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Clergy misconduct report "distorted" says usee official
THE ANCHOR-Diocese of Fail River-Fri., Oct. 27, 1989
Sacred ground
WASHINGTON (CNS) - An earlier published report of "rampant" sexual misbehavior among the clergy is "distorted," according to Father David E. Brinkmoeller, director of the U.S. bishops' Secretariat for Priestly Life and Ministry. "The great majority of the hundreds of the priests I know work hard, pray hard and are faithful to their celibate commitment," said Father Brinkmoeller in his essay, "In the Face of 'Priest-Bashing,' " which appeared 011 the op-ed page ofthe Oct. 17 issue of The Washington Post. The essay was a response to an ea.rlier article by Jason Berry, a fr,ee-Iance writer who has written extensively on priest pedophilia, the sexual desire for children. A "guess" reported by Ber.ry that 5 percent of the United States' 53,000 priests may be pedophiles was presented "without a shred of evidence," Father Brinkmoeller said. "No solid statistical data exist" on priestly pedophilia or homosexuality, Father Brinkmoeller said. "N or is it the sort of thing that admits easy quantification." He declared that "nothing could be further from the truth" than Berry's charge that bishops "Gover up" pedophilia cases. "Such cases may have been handled differently in past decades _. when psychology was less sophisticated and when child abuse may have been viewed as simply a moral failing for which one should be repentant, rather than as a psychological addiction for which treatment was mandatory," Father Br.inkmoeller said. "Tod~y, the hint of such a case is viewed by a bishop with alarm and met with quick and firm action," hI:' said. A 1988 public statement on pedophilia issued by the National Conference of Catholic Bishops, hI: added, advises bishops to "move in on such a situation at the earliest possible moment." Father Brinkmoeller said,-"That some priests occasionally fail in their commitment to celibacy should surprise no one. Life, for everyone, is a struggle, and priests are drawn from the same communities that the rest of America.ns inhabit. ... "Some priests feel that the church should change its position on mandatory celibacy," Father Brinkmoeller continued, but "many priests believe that celibacy strengthens their ministry and deepens their ability to witness to God's presence and power.... "Give me a group of priests 100, let's say, from the national Catholic directory -'and I'll match them against any 100 men in America: for their dedication, their accompI ishments and their holiness," Eather Brinkmoeller said.
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LITTLE Gregory McGuire, son of Laura Jussaume McGuir~, an alumna of the former St. Kilian School in New Bedford, greets Sister M. Stephen Finnerty, RSM, who served in the Fall River. diocese during her active ministry. (J ussaume photo) .
Sisters of Mercy continue their works of n[1ercy The Sisters of Mercy first came to the Fall River diocese in 1873 when it was still part of the diocese of Providence. They went first to New Bedfor.d,where they established a hospital, and the following year to Fall River, where they established a school. The hospital and the school were their primary responsibilities to the two cities but they also carried on the spiritual and corporal works of mercy which are their hallmark. Visiting the poor and aged, nursing the infirm in their homes, caring for orphans, bringing solace to the brokenheai'ted and instructing' those in prison were as much a part of the sisters' ministries as teaching and hospital '!York.. . Today; nearly 500· Sisters of Mercy of the Province of p'rovidence continue such works of. mercy in Southeastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island and in Belize and Honduras. Throughout their I 38-year history, the sisters' first concern has been for the less fo~tunate. New works rose up in response to needs and lack of
