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Diocese of Fall River, Mass.

Friday, September 30, 2016

Bishop Edgar M. da Cunha, S.D.V., recently celebrated Mass at Our Lady of Fatima Parish in Ludlow. Following Mass there was a candlelight procession with thousands of people participating. Several parishes in the Diocese of Fall River have events planned in October to begin the celebration of the 100th anniversary of the apparitions of Our Lady of Fatima.

(Photo courtesy of Deacon Alan Thadeu) The Anchor - September 30, 2016

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Holy Doors close November 20 as Year of Mercy draws to an end

By Becky Aubut Anchor Staff beckyaubut@anchornews.org

EAST SANDWICH — Pope Francis directed cathedrals around the world to open their Holy

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The Anchor - September 30, 2016

Doors so that symbolic pilgrimages could be experienced by the faithful without needing to go to Rome.

When he opened the Holy Door at Rome’s Basilica of St. John Lateran last December, the pope said, “It begins a time of great forgiveness. It is the Jubilee of Mercy.” He added, “God does not love rigidity. He is tender.”

These doors are symbolic of God’s mercy.

The jubilee is “extraordinary” in the sense that it does not follow the usual Catholic practice of having jubilee years at 25-year intervals. This jubilee coincides with

the 50th anniversary of the closing of the Second Vatican Council, which sought to proclaim God’s love to modern society.

Pope Francis granted bishops the discretion to designate other churches as having Holy Doors, for the sake of those who could not get to their cathedral. In additional to St. Mary’s Cathedral on Spring Street in Fall River, the other churches in the Fall River Diocese with designated Holy Doors are St. Mary’s Parish in Taunton; the National Shrine of Our Lady of La Salette in Attleboro; Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish in New Bedford; Corpus Christi Parish in East Sandwich; and Holy Trinity Parish in West Harwich.

The pilgrims who enter these churches through the Holy Doors are making a gesture which represents a motion in their lives from sin to grace. In his decree for the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy, the pope said, “By crossing the threshold of the Holy Door, we will find the strength to embrace God’s mercy and dedicate ourselves to being merciful with others as the Father has been with us.” The Jubilee Indulgence is granted to those passing through a Holy Door or performing one of the Spiritual or Corporal Works of Mercy (subject to the normal conditions for indulgences).

From a letter written by Pope Francis with regards to the plenary indulgence to be gained during the Jubilee Year of Mercy: “My thought first of all goes to all the faithful who, whether in individual dioceses or as pilgrims to Rome, will experience the grace of the jubilee. I wish that the Jubilee Indulgence may reach each one as a genuine experience of God’s mercy, which comes to meet each person in the face of the Father Who welcomes and forgives, forgetting completely the sin committed.”

To receive a plenary indulgence during the Year of Mercy, one must receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation; go through one of the Holy Doors; attend Mass with a reflection on mercy; make a profession of faith with a prayer for the

pope and for the intentions that he bears in his heart for the good of the Church and of the entire world.

Father George Harrison, pastor of Corpus Christi Parish in East Sandwich, celebrated the opening of his Holy Door on the feast of the Christ the King last December when Bishop Emeritus George W. Coleman came to the Mass and officially opened the door.

“We have a beautifully framed door for the Year of Mercy. Two parishioners, two men of the parish, did a beautiful job,” said Father Harrison. Over the door are the words, “Porta Sancta,” meaning Holy Door, and a picture of the prodigal son is above that: “We just thought if we were going to have a Holy Door, it was going to be well designated as such, and look very special.”

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Father Riley Williams, parochial vicar of Corpus Christi Parish, is shown on the feast of Christ the King last November when Bishop Emeritus George W. Coleman came to the Mass and officially opened the parish’s Holy Door. Two parishioners adorned the door, including creating a sign over the door with the words, “Porta Sancta,” meaning “Holy Door” and having a picture of the prodigal son. Corpus Christi Parish offers perpetual Eucharistic Adoration, which means the church is open 24-hours day, seven days a week, making the Holy Door available regardless of anyone’s schedule.

Bishop Stang to induct inaugural members into Hall of Honors

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

NORTH DARTMOUTH — For the first time in its history, Bishop Stang High School will recognize some of the key people who have become the bedrock on which the Catholic high school was built when it inducts an inaugural class of six into the newly-founded Hall of Honors.

“These folks are kind of what I like to call the Mount Rushmore of Bishop Stang,” said Peter Shaughnessy, president and principal of Bishop Stang. “They’re the pillars who have been the most influential in our history.

It’s something we’ve been discussing for a long time (and) we’ve been thinking about a way we could honor these important people.”

The six first-time honorees — a collection of four individuals, a couple and a religious order — will be inducted on October 23 during the school’s annual Homecoming Weekend observance.

“A lot of schools do something similar to honor alumni as part of their annual gala, and we may eventually do that, too; but right now, because it’s all new, we felt we would do it as part of Homecoming Weekend,” Shaughnessy said. “It’s aptly timed, but it will be a busy weekend.

We have a game on Friday, a dance on Saturday, and then we’ll do this on Sunday.”

The inaugural Bishop Stang High School Hall of Honors will include: — The late Dr. Arthur Buckley, who served as the chairman of the first campaign committee

which founded the school in 1959; — Patrick and Lilian Carney and family, a couple and whose five children have attended and supported Stang over a 14-year period from 1987 through 2001; — Kathy Crosson, a science teacher who not only inspired generations of Stang students but also founded Missions for Humanity, a charitable effort to help poor communities in Africa and central and south America; — Theresa Dougall, a 1964 graduate of Bishop Stang who would go on to dedicate 44 years of service to the school as teacher, coach, department head, principal and president; — The late John C. O’Brien, a longtime coach and teacher at Bishop Stang for 24 years; and — The Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur, the foundational educators of the school, whose original faculty included Sister Ann Denise, principal; Sister Ann Monica; Sister Bernadette Louise; Sister Helena Margaret; Sister Margaret Joan; and Sister Marie Charlotte.

Shaughnessy said while all nominees were vital to Stang’s advancement over the years, each was chosen for different aspects of service to the school.

“With Dr. Buckley being the chairman of the original (capital) campaign for the school (in 1959), he was integral in helping to build the school,” he said. “He was also the co-chairman of the 1994 campaign, which led to the renovation of our athletic fields.

“With Pat and Lilian Carney, it kind of

This front page from the Aug. 20, 1959 edition of The Anchor features a photo and story about the six Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur who first staffed and taught at Bishop Stang High School in North Dartmouth. The religious order will collectively be inducted as part of the school’s first-ever Hall of Honors on October 23. (Anchor file photo)

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The Anchor - September 30, 2016

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One monthly minute of a powerful, moving prayer request

By Dave Jolivet Anchor Editor davejolivet@anchornews.org

FALL RIVER — They last slightly more than one minute, but in those roughly 80 seconds, our Holy Father is a modern-day Jesus, reaching out to all God’s children in every nation, with a special request to pray with him for a world in dire need of assistance from its inhabitants.

Each month, the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network (apmej.org) releases a video of the pope invoking the prayers of all people for a specific need. The English subtitles accompany the pope’s dialogue, along with soothing background music, and an often powerful and moving video related to that month’s topic.

The monthly prayer video started in January, and that video and all subsequent months are available for all to see, hear, and act upon.

The videos are available at several websites, but perhaps the easiest to navigate is www. thepopevideo.org.

The existence of the Holy Father’s powerful monthly messages was brought to The Anchor’s attention by Father Freddie Babiczuk, pastor of St. John of God Parish in Somerset.

“I just discovered it in July,” he told The Anchor. “I have placed it on the parish website so that parishioners can see the video, and incorporate the monthly prayer intention of the pope into their own prayer life.

“I would hope to eventually incorporate it into the Faith Formation program so that the students can make the pope’s intention for all of humanity part of their prayer as well.”

The short, meaningful videos would indeed provide a wonderful topic of discussion for Faith Formation gatherings of all ages.

Its one-minute format has no problem keeping the attention of the viewer, and provides discussion topics that could last hours.

The topics all touch upon problems and struggles people across the world encounter on a 4

The Anchor - September 30, 2016

daily basis. Each of the monthly videos are not time-sensitive, so none of them have lost its meaning or importance of the need for world-wide prayer.

The inaugural video appeared in January with the topic of, “Interreligious dialogue.”

A verbal replay of the January video provides a prime example of the simplicity of the delivery, yet

in Jesus Christ,” and “I believe in God, Allah.”

Pope Francis continues, “Many think differently, feel differently, seeking God or meeting God in different ways. In this crowd, in this range of religions, there is only one certainty we have for all: We are all children of God.” Each of the four individuals say, “I believe in love.”

Screen shots from Pope Francis’ monthly prayer request videos.

power of the message.

The sequence opens with Pope Francis gently introducing his request. “Most of the planet’s inhabitants declare themselves believers,” he said. “This should lead to dialogue among religions.

We should not stop praying for it and collaborating with those who think differently.”

The video introduces four individuals; a Tibetan priest, a rabbi, a Catholic priest, and an Islamic leader. “I have confidence in Buddha,” said the first, followed by, “I believe in God,” “I believe

“I hope you will spread my prayer request this month: That sincere dialogue among men and women of different faiths may produce the fruits of peace and justice,” the pope said. “I have confidence in your prayers.”

The pope has completed nine such videos, with the following prayer requests: February — Care for Creation; March — For Children and Families in Difficulty; April — Small Farmers; May — Respect for Women; June — Solidarity in Cities; July — Indigenous Peoples; August —

Sports, a Culture of Encounter; and September — For a More Human Society.

In each of the videos, Pope Francis uses his signature style of plain and simple dialogue, delivered as one might think Christ spoke to those “who had ears,” or as a loving grandfather or uncle.

His words alone gently drive home the message, but the accompanying videos often enhance the prayer request with moving and powerful scenes.

Along with a monthly prayer theme, Pope Francis is utilizing modern technology to provide faithful with a daily prayer as well through the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network.

At clicktopray.org, visitors can press the “Click to Pray,” button at the bottom of the screen to navigate them to daily prayers from the pope for morning, afternoon and evening.

Each day of the year the user is gifted with three short, thoughtprovoking prayers. And, like the monthly videos, each daily prayer for 2016 is archived and can be found by scrolling through the daily prayers.

On its website, the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network states its mission, explaining it “responds to the challenges of humanity and advances the mission of the Church as expressed in the pope’s monthly prayer intentions, as well as your own prayer intentions.”

Pope Francis has continued the tradition of his two predecessors, St. Pope John Paul II and Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, by utilizing modern technology, and reaching out to people where they can be found. And Pope Francis has undoubtedly taken this to new levels through blogs, Tweets, Facebook pages, audio and video messaging.

In Jesus’ parable of the lost sheep, the shepherd doesn’t simply sit about and wait for the sheep to return, he goes out and seeks it.

