09.26.68

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Harrowing, Vietn·am Experiences

Cross of G'allantry Recognizes Heroism' of Fr. Demers

pouared on them and they were burned where they lay." While in Hue, Father Demers described his ministry in a letter' ~ 11 priest friend in the States: "Nice kids cut up, dead bodies lining the streets and buildings, gaping 'holes in beau­ tiilnl buildings ~ • • just every­ thing· is havoc and destruction • .... I've seen kids get shot in the street below me and we couldn't get to them for hours because of hostile fire·" Our ministry here is to all the troops, both Catholic and Protestant. It is a l!:ind of crisis ministry and it is welcomed by the troops. "Preaching in a combat zone '1a very difficult. How do you preach love to men whose job it is ~ kill? Once they have killed, bow do you sublimate theiJ~ other animalistic tendencies? I find it

Dr Patricia McGowall!l

lie's young, handsome­ IIRd. looks like a man who's f10ne through hell. He has. lB:e is Lt. Ricbard P. Demers

all

(Jf the N uvy Chaplain COI'Ps and f1I. st. Paul's pa·rish, Tauliton, lil0Wl1y returned from a year's ool'vice with iront-line Marines l». Vietnam. Among his service uibbons is one denoting the Cross (!}f Gallantry, conferred by the Vietnamese government. He ooll'll1ed it in the blood-drenched ~<ty of Hue, where he served for 40 days during the Tet offensive and saw 50 per' cent of the Marines in his battalion wound­ ~ or killed. "'Bodies !remained on,. the akeets ·as long as 10 days," he tJWd. slowly.''Then gasoline was

very hard to be meaningful andi Vatican IIish, when I try to in­ tel'\Pret the gospel." Of the 500 men killed or wounded from his bataBion, Father Demers said, "It was a

The

ANCHOR

MILWAUKEE (NC)-A Hungarian-born Jesuit priest here about the future of religious life. Father Ladislas M. Orsy, here for 'an address at Alverne> College, said in an interview that with " a certain decline in religious life there is also, since the. (Vatican) council, at a young age, and the training a renewaL" Most religious was not always good. "It was in _ iSOlation some­ communities have higher where. They were never trained expr~ssed optimism

Manchester Ask's Po!m1l"icos To Tell School Ai.d .Stcmnd

lFR. lR.llCHARD

MANCHESTER (NC) - The Manchester Diocesan Board of Education has called for "serious consideration" C:Jf state aid to. priV'ate schools during ·the current state 01eotion campaign here. ,Noting its diocesan schools have ll'leaehed the point where new f.tnancial aid is essential to ''The Board of Education of It 0 n tin u e d existence, the thE' Diocese of Manchester stands oohool board said: "As the ready to be of assistance to all

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when they came in hurt in body and in spirit. For the dead there were tears that didn't flow, anger that didn't erupt, scandal of spent lives, and for all, the question to what avail? "They were such beautiful kids," lie added. "Eighteen, 19 years old. I'd give them Commu­ . nion in the 'morning, see them I come in dying at night." , A great problem, said the chaplain, was trying to distin­ guish friend from foe in a ci vii war situation. "The land grew booby traps and mines and we all had many friends mutilated and killed. Friendly and un­ friendly Vietnamese were indis­ tinguishable and so for sheer self-preservation they regarded all Vietnamese with suspicion." This led, however, to tragic situations. "They'd send kids to plant mines," said Father De­ mers, "and there was no choice but to shoot them. What do you say to a Marine of 18 or 19 who's

been told to kiU an 8 year old' On one occasion the enemy hung grenades on a little boy, pulled the pins and told him to walk to the American soldiers. What do you do?" The chaplain served for three months at a field hospital when he a·rrived in Vietnam, then was transferred to the Second Batal­ lion of the Fifth Marine Regi­ ment, where he spent the re­ mainder of his tour of duty. . In addition to their service in Hue, ',>the Marines spent long periods guarding a strategic ·highway. "We lived in a bat­ infested' railroad tunnel for months," said Father Demer·s. At ~his time he met many local priests and nuns and did whall he could to aid them in .their work. As well as visiting out­ lying troop encampments, he made many forays into the Truoi River valley and nearby mountain areas. "Each time we went out to­ gether the Inen appreciated the Turn to Page Seventeen

