The Anchor Diocese of Fall River
F riday , October 14, 2011
Choral classic to be performed at St. Anthony’s
Married women much less likely to abort children
NEW BEDFORD — If you ask Dr. David MacKenzie, music director and conductor of the New Bedford Symphony Orchestra, there are a few great choral works in the pantheon of classical music that standout: Mozart’s “Masses and Requiem,” Beethoven’s “Ninth Symphony,” and Johannes Brahms’ “A German Requiem, Op. 45.” “It’s certainly a work we feel is our responsibility to bring to the public,” MacKenzie said. “It’s also one of those works that has such a profound spiritual impact … it tends to be transformative for the listener. That’s not to belittle other works, but sometimes works were written on commission, or at the request of someone, so it’s just another work for hire. This piece had a great personal significance for Brahms.” MacKenzie will be leading a performance of Brahms’ “Requiem” on Sunday at 3 p.m. inside the glorious and sacred confines of St. Anthony of Padua Church in New Bedford along with Gustav Mahler’s “Adagietto,” from “Symphony No. 5 in C# Minor.” Mounting this work on the heels of last year’s challenging debut of Ludwig van Beethoven’s “Missa Solemnis” within St. Anthony’s, MacKenzie said the Brahms piece may not be as daunting on the surface, but it offers its own challenges nevertheless. “We performed it here about 20 years ago,” he said. “It’s probably not performed as frequently as something like Mozart’s “Requiem,” but it really requires a lot of musical maturity. It’s not as vocally difficult in terms of range or register as some other works, but it is quite subtle and demanding.” “A German Requiem” is Brahms’ largest work in any genre, and demonstrates the composer’s mastery of communicating great depth of feeling. In this work, Brahms speaks to the living with muTurn to page 14
BOSTON — Recently released data analysis shows that cohabiting women are nearly eight times more likely to have an abortion than their married counterparts. The abortion rate among cohabiting women was 59.3, those formerly married and not cohabiting was 31.8, females who never married and were not cohabiting was 28.1 and wives was 7.7. The analysis can be found in the study “Unintended pregnancy in the United States: incidence and disparities.” The numbers above were the abortion rates per 1,000 women aged 15-44 years. Dr. Angela Franks — a mother of four who with her husband David serves as coordinator for The Future Depends on Love, the marriage initiative launched by the four bishops of Massachusetts in 2007 — told The Anchor that marriage is a lifelong and life-giving union. Even married couples who may not recognize that reality are more naturally oriented toward the coming of new life. “In cohabitation, the future is uncertain. If you don’t know for sure that your partner is going to be there next year, it’s hard to be able to welcome new life with generosity, whereas marriage provides stability to couples and gives them confidence that they will be successful parents,” she said. “We see from all kinds of studies that married couples are more stable and happier than cohabiting couples.” Unfortunately, cohabitation is becoming more widespread and so are its negative effects. While divorce rates have decreased to the same rate present after World War II, the cohabitation rate has increased 14 times over since 1970. The problem is so bad that a report put out by the Family Research Council late last year found that most teen-agers live in broken homes. Only 45 percent spend their entire childhood living with their married, biological parents. “Increased rates of divorce and childbearing outside of marriage have turned growing up in a stable, two-parent family into an exception, rather than the rule, for young Americans,” the report states. For couples who cohabitate and Turn to page 15
B y Kenneth J. Souza A nchor Staff
By Christine M. Williams Anchor Correspondent
much anticipated guest — Faithful attend the installation ceremony for new Maronite Catholic Patriarch Bechara Rai in Bkerke, Lebanon, March 25. Patriarch Rai will be visiting St. Anthony of the Desert Parish and church on October 18. (CNS photo/Reuters)
Area Maronite Catholics elated to host newly-elected Patriarch of Antioch
B y Dave Jolivet, Editor
FALL RIVER — On March 15, Maronite Catholics across Lebanon were elated by the news that Bishop Bechara Peter Rai was elected Patriarch of Antioch and All The East by the Synod of Maronite Bishops in Bkerke. A great sense of joy and hope was shared by the more than three million Maronite Catholics in Lebanon, Cyprus, Egypt, Syria, Israel, Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Australia, Canada, and the United States. That includes the more than 300 families in the greater Fall River area that are parishioners of St. Anthony of the Desert Parish in Fall River. Adding to the jubilation is the news that His Beatitude Bechara Rai will visit the parish on North Eastern Avenue
on October 18, during the Patriarch’s first visit to the United States as the spiritual
Patriarch Bechara Peter Rai
leader of the Maronite Catholic Church. “We are very honored to
have the Patriarch of Antioch and All The East visit our parish community,” Chorbishop Joseph F. Kaddo told The Anchor. “We will have Liturgy, the Service of the Sacred Mysteries at the church at 6 p.m. followed by a banquet honoring our Patriarch at Venus de Milo Restaurant in Swansea.” Chorbishop Kaddo said one of the first duties of a new Patriarch is to visit all of the Eparchies. In his U.S. visit, Patriarch Rai will visit St. Louis, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Brooklyn and Boston, and will meet with U.N. SecretaryGeneral Ban Ki-moon. “His Excellency the Most Reverend John Mansour, Bishop of the Eparchy of St. Maron of Brooklyn, of which we’re a Turn to page 14
Noted educator to give presentation on raising children in these difficult times By Becky Aubut Anchor Staff
HYANNIS — When James Stenson takes the stage in the auditorium at Pope John Paul II High School on October 20, at 7 p.m., for his presentation, “Raising Men and Women of Character in Difficult Times,” he will bring more than 30 years of experience helping guide families in raising their children to become responsible adults through faith-based values. “The main job as parents is not to keep the
kids amused or keep them from wrecking the furniture,” said Stenson, “but rather their children grow up to be confident, respectful, considerate, generous men and women who are committed to living by Christian principles.” Stenson’s career began as an educator, helping co-found two Catholic high schools in the process. In 1969, The Heights School opened in Washington D.C., and in 1976, the Northridge Preparatory School opened its doors in Chicago. As the years Turn to page 15