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Oct. 28 1923, Rev. Alfred E. Coulombe, Pastor, St. George, Westport 1956, Rev. Stanislaus Kozikowski, OFM Conv., Pastor, St. Hedwig, New Bedford Nov.• 1924, Rev. William H. McNamara, Pastor, St. Mary Mansfield 1927, Rev. Louis N. Blanchet, Assistant, St. Jean Baptiste, Fall River 1944, Rt. Rev. John F. Ferraz, Pastor, St. Michael, Fall River 1953, Rt. Rev. George F. Cain, Pastor, St. Mathieu, Fall River 1987, Rev. William E. Farland, Pastor, St. Joseph, Taunton 1988, Rev. William F. Gartland, CSC, Stonehill College, North Easton DAYTON, Ohio(CNS)- WilNov.2 )jam Hanna and Joseph Barbera, A Memento for the repose of producers of "The Flintstones," the souls of priests not on this list. the longest-running animated ser1923, Rev. Joseph S. Fortin, ies in prime-time history, have Founder St. Jean Baptiste, Fall bl:en awarded Gabriel Personal River Achievement Awards by Unda1933, Rev. Michael V. McDoUSA, a national Catholic associa- nough, Chaplain, St. Mary's Home, tion of church broadcasters and New Bedford communicators. Hanna and BarNov. 3 bl:ra were cited for 50 years of· 1988, Rev. Jose M. Bettencourt "high-quality family entertain- e Avila, retired pastor, Our Lady v"Tent." of Mt. Carmel, ,> '.\ • New Bedford
funds never prevented them from serving God's people. Today, however, the'Sisters of Mercy, like most other religious congregations are themselves in need, struggling to support their aged and infirm members, most of them at Mount St. Rita Health Centre in Cumberland, RI. The younger sisters look upon these religious as family members': who have· worked for years as teachers, social workers, nurses, child care workers and parish ministers and who now deserve the best of ca:re:But as most of us know, the cost of such care can be' far beyond family means. This is why the.Sistersof Mercy .hold an annual benefit dinner for Mount St.. Rita Health Centre. ThiS is· an opportunity for those who were I:ducated and cared for by the sisters to assist them in their need. Information on the dinner, to be held Nov. 8 at Venus de Milo Restaurant, Swansea, is available in Fall River from Sister Marie Lourdette at St. Vincent's Home (679-8511); in New Bedford from Sister Nora Smith at Our Lady of Mercy Convent (992-3694); in Taunton from Sister Margretta Sol at Our Lady of Lourdes Convent (822-9206); and in Attleboro from Sister Rose Angela McLellan at Bishop Feehan (226-4608).
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Continued From Page Nine new prophets continue to share the Good News of Christ and miracles are commonplace." (Bill Barnes) , .. A place to be happy and at peace; a place to share one's joys along with the sorrow." (Louise Skamarock) "In times oftrouble, I was quieted;·in times of sadness, I found joy." (Sister Mary Elgar Freethy) "The words 'safe harbor' come to mind. Many times I came to LaSalette feeling that the storms of life would sink my boat in this fiver of trials. So I pulled into this safe harbor and found love, friendship and guidance that helped me grow. The prayers,· discussions, laughter and tears helped me sail back out into the river a stronger person." (Betty Novacek) "A sacred place where we have touched the Spirit of God in ourselves and in each other; where our faith has· been strengthened and our hope renewed; where our families and friends have celebrated the joy of Christian life together." (N orma Olivier) Finally, writes Father Genest,..... Sacred Grpllnd,is not a place of
memory alone-it is a place of felt experience, a place where the past and present come together to make a new moment, a' richer moment, perhaps a new revelation of God in our lives." Information on programs may be obtained from LaSalette Center for Christian Living, 947 Park· St, Attleboro 02703; tel. 222-8530.
Misleading metaphor WASHINGTON (CNS) - The U.S. Catholic Conference, in a friend-of-the-court brief recently filed ina U.S. Supreme Court case on equal access, called the concept of a wall of separation between church and state "[Thomas] Jefferson's misleading metaphor. "The brief said those who "attack" free' exercise of religion in public schools "are marching under a banner proclaiming a preference of a secular society as well as a secular state, 'and they threaten the shared social values necessary to a truly pluralistic democracy." The case involves a Nebraska high school denying a student Bible study group permission to meet on school grounds outside of class hours. . ONlY FULL·L1NE RELIGIOUS GIFT STORE ON THE CAPE
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