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VOL. 44, NO. 42 • Friday, November 3, 2000
FALL RIV~R, MASS.
Southeastern Massachusetts' Largest Weekly • $14 Per Year
Pro-Life. Convention keys on education, prayer and witness By MIKE GORDON ANCHOR STAFF
NORTH DARTMOUTH - Hundreds gathered at St. Julie Billiart Parish and Bishop Stang High School on Oct. 28 for the annual Pro-Life Convention and were energized by keynote speaker Professor Mary Ann Glendon of Harvard University and a dozen workshops focusing on various Pro-Life topics. The conference was co-sponsored by the Catholic Education Center and the Pro-Life Apostolate of the Diocese of Fall River. It began with a prayer service led by Bishop Sean P. O'Malley, OFM Cap. He thanked all those who worked hard to put the event together especially Deacon Bruce J. Bonneau, director of religious education; Father Stephen A. Fernandes, director of the Pro-Life Apostolate; Marian Desrosiers, assistant. director of the ProLife Apostolate; Augustinian Father William T. Garland, director of education; and James A. McNamee, diocesan superintendent of schools. . Glendon told those gathered that she came to Fall River to talk about the ProLife cause because "I care about the society young people are going to live in. I'm
thought the speakers and gathering were never know enough about Pro-Life." worriell about the state of our culture." Following the keynote address many atShe said that although the last eight years excellent. "It's nice for people to get tohave been difficult because of the partial- gether and share ideas and their faith," said tended workshops on topics such as reprobirth abortion decision and laws restrict- Mello, while Medeiros added that "you can Tum to page J3 - Pro-Life ing people demonstrating at abortion clin. ics, "we just have to try harder." Glendon addressed the legal setbacks for the Pro-Life cause since the 1973 Roe v. Wade Decision and said that heralds for the Pro-~ife cause must continue to teach the Gospel of life. "We must be the Paul Revere's of the Spirit. People need to speak up. Education, persuasion, prayer and witness are the keys for us and we must be lights in the world." Father Fernandes called Glendon's keynote address "outstanding," and he was "very grateful for her taking the time to be with us." Father Fernandes added that he hopes the day and information people hear will "give people a spark to do more." Presenter Chris Godfrey, who played on the 1984 N.Y. Giants Sliper Bowl championship team, who is president of Life AthPROFESSOR MARY Ann Glendon, keynote speaker for the sixth annual letes Inc., said "Professor Glendon is a hero Pro-Life Convention, receives applause following her address. She is flanked for what she's fighting. I appreciate the by Marian Desrosiers, Father Stephen A. Fernandes and Bishop Sean P. work she's doing." O'Malley, OFM Cap. Glendon, the Learned Hand Professor of Law at Harvard Doreen Mello and Rose Medeiros from St. John of God Parish, Somerset, are in- University, spoke on the challenges facing the Pro-Life movement. (Anchor! volved in the Pro-Life movement and Gordon photo)
FJoly Trinity parishioners celebrate unity
Educ'ation Fund dinner raises $630,986
By JOHN E. KEARNS JR. ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF CoMMUNICA11ONS
By MIKE GORDON ANCHOR STAFF
WESTPORT -A check totaling $639,986 was presented to Bishop Sean P. O'Malley, OFM Cap., at the sixth annual St. Mary's Education Fund Fall Dinner Oct. 26 at White's of Westport, and will be used to benefit children who would not be able to attend Catholic' schools without tuition assistance. The bishop told the more than 400 attendees: "We owe a debt of gratitude for the great sacrifice teachers make that teach here in Catholic schools and I'm very grateful to all those involved with the S1. Mary's Education Fund. What an important thing it 'is you are doing. Keep up the good work." The fund has raised more than $1.4 million since 1995 in needbased scholarship aid. Sacred Hearts Father William Heffron, pastor of S1. Joseph's Parish, Fairhaven, said he is constantly impressed by the spirituality and education provided by Catholic schools and we "need to support it as best we can." Sacred Hearts Sister Muriel Ann Lebeau, principal of S1. Joseph School agreed with Father Heffron and said "Catholic education makes a difference in kid's lives." Tum to page J3 - Dinner
MEETING THE BISHOP - Eighth-grader Sara Vasconcellos from Taunton Catholic Middle School and her brother, fifth-grader Edward, share a moment with Bishop Sean P. O'Malley, OFM Cap., at the sixth annual St. Mary's Education Fund Fall Dinner. Both students enjoy going to school at TCMS and Sara said "it's nice to learn about Jesus in schooL" (Anchor/Gordon photo)
FALL RIVER - With work just about complete, the refurbished Holy Trinity Parish Church cast a warm glow last Sunday as Bishop Sean P. O'Malley, OFM Cap., celebrated' a Mass of Thanksgiving for the diocese's newest parish. The new community of faith was established in late June to serve Catholics in the Maplewood section of Fall River who previously attended three area parishes: S1. Elizabeth's, S1. Jean Baptiste and S1. William's. . Bishop O'Malley asked that the three come together to form one, new parish, using the former S1. Jean's Church as its worship site. Since then, extensive renovation work has gone on both inside and outside the new Holy Trinity Parish Church. In his homily, Bishop O'Malley called it "one of the most beautiful churches in Turn to page six - Holy Trinity