The Holy Father is doing the same thing, looking for lost sheep where they can be found — with a simple, gentle, yet powerful methodology.

My Brother’s Keeper breaks ground for expanded Dartmouth facility

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

DARTMOUTH — My Brother’s Keeper, a Christian charity that delivers furniture free-of-charge to people in need, recently broke ground on the construction of a new 23,200-square-foot facility on Reed Road in Dartmouth. An estimated 175 volunteers and supporters attended the formal groundbreaking ceremony held on September 15.

“This is very exciting,” Josh Smith, director of the Dartmouth facility, recently told The Anchor. “It was always our intention to be in this area for the long haul, but we’ve had such tremendous support from the community we’ve really been able to move forward confidently and establish a permanent home here.”

The new building will be constructed on an 11-acre lot located less than 100 yards from the 9,800-square-foot building the organization currently leases at 999 Reed Road.

When the ministry first began leasing that space three years ago, Smith said they didn’t anticipate how

quickly things would take off.

“We always knew ours was a model of service that would resonate with people in this area,” he said. “There’s a real ethic of service on the South Coast — people have always been quick to help out their neighbors in need — and sure enough, we’ve been making a tremendous number of deliveries. We made our 2,000th (furniture) delivery this past summer; that was about a year-and-ahalf ahead of schedule.”

Smith credits much of My Brother’s Keeper’s success and growth to the dedication and commitment of local volunteers, especially students from schools like Bishop Stang High School in North Dartmouth, Bishop Connolly High School in Fall River, Tabor Academy in Marion, and the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, among others.

“We’ve seen more than 1,000 student-volunteers from local schools,” Smith said. “They really have made a tremendous difference, allowing us to provide a lot of assistance, but just as importantly they have really bought into the work and have taken ownership

of it and it’s been a positive experience for them. It’s been very eye-opening meeting so many of the families we serve.”

The new facility will have a footprint of 18,200 square feet plus a 5,000-square-foot storage mezzanine, four-bay loading dock, furniture repair shop, and commercial refrigeration for a future Food Assistance Program, with all services to be provided by delivery only — as pick-ups are not allowed. The basic layout of the new building will mimic the design of the ministry’s Easton location.

“It’s a layout that has worked for us over the years, and there’s a lot of connection between our two volunteer communities, so when Easton volunteers come down to Dartmouth they’re going to know right where to get their morning coffee before they get to work,” Smith said. “It’s going to be a great upgrade for our organization.

Now three years in, we’re pretty limited in terms of our community space. We’ve simply outgrown our current facility and it’s not really suited for the long-term growth of our ministry and this will allow us to continue

to get more people involved and serve more families in the area.”

The new building will also be equipped with walk-in refrigerator and freezer units to allow the Dartmouth facility to begin offering monthly food deliveries in the South Coast area.

“It was always our intention to start with our core program in this community, which is furniture assistance,” Smith said. “As our volunteer community has grown and as we’re going to have more

space available in the new facility, we’re confident we’ll be able to add a food assistance program, similar to the one we operate now out of our Easton facility, where struggling families can call once a month and we can provide them with canned goods, fresh fruits and vegetables, and dairy items — really whatever is on their grocery list. It’s a generous delivery and the fact that it’s carried directly into the home really helps a lot of people in very Turn to page 24

An artist’s rendering of the new 23,200-square-foot My Brother’s Keeper facility that will be located on Reed Road in Dartmouth. The charitable ministry’s second location is expected to be completed in June 2017.

The Anchor - September 30, 2016

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Anchor Editorial

Mercy and individualism

Cardinal Sean O’Malley, OFM Cap., our former bishop here in the Fall River Diocese, paid us a return visit this past Saturday to celebrate the annual Red Mass (Mass of the Holy Spirit to open the new work year for the legal profession) at the Cathedral of St. Mary of the Assumption (please also see the article on page eight).

Among other things, he spoke about the Year of Mercy and said that this special jubilee year is a “reminder that justice and mercy are central in our life of discipleship.” He made reference to Jesus’ parable of the Last Judgment in Matthew 25:31-46, when He will pardon or condemn us, based on how we treated our neighbors in need in this life.

The cardinal also referred to the prophet Amos, who was featured in the first reading (Am 6:1a,4-7), and said that “the prophets remind us about caring for the poor and justice” are linked. “We are called to give witness to God’s righteousness” by our own behavior.

“The social Gospel of the Church [is] an amicus (friend of the court) brief for God’s trial before Pilate,” Cardinal O’Malley said, making reference to the second reading’s reference to Jesus’ Good Friday trial (1 Tim 6:13).

The cardinal also referred to a book which has been a touchstone of his, “Bowling Alone,” by Robert Putnam, which describes the collapse of American social institutions in the late 20th century (the book was published in 2000). This lack of the social connections is truly a problem for the Church. “In the Church, community, family and connectedness are so important,” the cardinal said.

He contrasted in the Gospels “the crowd” and “the community,” which would be the disciples of Jesus. “The crowd is always pushing people away from Jesus,” such as Zaccheaus (the short tax collector who wanted to meet Jesus, who was resented by the crowd because they did not like paying taxes to a foreign power, “just like the crowd at the Boston Tea Party,” Cardinal Sean quipped) and Bartimeaus (the blind man, whom Jesus healed).

The community of believers work to bring people to Christ. The cardinal spoke about his favorite Gospel story of his youth — when a group of disciples opened a roof so as to let down a friend before Jesus so that he might be healed. “I’d like to have friends like that and I’d like to be a friend like that,” the future bishop thought.

The cardinal, who is now Archbishop of Boston, spoke about the recent visit of the heart of St. Pius of Pietralcina (commonly OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER OF THE DIOCESE OF FALL RIVER www.anchornews.org

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The Anchor - September 30, 2016

known as Padre Pio) to the archdiocese. “Twenty-thousand people came to the Boston cathedral over 24 hours” so as to venerate it.

“People are hungry” Spiritually. “We must work to heal the divisions in our country,” the cardinal said. He then enumerated some of them: racial ones; “wanting to slam the door of immigrants”; selfishness in our families. “Polarization is very dangerous. Turning the crowd into a community is the challenge” which faces us Christians. “We need to promote Biblical justice, going beyond our rugged individualism.”

Back on Jan. 7, 2015, Pope Francis spoke out against individualism: “Mothers, in their unconditional and sacrificial love for their children, are the antidote to individualism; they are the greatest enemies against war.”

His predecessor, Pope Benedict XVI, said that individualism caused the recent economic crisis. In a speech Jan. 12, 2012, he defined “individualism” as that “which obscures the relational dimension of the person and leads him to close himself off in his own little world, to be attentive mostly to his own needs and desires, worrying little about others.”

St. John Paul II also warned against individualism: “To be human means to be called to interpersonal communion” [Mulieris Dignitatem, n. 7.], “acting and existing together with others” [The Acting Person].

As we enter the last two months of the Year of Mercy, we ask the Holy Spirit to guide us to embrace this task of carrying out the Spiritual and Corporal Works of Mercy, realizing that to do so, we cannot be a “rock” or an “island,” but rather people in communion with others. To more effectively enter into that communion, we also need to avail ourselves of the mercy of God through the Sacrament of Reconciliation and the other Spiritual resources God has made available to us (see pages two, four and seven).

One of those resources is the greatest treasure Jesus gave us — the Eucharist. Pope Benedict said on June 26, 2011, “In an increasingly individualistic culture in which Western societies are immersed, and which is tending to spread throughout the world, the Eucharist is a kind of ‘antidote’ which operates in the minds and hearts of believers and is continually sowing in them the logic of communion, of service, of sharing: in other words, the logic of the Gospel.”

May that logic prevail in us.

Daily Readings Oct. 1 — Oct. 14

Upcoming Daily Readings: Sat. Oct. 1, Jb 42:1-3,5-6,12-17; Ps 119:66,71,75, 91,125,130; Lk 10:17-24. Sun. Oct. 2, Twenty-seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time, Hb 1:2-3;2:2-4; Ps 95:1-2,6-9; 2 Tm 1:6-8,13-14; Lk 17:5-10. Mon. Oct. 3, Gal 1:6-12; Ps 111:1b-2,7-9,10c; Lk 10:25-37. Tues. Oct. 4, Gal 1:13-24; Ps 139:1b-3,13-15; Lk 10:38-42. Wed. Oct. 5, Gal 2:1-2,7-14; Ps 117:1bc,2; Lk 11:1-4. Thurs. Oct. 6, Gal 3:1-5; (Ps)Lk 1:69,70-75; Lk 11:5-13. Fri. Oct. 7, Gal 3:7-14; Ps 111:1b-6; Lk 11:15-26.

Sat. Oct. 8, Gal 3:22-29; Ps 105:2-7; Lk 11:27-28. Sun. Oct. 9, Twenty-eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time, 2 Kgs 5:14-17; Ps 98:1-4; 2 Tm 2:8-13; Lk 17:11-19.

Mon. Oct. 10, Gal 4:22-24,26-27,31—5:1; Ps 113:1b-5a,6-7; Lk 11:29-32. Tues.

Oct. 11, Gal 5:1-6; Ps 119:41,43-45,47,48; Lk 11:37-41. Wed. Oct. 12, Gal 5:1825; Ps 1:1-4,6; Lk 11:42-46. Thurs. Oct. 13, Eph 1:1-10; Ps 98:1-6; Lk 11:47-54.

Fri. Oct. 14, Eph 1:11-14; Ps 33:1-2,4-5,12-13; Lk 12:1-7.

B

y far one of the most helpful resources for the extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy is a series of nine short books prepared by the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of the New Evangelization — the Vatican department in charge of coordinating the Holy Year — and published in English by Our Sunday Visitor.

The books constitute a prayerful Novena that accessibly lead readers to understand, receive, and practice different aspects of God’s mercy. Written by nine different authors, they focus on the psalms and parables of mercy, mercy in the Fathers of the Church and in the writings of the popes, mercy expressed in Corporal and Spiritual Works, mercy received in the Sacrament of Penance, mercy celebrated in Mass and the other Sacraments, and how fruitfully to live the Jubilee Year in the opening, closing and prayerful entering of Jubilee Doors.

The most powerful book in the series, however, was written by a Carmelite priest, Father Antonio Sicari, and is entitled “The Saints of Mercy.” It has 15 short chapters broken down as to how the mercy of God was expressed in the lives of those saints who, to quote Pope Francis in his letter beginning the Jubilee Year, “made Divine Mercy their mission in life” (MV 24). It shows us the many ways in which God’s mercy can and wants to change our

Saints of mercy lives caring for the sick life for the better, and and suffering: St. John through that metamorof God, St. Camillus phosis, begin to change de Lellis and St. Joseph the world.

Benedict Cottolengo.

