10.04.19

John T. Weldon, Executive Director of the newly-rebranded Saint Vincent’s Services, speaks before a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the diocesan facility in Fall River.

(Photo by Dave Jolivet) October 4, 2019 â€

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Newly-rebranded Saint Vincent’s Services takes wing at ribbon-cutting ceremony

By Dave Jolivet

JolivetDB@comcast.net

FALL RIVER — Thursday morning, September 26, was a brilliant, warm, sun-splashed early autumn day, a fitting scene for the ribbon-cutting ceremony at the chapel at Saint Vincent’s Home on Highland Avenue in Fall River. Fitting because for the last 134 years, Saint Vincent’s has been a ray of sunshine and a source of warmth for area children and families who only experienced the dark, stormy circumstances of physical, Spiritual or emotional turmoil.

Bishop Edgar M. da Cunha, S.D.V., joined with civic officials, members of the Bristol County Chamber of Commerce, Jack Weldon, CEO and executive director of Saint Vincent’s, Saint Vincent’s’ board of directors and staff members, local business partners, benefactors and friends to officially rebrand Saint Vincent’s Home as Saint Vincent’s Services.

According to a recent press release from Saint Vincent’s, the rebrand is to bring the focus to the success and growth of Saint Vincent’s as “a family-centered, trauma-informed service provider.

Saint Vincent’s was established in 1885 to be a place of positive change for children, adolescents and their families an to give them the insight and tools they need to build healthy relationships.”

Speaking at the ceremony, Weldon said, “We’re no longer the home on the hill or the home. Our goal is to show our clients and the community at large a better visual of our values as a provider and to showcase differently the diverse services and the access points we provide.”

Referring to the SVS’s new logo featuring a colorful butterfly, Weldon continued, “To many of you the butterfly represents endurance, change, hope and life. The butterfly 2

and our new logo is a representation of one of life’s most beautiful transformations and symbolizes for us the treatment, care and ultimately the transformative changes that can take place in the lives of children, youth and families we serve.

“Saint Vincent’s Services is committed to supporting the overall wellbeing of children, youth and their families both within the community and on our campus, our dedicated staff team provides a comprehensive array of childfocused family-centered, and trauma-informed care.

“Our faith-based approach to treatment is holistic, taking into account the physical, social, psychological and Spiritual needs of those we serve. We have created a stable nurturing environment, both outpatient and residential in which clients can build on their strengths and resilience so that they can lead safe and healthy lives. For the children, youth and their families who seek our care, Saint Vincent’s Service offers an extensive range of services across the developmental spectrum to meet their individualized needs.

Our outpatient and school-based services have grown exponentially since our clinic opened in April of 2011 and we are currently serving well over a thousand families annually within our clinic and inhome services.”

Saint Vincent’s began in 1885 under the sponsorship of the Sisters of Mercy, and when the Fall River Diocese was established in 1904, Saint Vincent’s became a

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ministry of the fledgling diocese.

The home, as it was then called, was first an orphanage serving as a residence for children whose parents were unable to adequately care for them for a variety of reasons, some being ill health, death, lack of financial means and other challenges. “Over the years,” Weldon explained, “we’ve adapted our programs and services to meet the changing needs of children, youth and families as they face a variety of issues including abuse, neglect, poverty, addiction, mental

illness, emotional and behavioral problems, domestic abuse, family trauma and learning challenges.

“Over the years, our services have included longterm residential education programs, group home or congregate care both on campus and within the Fall River and New Bedford communities, therapeutic day school, acute residential treatment, then a short-term assessment and rapid reintegration program called STARR. Our most recent additions have been an outpatient mental health clinic and a range of in-home and schoolbased services.”

Weldon said Saint Vincent’s Services works in collaboration with the Department of Children and Families, the Department of Mental Health, the Department of Public Health, the Department of 8 Turn to page 17

With Strategic Planning recommendations in hand, new Diocesan Pastoral Council will begin meeting October 7 ent commissions. So the Editor next step from there is kensouza@anchornews.org the bishop is reviewing FALL RIVER — The them with the Diocesan ongoing Strategic PlanPastoral Council, and ning Process for the Fall then they’re going to River Diocese is about to work together with staff enter a new phase as the to figure out what the newly-appointed Diocroadmap looks like for esan Pastoral Council the next steps. is slated to have its first “They’ll be looking at meeting on Monday, Oc- everything holistically to tober 7. understand where some Having reached a mile- of those things that are stone on Saturday, Sepquick-hits, where some of tember 14, when Bishop the things that are going Edgar M. da Cunha, to take a little while to S.D.V., was presented the do, and how do we prifinal recommendations oritize one thing over anof the various commisother given that each of sions comprised of nearly the commissions looked 400 volunteers who met at these as a sole [objecthroughout the year, the tive]. They looked at each Pastoral Council will now specific topic area, not be tasked with prioritizin a vacuum, but as one ing and recommending to thing. Whereas the Pastothe bishop how to imple- ral Council really needs ment those directives, ac- to look at everything cording to Laura M. Car- holistically to figure out rillo, director of Strategic where we prioritize cerand Pastoral Planning for tain things.” the diocese.

Part of Bishop da “The strategic plan Cunha’s “Rebuilding in that was presented to Faith and Hope” initiaBishop da Cunha really is tive for the Fall River a recommendation docu- Diocese, the strategic ment,” Carrillo told The planning process movAnchor. “I think there’s ing forward will now be more than 60 recommen- driven by the members dations from the differof the Diocesan Pastoral

By Kenneth J. Souza

The final recommendations of nearly 400 diocesan volunteers were presented to Bishop Edgar M. da Cunha, S.D.V., during a Mass celebration on September 14. A newly-appointed Diocesan Pastoral Council will now begin meeting on October 7 to implement these directives in the “Rebuilding in Faith and Hope” initiative. (Photo courtesy of Victor Nobrega) Council which is comprised of 15 parishioners, five clergy, Bishop da Cunha, the Vicar General, the Moderator of the Curia, and Carrillo serving as “staff support.”

“It’s a pretty big group but I’m hopeful that once we have our first introductory meeting, we can potentially break out into smaller groups and figure out how we want to attack the [recommendations],” Carrillo said. “We’re meeting once a month, and we’ll be rotating where we meet so that we’re in different deaneries. Our kickoff on October 7 is going to be at Bishop Connolly High School, but you know we’re going to be meeting in parishes throughout the diocese. We thought it was important to get a good representative

mix of people from every deanery so that we were able to move the meetings to help with the time commitment and the travel.”

Having been in her new role as director of Strategic and Pastoral Planning for just about two months, Carrillo said she’s excited to begin working on the recommendations.

“We’re excited to kick off that meeting to get everyone working together to understand the totality of all the recommendations and to figure out where we go from here,” she said. “I think the one thing that I want to make sure people don’t lose sight of is that throughout the planning process, a lot of actions have been taken already.

I want to say there are

more than 20 things that have already happened as a result of the process. So I try to remind people: don’t forget a lot has already happened in the months that we’ve been planning and this is the next phase. I see it as our next big opportunity to move things forward and to take action. But, at the end of the day, we have to be realistic about what the diocese as an organization can take on all at the same time.”

Having previously worked with companies like Walmart, Microsoft and Kimberly Clark in the private sector, Carrillo said it’s important to understand that these things take time and can’t happen overnight.

“I think when I talk to 8 Turn to page four

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Pastoral Council to meet October 7 continued from page three

people individually and explain to them the scope of what’s in those recommendations, you have to understand it’s years and years of work,” she said.

“Everyone wants everything done in zero to six months. A lot of times it’s just a matter of breaking things down into smaller parts and communicating them back. So, for example, one of the recommendations might be for every parish in the diocese to be online with their financials. Is that something that’s already underway and going to get done? Yes. Is it something that’s going to get done in six months? No, but we can break it down so we can get five parishes done in this amount of time and another five done in this amount.

“We need to break it down into more realistic parts and when you talk to people about it, they go, ‘Oh, you’re right.’

Because in other organizations you go through the same thing. I don’t know any companies out there that can just take 60 new recommendations and implement them all in one year. It requires a huge lift, a huge amount of time and investment, a huge amount of labor.

And there’s a huge head count piece built in there, too. You don’t hire people overnight. It’s a process to get the right people in the right roles.”

