. Paul would often by virtue of his role be called upon to foster a sense of community among different groups with varying beliefs. The essence of his theological teachings — a series of letters sent to remote areas in an effort to propagate a coherent Christian doctrine — were borne out of the need to provide some guidance and direction to those early sects who came to Christ after having been converted from other creeds. Indeed, Paul can be viewed as a central unifying force in the formation of the Church. His ecumenical mission was rooted in spreading the Gospel to all faiths and to gather people under the umbrella of Christ’s teachings.
“In some ways, that’s what made Paul a controversial figure,” said the Reverend David Lima, executive minister of the InterChurch Council of New Bedford.
“I think the thing that happens in society is we tend to follow a mission, a person, or a cause. Sometimes we follow without a solid foundation.” “There were, particularly in the Church of Corinth, a number of factions that Paul had to address,” agreed Father Marc H. Bergeron, pastor of St. Anne’s Parish in Fall River. “There were more people involved with Peter at the time than Jesus. That was all part of some rather profound changes that took place early on. As the Church grew, they had to deal with all these early problems.”
“The last thing Peter wanted was to have followers of Peter,” Rev. Lima said. “He wanted people to follow Christ. It’s the same thing today with the various religious figures that become so prominent and people become followers of the figure rather than the faith. When it fails, it’s because we are putting our faith in a person and not in Christ himself. People tend to get more excited over the messenger than the message.” In his time, Paul also had to deal with a variety of rituals and traditions that were already deeply-ingrained in certain cultures. “At the time of St. Paul, there was a Eucharist in the Church, but they didn’t do it right because the rich would have their juicy food and the poor wouldn’t share in it,” Father Bergeron said. “That was really the beginning of a change from the potluck-type meal to the Mass as we know it. You’ll find that in Paul’s letters to the Corinthians. They would meet in people’s homes and then, as the Church grew, they began to gather in public buildings.” With certain traditions from other faiths gradually becoming part of the fledgling rituals of the Catholic Church, this familiarity Turn to page 18
FALL RIVER — When dozens of Pro-Lifers that include adults, students and representatives from many Fall River Diocese parishes and groups arrive in Boston October 5 for the 22nd annual Respect Life Walk to benefit mothers and children in crisis, they will truly exemplify the theme “Helping Hands and Hearts.” That’s the slogan for this year adopted by Massachusetts Citizens for Life, which for two decades has hosted the annual walk-a-thon fund-raiser. The locals will be joining several hundred, who through their $5 registration fee for those aged 18 and older, and by sponsor monies raised by the walkers themselves, offer needed support to 47 Massachusetts Pro-Life organizations that include crisis pregnancy centers, counseling services, women’s shelters and educational programs. In an effort to facilitate those who want to join in the 3.1-mile walk at 2:30 p.m., a bus has been chartered. “The Fall River MCFL Chapter is sponsoring a bus to bring local walkers to the Boston Commons, so there is no need to worry about parking or the Boston traffic,” reported Dorothy Nicolau, local chairman for the walk. “The central pickup location is at Immaculate Conception Church on County Street in Fall River,” Nicolau reported. “Departure time will be at 11:15 a.m. The bus will proceed to the Taunton Galleria Park and Ride in Taunton arriving at approximately noon, and then head to Boston Commons.” Those wishing to travel on the bus can reserve a seat by calling Nicolau at 508-674-8695; or by calling Fall River diocesan MCFL chairman, Bea Martins at 508-678-3351. This year, the Archdiocese of Boston has added some interesting, first-time events in hopes of attracting more young people, including high school students, to take part. Turn to page 18