Doctor Urges Changes in Quality Of Care for M'entally Retarded WASHINGTON (NC)-If the quality of care for the mentally retarded is to go up, the number of professionals paid to do the caring must go down. Changes in the manpower system, not more power, is the key· to better care, said Dr. E. Fuller Torrey. He is special assistant· to the director of the National Institute of Mental Health. Torrey, whose views are not necessarily those of the NIMH, told a mental retardation symposium here that immediate abolition of the present manpower systems in institutions for the mentally retarded "would be the most important first step which could be taken toward achieving a system in which people care." It is easy for officials to call for more money to improve the care system, but "more money without massive changes in the personnel system will accomplish very little," he said. . Quoting writer MiguelCervantes, he noted that money "may only cover a dung hill with a piece of tapestry when a procession goes by." To get better care for the retarded, described by Torrey· as society's "non-princesses," all job categories, all titles and all pay scales should be aboJjshed at the institutions that purport to do the caring, he suggested. Irrelevant Training "The manpower system is archaic and counterproductivethe selection of people is illogical, their training irrelevant, the rewards of their work are antithetical to caring, and they bankrupt the system," he added. Torrey's indiCtment was aimed in partic1;llar at professionals
-THE ANCHOR-Diocese of Fall River-Thurs. Oct. 28, 1971
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who he said offer no guarantee that their services measure up to their advanced degrees, high pay and high status. Institutions, "our name for one kind of throw-away container for throw-away people," Torrey said, have about 73,000 fulltime personnel caring for approximately 200,000 of the nation's estimated six million mentally retarded. That breaks down to about one staff person for .every two· institutionalized retardates. Although administrators may call for more personnel and more professionals to do the job, Tor. they believes that "in the case of professionals we may even need fewer of them." REV. ALFRED R. MESSIER Ability to Care He contended that many jobs that need doing could be handled by the institutionalized themselves - "and, of course, they' would be paid." Rev. Alfred R. Messier, son of Some jobs would require speRaoul and Annette Lavoie Mescial training and others demand sier of 33 Hezekiah St., Somercertain personality characterisset and members of St. Louis de tiCs-like empathy, warmth and . France Parish, Swansea has been respect for others-Torrey said. But, whatever the job, employes named rector of the La Salette should be selected for their abil~ Seminary in Ipswich and is the ity to perform the task. They youngtlst priest to hold such a should be paid, he insisted, for post. A graduate of St. Mathieu's what they actually do, "not on School, Fall River, the new recthe basis of their degrees." He said the usual hiring prac- tor studied at La Salette semitice is to "select people for these naries at Enfield, N.H.; Cheshire, jobs 'because of their demon- Conn.; Altamount, N.Y., and Ipsstrated ability to intellectually wich. Father Messier also purachieve in educational institu- sued studies at the Clinical Pastions, where as we should be toral Institute, Minn. and St. . selecting people because of their Louis University. In 1970, he opened the Misdemonstrated ability to care. The two do not necessarily 'co- sion Hill Community Center, Roxbury and was employed by incide." the Boston Youth Activities Commission. Father Messier was ordained on last May 29 by the Most Rev. Thomas J. Riley, Auxiliary NEW YORK (NC) - "Jesus callous and bloodthirsty. There Bishop of the Archdiocese of - Christ Superstar" is a rock opera is no warrant in the New Testa- Boston. that Christian scholar Dr. Gerald ment either for the attribution of Strober fears may cast yet primary guilt or for the carica- Urge Withdrawal another stone at' Christian- tured characterization." Jewish relations. Almost perversely, Strober From Indochina LOUISVII,.LE (NC)-The 1,5The widely performed and said, "Judas, the betrayer of widely acclaimed play by An- .Jesus, is acted by a black man, million-member fundamentalist drew Lloyd Webber and Tim who is made the victim of Jewish Chri.stian Church (Disciples of RiCe just opened on Broadway. perfidy ... as if to suggest that Christ) has urged that the United It was promptly denounced by now it is the blacks and the States end "all direct and indiStrober as a potentially harmful Jews who are the Christ-killers." rect military involvement in Incarrier of anti-Jewish prejudice. While noting that "Superstar" dochina within six months." At' its governing assembly "In some cases the emotional avoids some of the more serious coloring is deepened to make pitfalls of earlier passion plays, here, the Church said it hoped Jewish individuals and their acts Strober said that, taken as a . a pull-out would speed the reappear more sinister than the whole, it "remains factually er- lease of prisoners, a cease-fire' gospel record warrants," he said. roneous, potentially harmful, and to "stop the killing and destrucStrober, a Presbyterian educa- possibly a backward step on the tion," and a start on rebuilding tor and consultant on religious road toward improved. Jewish- the war-torn area. education matters for the Amer- Christian relations." ican Jewish Committee and its 'Vehicles of Bias' . interreligious