Heading into this first Diocesan Pastoral Council meeting next week, Carrillo said her biggest challenge will be “to keep 4

people informed.”

“As humans we get very impatient and if we don’t hear something in two weeks, we assume that nothing is happening,” she said. “So we’re trying to figure out the best way to let people know what’s going on, especially the volunteer planners who were involved in the various commissions and who put so much work in.

And, at a minimum, just sharing what’s going on and here’s where everything stands. We’re trying to figure out a way to do that that’s sustainable.

Communications is such a big challenge in itself, but it’s also a great opportunity for us to do a better job of keeping people in the loop.”

Carrillo noted that in addition to helping implement the recommendations, she’s also working with the 81 parishes across the diocese to assist them with the “planning process.”

“I’ve just started working with the pastors who are in collaborative models now and trying to figure out what phases they’re in, meeting the pastors who are leading those, and then ideally working with other parishes as we expand on what their strategic plans will look like and helping guide that process along,” she said. “And I think my biggest take-away so far is that everyone’s in a different position and every parish is different.

So I’m being mindful and flexible with that and just

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Allison Gingras, far right, reads an overview of the strategic plans offered by the Governance Planning Commission to Bishop da Cunha during a Mass celebration on September 14. A newly-appointed Diocesan Pastoral Council will now begin meeting on October 7 to implement these directives in the “Rebuilding in Faith and Hope” initiative. (Photo courtesy of Victor Nobrega) being there as a supportive option for them as they need it. There are some parishes where I walk in and they’re ready to go and we just start planning right from the beginning. Others are a partial way in the process, and others just aren’t ready to move yet.

I’m trying to understand some of the dynamics because, again, every parish and every collaborative situation is very different.”

While the notion of taking on a diocesanwide revitalization project might seem daunting to some, Carrillo said it’s a matter of learning to navigate the organization and looking for opportunities for collaboration that “we just don’t take advantage of enough.”

“So far it’s been quite a whirlwind and the scope of the work and things that I’m trying to get

plugged into continues to amaze me,” she said. “The good news is there’s a lot of great talent and individuals in the organization and in the parishes, so I look forward to working with everybody.

I think that’s what keeps me going — all the positive thoughts and support have been awesome and

I’ll just keep plugging away.”

For more information about the Strategic Planning Process and to follow the latest news about the progress of the Diocesan Pastoral Council, visit the Diocese of Fall River website at www.fallriverdiocese. org.

Rosary Coast to Coast on the 102nd anniversary of Fatima Several diocesan locations planned for nationwide prayer NEW BEDFORD — The Miracle of the Sun at Fatima, Portugal, which took place more than a century ago on Oct. 13, 1917, was one of the most significant supernatural events of the 20th century. And yet it is hardly known outside the Catholic Church, and sadly not well enough known within it.

This year, October 13, 2019 will mark the 102nd anniversary of the final apparition of Our Lady of Fatima and of the great Miracle of the Sun. Our Lady met with the three shepherd children on the 13th of every month from May through October, 1917.

“During the night of October 12 and into the morning of the 13th, it had rained throughout, soaking the ground and pilgrims who made their way to the Cova Da Iria in Fatima from all directions by the thousands.

An estimated 70,000 people made their way to the apparition site, among them many sceptics, unbelievers, Freemasons and socialists.

Some of these were drawn out of curiosity, while others in the expectation of a failure and embarrassment to the Catholic Church.

At about noon, Our Lady appeared to the children, and after repeating her requests for the daily Rosary and promising that World War I would soon end, she expressed to them with sorrow and with grief: “Do not offend the Lord, our God anymore, because He is already so much offended.”

She also warned of greater wars and signs to come if they continued to offend God. And then suddenly, the sun started to roll from one place to the other and to hurl down towards the people, defying all the laws of nature. The whole landscape changed, and the people fell to their knees, some crying and confessing their sins, others imploring God and Heaven for mercy and many thought it was the end of the world. At last, it all stopped, and the sun resumed its

Diocesan faithful prayed at Fort Taber in New Bedford during the 2018 Rosary Coast to Coast event. The nationwide effort will be held once again this year on October 13 — the anniversary of Our Lady of Fatima’s final appearance and the date of the Miracle of the Sun. This year events will be held at several locations in the Fall River Diocese. (Photo courtesy of Edwin Aldarondo) normal and natural course.

The clothes and the ground which had been soaked by the torrential rain were completely dried.

Every believer and non-believer witnessed this event. However, no astronomical observatory

recorded it, which proves that it was supernatural.

The journalists who were present saw it and told the story. Even people 40 miles away from the Cova Da Iria witnessed it, which destroys the hypothesis of an optical illusion or a collective hallucination.

“Fatima, and the Miracle of the Sun in particular, are significant for all of humanity and cannot be ignored or treated lightly,” said Edwin Aldarondo, one of the organizer’s of the local Rosary Coast to Coast. “In light of the enormous crises today in our nation, our Church, our families and the world, it is imperative that we turn to Our Lord and amend our lives and ask pardon for our sins. We must pray the Rosary every day, pray a great deal, and make sacrifices for sinners, for many souls are being lost because they have no-one to make sacrifices

and pray for them.

“In responding to Our Lady’s call to conversion and in a united effort with Catholics from all over the world, we are called to engage the enemy in a Spiritual battle by means of praying for our families, our community, our country, and our Church.”

To that end, all are invited to join in this year’s “Rosary Coast to Coast for our Nation,” to take place on Sunday, October 13 at Fort Taber at New Bedford’s South End, 1000 Rodney French Boulevard.

The Rosary Coast to Coast Event begins at 2:30 p.m. and the event program includes: inspiring talks and exhortation from invited priests, intercession, praying of the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, the Holy Rosary, hymns, and a beautiful procession with the statue 8 Turn to page 19

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Editorial Extraordinary Missionary Month This October has been declared an Extraordinary Missionary Month by Pope Francis. He said that he was doing this in honor the centenary of Pope Benedict XV’s Apostolic Letter Maximum Illud.

In a special website, http://www.october2019.va/en.html, which the Vatican has set up, you can read more about what the Holy Father suggests we do to help spread the Gospel. “‘Baptized and Sent: The Church of Christ on Mission in the World’ is the theme chosen by Pope Francis for the Extraordinary Mission Month. Awakening the awareness of the missio ad gentes (mission to the peoples), and reinvigorating the sense of responsibility for proclaiming the Gospel with new enthusiasm, are themes that combine the pastoral concern of Pope Benedict XV in his Apostolic Letter Maximum Illud, published 100 years ago, with the missionary vitality expressed by Pope Francis in his recent Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Gaudium: ‘Missionary action is the paradigm of every work of the Church’ (EG 15),” the website tells us on the EMMOCT2019 page.

The website also offers us suggestions as to how to live out this month. “There are four dimensions, specified by the pope, to live more intensely the journey of preparation for the Extraordinary Missionary Month October 2019: 1. A personal encounter with Jesus Christ alive in His Church through the Eucharist, the Word of God, personal and communal prayer; 2. Testimony: missionary saints, martyrs and confessors of the faith, as an expression of the Church scattered throughout the world; 3. Missionary formation: Biblical, catechetical, Spiritual and theological; and 4. Missionary charity.”

Even though the month has already begun, it is never too late to do these things (which God has been calling us to do since 33 A.D.).

The website has page after page describing missionary saints, offering Vatican documents on our Church’s missionary responsibility, news about what dioceses around the world are doing to spread the Gospel and a guide of how to live out this month (which even has lengthy commentaries on the daily Mass readings of this month, looking at them from a missionary perspective.). The guide can be found at http://www.october2019.va/en/mmsott2019/la-guida.html in English, Spanish, Portuguese, French and Italian. Pope Francis kicked of the month this Tuesday with a Vespers (Evening Prayer) service in St. Peter’s Basilica, with testimonies from missionaries from all over the world.

World Mission Sunday is always observed in October. This year it will be on October 20. That day we will have the diocesan second collection for the Pontifical Society for the Propagation of the Faith, so that we can collaborate financially in the mission works of the Church around the world.

Pope Francis earlier this year wrote a letter to us encouraging us to be an active part of World Mission Sunday. He opened the letter by referring to Benedict XV’s letter from a hundred years ago Maximum Illud. “Its farsighted and prophetic vision of the apostolate has made me realize once again the importance of renewing the Church’s missionary commitment and giving fresh evangelical impulse to her work of preaching and bringing to the world the Salvation of Jesus Christ, Who died and rose again.”

