SERVING ••• SOUTHEASTERN MASSACHUSmS CAPE COD & THE ISLANDS
t eanc 0 VOL. 24, NO. 45
FALL RIVER, MASS., THURSDAY, 'NOVEMBER 6; 1980
20c, $6 Per Year
We Car.(We Share nears 'magic week' It's hard not to be aware that the Catholic church in the Fall River diocese is up to. something. Colorful posters in eyery parish announce "We Are Comi~g to Visit You the Week of November 23." Bumper stickers on car after car declare "We Care/We Share - The Catholic Family of the Fall River. Diocese." It will be on radio and television. It's occupying hundreds of people who'll be home visi tors, planners of Advent pro-' grams, pastry' bakers, hostesses and clerical workers. It's practically the fulltime 'preoccupation of Father Timothy J. Goldrick, diocesan coordinator for the massive home missionary program which will "go public" that magic week of
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FOR MONICA DICKENS phone calls are more than social chitchat. Often her offer of friendship makes a life-or-death difference to a caller. (Torchia Photo)
The good Samaritans· By Pat McGowan "Desperat~? Call the Samaritans - 548-8900." The signs are on either. side of the Bourne and Sagamore bridges across the Cape Cod Canal. Telephone booths are conveniently near each sign, at least one placed in its strategic location by special arrange~ent with the telephone company. Many use the phones, for the bridges, like the Braga Bridge in Fall River, seem magnets to the despairing. "But why did he call? Why hasn't she jumped?" queries the compassionate woman who is often on the other end of the Samaritan line. "Even saying 'My life is hopeless, I want to kill myself' in a
curious way relieves the stress," said Monica Dickens. "You've involved someone else, so you have at least a tiny hold on life." Her work is to strengthen that hold. :for the great-granddaughter of Charles Dickens, involvement with the Samaritans began when she was doing research for one of her 32 books. Twelve years later, the international suicide prevention organization has become' her major interest, all but eLbowing aside her ,flourishing literary career. "I'd reached a point where I had written a lot and felt I could do something else," she explained. "One nice thing abeut being 65, you've got beyond guilt and don't feel you must be
writing all the time," she added. Miss Dickens has' inherited the social conscience of her famous ancestor. She said she encountered the Samaritans in London when she was ref!earching "The E!1d of the Line," a novel dealing with suici4e. Founded in England in 1953, the organization befriends the lonely and despairing, offering 24-hour telephone outreach, often followed up by personal visits from volunteers to those in distress. The service continues as long as it is needed, although the average duration of contact is about a month, said Miss Dickens. "Many people call only Turn to Page Six
Nov. 23, when its goal is to reach every home in the 1,194 square mile diocese with its message of caring and sharing. "'We Care/We Share' is part of the continuing process of proclaiming the Gospel to all people," explained Father Goldrick. "We will be visiting homes in a spirit of friendship and neighborly concern, gathering census information on Catholics and inviting all to a series of A:dvent programs to be conducted in each parish of the diocese." . Father Goldrick said that cen- . sus information on Catholics will help parishes and the diocese sellVe their needs better. He stressed that all such information is confidential. It will be Turn to Page Eleven
Bishops' ,meeting· has heavy agenda WASHINGTON (NC) - The cognize the tensions and misU.S. bishops will be asked to understandings which arise on consider the role of the ·Iaity, this question but we wish to problems of capital punishment, face these as part of a sincere Catholic higher education, Marx- attempt to become true comism and communism when they munities of faith." hold their annual general meet- . The bishops' discussion of the ing in Washington next Monday death penalty follows similar dethrough Thursday. bate ,il1 1974 when the'American In addition to proposed major hierarchy declared opposition to statements' on those items, the capital punishment. In the last meeting agenda includes another six years' executions have been vote on eliminating "sexist" lan- resumed in several states. The bishops' statement, preguage)n the liturgy, election of a new president and vice presi- pared.by the bishops' Committee dent for the bishops and a vote on Social Development and on new norms for seminaries World Peace, .supports with theological and sociological rain the United States. In the working document "The tionales the call to end capital American Catholic Laity: 1980," punishment. Noting the inflationary, govthe bishops' Committee on the and demographic Laity states' "We see the need ernmental for an increased role for women pressures confronting higher edin the ministries of the church ucation, the Committee of Bisto the extent possible." We reTurn to Page Six