The first chapter is Chapter six features dedicated to the joy of announcing God’s mercy those who brought and focuses on St. Faus- God’s mercy to children, tina Kowalska, the 20th- especially St. John Bosco and St. Jerome Emiliani. century Polish saint The seventh chapter whose diary announced to the world God’s burning desire to share Putting Into His merciful love with us and our the Deep great need to receive that gift.

By Father Roger J. Landry The second chapter ponders the gratitude we highlights those who should have for God’s used their blessings of mercy, exemplified in the life of St. Therese of position and wealth to care for those with less: Lisieux. Although her St. Elizabeth of HunSpiritual director didn’t gary; Blessed Vladimir believe she had ever committed a mortal sin, Ghika, the Romanian St. Therese nevertheless prince and martyr, who praised God all the more spent all he had in making a “Liturgy of love” for having “prevented” toward Christ in his her from sinning by removing from her path neighbor; and Servant “with a love of ineffable of God Friedrich Joseph foresight” the things that Haass, a German doctor who cared untiringly for would have caused her to fall. Her thanksgiving prisoners’ physical and Spiritual needs in Rushelps us to grow in apsia. preciation.

In chapter eight, we In the third chapter, ponder Divine Mercy we encounter two heexpressed in those who roic ministers of God’s cared for those on the mercy, St. John Vianmargins: St. Martin de ney and St. Leopoldo Porres, St. Katharine Mandic, both of whom spent decades hearing 12 Drexel, Servant of God Dorothy Day and, somehours of Confessions or one most Americans more a day. won’t know, Servant of In chapter four, we read about three familiar God Ettore Boschini, saints who showed God’s who died in 2004 and mercy for the least of Je- devoted his life to the sus’ brothers and sisters: homeless, beggars, prostitutes, alcoholics and St. Vincent de Paul, St. drug addicts in Milan.

Damien de Veuster, and In the ninth chapSt. Teresa of Calcutta. ter, we turn to St. Peter Chapter five covers the saints who gave their Claver and Venerable

Marcello Candia who brought God’s mercy to faraway lands like Colombia and Brazil.

In the 10th, we zero in on a saint who brought a true revolution of mercy, St. Albert Chmielowski, in a context in which so many were brainwashed to think of revolution in Leninist terms.

Chapter 11 focuses on a merciful and manly father, Blessed Titus Brandsma, and chapter 12 on a mercifully self-giving mother, St. Gianna Beretta Molla.

Chapter 13 looks at the spousal love of Blessed Elizabeth Canori Mora, whose mercy toward her gambling, wayward husband led her to extraordinary Spiritual depths, and who shows us the help given by the Sacrament of Marriage to love one’s spouse as Christ has first loved us.

Chapter 14 details the story of the mercy of a child toward parents in the life of Blessed Laura Vicuña. Among all of the book’s inspiring stories, this for me is the most unforgettable.

After the death of her dad, Laura’s mother, to support her family, began to cohabitate with a healthy landowner properly nicknamed “the bad cowboy,” who branded Mrs. Vicuña with a red-hot iron so that everyone would know whose mistress she was. Eventually the lascivious cowboy set his sights on the 10-yearold Laura; when she

refused, he scourged her mother on a post. Laura, imitating the Good Shepherd’s love, resolved that she would give her life to save her mother’s, and offered herself to the Sacred Heart before the Tabernacle. Eventually her resistance led the rancher to beat her violently to the point of death. From her deathbed in 1904, she told her mother, “For almost two years, I have offered my life for you for your conversion, so that you might return to [ Jesus].

Will you not give me the joy of seeing you repent before I die?” Her mother, pierced to her soul, repented and promised to separate, something that allowed Laura to die happy. When people at her funeral called the 12 year old, “Laura, virgin and martyr,” her mother replied with tears, “Yes, virgin and martyr for me.” Even a robot would shed tears reading this story of merciful, filial love.

The final chapter is dedicated to the greatest saint of mercy of all, our Mother of Mercy, sweetness, and hope.

In the 52 days that are left in the Jubilee of Mercy, I would encourage everyone to take advantage of the resource of these nine short books, especially “The Saints of Mercy,” which are all geared toward helping us to become candidates for the chapters of similar volumes in subsequent merciful jubilees.

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

The Anchor - September 30, 2016

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Cardinal O’Malley celebrates 20th Red Mass honoring five area individuals

By Linda Andrade Rodrigues Special to The Anchor seaskyandspirit.com

FALL RIVER — Last weekend Cardinal Sean P. O’Malley, OFM Cap., returned to Fall River.

While serving as bishop of the Diocese of Fall River in 1997, he celebrated the first Red Mass here, and he returned to St. Mary’s Cathedral to serve as principal celebrant and homilist on its 20th anniversary.

Originating in 13thcentury Europe to acknowledge dedicated service to the legal profession, the Red Mass brings together those working in areas of law and justice across Southeastern Massachusetts.

“There are eight lawyers in my family,” Cardinal O’Malley told the congregation. “It’s a miracle that I escaped a similar fate.”

Judges, lawyers, public officials, law faculty

members and their families rocked with laughter, grateful to have “Bishop Sean” back in their midst.

“I want to give a special warm welcome to his eminence Cardinal O’Malley who returns on this joyous occasion,” said Bishop Edgar M. da Cunha, S.D.V. “The last time you were here was exactly two years ago for my installation as the Bishop of Fall River. So in some ways we have two anniversaries today.

Thank you for returning to Fall River and leading us in this special Mass.”

Cardinal O’Malley congratulated the bishop on his second anniversary.

“This gives me an opportunity to say how grateful we are for your presence here — such a blessing for all of us,” he said. “I’m also delighted to see the Missionaries of Charity here. I called Mother Teresa and told her that I was going to

Fall River at a very difficult time in that diocese and asked her to please send her Sisters ­— and they are still here. Sisters, I congratulate you on the canonization of Mother Teresa. Thank you for all you do.”

The observance of the Red Mass in the Diocese of Fall River was not Cardinal’s O’Malley’s first celebration.

“As a young bishop in the West Indies, it was a great success,” he recalled. “Everyone came to church dressed in red: the governor, senator, judges and lawyers.”

The Red Mass was simulcast live on Catholic TV and radio.

“Unfortunately, the broadcaster was not familiar with the Catholic Daughters, whom he called the Ladies of the Night,” he said. “The Catholic Daughters were not amused.”

Congratulating the

five worthy recipients of this year’s St. Thomas More Awards, Cardinal O’Malley said that their work is not just a career but a profession and vocation. He explained that the Jewish people use the words “Tikkun Olam” to describe this concept, defined by acts of kindness performed to repair the world.

“It’s a task that our God has given us,” he said. “As Catholics we talk about building a civilization of love, and you have a very special role in

the betterment of society: the protection of people’s rights. So many aspects of the welfare of our entire community are affected.”

He added that one of the important aspects in Catholic teachings is that we must work together for the common good.

“We already know that whatever we do for the least of our brothers and sisters, we are doing for Christ,” he said. “The prophets always speak to us about our obligation to care for the poor.”

Turn to page 15

Bishop Edgar M. da Cunha, S.D.V., and Cardinal Sean P. O’Malley, OFM Cap., process to the altar on the 20th anniversary of the Red Mass in the Diocese of Fall River. (Photo by Linda Andrade Rodrigues)

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Relegating the first of our freedoms to the back of the bus

n September 7, the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights issued a report on reconciling nondiscrimination principles with civil liberties. The summary stated, “Civil rights protections ensuring nondiscrimination are of preeminent importance in American jurisprudence.

Religious exemptions to the protections of civil rights based upon classifications such as sexual orientation and gender identity significantly infringe upon these civil rights.”

As the commission’s chairman, Martin Castro, said in an accompanying statement, “The phrases ‘religious liberty’ and ‘religious freedom’ will stand for nothing except hypocrisy so long as they remain code words for discrimination, intolerance, racism, sexism, homophobia, Islamophobia, Christian supremacy or any form of intolerance.” Let me paraphrase: Religious freedom does not really count as a civil right; only antidiscrimination does. Religious liberty is just a secondclass right. Intolerance in any form is bad, then, unless it’s intolerance of religious freedom.

Let’s examine a little history to get some perspective on this newfangled denigration of religion. On September 17, we just commemorated Constitution Day, the anniversary of the day in 1787 when the Constitutional Convention issued its draft of our Constitution to the people of the various states for ratification. In the body of the

Constitution, there were religious freedom with two provisions dealthe broad brush of bigoting with religion: The ry are reckless and reveal Constitution guaranteed a profound disregard for that there would be no the religious foundareligious test for public tions of his own work. office in Article VI; and Men and women of faith there was an allowance were many in number for being able to take during the most poweroaths of office by swearing or by affirmation, an Judge accommodation For to Quakers and Yourself others, a religious exemption if you

By Dwight Duncan will, for those who categorically refused to swear.

One of the first things ful marches of the civil the First Congress did rights era. Can we imagwas to propose a Bill of ine the civil rights moveRights, which became ment without Rev. Marthe first 10 amendments tin Luther King, Father to the Constitution and Theodore Hesburgh, and were ratified in 1791, in- Rabbi Abraham Joshua cluding its First Amend- Heschel?” ment. Not by accident And so religious freedid the First Amendment dom is not a second-class begin, like the Magna right. It shouldn’t have Carta, with the subject of to go to the back of the religion: “Congress shall bus. Let me give a couple make no law respecting of other examples from an establishment of reliU.S. history. Roger Wilgion, or prohibiting the liams greatly valued this free exercise thereof.” freedom. The founder of Religious freedom was Rhode Island who arrived dealt with even before in Puritan Boston in freedom of speech and of 1631, he was driven from the press, so important the Massachusetts Bay was it considered. To Colony for his religious a great degree our new dissent. His colony would country was populated by allow freedom of religion those who had fled the to everyone: Protestants, religious persecution in Quakers, Catholics, Jews, Europe, and so freedom and Muslims — a total of religion was paranovelty in world hismount in their minds. tory. In 1658, the Rhode As Archbishop WilIsland General Assemliam E. Lori of Baltibly reminded the other more, chairman of the colonies in New England U.S. Catholic Bishops that “freedom of differConference Committee ent consciences, to be for Religious Liberty said protected from enforcein response to Chairments, was the principal man Castro’s statement, ground of our charter “These statements paint- — which freedom we ing those who support still prize as the greatest

happiness that men can possess in this world.”

As early as the 1840s, Abraham Lincoln had occasion to join his voice to the cause of religious freedom when the nativism of the KnowNothings was exhibiting a certain antiCatholic strain: “The guarantee of the rights of conscience, as found in our Constitution, is most Sacred and inviolable, and one that belongs no less to the Catholic, than to the Protestant, and all attempts to abridge or interfere with these rights, either of Catholic or Protestant, either directly or indirectly, have our decided disapprobation, and shall ever have our most effective opposition.”

