The ANCHOR An Anchor 01 the Soul, Sure and Firm-St. Paul
Fall Riverl Mass. 1 Tlt.ursdaYI Nov. 15, 1973 $4.00 per year Vol. 171 No. 46 漏 1973 The Anchor PRICE 10垄
Asks Senate of Priests Help Prepare Holy Year The Most Reverend Daniel A. Develop~ent of this basic Cronin, Bishop of Fall River., has . theme of reconciliation with God called upon the Priests' Senate of is expected to be the core of the Diocese to participate inti- local observances in dioceses mately in the preparation and throughout the Universal Church. development of a Diocesan obThe Holy Year Prayer has been servance of the Holy Year. promulgated by Pope Paul, and Meeting with the Senate at the is published in this issue of The November monthly meeting, Anchor. Public liturgical recitaBishop Cronin requested that the tion of the Prayer will mark Holy body devise measures for the Year services. Private recitation Holy Year celebration in conof the special Prayer, however, junction with the committee established last spring under the is urged for homes, families, direction of Very Rev. Luiz G. schools, religious houses, and the like. Mendonca, Vicar General of the The Holy Year Prayer repeats Diocese. "The Holy Year," declared His insistently the call to reconciliaHoliness Pope paul VI in a Gen- tion, invoking especially the ineral Audience in Rome on Octo- spiration of the Holy Spirit and ber 31, 1973, "aims first and fore- the powerful intercession of most at reconciling men with Mary, the Mother of God. God ... first we who are believ* :;: * The text for the Prayer for the ers, and then as many men as can be induced to this salvific Holy Year will be found on page two. and beatifying meeting."
CINCINNATI (NC)-A total of $3.4 million has been awarded to 117 community organizations of poor people in 37 states, the District of Coiumbia~ and three U. S. possessions by the Campaign for Human Development in fts first funding for 1973. . CHD, the domestic antipoverty program of the U. S. Catholic Church, in the last three years has allocated almost $20 million to over 500 self-help .projects administered by and for the poor. The campaign receives special support from U. S. Catholics each year at Thanksgiving time in a spsdal nationwide collection.
Pope Expresses Great Anguish For "Priests
The collection date for this year is Nov. 18. In announcing the grants, Father Lawrence McNamara, CHD's executive director, said: "What the campaign for Human Development has come to mean for at least some of America's poor is the possibility for a new way of life-a more self-directed kind of life. Every Project funded by the campaign lopens doors for change in how the poor will live their lives today and works toward the day when they will turn their past experience of poverty into a sensitive, new social force within America." The largest allocation was awarded to the Program for Rural Economic Development in North Colorado. The grant is for $99,000 to provide jobs and
eventual business ownership for low-income persons through the development of several local industries. The largest funded category this year is for economic development. One-third of the CHD's allocated funds will go to 37 business cooperatives and credit unions. Other categories to be funded include craft co-ops for the poor in rural areas, housing projects, medical services for the elderly, legal aid and welfare advocacy for the poor, and aid to education. The CHD will also give $52,000 to two Indian programs in Michigan to assist the tribes in their legal battIe to insure hunting, fishing and land rights provided for in existing treaties.