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After recalling that we Catholics have all been “baptized and sent,” the Holy Father wrote, “Celebrating this month will help us first to rediscover the missionary dimension of our faith in Jesus Christ, a faith graciously bestowed on us in Baptism. Our filial relationship with God is not something simply private, but always in relation to the Church. Through our communion with God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, we, together with so many of our other brothers and sisters, are born to new life. This Divine life is not a product for sale — we do not practice proselytism — but a treasure to be given, communicated and proclaimed: that is the meaning of mission. We received this gift freely and we share it freely (cf. Mt 10:8), without excluding anyone. God wills that all people be saved by coming to know the Truth and experiencing His mercy through the ministry of the Church, the universal Sacrament of Salvation (cf. 1 Tim 2:4; Lumen Gentium, 48).”

Some have attacked the pope for saying that we are not into “proselytism.”

In saying that, he was not saying that we do not want to spread the Gospel (that would make no sense in a letter about doing that). Rather, he was referring to an understanding of that word often used in the Spanish-speaking world, where “proselytism” is meant as coercing people into changing faiths, while “evangelizing” is understood as a free invitation to come to the faith.

The pope continued, “The Church is on mission in the world. Faith in Jesus Christ enables us to see all things in their proper perspective, as we view the world with God’s own eyes and heart. Hope opens us up to the eternal horizons of the Divine life that we share. Charity, of which we have a foretaste in the Sacraments and in fraternal love, impels us to go forth to the ends of the earth (cf.

Mic 5:4; Mt28:19; Acts 1:8; Rom 10:18). A Church that presses forward to the farthest frontiers requires a constant and ongoing missionary conversion. How many saints, how many men and women of faith, witness to the fact that this unlimited openness, this going forth in mercy, is indeed possible and realistic, for it is driven by love and its deepest meaning as gift, sacrifice and gratuitousness (cf.

2 Cor 5:14-21)! The man who preaches God must be a man of God (cf. Maximum Illud).”

Of course, what the pontiff wrote in the last sentence was meant under the broad usage of “man” as referring to all human beings. We are all called to be people of God; in other words, our way of being should remind other people of God’s (loving) presence.

Pope Francis continues in that vein. “This missionary mandate touches us personally: I am a mission, always; you are a mission, always; every baptized man and woman is a mission. People in love never stand still: they are drawn out of themselves; they are attracted and attract others in turn; they give themselves to others and build relationships that are life-giving. As far as God’s love is concerned, no one is useless or insignificant. Each of us is a mission to the world, for each of us is the fruit of God’s love. Even if parents can betray their love by lies, hatred and infidelity, God never takes back His gift of life. From eternity He has destined each of His children to share in His Divine and eternal life (cf. Eph 1:3-6).”

May we see how God is calling us to live out mission, not just each and every day of October, but each day of our lives.

Daily Readings † October 5 - October 18 Sat. Oct. 5, Bar 4:5-12, 27-29; Ps 69:33-37; Lk 10:17-24. Sun. Oct. 6, 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. 7, Jon 1:1-2:2, 11; (Ps) Jon 2:2-5, 8; Lk 10:25-37. Tue. Oct. 8, Jon 3:1-10; Ps 130:1b-4ab, 7-8; Lk 10:38-42. Wed. Oct. 9, Jon 4:1-11; Ps 86:3-6, 9-10; Lk 11:1-4. Thu. Oct. 10, Mal 3:13-20b; Ps 1:1-4, 6; Lk 11:5-13. Fri. Oct. 11, Jl 1:13-15; 2:1-2; Ps 9:2-3, 6, 8-9, 16; Lk 11:15-26.

Sat. Oct. 12, Jl 4:12-21; Ps 97:1-2, 5-6, 11-12; Lk 11:27-28. Sun. Oct. 13, 2 Kgs 5:14-17; Ps 98:1-4; 2 Tm 2:8-13; Lk 17:11-19. Mon. Oct. 14, Rom 1:1-7; Ps 98:1b-4; Lk 11:29-32. Tue. Oct. 15, Rom 1:16-25; Ps 19:2-5; Lk 11:37-41. Wed. Oct. 16, Rom 2:1-11; Ps 62:2-3, 6-7, 9; Lk 11:42-46. Thu. Oct. 17, Rom 3:21-30; Ps 130:1b-6b; Lk 11:47-54. Fri. Oct. 18, 2 Tm 4:1017b; Ps 145:10-13ab, 17-18; Lk 10:1-9.

W

hen I make my annual retreat, I generally warm up by reading one or more lives of the saints.

This helps me to leave the busy-ness of the world, enter more deeply into the milieu of God and hear His gentle whispers.

On August 11, at the beginning of a 12-day retreat in a hermitage at the Monastery of Bethlehem in the Catskills, I picked up Father Juan Velez’s superb “Passion for Truth: The Life of John Henry Newman.” Father Velez, a trained medical doctor I’ve known for 20 years, is also an exceptional writer and Newman scholar who made it easy and thoroughly enjoyable for me to enter into Newman’s interior dynamism and dramas.

When I neared the end of the 588-page work, much more quickly than I anticipated because of Velez’s gifts as a biographer, I felt Newman and all of Heaven smiling at me. As Velez was describing the circumstances of Newman’s death, I had anticipated he would have died on October 9, when the Church has celebrated Newman’s feast day since his 2010 beatification.

(October 9, I later clarified, is the day in 1845 on which he became a Catholic). Much to my surprise, I read that Newman died on the evening of Aug. 11, 1890, almost exactly to the hour 129 years before I was finishing Velez’s biography.

The providential occurrence strengthened the deeper bond Velez helped me establish with Newman as Newman basically became my retreat master. And it has made Newman’s feast next Wednesday, not to mention his upcoming canonization

by Pope Francis, far more personal.

On October 13, Newman will become the first Englishman since the 1600s to be canonized. Even though there are four others being raised to the altars with him — religious Sisters from India, Brazil and Italy and a third-order Franciscan from Switzerland — the focus of the Catholic

From the shadows into the Light world will be mainly on Newman because of his enormous impact on the Church during his lifetime and since.

There are many, especially in the Catholic intellectual tradition, who have long had a deep devotion to Newman, who have found his poetry and prose among the most eloquent in the history of the English language, and his Spiritual insight and depth the makings of a future doctor of the Church.

But I’ve also found that the former Oxford don is not as well-known to the Catholic masses as he should be. While saints like Padré Pio, Therese Lisieux, and Teresa of Calcutta have devotees in every culture and class, Newman is more like fine classical music, appreciated by those of classical training but generally abstruse and unappealing for those who prefer rock, pop or country.

As a small attempt to remedy that situation, as we prepare for his feast and canonization, I would like to share 10 reasons why I think Newman should be relatable, loved and invoked by all Catholics.

First, he was an extraordinarily courageous man who was willing to suffer for the truth and pay the price for becoming Catholic, something that led to the loss of prestigious positions and the alienation from several friends and family members. Throughout most of his adult life, he needed to persevere through really nasty political battles in academia, in the Anglican and Catholic churches, as well as in British society. When Pope Benedict beatified him in 2010, he called him a “confessor,” basically a bloodless martyr. Newman helps us not only understand the cost of discipleship but also shows us how to pay it with confidence, despite the obvious human sufferings involved.

Second, he is one of the greatest teachers and defenders of conscience in the his-

tory of the Church. In an age in which there are so many violations of conscience in the workplace and by governments, and when so many have been led to believe that this inner organ of sensitivity to God’s voice is nothing more than an echo chamber of imperative feelings, aspirations or opinions, Newman recalibrates this interior compass.

Third, he had a tremendous capacity for friendship and was a loyal friend to

dozens, both men and women. He made time for friends, hosting them, traveling with them, consoling them after the death of loved ones.

Before telephones, emails, and instant messaging, he was a prodigious and prompt letter-writer whose friends treasured his missives. Father Velez thinks that if Newman is ever declared a doctor of the Church, it would be fitting for him to receive the title Doctor Amicitiae, “the teacher of friendship.”

Fourth, he is a magnificent teacher who leads students to wisdom. There’s a reason why most Catholic chaplaincies at secular universities are called Newman centers. His “Idea of a University” mapped out his educational philosophy, which is a helpful corrective to the exaggerated utilitarian or soft and sentimental educational approaches of today.