I would only add that, if he were speaking today, Lincoln would doubtless

want to add that these rights apply across the board, not just to Protestant or Catholic, but to Jew or Muslim, Mormon or atheist. The fact is that new assertions of government power to address discrimination can threaten religious conscience in new ways.

To require serious consideration of the burden on religious freedom, under federal and state Religious Freedom Restoration Acts, is neither hypocrisy nor bigotry.

Anchor columnist Dwight Duncan is a professor at UMass School of Law Dartmouth. He holds degrees in civil and canon law.

Visit the Diocese of Fall River website at fallriverdiocese.org The site includes links to parishes, diocesan offices and national sites.

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The Culture of Life begins in our hearts and our hands

ach October we observe Respect Life Month in dioceses throughout the United States.

Although ending abortion remains a priority of the utmost importance, threats to the disabled and those at the end of life deserve our attention as well. The legalization of medicallyassisted suicide in Canada in June should serve as a wake-up call compelling us to reach out in solidarity to our most vulnerable brothers and sisters.

Like abortion, the operative words in the campaign for physicianassisted suicide are “personal choice,” “autonomy” and “control.” Compassion and Choices, the leading proassisted suicide organization in our country, cites a 2015 Gallup survey claiming that seven in 10 Americans believe that doctors should be able to help terminally-ill individuals end their lives “on their own terms by some painless means.” The organization’s website talks about ensuring that “you get what you want — and avoid enduring anything you don’t” in relation to end-of-life care.

These sentiments strike me as particularly sad. I believe that they are based on two troubling attitudes in society: a loss of the sense of God — which leads to the mistaken idea that

R

ecently Denise and I were blessed to be able to take a trip to Bermuda for my 60th birthday.

In nearly 40 years together, we have never had the opportunity to take such a trip, so it was indeed a blessing from God. I was struck by so many things during that stay on a tiny island smack dab in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean: the turquoise waters, the pink sands, the spectacular sunrises and sunsets, the tropical climate, the vast array of trees and flowers, the geckos, the chickens, the crickets, and vehicles with steering wheels on the right while driving on the left side of the roads.

The beautiful little volcanic deposit is British-owned, yet definitely independent in spirit and actions.

But the aforementioned pleasures were not my favorite of the adventure.

That distinction goes to the people.

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we are the masters of our own lives it ever darkened, but rather it shines — and a corrupt idea of compassion. brighter precisely in their suffering Our culture has taken this beautiful and vulnerability.” word — compassion — and turned He continued, “Fragility, pain and it upside down. Compassion literally illness are a difficult trial for everymeans “to suffer with.” Compassion one, even for the medical staff, they happens are an appeal when you are for patience, confronted for sufferingwith anothwith; thereGuest er’s sufferfore we canColumnist ing and feel not give in to

By Sister motivated to the functionConstance Veit, LSP relieve it. It alist temptais not pity; tion to apply nor does it entail ending suffering by quick and drastic solutions, stirred by eliminating the person who suffers. false compassion or by simple criteria In a speech to Latin American of efficiency and economic saving.

Medical Associations this past The dignity of human life is at stake; summer, Pope Francis discussed the the dignity of the medical vocation is profound meaning of this virtue: at stake.”

“True compassion is undertaking to Pope Francis summed up his bear the burden. This would mean message to health professionals by the triumph over selfishness, of that quoting the counsel of St. Camillus ‘throw-away culture’ which rejects de Lellis, the patron of nurses and and scorns people who do not fulfill the sick: “Put more heart in those certain criteria of health, beauty and hands!” This is excellent advice for all usefulness. Compassion, this sufferof us. If we wish to see a society that ing-with, is the appropriate response appreciates the inviolable dignity of to the immense value of the sick human life and knows how to pracperson, a response made out of retice true compassion, we could have spect, understanding and tenderness, no better prayer than to ask God to because the Sacred value of the life “put more heart in our hands.” of the sick does not disappear nor is With more heart in our hands,

Life in the middle of the Atlantic

I wasn’t drawn to the plethora of tourists around the pool who, frankly, thought quite highly of themselves.

No, it was the workers, i.e., the maids and bell boys, the waiters and waitresses, the bus drivers, and My View the airport personnel.

From Anythe Stands one could plainly see

By Dave Jolivet these people worked hard for every dollar they earned. Yet, they always engaged us in conversation and always had a smile on their faces.

Three in particular stand out. A waiter in a good old sports bar who emigrated to the island from Italy four years ago. Stefan became family to Denise and me in a matter of moments.

Then there was our hotel maid, a

native Bermudian who treated us like family as well. And another native who worked at the airport — a young man in his early 20s, who was charming and very intelligent. These folks befriended us, not because they had to, or for tips, but it was who they were. For me that was as plain as the sunburned nose on my face.

When Hurricane Karl recently skirted the tiny island, I prayed for their well-being. They became family.

Another fascinating aspect of the trip was how folks from other countries, islanders and tourists alike, told us that they are very afraid of the upcoming U.S. presidential election.

They truly are nervous about what

may we reach out to offer practical help to women in difficult pregnancies and young families in need.

May we show mercy by feeding the hungry and helping the homeless to find dignified housing. With real compassion, may we offer words of encouragement to the doubtful, speak the truth in a loving way to the ignorant and offer a shoulder to cry on to someone grieving the loss of a loved one.

With more heart in our hands, may we bring a home-cooked meal to a shut-in, take a long walk with a grandfather suffering from Alzheimer’s or offer an elderly neighbor a ride to church.

Finally, with more heart in our hands, may we have the compassion and courage to stand with a dying loved one to the very end, embracing them in a way that lets them know they are still worthy of our attention and care, and that they are awaited by a God Who loves them even more than they can imagine.

This October may we realize that after all is said and done, the Culture of Life begins in our hearts and our hands!

Sister Constance Veit is director of communications for the Little Sisters of the Poor. world-wide effects it will have, no matter who wins.

The young man from the airport spoke to me for quite a while and he was quite frank. He told me that Americans look like fools to the rest of the world. People in Bermuda, England, and other countries follow the happenings in the States quite closely — and they utilize news sources that truly are fair and balanced with the reporting.

I told him we’re afraid too. It’s hard to believe that from the millions of Americans from the Atlantic to the Pacific, we’ve come up with a pair of candidates who are a laughing stock to the rest of the world.

Each of these three wonderful people told us to come back some day.

I wonder if it was because we became good friends, or if they were afraid for us post-election. Or maybe a little of both.

Wednesday 21 September 2016 — Port-O-Call: Westport Harbor — Anniversary 1938 Hurricane nce, while visiting Ireland, I asked an old farmer if he had heard the weather forecast. The man looked at me puzzled.

“Tomorrow’s weather?” he responded. “Who knows?

Around here, we just wait and see.” He may have had a point.

Weather forecasts are an obsession for many Americans, and no more so than with Cape Codders. The tourism industry depends on good weather. Curmudgeons speculate that Cape Cod businesses secretly pay TV weather forecasters to predict sunny weekends on the Cape. This is just another conspiracy theory — probably promulgated by Jesse Ventura, the retired wrestler and former Governor of Minnesota.

We have a lot of highfalutin technology to help predict the weather. We have television channels providing 24-hour weather reports. We have weather alerts sent to our smartphones. We have weather satellites whirling through outer space. We even have the National Weather Service headquartered right here in the Diocese of Fall River (Taunton). Still, predicting the weather is an inexact science with less than 50 percent accuracy.

You could do better flipping a coin.

I notice next-day weather forecasting tends to be more accurate than longrange forecasting. Ten-day forecasts are more akin to soothsaying than science.

The Atlantic hurricane season lasts from June 1 through November 30. We still have months to go.

Weather forecasters are happily tracking tropical

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Weather or not?

depressions, disturbances, cut Neck, Fairhaven, was and storms even as we picked up by the surging speak. sea and carried away. That It’s not just meteorolowas the end of family sumgists who get all excited mers in Fairhaven. about hurricanes. HurMy father told me ricanes are dramatic events in the humdrum of our The Ship’s Log ordinary lives. We Reflections of a remember them Parish Priest and tell the stories

By Father Tim to our children Goldrick and grandchildren.

Hurricanes are even memorialized in music and poetry. the sad story of his Aunt There’s the sea chantey Hattie. She summered at “Wreck of the Sloop John Horseneck Beach, WestB.” The vessel went down port. Her son phoned, in 1647. The wreck was urging her to return to the located off Nassau in 1926. main house. It was, after all, Carl Sandburg penned a already late September and poem about the sinking. she was, after all, 83 years Songs were recorded by the old. But Aunt Hattie loved Kingston Trio and by the life at the beach house.

Beach Boys.

She decided to ride out the “The Wreck of the Edstorm. Her body was found mund Fitzgerald,” a folk in Westport Harbor three ballad by Gordon Lightdays later. foot, is more recent (1975).

My mother told me how The merchant ship sank in confused everyone was in a November gale (technidowntown New Bedford cally not a hurricane) on when the hurricane began Lake Superior (formerly to blow and the streets Gitche Gumee). started to flood. She was Here in New England released early from her post there’s the Great Gale at McCrory’s cosmetics of 1815. It blew down counter and made her way the belfry (and bell) of a home in the howling wind church I pastored two cen- and rain. turies later.

Frank Wallace (now But the Hurricane of Father Francis X. Wallace) 1938 was the one about was a 16-year-old out tosswhich I heard most, aling a football around with though it happened eight his buddies. The boys gave years before I was born. up because whenever they There was an old comthrew the ball in one direcmemorative booklet lytion the wind would blow ing about the house. As a it back at them. child, I thumbed through Little Lillian Medeiros, it often. It was filled with eight years old, walked photographs of the hurdown to Cove Road, New ricane’s destruction. I heard Bedford, to watch the tales of how suddenly the storm roll in. She soon storm blew through and found herself clinging how nobody knew what it desperately to a telephone was or where it came from. pole until her mother came I was fascinated. to the rescue.

My grandfather told My first memory is Hurme his cottage at Scontiricane Carol in 1954. I was

eight years old, my sister was six, my little brother was three, my baby brother was eight weeks old. Our family lived on the second floor of a “cold water flat” — a three-decker in New Bedford.

My father, a maintenance man, was off sandbagging the factory.

I watched from the window as the chestnut tree across the street creaked in the wind. I called my mother to come see. She grabbed the baby and herded us kids to the opposite end of the apartment. Soon the ancient tree came crashing down.

We were safe, although the house across the street was destroyed.

All of us experience major hurricanes in our lifetimes, but not all are weather-related.

The National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration reports that 2016 is a normal hurricane season thus far but could turn out to be unusually active. It depends which way the wind blows. (Translation: “Who knows?”)

OK then. We’ll just wait and see. Seems the Irish farmer was right.