Priest Most O'ptimistic

About Rel'igious Life

faU Rover, M«sss., TIJulllfSday, Sept. ~6p PRICE 10e Vot 12, No. 39 © 1968 nle Anchor $4.00 per Y ~ar

\'lime approaches for the people 0.: New Hampshire to go to the polls to elect the public officials who will serve them during the !!lext biennium, the b'oard of edu\Cation of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Manchester feels that it should call to the attention of the citizens of our state, and ~ those who are seeking public office, the existence of a problem. which, unless it Is given a satis­ factory solution, will assume eritical dimensions in the next i3ew years. We refer to the pri­ vately supported elementary andi llnd secondary schools and, espe­ ciaUy, to those which are con­ ducted under the auspices of the Diocese of Manchester. 9[t is our opinion that New Hampshire cannot afford to de­ Hey in coming to grips with this Question and that any attempt to postpone its consideration \l!illtil another election year will \?rqve to be only self-defeating. "We, therefore, call upon the ~olitical parties, the candidates for public office and the citizens <ilf the state to give early and ~rious consideration to this is­ lNE' during the current election eampaign.

great joy for me to be present

to help and comfort these men

persons interested in this mat­ ter and pledges its wholehearted support to the parents, the, chil.. dren and the communities now served by the parochial schools in New Hamphsire in their ef­ fective continuance of private­ lysponsored education ill1 the Granite State."

~.

'DEMERS

New Assignments Are Announced For Assistants The Most Reverend Bishop announced today the transfer ()f 'four assistants. Rev. James F.' McCarthy, assist­ ant at St. John's thurch in At­ tleboro is' transferred. to St. Mark's Church in Attleboro Falls. Rev. John R. FoIster, as­ sistant at Sacred Heart Church in Fall River is transferred to St.' Louis {\f France ,Church in Swansea. Rev. Ronald A. Tosti, assistant at Our Lady of the AsTurn to Page Three

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standards than ever before he said. "The structures are becoming much looser and more difficult. Persons have to make decisions for themselves," he asserted: :Father Orsy, canon law pro­ fessor at Fordham University's school of theology, -said the rea­ sons for priests, nuns and Broth­ ers leaving' religious communi· ties are varied and complicated. . "Some are leaving, because they relied too much QII external structures. They lose support and eventually leave," he said. Religious life in the future will 'be much more for the strong than for t.he weak," he continued, "fQr the person who can face difficulties, who can take responsibilities and be able to find his way amidst confu-' siOO. I think for some time the numbers will decrease, but qual-. ity will be strengthened." In the past, he said, religious communities took in candidates

fur real difficulties they woulcll encounter later, 'he said. "Today we must have psycho­ local tests, medical examinations, intelli&£f nce tests and a very careful personal scrutiny through interviews." For both male and women Re­ ligious, there is a need to come "ml;lch closer to the world, have more contact with the laity, the parents of the students," he said. Turn to Page Eleven

Diocesan Senate Membership Is Comple~e The appointment of two members of religious com­ munities doing parish work within the Diocese brings the Senate of Priests of the Diocese up to its full complement. Ap­ pointed by the Most Reverend Bishop were Rev. Raymond M. Drouin, O.P., pastor of St. Anne's Church in Fall River, and Rev. John J. Brennan, S8.CC,: pastor of St. Joseph's Church in Fa~rhaven.. Turn to Page Two

Name Deacons To Parishes

FR. McCARTHY 'Jl'o AttReboro

]FR. ]FOLS'Ji'IER

To

SW2nse~

lFR. TOSTI To lFan River

lFR. CORREIA '1'0 Oak Bluffs

The Most Reverend Bishop has assigned three deacons studying at st. J'ohn Seminary, Brighton, to weekend pastoral work in the parishes of the Dio­ cese. Assigned were: Rev. Mr. Owen Smith and Rev. Mr. Richard Gendreau to Immaculate Con­ ception Parish, No. Easton; Rev. Mr. Gerald Charbonneau to 51. Mary Parish, Norton.


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