In addition to being a famous tutor at Oxford and founder of the Catholic University of Ireland, he was also teacher of teachers, communicating through his own scholarship both substance and method.

Fifth, he is a profound tutor of prayer. The motto he chose when Pope Leo XIII made him a cardinal was cor ad cor loquitur, “heart speaks to heart,” expressing the intimate dialogue that is meant

to happen in prayer. Prayer is not so much the exchange of ideas or words with God, but a loving exchange of persons.

Newman allows us to enter into his own prayer through the eloquent prayers he has left us.

Sixth, he was a devoted pastor. Both as an Anglican priest and later as a Catholic, he prioritized the sick and poor, solicitously making regular house calls, comforting the bereaved, visiting those in prison. His priestly duties were not a distraction to his academic work, but the heart of his life and chief identification. He was the type of attentive priest every faithful desires and deserves.

Seventh, he is an ardent promoter of the vocation to holiness of the laity.

He challenged the laity of his time, precisely because he knew the gifts God had given to them, to become those who “know their religion, who enter into it, who know just where they stand, who know what they hold and what they do not, who know their creed so well that they can give an account of it, who know so much of history that they can defend it.” He knew that God has created each of us for “some definite service, some work … which He has not committed to another,” and he wanted to help everyone discern it and do it.

Eighth, he was a superlative preacher who, despite all of his many other duties and brilliance, never shirked the preparation of his sermons and homilies. Because he was on fire with love for Scripture and the faith, he was able to ignite others. He never ducked controversial issues, but he likewise always stressed how the faith was a gift before it was a task. His written sermons continue to inspire and inflame preachers and faithful today.

Ninth, he is a model for ecumenism, insofar as he was a passionate truth seeker who would follow Jesus the Truth wherever he believed

the Lord, Whom He called his “kindly Light,” was leading.

He hoped, through the Oxford Movement he catalyzed, to be able to help bring about Church unity. Ecumenism is far more than a polite dialogue among those of different Christian Churches, or a lowest common denominator approach to harmony as if the disputed truths of faith don’t matter, but is meant to be a response to Jesus’ Holy Thursday prayer for unity and for docility to the Spirit leading us to all the truth.

Lastly, he has proven an excellent intercessor, especially for Americans. The miracle for his beatification happened to Deacon Jack Sullivan of Marshfield, Mass., who was healed of a spinal cord disorder in 2001. The miracle for his canonization happened in Chicago, when Melissa Villalobos, pregnant with her fifth child but with a blood clot in the fetal membrane as well as a hole in the placenta was bleeding profusely and at risk not only of losing her child, but of dying. After praying to Newman, the bleeding immediately stopped, the room filled with the smell of roses, and doctors discovered that the subchorionic hematoma and placental hole had both inexplicably disappeared.

I would urge you to pray through his intercession to God for miracles big or small, especially on October 9 and 13.

The canonization of Newman is a celebration that is meant to echo not merely in Rome, or England and Ireland, or scholarly circles, or the English-speaking Catholic world, but throughout the Church and, hopefully, in every aspect of the Church, because Newman is one of the most influential Christians of modern times, whose life and writings continue to be a reflection of the kind Light that leads us, as he inscribed on his tombstone, from “shadows and images into the Truth.”

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

October 4, 2019 †

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O

On Cardinal Newman becoming a saint

n Sunday, October 13, Pope Francis will canonize Blessed John Henry Cardinal Newman (1801-1890) in Rome.

This 19th-century English convert to Catholicism was a brilliant mind, a literary genius possessed of an incomparable gift for satire, a pathbreaking theologian, educator and leader of souls, a great preacher, and now to top it all off, a saint.

With disarming humility, he had written: “I may have a high view of many things but it is a consequence of education and of a peculiar cast of intellect — but this is very different from being what I admire. I have no tendency to be a saint — it is a sad thing to say. Saints are not literary men, they do not love the classics, they do not write tales. I may be well enough in my way, but it is not the ‘high line.’ People ought to feel this, most people do. But those who are at a distance have fee-fa-fum notions about one. It is enough for me to black the saints’ shoes — if St. Philip [Neri, his Spiritual father] uses blacking, in Heaven.”

As Ian Ker notes in his definitive biography “John Henry Newman,” published in 2009 by Oxford University Press, “Years later he remarked to a nun, ‘I always feel like a hypocrite who can be detected by holy eyes, just as an accomplished thief ... is at once recognized by a police officer. But at a distance I look like a great man, without any hang dog look which I can’t throw off, do what I will, 8

when I am in places where brass will not go for gold.’”

His tombstone was inscribed with the words, “Ex umbris et imaginibus in veritatem,” or “Out of shadows and images into the truth.” He has truly become what he aspired to be while alive. In 1842, he had written, “I am not venerable, and nothing can make me so. I am what I am.

I am very much like other people, and I do not think it necessary to abstain from the feelings and thoughts ... which other people have.

I cannot speak words of wisdom; to some it comes naturally. No one ever treats me with deference and respect who knows me — and from my heart I trust and pray that no one ever may. I never have been in office or station; people have never bowed

† October 4, 2019

to me — and I could not endure it.”

But years ago the Church declared him venerable, because he lived all the virtues to a heroic degree. Two miracles that occurred though his intercession have been approved, one for his beatification, the cure of a lo-

cal lawyer from Pembroke, Jack Sullivan, who became a permanent deacon, and another for his canonization. Truly out of unreality into reality.

I am currently rereading with some friends his literary masterpiece, “Lectures on the Present Position of Catholics in England” (1851), a

satirical examination of English prejudice against Catholics which he considered his best-written work. Written shortly after his becoming a Catholic priest, it is a biting and hilarious examination of anti-Catholic bias. It’s still relevant in our current cultural context.

There’s also his Spiritual memoir and autobiography, “Apologia pro Vita Sua” (1864), a work written to defend his truthfulness and sincerity, another masterpiece that has been compared to St. Augustine’s “Confessions.” So many great works!

When he converted to Catholicism in 1845, he wrote his “Essay on the Development of Christian Doctrine,” a pathbreaking exploration of the development of Chris-

tian teaching over time.

“Grammar of Assent” (1870) explored the justification of religious belief.

There are also his “Parochial and Plain Sermons” preached at St. Mary’s at Oxford while he was an Anglican, and his “Sermons Preached on Various Occasions as a Catholic.”

He wrote “Idea of a University,” a kind of charter for religious higher education.

He is often considered the father of the Second Vatican Council, because of his many forwardlooking yet faithful and profound ideas. Can his being declared a Doctor of the Church be far behind his canonization? One can only hope.

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

St. Margaret Primary School announces expanded strings program for students BUZZARDS BAY — Karin Loewen truly believes “that music is a gift that all children have access to and when it is introduced early it becomes as natural to them as a first language.”

Thus, she learned to play the cello using the Suzuki method, which focuses on playing by ear first. This teaching methodology is ideal for young students who usually are able to play an instrument even before they can read.

Loewen is in her second year of leading a strings program for the students at St. Margaret Primary School in Buzzards Bay, where even children who begin lessons as young as preschool and kindergarten have been successful. This program is part of an all-school Suzuki Program that continues onto St. Francis Xavier Preparatory School and St. John Paul II High School in Hyannis with a total of 27 students participating in all three schools.

Private Suzuki violin and cello lessons are available at St. Margaret Primary as well as a group

Students at St. Margaret Primary School in Buzzards Bay, above, are taking music lessons using the Suzuki method under the guidance of music teacher Karin Loewen. class every Friday. The group class meets during the school day and the private lessons are after school so that parents are able to attend lessons with their children. Parental involvement is vital to students’ success at this young age.

“My favorite part about teaching is getting to know each in-

dividual child,” Loewen said. “I love the challenge of figuring out how each specific mind works so I can cater to every child’s style of learning. It is so exciting to see the joy on their faces when they learn something new and I am happy to be a part of each child’s development as they learn not only to enjoy music, but get to experience the satisfaction of putting time and energy into a skill and being able to do it well.”

