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School Help Facing National Showdown
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With the U. S. Supreme Court aboU;t to review the constitutionality' of public aid to private schobls in the Pennsylvania case, argu;ments for and 'against such aid are now receiving a national audi'ence. The plight of such private An Anchor of the Soul, Sure and Firm - ST. PAUL systems, and especially the Catholic: school systems, has been made clear. Nearly one million Fall River, Mass., Thursday, Oct. 22, 1970 few¢r students have been able to enroll in Catholic schools since PRICE 10¢ Vol. 14, No. 43 © 197(' The Anchor 1960. One-half to thr~e-fourths $4.00 per year of all Catholic students are now in !public schools. On the national scene, nearly one school a day has been forced to close bedause of a wage price squeeze. , The President of the United. St~tes has stated that "this government cannot be indifferent to th~ potential collapse of privateparochial schools." Other offici~ls have been frightened by an examination of what over , . 5,QOO,OOO more students will do to: the already taxed public schools and what the tax burden m~y be on all communities. IWith the Elementary-Secondary Education Act of 1965, the federal government began to aid sqme private schools. Millions of dollars were spent in such an effort. , , Individual states also began to dke,an interest in school crises vfithin their bQundaries, Twentytpree states provided transportation. to pupils in private schools; dine states helped with textt:!ooks for secular subjects; six. services from nonpubPLAN BUILDING: Members of St. Julie Billiart Parish purchased , , ,
in North Dartmouth look over plans for new concept in church building, a multi-purpose structure. Left to right, architect and parish member Paul G. Cleary, guild president Mrs. Thomas F. Burke, ·Mrs. Henry Sprague who headed recent successful Parish Str~et Fair, and Rev. John .F. Hogan, pastor of the parish.
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lic schools and helped with the The National Education Assosalaries of private school teach- . ciaton and the American Federaers; four gave help of one kind ton of Teachers both opposed or another; one granted tax federal aid to private schools becredits. ' cause they feared public schOOls But any aid that went beyond would suffer 'harm and loss of transportation, milk and lunch aid. programs, .and the like quickly Americans United for Separaended in the courts-challenged tion of Church and State, tradiby those who feared a church- tionally a 'bitter foe of anything state encroachment or harm to Catholic, contended that federal public schools. Turn to Page Six
City Pastors Act
-Fall River Schools To Regionalize In an action that the Diocesan is authorized to work out a Superintendent of Schools said commitment of the parochial would result in a stronger school' schools of Fall River to a strong system serving basically the and quality school system while same number of children and recognizing the adaptation that using existing facilities and per- must take place in the face of sonnel more effectively, pastors rising costs, fewer religious of 15 Fall River parochial schools teachers and more lay teachers met Tuesday and unanimously in the Catholic schools system. called for, the regionalization of The regionalization was ap. the parochial elementary school proved by the 15 pastors with system in the City of Fall River. the proviso that, it be discussed According to Rev. Patrick J. and approved by their Parish O'Neill, Ed.D., Diocesan Super- Councils and School Boards. The plan already has some intendent of Schools, this bold action would insure the comple- ~ork done on it as a facet of . tion In a parochial school of the' "shared resources". plan preevery youngster enroHed in the sented by Diocesan school' officials to the City of Fall River. first grade of the school. The regionalization plan folFather O'Neill called the reTurn to Page Six gionalization program which he
:Nurses Urge Right to. Life ,
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St. Julie To Construct i~i' Multi-Use· Building /1 The newest parish of the Diocese-that of St. Julie Billiart in North Dartmouth-is ready to begin the building of a unique multi-purpose building to serve
as its church and parish activities center. The parish has announced that plans are just about completed for the building which is a new concept in church building. Rather than have a large church adequate for Sunday Masses but largely vacant the rest of the week, the new building will have a permanent chapel accommo-: dating 320 persons which will be I Five parishes in the Greater able to be expanded to seat 1000. I, Taunton Area will be honored in This hall part of the building the Presentee program of the' where large meetings can take/, Bishop's Annual Charity Ball place will also be able to be which will take place Friday, divided into CCD clasrooms and: Jan. 8, at Lincoln Park Ballroom. smaller meeting rooms for adult' Sacred Heart, St. Jacques and and youth .and parish activities.:, St. Joseph Parishes in Taunton, There WIll be a small and ef-, and St. Peter's in Dighton and ficient kitchen so that suppers St. Joseph's in No. Dighton will and other social events can takd present young ladies to the Bish- place in the building. I The building, which will be op at the annual social event which raises money for the sup- in the $100,000 range, will hav¢ port of Bishop' Connolly's pro- a combination' heating and air,L , gram for exceptional and retarded conditioning unit. children throughout the Diocese. Parish member Paul G. Cleary ' There are 33 other parishes in is architect for the building. Father Hogan has said that np the Diocese which will. also Turn to Page Six present young ladies at the event.
Taunton Parishes Honor Presentees At Charity Ball
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NURSES' CONVENTION: Examining Conference of the New England Diocesan Councils of Catholic Nurses resolution endorsing the right to life of unborn fetus and condemning legalization of abortion are, left to right, Miss Helen Shove, Bishop Connolly, Conference President Miss Kathleen M.· Burke of Boston, and Fall River Diocesan Council President Anne V. Fleming.,
A strongly-worded resolution upholding the basic principle of the inviolability of human life as regards the formative stages of development of the human fetus and a condemnation of legalized abortion was passed by the Conference of New England Diocesan Councils of Catholic Nurses meeting over the weekend in Hyannis. The statement of conscience made it clear that the nurses as professional people believed in the basic right to life of the unborn fetus. The resolution was sent to State legislators with the urging that they scrutinize carefUlly all legislation regarding the matter since the near future may see .the legislators confronted with the question. The conference was attended by 364 registered delegates from the New England States as well as guests from New York, Pennsylvania, Michigan and the District of Columbia. The Conference took place in Hyannis on Cape Cod. In attendance were Most Rev. James L. Connolly, Bishop of Fall River, Most Rev. James J. Gerrard, Auxiliary Bishop of 'Fall River, Most Rev. Walter W. Cl,lrtis, Bishop of Bridgeport, Most Rev. John F. Hackett, Auxiliary Bishop of Hartford, Most Rev. Bernard J. Flanagan, Bishop of Worcester, and Most Rev. Peter L. Gerety, Bishop of Portland.