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

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Fanning the flames in Kalaupapa

I

awoke to the jarring blare of the settlement alarm siren. I got out of bed saying to myself, “Oh no! Not a tsunami!” Then as I quickly got into some clothing and shoes, I thought, if this is not a tsunami, it is one hell of an hour to get us out of bed (it was about 2 a.m. or shortly thereafter) for a tsunami drill. Then I climbed into my paddy wagon and started out for the evacuation area.

As I drove up the hill, however, I realized that the large glow I had seen from my bedroom window was not a collection of vehicle lights but rather it was the glow from a huge fire. The state kitchen and cafeteria were engulfed in flames.

The scene was a frenzy of activity as the workers, both state and

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National Park, battled the fierce the young lady workers led by Meiinferno while many sharp explolee, Shantell, and Tiare who found sions filled the air. Luckily, whatever some garden hoses and joined in the wind there was, was blowing from battle at the risk of their health if the east as usual, pushing the flames not their lives. They get my vote for straight firefighters of ahead tothe year. ward the I watched Moon Over west rather the action Molokai than at the from the

By Father two houses fringe of the Patrick Killilea, SS.CC. on either activity while side. Worktrying not ers like Sol to get in the (King Solomon), Too Tall Andrew, way of the firefighters. On several Administrator Ken, Lionel the Lion occasions I was told by the young Hearted and Eric the Shark Tamer ladies, “Stay out of the smoke, were seen running back and forth Father!” I think they really enjoyed getting the water hoses on the fire. bossing me around! Finally I got Then they were joined by some of to help by training the lights of my paddy wagon in the direction of the action. Meantime Zianna was bringing drinks to the magnificent firefighters. She said it was just water but it may have been stronger!

It was so sad to watch this venerable old building being consumed without a hope of being saved. While it had served meals for the patients and state workers for so many years, it had also served us with Thanksgiving and Christmas banquets each year.

By 4:30 a.m., as the workers continued to spray water, all that remained of this proud old building was one black mass of ashes and crumpled metal. The exhausted workers had done their job and safety was now restored to the neighborhood. Most important of all nobody was hurt or injured. The fire that had consumed our kitchen had brought out the very best in our residents. It had fanned the flames of cooperation and fighting spirit in our small Kalaupapa community.

Anchor columnist Father Killilea is pastor of St. Francis Parish in Kalaupapa, Hawaii.

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Reading the fine print: Some gifts are non-transferrable

ne of the beautiful things about aging is the wealth of experiences that become available, as they accumulate over the years — beyond our control, and sometimes far beyond

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our wildest expectations.

That which we are asked to offer God each morning — our prayers, our works, our joys, and our sorrows — are indeed the compilation of events and lessons, a treasure

The Anchor - September 30, 2016

trove of inestimable value.

For each person, the singularity of that wealth is staggering, all told. We often try to define those experiences, to share the lessons, and to make known what lies

in the recesses of our sensory it has taken us years just to imagination, but words fail. arrive at our present point It’s all so deeply personal.

— and that being a point And yet we keep trying, we’re not entirely pleased especially with the younger with. There are the frustratpeople in our families. We’ve ing confessions, the recurrent all met the quizzical looks, landscapes of familiar failings, the indulgent smiles, or the and the envious side-eyes less indulgent sighs. Unforcast at the lives of others. Is it tunately, the lessons don’t any wonder we see the same translate and the experiThe ences fail to resonate. It Feminine can be so Genius very frustratBy Genevieve Kineke ing. What does that subtle wall teach us? It’s not that the in our neighbor (especially lessons are not valid or the those neighbors sharing our experiences not true, but gene pool and family tables). that they were our gifts, the Since our youth, we open-handed deposits to our wanted to find a way of our treasury. own making, and so do our A prayer I’ve found from St. own children. God knows Ephrem includes the request: that, and generously offers a “Grant to me, your servant, the cornucopia of lessons coded Spirit of patience and neighinto everyday life — tangled borly love;” and one day the amidst the usual relationusual throttling of that phrase ships, and especially hidden came to mind: Who is my within the surprises. These neighbor? As an aging mother lessons are deeply personal who is learning to budget her and entirely adequate to our diminishing energy, I think growth. When you’re asked first of my family when it how you arrived at a given comes time to pray, but are my place or opinion, be ready to children my neighbors? If they share the anecdotal details are, how does that change the — since they did hazard to way I make myself available to inquire — but don’t be surthem? prised at the vacant response.

The thought seems What is translatable will fall strange, but I have discovered into their ken, and the rest that when I think of my chil- will evade them. Trust God dren as neighbors, it creates a to speak to their hearts in curious distance that allows ways they can hear, and ofme to think of them as fellow fer the rest in silence. Some travelers, as pilgrims sharing a gifts are meant to be shared, journey, as independent souls and others will remain in with their own treasuries of our keeping — form-fitted, experience that God will use monogrammed, and ours to lead them to His truth. alone. In that way, our chilGone are the usual emotional dren will receive their own leverage points that can in due course, so be at peace, tempt us to manipulation or and pray for their prudent unhealthy expectations. receptivity.

And that leads naturally to Anchor columnist Mrs. the other loaded word in the Kineke is the author of “The prayer: patience. For all our Authentic Catholic Woman.” own growth and maturation She blogs at feminine-genius. in the faith, we must admit typepad.com.

Holy Doors close November 20 as Year of Mercy draws to close continued from page two

The parish offers perpetual Eucharistic Adoration, which means the church is open 24-hours day, seven days a week, making the Holy Door available regardless of anyone’s schedule.

“The Holy Door opens from the outside and into the hallway where you land in front of the adoration chapel on your left and the confessional on your right,” said Father Harrison. “We do have many, many Confessions here on Wednesday and Friday nights, Saturday afternoons and a half hour

before every Mass. It makes it convenient for people to get the plenary indulgence.

“Our people have embraced it with great enthusiasm. They know they can gain a plenary indulgence for themselves or for a deceased person; one a day, every day, so I see people in the adoration chapel coming through that door, coming into the chapel and they pray the intentions of the Holy Father. People do come; they travel here.”

Having a radio spot play regularly every month offering an invitation to visit

Diocese of Fall River TV Mass on WLNE Channel 6 October 2, 11:00 a.m.

Respect Life Sunday

Celebrant is Father Jay Mello, pastor of St. Michael and St. Joseph parishes in Fall River

October 9, 11:00 a.m.

Celebrant is Father Freddie Babiczuk, pastor of St. John of God Parish in Somerset

the parish and the Holy Door during the Year of Mercy helped keep the Holy Door fresh in people’s minds; “That did bring people along to the area to attend Mass and go through the Holy Door,” said Father Harrison.

This past March, when Pope Francis spoke of having parishes open their doors to have a weekend of Confessions, Father Harrison decided on his own twist: “We have so many Confessions here [already], we decided to do something a little different. We put an ad on the radio, and in the Cape Cod Times with picture of Pope Francis, and we said, ‘This Saturday and Sunday, no appointment necessary, come and chat with a priest.’ I was available for that whole weekend, and people did respond. It could be about anything they wanted to bring up, and I was truly moved by the grace of God and the people who

did come. His mercy was evident.”

Holy Doors are Sacramental outward signs that point us to a larger Spiritual truth. In this case, the Holy Doors spread throughout the world are beacons to the faithful, beckoning us to come, to walk across the threshold into a new awareness, a metanoia — change in one’s way of life resulting from penitence or Spiritual conversion — and to create a commitment to giving and receiving mercy.

Holy Doors are outward signs of God’s invitation, thresholds that beckon new life, and passages that point toward God’s promise that no one who comes to Him with a contrite heart and an open spirit will leave unforgiven, untouched or unloved. The fact that Pope Francis has made it possible for each diocese to have a Holy Door is a natural extension of the amazing grace God extends to His people: bountiful and accessible.

Father William Casey will be coming to Corpus

Christi Parish October 8 for a parish mission where he will preach at all the weekend Masses, be available for Confessions and speak on God’s mercy.

When the Year of Mercy ends November 20, the feast of Christ the King, Bishop Emeritus Coleman will be coming to officially give his blessing to wrap up the Year of Mercy, and to close the Holy Door.

“I’ve been very moved tremendously by the people who have come and really wanted to go to Confession.

I’ve been really touched by people who for many years have been carrying burdens of one kind or another, and the response was just tremendous,” said Father Harrison.

He added, “We have to remember that God’s love is unconditional, but His mercy is conditional because you have to receive it.

You have to turn away from your past and you have to repent, accept, and then get up and follow. The grace of God, it’s been extraordinary this whole year long.”

Cardinal O’Malley returns to celebrate 20th annual Red Mass continued from page eight

He said that as a child one of his favorite Gospel stories was about a group of men who carried their friend, a paralytic, to Jesus.

“The Gospel often talks about the crowds and contrasts it with the community,” he said.

“The crowd is always pushing people away from the Lord. They made it impossible to get near Jesus. So they went on the roof and lowered him down to the floor. I’d like to have friends like that.”

According to Pope Francis, mercy is the Face of God. “We must work to heal the deep divisions in

our country and world,” said the cardinal. “Even after electing the first black president, there are still so many people who feel alienated. Turning the crowd into one great community is the great challenge we face. To live is to be united with others by bonds of faith.”

Then, Cardinal O’Malley told a story.

He said that a man who was very sick went to the doctor, and consequently, he needed a series of tests. The doctor spoke to the man’s wife and told her that the only way her husband would survive is if she took very good care of him, which

included preparing his favorite meals, allowing him to go hunting and fishing with his friends, letting him have the remote control and keeping her mother away from him. After the tests, the man asked his wife what the doctor had told her.

She said: “Honey, you are going to die.”

Laughter resounded to the rafters of the great cathedral.

“If we don’t practice mercy, if we don’t turn the other cheek, then the patient will die,” Cardinal O’Malley pointed out.

He said that in the Eucharist, Christ makes a Turn to page 18

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For and About Our Church Youth Allowing our interior conversion to take place

n a couple of weeks, Pope Francis will celebrate a Mass that will include the canonization of seven new saints for the Church. One of them, José Sanchez del Rio, was martyred by the Mexican government for refusing to renounce his Catholic faith. Two things really strike me about Blessed José, first his martyrdom was only 89 years ago and second, he was only 14 years old. During the turmoil in Mexico at the time many bishops, priests and lay people were tortured and killed for the faith that we celebrate often without second thought.

When we think of violence by the state we think of the Holocaust and the Stalin era of the Soviet Union as the times of great injustice and slaughter of human beings. Yet, the 20th century is filled with examples. Thousands of Catholics, again bish-

ops, priests, seminarians their lives for the same and laity, were executed reason throughout the for their faith in Spain. world, including our own United States of If you are ever in the America. sacristy at the Sacred Why do I bring all of Hearts Retreat Centhis up? First, we need to ter there is a poster on the wall of some of the be reminded of what has been the case when we young Sacred Hearts Fathers who were mar- have conversations about tyred during that time.