Richard Fish, Performing Arts Director said: “I am blessed that my children attend St. Margaret Primary and can participate in high level instrumental lessons as a part of the school. The Suzuki Method provides an unparalleled opportunity for young students to progress joyfully on string instruments because it captures the aptitude of the young learner where they Music teacher Karin Loewen, far right, leads a strings class at St. are, developmentally speaking. Parental involvement, Margaret Primary School in Buzzards Bay using the Suzuki method being central to the success of instruction. of this methodology, also

provides the opportunity to bring parent and child together.”

Christopher Keavy, president of St. John Paul II, St. Francis Xavier Prep and St. Margaret Primary, added: “The strings program, under Mrs. Loewen’s capable leadership, has grown to be a great source of pride at the school. Students develop precision, attentiveness, and genuine performance skills. No wonder our older students have auditioned for and been accepted to regional music festivals such as Southeast Districts and All-Cape. And we’re happy to see participation grow each year.”

Karin Loewen is the instructor at all three school locations. She holds a Bachelor of Music in Cello Performance from Wheaton College Conservatory of Music in Illinois and has been teaching Suzuki lessons since 1997. She also has a home studio in Barnstable and runs a week-long summer strings camp in Brewster called the Cape Cod Summer String Tune-Up. For more information about St. Margaret Primary School, call 508759-2213 or visit www.smrsbb.org.

October 4, 2019 †

9

Recipients of the St. Thomas More Medallion stand with Bishop Edgar M. da Cunha, S.D.V., shortly after receiving the award during the 2019 Red Mass in the Fall River Diocese on Saturday, September 28 at St. Mary’s Cathedral in Fall River.

The St. Thomas More Award recognizes dedicated service in the area justice system. Pictured above, from left, are Judge John M. Julian, Associate Justice of the Edgartown District Court; Attorney Marita Durkin Gray, public administrator for Bristol County; Bishop da Cunha; Attorney George Keches, president and founding partner of Keches Law Group, P.C.; Probation Officer Nelia Silva of the Fall River District Court; and Attorney Paul Mathieu, a practicing attorney in the Greater New Bedford Area for 58 years. (Photo courtesy of John Kearns)

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† October 4, 2019

Sisters Yvonne (Murphy) Naylor, left, and Patricia (Murphy) Hogan recently traveled from Liverpool, England, to attend a Mass at St. Mary’s Cathedral in Fall River. The women came to learn about their great-great-great-great-uncle, Father Edward Murphy, founding pastor of St. Mary’s 167 years ago, who is entombed in the cathedral’s lower level. They visited their ancestor’s tomb and also met with Father Thomas Washburn, current rector of the cathedral, who showed them some photos and archival material, including a ticket to Father Murphy’s funeral.

(Photo courtesy of Deacon Alan Thadeu)

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ext week will mark the second anniversary of the passing of my dear old dad, Larry. The sting and the emptiness of his loss is still a very real and important part of my life, because the day I lose completely that sting and emptiness will be the day he no longer lives on. And I never want that to happen.

Ever.

I so miss the little guy, who wasn’t always that little. He died at 95 years old and, physically, he was was just shell of the man I admired and looked up to for the more than 50 years of my recollections.

Even when the scourge of Alzheimer’s-related dementia took its toll on his mind and his body, he was still my all-time hero, maybe even more so for the last five to eight years.

Larry was never one to give up or give in, and through those final years he always questioned why he was at Catholic Memorial Home (a place that couldn’t have treated my dad any better and with more dignity). “I don’t belong here,” he would bemoan. “I should be in the cellar working with my tools. You are taking care of them, right?”

“Of course dad,” would be my mantra, even though my brother and I had moved my parents from their home of nearly 50 years long before.

I miss him so much and I relish the time I spent with him when I was a lad.

I still think back on those days with warmth and melancholy. It’s the changing of the season that sparks those memories now, being that

I could use a nice walk to Arlan’s

Larry “gave up the ghost,” on a glorious autumn day. I think back to my Saturday night walks with Larry to Arlan’s Department Store in Fall River, a store that in later years burned to the ground in an enormous mill fire on Plymouth Avenue.

The walk was about a mile and we would spend that time talking. I can’t honestly recall what we talked about. I was just a lad and certainly my end of the conversation couldn’t have been all that stimulating, but Larry absorbed every word as I spoke, and I do recall feeling so special because of that.

We would poke around the store, mostly in the hardware section, not exactly my cup of tea, but I was with Larry and that’s all that mattered. We would walk home in the dark, but I wasn’t afraid, again, because I was with Larry, who wasn’t more that five-footseven and 150 pounds — typical French-Canadian!

To me he was bigger than life.

I remember he would have so many nicknames for me, a trait I picked up and used on my own kids and dog, and sometimes even Denise when I knew I could get away with it.

I was and still am a sports fanatic, and as a boy I played organized baseball, basketball and ice hockey, and Larry only went to one game out of the hundreds I played. It wasn’t because he didn’t want to, it’s because I asked him not to. Simply put, I would have been too

nervous to fail in front of him. I never told him that, and he couldn’t have cared less if my teams lost, but’s that’s how much I valued his respect.

I miss going fishing with him and my brother. The two of them were

avid fishermen. Me, not so much. I hated the idea of hooking a fish in the mouth and bringing it out of its element, but Larry wasn’t a sports fisherman. We cooked and ate everything he caught. And I still miss him calling catfish hornpout. I enjoyed more scraping for quahogs at Nanaquaket Pond. It was good old Larry who prompted my great love of bivalves of

all kinds on the half-shell.

Raw, cold, salty and soooo good.

I still miss going to the home to see him, even when he was ornery (which didn’t happen with the staff there, he was nearly always the perfect gentleman, never wishing them to fuss over him).

But that’s the nature of the dementia beast — family members are often the target of their frustrations. But he would usually tone it down and start telling me his stories of his time in the U.S. Navy as a man in his early 20s, aboard a destroyer in the South Pacific during World War II. I looked into his beautiful baby blue eyes and see into his soul as he told tales of tending to wounded shipmates and speaking with compassion about enemy soldiers he saw come to their demise.

I saw Deacon Peter Cote, a chaplain at Catholic Memorial, last week, and he said he still thinks of Larry’s Navy tales. He was noted for them.

Larry slipped into a coma and his death was imminent and expected shortly, but in true Canuck fashion, he held on for nearly two weeks before he earned his much-needed rest.

Since then, I lost my mom, but that’s story for another day, and my beloved Igor. Some would say that’s tough losing three cherished beings so close together, but I see it as I don’t have to worry about them now, but their absence is still crushing.

I love you dad and miss you, and I am so fortunate to have had you, and even more fortunate to have your memory very much alive in my Canuck heart. jolivetdb@comcast.net

This was the sunset on Oct. 16, 2017. My dad passed away just a few hours later.

(Photo by Dave Jolivet) October 4, 2019 †

11

CTION!

PRODU NOW IN

DIOCESAN DIRECTORY

2020

Available to pre-order online at

www.anchornews.org or by sending a check for $30 per copy (includes shipping) to:

The Anchor 887 Highland Avenue Fall River, Mass. 02720

Limited press run!

Directories will ship in mid-October

12

†October 4, 2019

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

Celebrant is Father Richard D. Wilson, V.G., pastor of Holy Family Parish in East Taunton, Executive Editor of The Anchor, and Vicar General for the Fall River Diocese

Sunday, October 13 at 11:00 a.m.

Celebrant is Father Christopher M. Peschel, parochial administrator of Our Lady of Grace Parish in Westport

Diocese of Fall River TV Mass on the Portuguese Channel Sunday, October 6 at 7 p.m.

Broadcast from Immaculate Conception Church in New Bedford

Diocese of Fall River TV Mass on the Portuguese Channel Sunday, October 13 at 7 p.m.

Broadcast from Espirito Santo Church in Fall River

Bishop da Cunha to celebrate Our Lady of Aparecida at St. Pius X School YARMOUTH — October 12 commemorates one of the most important miracles to ever occur in Brazil. In 1717, the governor of the São Paulo Province was passing through a small town. The people in the town wanted to provide a big feast for the governor, but they feared that they would not catch enough fish for the crowd.

After days of no fish, the fisherman tried one last time, and they caught the headless statue of the Virgin Mary in their nets. The next catch was the actual head of the statue.

After putting the statue back together, they caught so much fish, they had more than enough for a feast. The word spread of this miracle and many people began to visit the statue. The people called the statue “Our Lady of Aparecida” because it means “she who appeared.”