affairs department, BEFORE YOU Rabbi Marc H. Tenenbaum, added: BUY -TRY AJC national director for inter"In other cases, historical facts - religiolis affairs, said he hoped are enlarged, modified or glossed Strober's study "will help sensiover so at to create black vs. tize the reader to the issues and white contrasts where the record thereby contribute to the adindiCates only gray tones. These vancement of Christian-Jewish .OLDSMOBILE changes may have been made in- understanding in the context of Oldsmobile-Peugot-Renault . nocently for dramaturgic rea- the popular arts." 67 Middle Street, Fairhaven sons, but their potential for In time past, he said, represenharm remains." tations of the passion of Jesus 'Factually Erroneous "have often, unwittingly or For instance, Strober reported otherwise, become vehicles of in a study for the AJC, the antiSemitic bias." In some plays, modern-day passion play "unam-. such as the famous 'OberammerDRY CLEANING biguously lays the primary re- gau Passion Play performed AND FUR STORAGE sponsibility for Jesus' suffering every 10 years in Germany, the 34-44 Cohannet St., Taunton and' crucifixion to the Jewish death of Jesus has been ascribed Whittenton Branch Store priesthood. The priests are por- to Jesus' Jewish contemporaries 334 Bay Street, across from trayed as hideously inhuman and or to the Jewish people as a Fire Station Tel. 822-6161 satanically ~vil: contemptuous, whole. <:; ..
Youngest Head Of Seminary
Scholar Says 'Sup'erstar' Potential Carrier of -Anti-Jewish Bias
Man With A Unique Hobby We would like to share with you the personal insights of a man who has travelled extensively in mission countries and who has the unique "hobby," as' he calls it, of making friends among young people of every race, creed, and nationality, and keeping in touch witlll them all,· although there are thousands. . We are referring to our friend, Archbishop Sergio Pignedoli, the President of the Society for the Propagation of the Faith. . The Archbishop arrived from Rome in September to meet and speak with the Society's Diocesan Directors meeting in New York. After ·telling us about his fascinating hobby, the Archbishop went on to relate what he believes we as adult Christians, and especially as American Catholics, have to give to' our young people, as well as the whole world . . . "The youth of today_ presents a vivid example of a world in quest of God. What do they seem to be looking for today? Precisely what they have always looked for-great ideals, generous dreams, a brighter and better future. The young people of today, moreover, show signs of having a conscience which is more than ordinarily alert and sensitive in relation to social problems. Present day youth well realizes and experiences the insufficiency of mere possessions, and they are actively searching for something more satisfying to their human sense of values. Our youth know what it is 'to have everything!' They know there must be 'somethilllg more,' so the search goes on." "The experience of the youth today confirms this fact: that the world expects something very 'different' from us; it expects from us something it hasn't got. But if we insist on giving to the world things which it has got already without us, tl).E\n we tend to beco.me irrelevant-if not ridiculous. What the world asks of us is that we should be unto it 'signs of a higher Reality.' "Here is the argument: Ought we not first attempt to resolve problems such as social injustice, hunger, ignorance, oppression? Ought we not labor to give man a human existence before we concern ourselves with making him a Christian? And we answer at once that this distinction is to .a large extent an artificial distinction." "Missionar!.cs of every age have always managed to accomplish both things. And so I feel that our Missions. do not have to make any apology if they have made every effort (and they always have) to find solutions for the social problems they came up against. And when we stop to c~nsider the poverty of the resources which are at their disposal; when we realize how puny they are in comparison with those enjoyed by the big international agencies; we find that the achievements of our Missions in the field of social service are really very considerable; worthy, in fact, to stand comparison with those of Governments or international agencies • • ." "God. is to be found only in friendship and in love. He wishes to talk with His friends face to face. We wish our young friends the great joy of finding His friendship. If a young man chooses to enter into this friendship, he also settles for friendship with all .his brethren; he decides to get out of the straightjacket of his own selfishness and to bring the encouragement of hope to men somehow or other. And with the hope, he brings the friendship' of Him Who is our Hope, our Joy, our Certitude!" -. Please send a generous sacrifice for our missionaries today because you are their only means of support, but even more, because you are their friends! (please· enclose your gift with the coupon below.)
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""""""""""""""""""""","',. ~ SALVATION AND SERVICE are the work of The Society : : for the Propagation of the Faith. Please .cut out this column : and send your offering to Reverend Monsignor Edward T. <>: : , O'Meara, National Director, Dept. C., 366 Fifth Ave, New , , York, N:Y. 10001 or directly to your local Diocesan Director. , : The Rev. Msgr. Raymond T. Considine : : 368 North Main Street : : Fall River, Massachusetts 02720 :
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