Bishops' Pastoral on Mary 'Reaffirms Basic Teaching
VATICAN CITY - Twice during the past few days, Pope Paul VI has departed' from prepared texts to express bis anguish over WASHINGTON (NC) - The defections from the priesthood bishops of the United States have and the conduct of some priests. issued a pastoral letter designed Evangelist, Albany diocesan "Our suffering because of the ,to "reaffirm our heritage of faith newspaper. many priests who are defecting "The bishop has said over' and is our crown of thorns," the Pon- in Mary, the Mother of God, and over again that the schools be- tiff told Italian priests during an to encourage authentic devotion to her." long to the people, not to the audience on Sunday. The letter, entitled "Behold priests or the pastors," Semenba "Let us understand our voca- Your Mother," reaffirms basic said. "He is putting the opportion," the Pope went on. "Per- teachings on Mary, deplores the tUhity to support the schools, in haps we too have for some mo- decline in Marian devotions, and more than just a financial way, ments yielded to confusion and asks for Catholic-Protestant cosquarely to the people, where it weakness, criticism and protest." operation in the study of the " belongs. Listeners were shocked by the Blessed Virgin Mary. "Today, there is more aware-' "In writing this pastoral letness by both schools and par- higbly emotional tone of the ents that they have to form a Pope's address as he continued: ter," the bishops say, "our conpartnership. The growing num- "Who is speaking to you? A poor cern about Our Lady is most ber of parish school boards and man. A phenomenon in small- keenly felt in the area of devohome-school associations is an ness. I tremble, my brethren and tion. No survey is needed to indication that the situation is children, I tremble speaking be- show that all over the country cause I am feeling things to say many forms of Marian devotion changing." Semenza also agreed with Fa- that are immensely larger than have fallen into disuse, and others are taking an uncertain ther Greeley's view that the I am. "I am announcing to you the course." Catholic schools of the future The bishops say they "wish to will be different from those of Word of Christ. I have'been sent by Him. I am the successor to St. affirm with all our strength the the past. "Our schools must change as Peter. Accept me, do not despise lucid statements of the Second ithe Church changes," Semenza me. I .am tbe Vicar of Christ. Vatican Council on the permaI am speaking to you in His said. "Our parish schools, as well name, and therefore I ask you to as our parishes will bave to show respect-not so much for come closer together in their me as for my word." working relationships. There will The Pope lamented the fact be mergers or consolidations that many prjests were "no longwhere possible so that we will er available to the people nor November 25 be able to make more prudent recognizable in their identity." use of our funds, our facilities, Too many priests, the Pope went to our equipment and our person- on "today are mingling with the nel. Most important, parents will world, almost disguising them路 December J have to play a more active role selves as if th,ey were ashamed in the life of the schools." of being priests."
Catholic Schools AI ive, Thrivin~I, Official Says' ALBANY (NC) - The interest of Catholic parents in Catholic schools and independent evaluations of Catholic school performance both indicate that Catholic schools are alive and thriving, said the superintendent of schools for the Albany diocese. The superintendent, A. Matty Semenza, was responding in an interview to an article in the Oct. 21 New York Times magazine entitled "Catholic Schools Are Committing Suicide." The article by Father Andrew Greeley, a sociologist at the National Research Center in Chicago, maintained that the bishops are deliberately closing Catholic schools without consulting Catholic parents. Father Greeley's contention that neither lack of parental interest nor financial problems is responsible for school closings is true as far as the Albany diocese is concerned, Semenza said. But he disagreed with Father Greeley's claim that "ecclesiastical administrators" no longer want . the schools. Bishop Edwin B. Broderick of Albany is visiting every parish in the diocese to ask the people to decide Whether or not they will support the schools, Semenza sllid in an interview in The
Sharing Wealth, Concern Encourages Self-Help
Clothing Appeal
nent importance of authentic devotion to the Blessed Virgin not only in the liturgy, where the Church accords her a most special place under Jesus her Son, but also in the beloved devotions that have 路been repeatedly approved and encouraged by the Church and that are still filled with meaning for Catholics." "There is little doubt," the letter says,' "that we are passing through a period marked by a lack of interest in the saints. Much more is involved here than devotion to the saints, even St. Mary. What. is at stake is the reality of the humanity of the risen Jesus. There is danger of so spiritualizing the risen Christ that we diminish awareness of His humanity." The bishops urge increased devotion to Mary both in- the Mass -through special readings and votive Masses-and in the rosary. "It is unwise," they say, "to reject the rosary without a trial simply because of the accusation that it comes from that past, that it is repetitious and ill-suited to sophisticated moderns." The bishops point out that the prayers and mysteries of the rosary are based in the Bible and they suggest that Catholics "can freely experiment" with new forms of the rosary, including Turn to Page TWQ