In honor of the Brazilian population on Cape Cod, St. Pius X School will celebrate its second annual Our Lady of Aparecida celebration on Friday, October 11 at 1 p.m. Bishop da Cunha will preside over the celebration as a tribute to his Brazilian heritage and homeland.

“We are so thrilled to have Bishop da Cunha at our school to lead us in this very important celebration for our entire

student population,” said Anne Dailey, principal of St. Pius X School. “Our students love to learn about their faith and the world around them and to have the bishop’s Brazilian influence is an extra special event!”

Father Paul Caron, pastor of St. Pius X parish and school, added: “Last year’s event proved to be a wonderful celebration.

The children really enjoyed acting out the events that took place in 1717 as well as learning some of the prayers in Portuguese.

Bishop da Cunha’s presence will bring even more attention to the Brazilian people in our community and how we can all learn from each other’s traditions.”

“It is an honor and a pleasure to celebrate this tradition with the St. Pius X community,” said Bishop da Cunha. “I remember looking forward to the October 12 festivities when I was a child, so participating in this celebration brings me back to how my family established traditions for Our Lady of Aparecida.

What a wonderful experience for all children and their families to learn about this very important miracle in Brazil.”

The celebration will begin at 1 p.m. on Friday, October 11 at St. Pius X Church, 98 Station Avenue, South Yarmouth. For more information, please visit www.spxschool.org or call the school at 508-3986112.

The Catholic Schools Alliance comprises administrators, teachers, staff, parents and clergy joined in partnership to educate the children of the Fall River Diocese in Catholic faith and values. The schools have a demanding educational culture that helps students from across the academic spectrum reach their God-given potential. With an emphasis on service and respect for the dignity of every person, we prepare students to meet the challenges of today’s diverse world and become meaningful contributors to society.

October 4, 2019 †

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Discover the Way

he story is told of a captain of a battleship doing maneuvers. It’s a dark, foggy night and off in the distance there is a light and his ship is moving towards this light. And it’s on a collision course.

The captain tells the signalman to send a signal out, saying, “We are on a collision course.

Alter course 20 degrees.”

And a signal comes back, which says, “You alter course 20 degrees.”

The captain of the battleship gets a little incensed at this and decides to pull rank and says, “I’m a captain. You alter course 20 degrees.”

The response comes back, “I’m a seaman. You alter course 20 degrees.” The captain is now really furious and he says, “I’m in a battleship. You alter course 20 degrees.” The response comes back, “I’m in a lighthouse. You turn!”

Sometimes we think we are on the right course, don’t we? Sometimes when we are on what we think is the right course, we are often unwilling to listen to others or to see things in a different way.

If this were not true, how do we explain why many people who are on a destructive path, cannot see it? People in their lives tell them to “change your course,” and yet they still keep on the course until they run aground?

If you’re in a battleship heading toward a lighthouse, disaster lies ahead of you if you don’t begin to see things differently 14

— and not only will you go down if you don’t see things in a new way, but you’ll take the whole ship down with you.

Fortunately for all of us there are many “lighthouses” in our lives.

These lighthouses are placed at all of the dangerous areas of life to help us steer around them.

However, if we are unable or unwilling to accept that the lighthouse is there to protect us from danger, we may very well, as the captain of the battleship did, ignore the warnings and sail a course that will ultimately lead to destruction and loss.

God places those lighthouses out there to help us steer a safe course.

But the lighthouse alone would not save the battleship. It took someone to do that.

Many times we ignore the warnings and run aground. Sometimes we are able to get underway again and if we learned our lesson we could avoid other groundings in the future. If not, eventually we lose our way and ultimately sink. We see this around us every day.

Some people make what looks like constant bad decisions over and over again! Drugs, greed and other vices may very well blind us to the dangers even though everyone knows that these are bad for you.

I don’t think I’ve ever heard someone say, “Oh, yeah. I want to be a drug

† October 4, 2019

addict.” It’s only when we are on that path and don’t see the warning signs that we head on the wrong course and we’ve gone too far to steer out of the danger zone. We think we know what we are doing and we think we know the other light is another ship and we try to get

them to change.

It’s only when someone like the seaman states: “I’m in the lighthouse, you turn,” that perhaps we wake up and see where we are going and are able to steer clear.

That someone or seaman is you or me. We are the seaman manning the

lighthouse that God has placed out there lighting the way. The lighthouse on its own wasn’t able to get the captain to change directions. It took the seaman doing something that got the captain to turn in a new direction.

We are the ones who are called to help others steer the way around the dangers. We are called to be active. We need to do something. We do that for our children and hopefully we do that for those around us.

Sometimes they get the message and make the course correction and sometimes they don’t and run aground. Hopefully, when they do go aground, someone is there to pluck them out of that sinking ship ... and that, too, is us!

We all know we need to be there for one another. We need to help our fellow man discover the Way. That Way is Jesus. Have we taken the challenge to be men and woman for others to heart or do we just say, “Well, the lighthouses are out there, they can steer a course on their own without my help!”

It may be easier, but it is not what is expected of us!

Frank Lucca is a deacon in the Diocese of Fall River assigned to St. Mary’s Parish in Dartmouth and a campus minister at UMass Dartmouth.

He is married to his wife of 42 years, Kristine, and the father of two daughters and their husbands, and three grandsons with two more on the way!

The Anchor is always pleased to run news and photos about diocesan youth.

If schools, parish Religious Education programs or homeschoolers have newsworthy stories and photos they would like to share with our readers, please email them to: schools@ anchornews.org

F ocus

on

C hurch Y outh Annual retreats are a staple of life for students at St. John Paul II High School in Hyannis. Seniors can choose from among five exciting new settings to experience God’s goodness — each featuring Holy Mass, faithsharing talks, prayer, and camaraderie. Left, members of the Class of 2020 recently traveled to outer Cape Cod for a bicycling retreat.

The weather cooperated and seniors experienced God and one another in new settings and new ways. (Photo courtesy of Elizabeth McDonough)

Below, Kindergarten students at St. James-St. John School in New Bedford met their seventh-grade buddies recently and had fun getting to know them.

(Photo courtesy of Cristina Viveiros-Serra)

Students at Holy Family-Holy Name School in New Bedford recently attended Mass to kick off the beginning of the new school year and brought their backpacks to church and held them high as pastor Father Michael Racine, right, blessed them all.

(Photo courtesy of Margaret McCormick) October 4, 2019 †

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Threading the needle

espite a tense political landscape that can be overwhelming at times, two overriding facts of life should draw us back from an emotional precipice. The first is that much of the world has faced enormous challenges for most of human history — from disease to war, crop failures to degrading human conditions, corruption, instability, and any number of corrosive sins.

A century of relative peace within our borders has inured us to the fact that most of those who read the Psalms have had a profound first-hand understanding of their darkest images, which relate to all of these topics.

The second fact is that Christians, of all people, should be entirely familiar with a life of tension, and if this doesn’t ring true, you might be doing it wrong.

We could begin with those desires of the body that often conflict with our rational good, not to mention our thought processes often running amok — derailed daily by pride, vanity, envy, and myriad other sins.

Moreover, there is the tension between comfort and complacency, holy fear and despair, legitimate material needs and the temptation to think in material terms alone. Our proper and necessary judgements easily become entangled with inappropriate judgements both frivolous and mean, and even our serious concern for Spiritual goods can choke off a healthy interaction with the very world through 16

which we must prove our devotion to God. With no easy answers, we must pray our way through the daily shadows, weighing vice, virtue, and prudence — and pondering just when to add those dashes of courage and holy boldness.

In this regard, I am delighted about the upcoming canonization of John Henry Cardinal Newman (1801-1890), a convert from Anglicanism who

spent his life pondering the universal call to holiness, and sharing with the world his profound insights on the matter. If you wish to acquaint yourself with his work, an excellent place to start would be his “Plain and Parochial Sermons,” which can be found online or in print. (The entire collection published by Ignatius would make an excellent gift!)

What Newman offers is a simple (and simply elegant) unpacking of the admittedly complex work of Christians in the modern world — be they home with children, in the workplace, or in mission territory — with every page threading the difficult needle between tempting extremes. As a proven pastor of souls, he is understanding but exacting, precise in this explanation, and serious about the faith whose firm boundaries safeguard the life of joy.