There were the Jesuits and their staff in El Salvador in the 1980s,

By Father the Trappists in David C. Frederici Algeria in 1996, Father Jerzy ISIS, terrorism and reliPopiełuszko in Poland gious persecution. Cerin 1984 (if you go to tainly we should work formed.org you can find a movie on the life and pray for a world where none of this exand ministry of Father Jerzy). The list goes on. ists. Yet, we keep thinking we (humanity) can In fact, if you look at solve the problems and each of the centuries related issues. On our you will find brothers own, human beings can and sisters who have turn to violence at great lost their lives because they were Catholic. All extremes and sometimes find justification for it. of these, by the way, Each Sunday we profess are only the ones we the solution: Jesus Christ know about. Lost are the countless individu- and the building up of the Kingdom of God. als who may have lost

Be Not Afraid

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 16

The Anchor - September 30, 2016

But do we do anything about that profession during the week?

Be assured that as I am writing these words I am squirming a bit.

They are making me very uncomfortable because I am conscious that I have failed often to live what I profess with you on Sunday. Jesus isn’t meant to be a part of my life and yours, He is meant to be my all and your all.

Pope Benedict XVI called it a “total commitment of self to Christ.”

The Gospel challenges us to give up ourselves as the center and allow the love that is God to replace it.

Anxiety, frustration, anger, indignation are not from God and are signs when we have placed ourselves in the center.

Without correcting that, we head down a path that leads us away from God (and truth and love and peace) towards the chaos and extremes that can be created by the limits of human thinking. We need to live as St. Paul was called to in last week’s second reading: “But you, man of God, avoid all this. Instead, pursue righteousness, devotion, faith, love, patience, and gentleness” (1 Tim 6:11).

The Good News is that Jesus is always calling us back. That is what Pope Francis has been so effective in proclaiming to the world

these last three years. It is why the “Catechism of the Catholic Church” tells us that the Christian life involves the lifetime process of conversion. The more we are drawn into the mystery of God and His love, the more we become aware of our need to change.

This work of interior conversion and living the Gospel is not just something for the clergy or religious, but for us all. Blessed José also reminds us that age isn’t a factor as well, and that our youth have much to offer our Church and world. As a pastor I understand that one of my tasks is to help all parishioners of all ages to recognize their gifts and talents and find ways to put those talents to use in the mission of the parish and of the Church.

Let us ask for the intercession of all the martyrs and saints, that we may have the courage and strength to allow interior conversion to happen, to recognize how we can share the Gospel in our neighborhoods and communities and how we can help others in this growth and action.

Anchor columnist Father Frederici is pastor of St. John the Evangelist Parish in Pocasset and diocesan director of Campus Ministry and Chaplain at UMass Dartmouth and Bristol Community College.

For and About Our Church Youth

Students and faculty from St. Joseph School in Fairhaven gathered for morning prayer and song as they celebrated the first few weeks back to school. Led by Principal Faith Piazza, students were reminded to be welcoming to all and share their gifts with the community.

Faculty, staff and students from St. James-St. John School in New Bedford supported melanoma research and the memory of Gary Wilson with a dress-down day with a Hawaiian theme.

Middle school students from Holy Name School in Fall River worked together to create and present posters based on their summer reading book, “Wonder,� by R.J. Palacio.

St. Mary-Sacred Heart in North Attleboro school welcomed 19 kindergartners to their first day of school. The students were met by school director Father David Costa and school principal, Charlotte Lourenco. Kindergartner teachers, Elizabeth Moura and Maria Stathakis, welcomed the students and helped them get acclimated to the school. Here Father Costa greeted James Steele with a high five.

Coyle and Cassidy High School in Taunton announced that senior, Peter Horvath, was named a National Merit semi-finalist. He is among a select number of students nationwide who are now in the running for a National Merit Scholarship. This is a distinction limited to the best 2015 PSAT test takers.

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For and About Our Church Youth

The students at Holy Family-Holy Name School in New Bedford recently shared their talent in a presentation of the musical “Godspell Jr.” Family and friends enjoyed seeing their children perform the parables from the Gospel of Matthew through songs and choreography.

American Heritage Girls Troop MA3712 kicked off its fifth year with a celebration of the 21st birthday of American Heritage Girls. Troops are in every state as well as nine foreign countries with more than 42,000 members. AHG offers opportunities for girl leadership and teamwork, Spiritual and character development, as well as life-skill development and social skills for girls ages five through 18.

Cardinal O’Malley returns for annual Red Mass Once again, St. John’s School in Attleboro, in partnership with Bristol County Savings Bank, is offering a banking program to the students in grades two through six. The program started in September and will run until the end of the school year. Students are encouraged to continue their banking and savings throughout the summer. A representative comes to the school bi-monthly. The students are able to deposit money of any denomination into a statement savings account.

Pre-kindergarten students at Our Lady of Lourdes School in Taunton gobbled up applesauce they made in class to celebrate the beginning of autumn.

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The Anchor - September 30, 2016

continued from page 15

gift of Himself for us.

“Let us strive to make ourselves a gift for others,” he said. “That will save us and bring hope to a broken world. God bless you.”

Following the Mass, the St. Thomas More Awards were presented.

Bishop da Cunha blessed the medals and prayed that the recipients remain humble in heart as faithful members of the legal profession.

Distinguished Jurist is the Honorable Kathryn E. Hand, who presides at Massachusetts Trial Court, District Court Department in Barnstable; Distinguished Attorney is Frank C. Corso, Esq., who leads Corso Law, LLC, with offices in Rehoboth and Boston; Distinguished Court Employee is Michael Borden, a probation officer in the Fall River Division of the Trial Court; Distinguished

Ecumenical Award Recipient is Margaret Xifaras, Esq., a partner in the law firm of Lang, Xifaras & Bullard in New Bedford; and the recipient of the Joseph P. Harrington Founder’s Award is Father Jay T. Maddock, pastor of Holy Name Parish and pastoral administrator of St. Bernadette’s Parish in Fall River who serves in the Chancery Office and Diocesan Tribunal.

New Bedford attorney Michael Harrington also announced a new annual award for Catholic high school students to be named in Cardinal O’Malley’s honor.

The awards, unique to our diocese’s Red Mass, are named for St. Thomas More, an English layman and lawyer of the 16th century, who was executed for his opposition to the request of King Henry VIII for a divorce, and for refusal to renounce papal authority.

HAC in talks with Catholic Social Services to manage NOAH Shelter

HYANNIS — Housing Assistance Corporation is in talks with Catholic Social Services of the Diocese of Fall River to take over management of the NOAH Shelter for homeless individuals in Hyannis.

The partnership between HAC and Catholic Social Services would allow HAC to increase its focus on finding permanent housing for people in need.

Catholic Social Services, which runs three other shelters in southeastern Massachusetts, would run the day-to-day operations of the shelter and HAC would focus more on placing people into housing and preventing people from becoming homeless in the first place.

HAC has run the NOAH Shelter for 32 years, providing meals, a bed, bathing facilities and housing placement services for homeless individuals 365 days a year.

The facility houses an average of 50 individuals a night, men and women, and a total of about 420 individuals a year.

Founded in 1924, Catholic Social Services operates more than 30 programs and services in southeastern Mas-

sachusetts including we would like to better other programs that help among them, basic needs serve the entire Cape by people on the Cape and support, food pantries, helping to secure more Islands obtain and keep emergency and transihousing for individuaffordable housing. tional housing, adoption, als, develop more housPresbrey said, “Formimmigration services, ing options and add to ing a partnership with and advocacy. Last year, our efforts to prevent Catholic Social Services 49,000 individuals reindividuals from becomin the operation of the ceived services through ing homeless in the first NOAH shelter is the the agency. place. All of these initiabest way to better service On Cape Cod, the ever-changatholic Social Services CEO Arlene ing needs and Catholic Social McNamee noted that the agency demands of the Services has long has much experience in running a shelter. Cape’s homeless had an office on South Street in “Serving the homeless is a big part of what population.”

Hyannis to serve Catholic Social Catholic Social Services does,” she said. the region. The Services CEO agency also operArlene Mcates St. Clare’s in Hyantives, which are part of Namee noted that the nis, providing transitional our new strategic plan, agency has much experihousing for women com- will require additional ence in running a shelter. ing out of prison. As part resources.”

“Serving the homeof the program residents If the partnership less is a big part of what receive supportive servic- goes through, HAC will Catholic Social Services es to help them prepare continue to run its three does,” she said. “Last year, to live independently. family shelters, Angel after operating Market HAC’s CEO Rick House in Hyannis, which Ministries for four years Presbrey said the change serves women recovering in New Bedford, we would be in line with the from substance abuse and opened the new Sister nonprofit’s new strategic their children; Carriage Rose House Shelter for plan to provide permaHouse in North Falmen and Grace House nent affordable housing mouth, which serves first- for women in that city, solutions to people in the time mothers who are and for several years region. homeless; and the Vilnow we’ve run the Sa“With Cape Cod’s lage at Cataumet, which maritan Shelter for men problem of a lack of afserves homeless families. and women in Taunton. fordable housing growing HAC will also continue Cape Cod is part of our worse by the year, HAC, to operate its Scattered diocese, so it makes sense with its 42-year focus on Sites sheltering program, that Catholic Social housing, is in a unique its Homeless Outreach Services become involved position to become even program, and its Homein managing the NOAH more involved in solving less Prevention Program Shelter.” the problem,” Presbrey for individuals and famiCatholic Social Sersaid. “Toward that end, lies, as well as numerous vices also has 80 units

C

throughout the diocese that serve as emergency shelter for families as well as 89 units of permanent supportive housing for formerly homeless families and individuals.

McNamee said that in 2015 through its various homeless programs Catholic Social Services sheltered 3,798 individuals.

She added that the agency’s expansion into management of the NOAH Shelter has the strong approval of Fall River Bishop Edgar M. da Cunha, S.D.V. HAC will still own the NOAH Shelter building on Winter Street in Hyannis. HAC will also continue to own the Chase House, which is located next door to the shelter and serves as transitional housing.

HAC will still be active with this vulnerable population of individuals, but its focus will be on placing them into permanent housing rather than providing overnight emergency shelter for them.

The completion of the partnership is contingent on signed agreements between the two entities and votes of approval from the boards of the two entities.

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Bishop Stang High School to induct members into Hall of Honor

Assonet parish thanks selfless civil servants

goes without saying, their impact was immeasurable on the history of Bishop Stang High School.

They’re a wonderful family and Pat has continued to be an incredibly generous person.

“Kathy Crosson has been here for 38 years and there’s no better teacher.

But then she’s also helped to develop the Missions for Humanity group, and that’s really why we’re recognizing her. Missions for Humanity provides medical supplies for poor communities in Africa and central and south America.

