FALL RIVER DIOCESAN NEWSPAPER FOR SOUTHEAST MASSACHUSErtS CAPE COD & THE ISLANDS VOL. 43, NO. 43 • Friday, November S, 1999
FALL RIVER, MASS.
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Catholic, Lutheran clergy mark pact ~
Prayer service on Cape celebrates historic agreement sighed in Germany that advances Christian unity.
tion on the Doctrine of Justification," signed by representatives of the Roman Catholic Church and the Lutheran World Federation on Sunday in Augsburg, Germany. That signing ended the dispute over justification particularly over the role of a person's response to God's offer of salvation - which was a key factor in the division of Western
Christianity at the time of the Protestant Reformation in the mid-1500s. It was an agreement that Pope John Paul II hailed this week as "a milestone along the not easy road of the re-establishment of full unity among Christians." In essence, the Lutheran communion traditionally held that justification comes
through faith alone. Catholics have maintained that justification comes through faith as well as good works. The joint declaration says that Catholics and Lutherans agree that justification and salvation are totally free gifts of God and By JAMES N. DUNBAR cannot be earned by performing good works, EAST SANDWICH - An ecumenical but rather are reflected in good works. midday prayer service in CorBishop O'Malley presided at pus Christi Church on Monday the service, excerpted from the marked the local celebration official daily prayer of the Liturgy of the Hours, and was also ending a long, sometimes difficult journey by Lutherans and the homilist. The Rev. Diane C. Kessler, executive director of the Catholics worldwide "to an Massachusetts Council of agreement that justification comes through faith and good Churches, and Father Marc H. works. Bergeron, ecumenical officer for the Fall River Diocese, were The joy expressed Monday on Cape Cod by Catholic and readers. On the dais with Bishop Lutheran clergy attending the O'Malley were the Rev. Ronald noon service and the luncheon T. Englund, dean of the New that followed, pointed up tha~ England Synod of the Evangelithe joint declaration signed cal Lutheran Churches in Sunday in Germany is a giant America, and Father Marcel H. step toward Christian unity. Representatives of both Roman Bouchard, pastor of Corpus Catholic and Lutheran comChristi Parish. Bishop O'Malley warmly munions meeting on the Cape greeted the assembly saying that acknowledged that it was a solid he was from the west "where the start in a long dialogue on a vaCatholics drive the Chevys and riety of ancillary theological isthe Lutherans drive the Fords." sues that need to be resolved. He said he was pleased that so The meeting, hosted by NOON PRAYERS - In Corpus Christ Church, East Sandwich, Bishop Sean P. O'Malley, OFM many Lutheran clergy came to Bishop Sean P. O'Malley, OFM Cap., follows an historic agree- Cap., is flanked by pastor Father Marcel H. Bouchard and the Rev. Ronald T. Englund, dean of the join the celebration of "a very ment called "The Joint Declara- New England Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Tum to page 13 - Pact
St. Mary'S Education Fund raises more than $500,000 By MIKE GORDON ANcHOR STAFF
been able to graduate from Holy Family-Holy Name School this year." "I'm very proud of them," said their mother Mary Freire, as she waited for the evening to begin. She was thankful for the St. Mary's Education Fund Tum to page 13 - Dinner
WESTPORT - The fifth annual St. Mary's Education Fund Fall Dinner brought 400 people together at White's of Westport in support of Catholic Education and at the end of the evening a check for more than $500,000 was presented to Bishop Sean P. O'Malley OFM Cap., to help provide need-based scholarships to attend Catholic schools. One of those the fund has helped is Sarah Freire, an eighth-grader from Holy Family-Holy Name School, New Bedford. She and her brother Danny, a sixth-grader at the school, were busy before the dinner readying programs and said the opportunity to attend a Catholic school has been great and they've learned a lot. "We've learned how much God loves you, about commitment, responsibility and how to care for the poor," said Sarah. "It's a lot like a family and we get a really nice education." Sarah later addressed those gathered MEMBERS OF the St. Mary's Education Fund's and thanked them for their support of the fund. A CCD helper and a member of the Board of Directors Suzanne W. Downing, Timothy J. I"school's hand bell choir she said "With- Cotter and Father Michael K. McManus present Bishop out your kind support I might not have O'Malley a checkfor$547,621. (AnchodGordon photo)
HAPPY GROUP - Leaving no stone unturned, managers of Caritas Christi Health Care System wasted no time in getting St. Anne's School yard into tiptop condition.
Caritas Christi's top echelon quits desks to do yard work By JAMES N. DUNBAR FALL RIVER - Dozens ofVIPs from Caritas Christi Health Care System's 16 facilities across New England left their offices very early on Thursday, Oct. 28, to don work clothes and spend the day in a major rebuilding and refurbishing of the playground at Saint Anne's School on Forest Street.
At day's end the recreation area's muddy mulch has been removed and a clean bed of pea stone laid, its fence and equipment had been repainted, and a fantastic, modern, wood playground climbing gym had been erected. And as an added feature, the work crews removed old furniture and Tum to page 13 - Caritas