Each topic is offered from the perspective of one who

† October 4, 2019

has slogged through these trenches, catalogued the dangers, and believes his reader, though perhaps distracted or confused, to be entirely capable of profitably putting his hand to the plow.

October is already a fine month for celebrating many great saints, and after his planned elevation on the 13th — a day already richly blessed by being the feast of the Holy Rosary — Newman’s own commemoration will henceforth be established on October 9, reminding us that there is more than just his words to be read, but his intercession to be claimed.

Thus, as we return to the tribulations arrayed before us, and which no doubt include our own crippling fears and private disappointments, Newman’s calming advice is to consider how they will seem a year from now or as we lie on our deathbed. Surely, he suggests, that by then “they will be as the faded flowers of a banquet, which do but mock us.” He reminds us that Christians should employ a “dispassionate eye” for these passing events — so many of which are beyond our control. Our response must be founded on the narrow path of virtue, the rigourous standard in all things, for it alone, filtered through these very trials, will set the stage for eternity.

Anchor columnist Genevieve Kineke is the author of “The Authentic Catholic Woman.” She blogs at feminine-genius.typepad. com.

In Your Prayers Please pray for these priests and deacons during the coming weeks:

Oct. 5 Rev. Jean D. Pare, O.P., Assistant Director, St. Anne Shrine, Fall River, 1999 Oct. 6 Rev. Stephen B. Magill, Assistant, Immaculate Conception, North Easton, 1916 Rev. Roland Brodeur, Uniondale, N.Y., 1987 Oct. 7 Rev. Caesar Phares, Pastor, St. Anthony of the Desert, Fall River, 1951 Rev. Msgr. Arthur G. Dupuis, Retired Pastor, St. Louis de France, Swansea, 1975 Rev. Andrew Jahn, SS.CC., Sacred Hearts Seminary, Wareham, 1988 Oct. 9 Rev. Paul J. Dalbec, M.S., La Salette Shrine, Attleboro, 2000 Oct. 10 Rev. James C.J. Ryan, Assistant, Immaculate Conception, North Easton, 1918 Rev. Boniface Jones, SS.CC., Chaplain, Sacred Heart Home, New Bedford, 1987 Rev. Joseph A. Martineau, Retired Pastor, St. Theresa, New Bedford, 1990 Oct. 11 Rev. James A. Downey, Pastor, Holy Ghost, Attleboro, 1952 Oct. 12 Rev. Felician Plichta, OFM Conv., Parochial Vicar, Corpus Christi, East Sandwich, Former Pastor Holy Cross, Fall River, 1999 Rev. David I. Walsh. M.M., Maryknoll Missioner, 1999 Oct. 13 Rev. David I. Walsh, M.M., Maryknoll Missioner, 1999 Rev. James J. Doyle, C.S.C., Holy Cross Residence, North Dartmouth, 2002 Oct. 14 Rev. Dennis M. Lowney, Assistant, Sacred Heart, Taunton, 1918 Rev. Msgr. Edward B. Booth, Retired Pastor, St. Mary, North Attleboro, 1972 Rev. Frederick G. Furey, SS.CC. Former Pastor, Our lady of Assumption, New Bedford, 1999 Rev. Andre P. Jussaume, Pastor, St. Louis de France, Swansea, 2003 Oct. 15 Rev. Msgr. Raymond T. Considine, P.A., Retired Pastor, St. William, Fall River, 1996 Oct. 16 Rev. Raymond M. Drouin, O.P., Former Pastor, St. Anne, Fall River, 1987 Oct. 17 Rev. Gerald E. Lachance, M.Afr., 1984

In the last edition of The Anchor, the “In Your Prayers” listing mistakenly omitted Rev. Clement Dufour, former pastor of St. Michael Parish, Swansea; St. George Parish, Westport; and Sacred Heart Parish, New Bedford; who died Sept. 26, 2009. Please keep Father Dufour in your prayers.

Saint Vincent’s Services ribbon-cutting continued from page two

Elementary and Secondary Education, and the Department of Early Education and Care. SVS has also, in recent years, worked with MassHealth and various third-party insurers and managed care entities.

“Throughout Massachusetts and across the country, there has been considerable focus on empowering families and supporting them to remain within their communities of origin rather than separating them through out-of-home placements.

“Separation is sometimes necessary as a last resort for some families and Saint Vincent’s continues to provide a range of residential and congregate care options on our campus and within the community,” Weldon told the gathering.

“When separation does occur, Saint Vincent’s tries to reunite children with their families as quickly and as safely as possible and we provide in-home support to support family permanence and ongoing growth.”

Bishop da Cunha ad-

To advertise in The Anchor, contact Wayne Powers at 508-675-7151 or waynepowers@ anchornews.org

dressed the guests saying that Saint Vincent’s was established as an orphanage all those years ago and “has kept throwing the net wider and wider and wider and reached into more areas of services. When we went through the rebranding of the changing of the name from Saint Vincent’s Home to Saint Vincent’s Services, I thought of what an appropriate name to have, services, because that’s really what Saint Vincent’s has done for the 134 years its been here is providing services. Then they saw the need to establish Saint Vincent’s as an orphanage, then a home and the services for families and for young people in need. If that need was there then, I think it is even more so today because there are children growing up in families that cannot provide for their healthy growth, whether because of emotional issues, because of financial issues, because of just a broken family or addictions or whatever it is that the children just don’t have that environment in

Bishop Edgar M. da Cunha, S.D.V., center, and John T. Weldon, Executive Director of Saint Vincent’s Services, cut the ribbon to the newly-rebranded diocesan facility in Fall River during a ceremony on September 26. (Photo by Dave Jolivet) that setting for resources for them to grow healthy, and so where are they going to find a place that’s going to help them grow and be healthy? So Saint Vincent’s is there to say ‘We are here for you.’

“And by doing that, imagine the transformative power of these services, the difference that is going to make in the lives of some children, young people and families. Some of those young people probably would never grow to be healthy, successful, productive members of our society if they didn’t have a place to help them learn and grow and be mature in their lives and learn the lessons of life and how many are transformed and they can grow and become productive members. So we all in some way are going to benefit and reap the fruits of this work.”

Bishop da Cunha thanked the Saint Vincent’s staff, administration, volunteers and supporters, as did Weldon.

Weldon also relayed

that while in the past SVS has had access to clients through the aforementioned agencies, families can now access SVS’s services directly without the need for a state agency.

“Families can remain intact and focused on sustaining permanence rather than having to endure separation and placement out of the home. Whether through our outpatient mental health clinic or our range of in-home clinical services, families can now get the help they need by contacting us and speaking with our intake coordinator directly.”

The intake coordinator assists in securing the type of care that best meets a family’s needs. Weldon lauded his staff saying they have been trained “within all levels of care in evidence-based practices in an effort to provide state of the art intervention and support for children, youth and families. We have developed specific services for transitional age youth and developed alliances with community employers

and secondary education facilities to support their move toward independence.”

Fall River City Councilor Cathy Ann Viveiros presented a citation from the city to Weldon and the Saint Vincent’s Services staff and administration that read in part: “Would it hereby be known to all that this citation is hereby conferred to Saint Vincent’s Services in honor and recognition of the rebranding of Saint Vincent’s, the entire citizenry extends its best wishes and expresses the hope for continued good fortune and success in all of your endeavors.”

Then, surrounded by Saint Vincent’s staff, local officials, friends and members of the Sisters of Mercy Congregation, the bishop and Weldon cut the symbolic white ribbon, and with that, Saint Vincent’s Services took wing, as would a beautiful butterfly on a warm autumn morning.

For more information about Saint Vincent’s Services, visit saintvincentsservices.org.

October 4, 2019 †

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Around the Diocese

St. John Neumann Parish in East Freetown will host a one-day Silent Retreat: Autumn Day of Silence with the Masters on Saturday, October 5 from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the camp house and on church property. Come spend a cool, crisp day of autumn color with the teachings of St. Padré Pio. Bring a bag lunch; beverages will be provided. For more information, contact Karen Howard at klhoward@aol.com.