She’s been doing that for many years and it’s a hugely positive thing. Many students, alumni and parents of students who are physicians have been involved and have gone with her on those trips.

“Theresa Dougall is a 44-year veteran of the school and she’s done just about everything. She was a teacher, coach, principal, president; and many people would say that she was the best teacher they ever had. I know she inspired many people — a generation, really — who have gone into the science field and on to careers as doctors. She was also an effective and very well-respected administrator and leader of the school.

“The same goes for John O’Brien. I never knew John O’Brien, but clearly he was a guy who always looked out for the underdog and always looked out for the lost sheep. That’s a legacy that we very much need to keep alive. We have a lot of very highachieving kids, but our mission is not just aimed at those kids — we very much try to keep that watchful eye out for kids

Retired New Bedford Fire Chief Roger Nadeau and his wife Nancy, presented the gifts, as did Easton Fire Chief Kevin Partridge, a St. Bernard’s parishioner.

“This was such a wonderful Mass and a wonderful thing to do to remember those who are policemen, firefighters and first-responders,” Nadeau told The Anchor.

Another parishioner, sacristan Barret Castro, a member of the Fall River Fire Department, played an active role in the Mass. “Barret is a special minister of Holy Communion, and I made sure that he was stationed where the police and firemen were coming up for Communion,” said Father Racine.

At the conclusion of the Mass, representatives of the fire and police departments lined up outside the church while much of the congregation met with them, shaking hands and offering thanks and encouragement.

Also at the memorial Mass was a fire engine that serves as a memorial to all fallen fire fighters. The truck is owned, maintained and displayed by the Nadeaus.

The engine was donated to Chief Nadeau by the Weymouth Fire Department because the pumps were failing. “I was looking for an engine that I could make into a memorial, but everything I saw was either too high for funeral processions, or was in too much disrepair,” he told The Anchor.

The engine is dedicated to Gerald Nadeau, Roger’s brother, a Fall River firefighter who died in the line of duty in 2002.

The truck, a 1986 Pierce Dash, has carried the caskets of 13 fallen firefighters and one military veteran.

On Engine 266, Gerry Nadeau’s badge number, is a 9/11 memorial containing ar-

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who may be socially or academically challenged and who struggle to fit into any high school. I feel that’s all in the spirit of John O’Brien.

“Of course, the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur were here for the founding of the school. We see alumni from the 1960s at our reunions and it’s interesting because they always talk about how academically well-prepared they were by the Sisters. And I think that has remained pretty consistent throughout our history — a strong foundation of academic preparation and strong religious and Spiritual formation for kids.”

The selection committee nominated this first class of honorees with the notion that all are members of the greater “Stang family.”

“We’ve had some families who have left amazing legacies at this school as students, then they send their children to the school and now we have grandparents and greatgrandparents and they will often become some of our most generous benefactors as well,” Shaughnessy said.

“The school couldn’t be what it is for the kids today without these families and these individuals.

“You need that legacy, in the best sense of the word, to continue. It’s not just something that’s in the past, it’s something that continues. And that’s the point we try to make to the current students and alumni — when we say ‘Bishop Stang High School,’ we’re talking about all of our current students and the more than 9,000 alumni who support us in all kinds of ways.”

The Anchor - September 30, 2016

Shaughnessy said the new Hall of Honors is being implemented in tandem with an Athletics Hall of Fame as part of the school’s 2015-2019 strategic plan. Kicking off with this year’s Hall of Honors, next year they plan to inaugurate an Athletics Hall of Fame and alternate inductees every other year from then on.

“Obviously, both have the same purpose: to recognize the people who have either made a huge impact while they were here (at Stang) or have continued to excel in their careers as alumni,” Shaughnessy said. “And, of course, both of these efforts — the Hall of Honors and the Hall of Fame — provide immeasurable opportunities for us to reconnect and keep strong relations with our alumni.”

Shaughnessy said they will have a designated area — a literal “hall of honors” — near the school’s main entrance to honor these inductees and each will be given their own plaque.

“I think it’s important to recognize people,” he added. “It’s easy to let things go and not say ‘thank you.’ But I think people need to see that every once in a while and know what kind of impact they’ve made.”

For more information about the Hall of Honors, including tickets and sponsorships, contact Jana McHenry, director of Advancement, at jmchenry@bishopstang.org or 508-996-5602, ext. 430, or visit www.bishopstang. org/honors. There are links on the website where you can also share a memory of any of the honorees for them or their family members.

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tifacts on loan from Ground Zero in New York City from that infamous day, and the badge of Franciscan Father Mychal Judge, the New York City Fire Chaplain who was killed when the first tower came crashing down.

Nadeau is the caretaker of the badge on Father Judge’s person the day he gave his life to save others.

“I wrote to Father Judge’s twin sister, Dympna Jessich, to ask her permission to include a photo of her brother on our memorial truck,” said Nadeau. “She said she wanted to meet me.

“Nancy and I met with her a few times, and on one visit, she took us aside where no one else was and she gave me Father Judge’s badge and asked me to be its caretaker.

We were absolutely stunned and humbled.”

The Nadeaus share the badge with people wherever the truck is displayed in public. “People get so many different reactions tho holding the badge in their hands,” added Nadeau. “Some have even claimed favors granted through Father Judge’s intercession and hold the badge.”

Jessich also gave the Nadeaus a photo of her brother taken at the 9/11 scene in New York shortly before he died. Father Judge’s sister also gave the Nadeaus a replica badge of her brothers, given to her by the New York Fire Department after his death. “It’s fitting that we have both badges because they’re ‘twins,’ just like Father Judge and Dympna,” Nadeau told The Anchor.

Also on the truck is a memorial to Vietnam Veterans, created by Al Deorsey of Magic in Motion in Fall River. Part of the memorial is made from a motorcycle tank.

For more information on the memorial, visit www. gerrynadeau.org.

Marcel R. Chretien, brother of Father Richard L. Chretien

Arrangements were MIDDLEBORO Society of St. Vincent de handled by Ashley Funeral — Marcel R. Chretien, Paul, P.O. Box No. 1381, 71, longtime resident of Middleboro, Mass. 02346. Home, Middleboro.

Middleboro, died September 16 at his home, surrounded by his loving family.

He was the husband of Cheryl D. (Lovell) Chretien. Born in Fall River; he was the son of the late Charles and Lena (Longchamps) Chretien. He was a graduate of Msgr. Prevost High School, Fall River, and Northeastern UniverIn Your Prayers sity.

Please pray for these priests during the coming weeks He was a registered Oct. 1 pharmacist, and owned Most. Rev. William O. Brady, S.T.D. Archbishop of St. Paul, 1961 Prescription Pharmacy in Oct. 2 Middleboro for 22 years; Rev. Joseph E. Sutula, Pastor, St. Casimir, New Bedford, 1961 and for the last 11 years Rev. Rene R. Levesque, Pastor, Blessed Sacrament, Fall River, 1999 Msgr. Stanislaus T. Sypek, 2011 worked at CVS Pharmacy, Middleboro.

Oct. 3 Chretien was also a Rev. Msgr. Arthur G. Considine, Retired Pastor, St. Mary, South Dartmouth, 1991 teacher at Coyle-Cassidy High School, Taunton, for Oct. 5 Rev. Jean D. Pare, O.P., Assistant Director, St. Anne Shrine, Fall River, 10 years. His greatest joy 1999 was automobiles, especially Oct. 6 MG’s and Corvettes.

Rev. Stephen B. Magill, Assistant, Immaculate Conception, North Survivors include his Easton, 1916 wife, Cheryl; three sons, Rev. Roland Brodeur, Uniondale, N.Y., 1987 Patrick and his wife Oct. 7 Ann Marie Chretien, of Rev. Caesar Phares, Pastor, St. Anthony of the Desert, Fall River, 1951 Rev. Msgr. Arthur G. Dupuis, Retired Pastor, St. Louis de France, SwanMiddleboro; David and sea, 1975 his wife Paula Chretien, Rev. Andrew Jahn, SS.CC., Sacred Hearts Seminary, Wareham, 1988 of Taunton; and Stephen Oct. 8 and his wife Elizabeth Rev. Roger P. Nolette, 2006 Tomassini, of Plymouth; a Oct. 9 daughter, Margaret and her Rev. Paul J. Dalbec, M.S., La Salette Shrine, Attleboro, 2000 husband Timothy Coe, of Oct. 10 Middleboro; two brothers, Rev. James C.J. Ryan, Assistant, Immaculate Conception, North Easton, Father Richard L. Chre1918 tien, of Fall River; and Rev. Boniface Jones, SS.CC., Chaplain, Sacred Heart Home, New Bedford, 1987 Lucien and his wife Janet Rev. Joseph A. Martineau, Retired Pastor, St. Theresa, New Bedford, 1990 Chretien, of Acushnet; five Oct. 11 grandchildren, Alexandria Rev. James A. Downey, Pastor, Holy Ghost, Attleboro, 1952 Chretien, Kaitlyn Chretien, John Chretien, Heidi Oct. 12 Rev. Felician Plichta, OFM Conv., Parochial Vicar, Corpus Christi, East Chretien, and Nicholas Sandwich, Former Pastor Holy Cross, Fall River, 1999 Coe; and his beloved dog, Oct. 13 Jenny.

Rev. David I. Walsh, M.M., Maryknoll Missioner, 1999 A Mass of Christian Rev. James J. Doyle, C.S.C., Holy Cross Residence, North Dartmouth, 2002 Burial was celebrated Rev. J. Marc Hebert, C.S.C., Holy Cross Residence, North Dartmouth, September 20 at Sacred 2006 Heart Church, MiddleOct. 14 boro. Burial followed at Rev. Dennis M. Lowney, Assistant, Sacred Heart, Taunton, 1918 Nemasket Hill Cemetery, Rev. Msgr. Edward B. Booth, Retired Pastor, St. Mary, North Attleboro, 1972 Middleboro.

Rev. Frederick G. Furey, SS.CC., Former Pastor, Our Lady of AssumpDonations in his memtion, New Bedford, 1999 Rev. Andre P. Jussaume, Pastor, St. Louis de France, Swansea, 2003 ory may be sent to: The

Online at anchornews.org

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Around the Diocese Holy Name Parish in Fall River will be hosting its 11th annual Harvest Festival on October 1, rain or shine, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. (yard sales begins at 9 a.m.) on the school grounds facing President Avenue. The festival offers free admission and everyone is welcome. The day will be filled with great local food, family fun and activities for children and adults. For more information, visit the festival website at www.holynameharvestfestival.org.

Anna Rae-Kelly will lead a morning of reflection on the Feast of St. Therese entitled “A Time Apart with St. Therese of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face.” This special Jubilee Year of Mercy presentation will take place October 1 beginning at 9.30 a.m. at the La Salette Retreat Center, 947 Park Street in Attleboro. All are welcome and a freewill offering will be taken. For more information, please call 508-222-8530 or visit www.annaprae.com.