Our Lady of the Cape Parish in Brewster invites all to come and join them on Wednesday mornings from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m., as they explore and discuss Catholic Social Teaching. The seven themes of Catholic Social Teaching include: the dignity of the human person; the call to family, community and participation; human rights and responsibilities; the option for the poor and vulnerable; the dignity of work and the rights of workers; solidarity; and care for God’s Creation. The sessions will look at what Scripture tells us about these themes, examine Church teaching and share practical experience and application. Meeting dates are October 9, 16, 23, 30; November 13, 20; and December 4 and 11. If you cannot attend all, join for as many as you can! If you are interested in attending, or have questions, please contact Kathy at 508-385-3252, ext.

14, or email adultfaithformation2@gmail.com.

There will be a Healing Mass at St. Andrew the Apostle Church, 19 Kilmer Avenue in Taunton, on Thursday, October 10. The Holy Rosary begins at 6 p.m. and will include the Sacrament of Confession. Holy Mass will begin at 6:30 p.m. It will include praying over people individually and conclude with Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament. All are welcome.

On Saturday, October 12 at St. Andrew the Apostle Church, 19 Kilmer Avenue in Taunton, there will be a Candlelight Procession beginning at 5:15 p.m. from the Eagles Hall, returning to St. Andrew the Apostle Church for recitation of the Rosary and Benediction, to be followed by a screening of the movie “ The 13th Day.” All are welcome.

The Abundant Hope with Respect Life Committee of St.Mary’s Parish in Norton is hosting a free presentation of the movie “Unplanned”at the LaSalette Shrine Welcome Center, 947 Park Street in Attleboro on Thursday, October 17 at 6:30 p.m. Abby Johnson, former Planned Parenthood employee, is portrayed with her riveting testimony. She converted to Catholicism after leaving Planned Parenthood. Following the screening there will be an opportunity for Q & A and Reconciliation.

Post-abortive counselors will also be available.

An Autumn Taizé service to encounter Jesus as Teacher (Christ Pantokrator) will be held Sunday, October 20 at 7 p.m. at St. John Neumann Parish, 157 Middleboro Road in East Freetown. All are welcome!

Winter is coming at the shelter at Sister Rose House, 71 Division Street in New Bedford, will soon activate its Extreme Weather Overflow Shelter. The overflow opens when temperatures drop below 28 degrees.

Volunteers are needed to help assemble cots with pillows and blankets from 4 to 5 p.m.; serve shelter guests and residents from 5 to 7 p.m.; and to monitor bathrooms and sleeping hall in two- to four-hour shifts from 6 to 10 p.m. Volunteers can sign up alone or sign up as a team of coworkers (all must be over 18). Many hands are needed. Please contact Robin Muise to volunteer at muiserobin@comcast.net or call 774-5535490.

The third annual Celebrate the Beauty of Every Child campaign will be held during the month of October. This prayer and action campaign is designed to encourage families to pray for the less fortunate within our parishes and to obtain much-needed infant and toddler items for families. Participating parishes are invited to join in prayer, such as Rosaries, Novenas, and Eucharistic Adoration. Mass intentions may also be pledged. Items collected such as diapers, wet wipes, onesies, PJs and gift cards will be forwarded to food pantries and organizations within the parish community in support of needy families. Massachusetts Citizens for Life, the St. Vincent de Paul Society, the Diocese of Fall River Catholic Schools Alliance, the Pro-Life Apostolate, the Knights of Columbus, and Catholic Social Services have formed a collaborative to coordinate this campaign at the parish level. Please see your parish bulletin for additional details. This campaign is in keeping with Bishop da Cunha’s initiative of “Rebuilding in Faith and Hope.” If you would like to support this campaign, contact the Pro-Life Apostolate office at 508-675-1311 or email irina@plrachel.com.

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

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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 — 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 — The National Shrine of Our Lady of La Salette holds 6:30 p.m. Mass followed by the Chaplet of Divine Mercy Adoration at 7:15 p.m. every Wednesday evening.

ATTLEBORO — Eucharistic Adoration takes place at St. John the Evangelist Church, North Main Street, Mondays and Wednesdays from 5-6:30 p.m.

Brewster — Eucharistic Adoration takes place at Our Lady of the Cape Church, 468 Stony Brook Road, on First Fridays from 11:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. buzzards Bay — Eucharistic Adoration takes place at St. Margaret Church, 141 Main Street, every First Friday following the 8 a.m. Mass, ending at 5 p.m.

DARTMOUTH — Eucharistic Adoration takes place at St. Mary’s Church, 783 Dartmouth Street, every First Monday of the month, following the 8 a.m. Mass, ending with evening prayers and Benediction at 5 p.m.

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.

FALL RIVER — St. Anthony of Padua Church, on the corner of Bedford and Sixteenth streets, has Eucharistic Adoration accompanied by music and prayer every first Wednesday of the month from 6-7 p.m.

FALL RIVER — St. Anthony of the Desert Church, 300 North Eastern Avenue, has Eucharistic Adoration Mondays and Tuesdays from 8:45 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Thursdays following the 8 a.m. Mass until Friday at 8 a.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 5:30 p.m., with Benediction at 5:30 p.m.

MASHPEE — Christ the King Parish, Route 151 and Job’s Fishing Road has 8:30 a.m. Each First Friday Mass ends with exposition of the Blessed Sacrament and Adoration continues until Benediction at 5 p.m.

NEW BEDFORD — Eucharistic Adoration is held every Thursday, with Confessions, from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Our Lady of Guadalupe at St. James Church. 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 4 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 4 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.

NORTH EASTON — Eucharistic Adoration takes place at Immaculate Conception Church Chapel on the first Wednesday of the month beginning after the 8:30 a.m. Mass, until 6:40 p.m. Those wishing to make a monthly commitment can sign up on the parish website at www.icceaston.org or call the parish office at 508-238-3232.

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.

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 until 9 a.m.

Taunton — The Chapel of St. Andrew the Apostle, 19 Kilmer Avenue, Taunton, will host Eucharistic Adoration Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. until 7 p.m.

Taunton — St. Jude the Apostle Parish in Taunton will host Eucharistic Adoration on Mondays following the 9 a.m. Mass and the St. Jude Novena, until 11:30, ending with Benediction. It will take place at Holy Rosary Chapel during the summer months.

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 † ATTLEBORO — Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration takes place at St. Vincent de Paul Parish, 71 Linden Street in Attleboro.

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.

† O bituary † Robert Mello, father of Father Jay Mello FALL RIVER — Robert Mello, 65, died on September 25 after a brief battle with cancer.

Born in Fall River, he was the son of Roland and Helen Mello, and the former husband of Natalie (Cabral) Mello.

He attended Durfee High School and worked for many years at Haskon Aerospace in Taunton.

In addition, to his parents, he is survived by his two sons, Rev. Jay Mello, pastor of St. Michael and St. Joseph parishes in Fall River; and Alan Mello of Fall River; and his sisters, Lori Mello, Darlene Jennings, and Tara Mello. He also leaves several aunts and uncles, nieces and nephews.

Robert’s Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated October 2 at St. Joseph Church in Fall River.

Donations may be made in his memory to St. Michael’s School, 189 Essex Street, Fall River, Mass., 02720.

Bishop Edgar M. da Cunha, S.D.V., above, attended the ribbon-cutting ceremony at the Little Flower Early Learning Center in Attleboro on October 1. With the bishop are the center’s inaugural director, Christine Barrett, and Roger Sullivan, chairman of the Diocese of Fall River Center Catholic School Board, and diocesan superintendent of schools Steve Perla. The Learning Center is the first of its kind in the diocesan school system — a Catholic, educational child care center whose curriculum is based on Gospel values. Little Flower will offer an education geared to preparing children ages six months to 3.9 years old for Pre-K and Kindergarten. (Photo by Dave Jolivet)

Rosary Coast to Coast on October 13 continued from page five

of Our Lady of Fatima. Please bring a folding chair. For more information about this event, please call St. Anthony of Padua Church at 508993-1691.

Other diocesan events planned this year include: — St. Anthony of Padua Church Procession with Our Lady, 1359 Acushnet Avenue, New Bedford, starting Sunday, October 13 at 12:45 p.m. in front of church;

— Public Rosary Rally on Saturday, October 12 at 12 noon at Common Town Hall, 54 Marion Road in Wareham. (For information contact Blanca Browne at 508-2958952); and — Public Rosary Rally on Saturday, October 12 at 12 noon at the Corner of President Avenue and Hanover Street in Fall River. (For information contact Anne Marie Cadavid at 508-496-6877).

October 4, 2019 †

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† October 4, 2019