A Mass of Healing will be celebrated on October 3 at 6 p.m. at Our Lady of Victory Church, 230 South Main Street in Centerville. The Mass includes Anointing of the Sick and is sponsored by the Our Lady of Victory Catholic Cancer Support Group, which will meet immediately following the Mass in the in the Msgr. Perry Parish Center at 7 p.m. The speaker will be Kristine Whaples, a clinical physiologist from Cape Cod Healthcare. For more information regarding the support group, contact Geri Medeiros at 508-362- 6909.

The Fall River Area Men’s First Friday Club will meet on October 7 at St. Joseph Church on North Main Street in Fall River. The celebration of Mass begins at 6 p.m. and is open to the public. The Mass celebrant will be Father Jay Mello.

Following the Mass, members of the club will gather in the church hall next door for a hot meal prepared by White’s of Westport. Following the meal there will be a guest presentation by Jean Willis, principal of St. Stanislaus School. For further information phone Norm Valiquette at 508-672-8174.

Our Lady of Lourdes Church, 2282 Route 6 in Wellfleet, will host its annual Holly Fair on October 8 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and October 9 following the 10:30 a.m. Mass. The fair will feature beautiful theme baskets, raffles, toys, baked goods, silent auction and more. Come have a photo taken with Santa between 12 noon and 1 p.m. on October 8. Food for lunch or snacking will be served both days. For more information, call 508-349-1853.

Massachusetts Citizens for Life is sponsoring a Massachusetts March for Life to raise money for Pro-Life charitable organizations across the Commonwealth. The March will be held on October 9 beginning at 2:30 p.m. from the Parkman Bandstand, Boston Common. The Greater Fall River MCFL Chapter is sponsoring a bus to bring local walkers to the Boston — no need to worry about parking or traffic.

Round trip fare is only $5 for adults, $2 for 18 and under.

Children age five and under are free. The central pick up location is Holy Name School at the corner of Stetson Street and President Avenue in Fall River. Departure time will be at 11:45 a.m. There will be a second pick up at the Taunton Galleria Park and Ride at approximately 12 noon.

To reserve seats or for more information, call Paulette Martinville at 508-673-9757 or Liz Montigny at 781-521-3677

by October 5.

To submit an event for consideration in The Anchor’s “Around the Diocese” listing, send the information by email to kensouza@anchornews.org

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The Anchor - September 30, 2016

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 time of Eucharistic Adoration Wednesdays from 7-9 p.m. at St. John the Evangelist Church on North Main Street.

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 8:30-11:30 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 — 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.

FALL RIVER — St. Joseph’s Church has a Holy Hour every Tuesday from 6-7 p.m., with Benediction at 6:45 p.m.

FALL RIVER — St. Michael’s Church has Eucharistic Adoration every Wednesday from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., with Benediction at 5:30 p.m.

Falmouth — St. Patrick’s Church has Eucharistic Adoration each First Friday following the 7 a.m. Mass, with Benediction at 4:30 p.m.

HYANNIS — St. Francis Xavier Parish in Hyannis, 347 South Street, Hyannis, has Eucharistic Adoration from noon to 3 p.m., daily Monday through Friday.

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 5:30 to 6:30 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 4:15 to 4:45 p.m. Rosary and Benediction begin at 5 p.m.

WAREHAM — Eucharistic Adoration at St. Patrick’s Church takes place 9 a.m. Thursday through 7 p.m. Friday. 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.

Assonet 9/11 remembrance calls for gratitude for those who ‘put their lives on the line every day’

By Dave Jolivet Anchor Editor davejolivet@anchornews.org

ASSONET — Hauntingly similar to Dec. 7, 1941, Sept. 11, 2001 is a date that has gone done in “infamy,” in the history of not only the United States, but of the entire world community.

Whether one was alive or not when four jet airliners were hijacked and flown into the World Trade Center Twin Towers in NYC; the Pentagon in Washington, D.C.; or plunged into the landscape in Shanksville, Penn., thwarting an attempt on the U.S. Capitol building in D.C., mostly everyone knows the world was never the same afterward.

In fact, in some aspects, the world has become colder and more dangerous with terrorist attacks frequently occurring around the globe, and far too many instances of a small percentage of law enforcement officers exhibiting their prejudices against minority civilian populations.

In all of this, what has escaped the minds of many Americans and others, is the fact that an overwhelming majority of police officers, firemen and first-responders put their lives on the line every day to serve and protect all people in this country.

To that end, Father Mike Racine, pastor of St. Bernard’s Parish in Assonet, himself a former police and fire chaplain in New Bedford, Fall River and other towns, recently invited area police and fire personnel, retired and active, to a Mass of remembrance and a call for all to express gratitude for their selfless and often unrecognized efforts.

“I wanted them to know that they are appreciated and thought of,” said Father

Racine.

The Mass at St. Bernard’s Church was held on 9/11, the 15th anniversary of that fateful day.

“I thought about what we could do,” Father Racine told The Anchor. “I felt a good way would be to send invitations to area departments to celebrate Mass with us.”

Concelebrating the Mass was Msgr. Thomas Harrington, longtime fire chaplain for the city of Fall River.

“I have the greatest respect and admiration for Msgr.

Harrington,” said Father Racine. “It was only fitting that he should be here.”

On that Sunday morning 35 fire department representatives and five police department personnel were at the church, along with a 9/11 memorial fire truck and the badge of Franciscan Father Mychal F. Judge, the New York City fire chaplain who was killed by falling debris at the World Trade Center while responding to the scene to assist the victims.

“I had current and retired members from fire departments in Westport, Freetown, Berkley, Fall River, New Bedford, Easton and Johnston, R.I.,” added Father Racine.

“Also assisting in the remembrance were the Boy Scouts of the parish who provided the color guard. The church was packed.”

In his homily Father Racine called to mind those who lost their lives, particularly the civil servants who gave their lives, including Father Judge. He also remembered Holy Cross Father Francis Grogan of Dartmouth, who was aboard United Airlines Flight 175 that crashed into the South Tower at 9:03 a.m., the first of the four horrific events that day.

“In the homily, I mentioned Fathers Judge and Grogan to remind people of these great priests.

“Everyone knows about Father Judge, but Father Grogan was a great help to St. Julie’s Parish in North Dartmouth and St. Mary’s Parish in South Dartmouth.

He was well-known and well-liked in Dartmouth.

“I also spoke about service to others, which is the hallmark of faithful police officers, fire fighters and firstresponders. But I also spoke about gratitude — gratitude for the sacrifices these men and women make on a daily basis.”

Father Racine added that there is so much going on today regarding violence and protests against police, and people need to know that only a small percentage of these men and women are the culprits of prejudice and bigotry.

“After the homily, I asked all the police and fire personnel to stand up to be recognized,” said Father Racine.

“They received a resounding, five-minute standing ovation from the congregation. It was very moving and I was very

proud of that.”

“We have a lot of young people in our parish, and many were at the Mass, and it’s good for them to see and hear what they did that day,” added Father Racine.

Continued on page 20

Artifacts from Ground Zero in New York City on 9/11, including the badge of Franciscan Father Mychal Judge who was killed when the first tower fell that day, are part of the Fallen Firefighters memorial Fire Engine owned by retired New Bedford fire chief Roger Nadeau, below right, and his wife Nancy. The memorial is dedicate to Nadeau’s brother, Gerald Nadeau, a Fall River firefighter, who died in the line of duty in 2002. (Photos by Dave Jolivet)

The Anchor - September 30, 2016

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My Brother’s Keeper breaks ground on Dartmouth expansion continued from page five

difficult situations.”

My Brother’s Keeper was founded 28 years ago by Jim and Terry Orcutt, who modestly began the charitable work in the cellar of their Taunton home back in 1988. The ministry soon moved into a facility located adjacent to Stonehill College and Holy Cross Family Ministries in Easton.

The ministry’s mission, inspired by Christ’s Words Bishop Edgar M. da Cunha, S.D.V., recently visited the in Matthew 5:15, is simple: Barnstable County Correctional Facility and spoke to in- “To bring the love and hope mates and celebrated Mass there. (Photos by Roy Lyons) of Jesus Christ to those we serve” by delivering furniture, free-of-charge, to local families in need, regardless of religion.

My Brother’s Keeper opened its second facility in Dartmouth in 2013 after operating for 25 years in Easton. My Brother’s Keeper chose to locate its newest facility on the South Coast given the level of need and the lack of furniture resources available to struggling families.

The organization has steadily expanded its furniture assistance program since opening. Currently, the Dartmouth facility provides furniture assistance to some 3,000 individuals annually in 18 surrounding cities and towns.

“You can’t help but see God’s hand at work here,” Smith said. “We really believe we were meant to be serving this community.

Where we’re building our new facility is less than 100 yards down the road. It’s just 24

The Anchor - September 30, 2016

an incredible opportunity that will allow our ministry to grow in a lot of ways.”

As a Christian charity, the My Brother’s Keeper facility in Dartmouth will include strong Spiritual components on the property. A life-size bronze sculpture entitled “The Divine Servant” — a depiction of Jesus washing Peter’s feet at the Last Supper — will grace the entrance of the building along with an inscription “To Lead is to Serve.”

Total cost of the project (including land acquisition, design, construction, and landscaping) is estimated at $3.4 million. My Brother’s Keeper, a 100 percent privately-funded charity, has already received commitments totaling $1.7 million in financial donations and professional construction services, which is 50 percent of the projected total project cost. Of note, members of the construction industry have already pledged inkind donations worth more than $500,000, including architectural services, engineering services, plumbing, HVAC, framing and drywall.

BayCoast Bank and Empire Hyundai are two local companies providing leadership project support.

“We depend on that support from the community and people have been very generous in supporting our work,” Smith said. “We feel very fortunate; I think people feel a connection to the work

of My Brother’s Keeper.

Many times they volunteer with us before they start donating and, as a result, they really believe in the work, they believe in this project, and they know what a difference it’s going to make for families that are going through some tough times.”

Smith said construction of the new facility is expected to be completed by June 2017.

“We’re hoping for a winter like last one, that’s for sure,” he said. “As we speak, they are pouring the foundation and steel will be right behind. We’re going to have a prefabricated building so we’re on track to be open next summer.”

With a new, larger facility, Smith also anticipates getting more volunteers involved in the work of My Brother’s Keeper.

“It means we’re going to be able to serve more families and it means we’re also going to be able to offer more volunteer opportunities, so we’re looking forward to even more people getting involved in the coming years,” he said.

My Brother’s Keeper is always in need of volunteers of all ages and skills, for tasks such as assisting with furniture pickups and deliveries, assembling sets of linens and kitchenware, sewing, cleaning furniture and administration.

To donate, volunteer or learn more about My Brother’s Keeper, visit www.

MyBrothersKeeper.org or call 774-305-4577.