12.01.06

Page 1

FRIDAY, DEcEMBER 1,

Parish celebrates 100 years of Catholic presence on South Coast By MIKE GORDON ANCHOR STAFF

ACUSHNET - St. Francis Xavier Parish is marking the close of its centennial year on Sunday, celebrating 100 years of serving Catholics on the South Coast. Bishop George W. Coleman will be principal celebrant at a 5 p.m. Mass followed by a buffet banquet at the Century House. A concert of sacred and popular Christian music, under the direction of Barry and Judy De Rossi at 4:30 p.m., will precede the Mass. Pastor Father Daniel W. Lacroix is looking forWard to the event. "It will be a great celebration and a wonderful time for our parishioners," said Father Lacroix. ''This year has been a tribute to fonner parishioners who sacrificed so much to establish a parish and give the town of Acushnet a Catholic identity." The parish began as a mission in 1906 under the direction of Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary Fathers Bernard Pierson and Charles DeBaetselier. Services were held in a local store at the time because there was no church. On New Year's Day in 1911, a chapel was blessed by Bishop Daniel Feehan and the celebration of Mass and the sacraments began. The mission would become a parish officially on April 7, 1915. Because of the increase in the number of Catholics a new church was built and dedicated at the site in June 1925. Throughout the past year the parish has had many events to celebrate the milestone. Barbara Bonville, director ofParish Life and Evangelization, said it began December 3, 2005 when a

new statue of St. Francis Xavier was dedicated. It was placed in a new garden on the east side of the parish and ''the flowers really bloomed this past summer," said Bonville. Events included a family picnic at Cathedral Camp in East Freetown. "People were saying right away that it's an event they would like to see repeated," said Bonville. ''That was a great day for families." A timeline of the parish was set up in the church basement and parishioners brought in photos to share significant events in the life of the parish. ''That was an opportunity to see how our parish families have grown up," Bonville added. Vocation awareness holy hours, living rosaries and a living Nativity were also special events for the community, as well as a night at the Zeiterion Performing Arts Center in New Bedford. Twenty-six members of the parish made a pilgrimage to Rome with Father Lacroix. ''We had some enjoyable events," said Father Lacroix. "We tried to offer programs for families and singles and I think those who attended benefited from them. We're thankful to the outstanding group ofindividuals who worked so hard to make these celebrations possible. They are very dedicated Catholics who have seen the growth of this parish and really wanted to celebrate that." The parish also hosted a dinner theater focusing on a religious theme, held several infonnational talks for seniors and sponsored a pilgrimage day of reconciliation and prayer at

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2006

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INAUGURATING A CELEBRATION - Father Daniel W. Lacroix, p~stor at St. Francis Xavier Parish, Acushnet, blesses a new statue of St. Francis Xavier before it is plac~d outside the church. This event began a bUSy centenni~1 year at the parish.

Vatican given evidence. of cure on Cape credited to Cardinal Newman Deacon Jack Sullivan of Marshfield was re- Superior Court "confirmed that evidence of his 2001 allegstored to full mobility in 2001 after praying for edly miraculou~ cure, attributed to the intercession of CardiCardinal Newman's intercession. nal John Henry Newman, has been sent to the Congregation By

DEACON JAMES N. DUNBAR AND CNS AND OTHER REPORTS

PLYMOUTH - "I'm not supposed to be talking about this because the cause for Cardinal John Henry Newman is in a new processing period," Deacon Jack Sullivan told The Anchor last week "But my story has already been told by the Boston Globe and the Catholic New Service, so there are no secrets." Deacon Sullivan, 68, the clerk magistrate at Plymouth

for Saints' CauJes in Rome. CNS has rep~rted that the Roman postulator of the cause, Andrea Ambrosi, was assigned by the archdiocesan tribunal in Boston to be the official carrier of the package of documents, which contained two copies of the evidence. He flew from Boston to Rome and handed over the package November 14 to congregation officials at the Vatican.. The package, containing the sworn testimonies and the medical evidence of the healing of Deacon Sullivan, was

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Retirement Fund collettion for religious set for December 9-10 By

DEACON JAMES

N.

DUNBAR

FALL RIVER - The 19th annual collection for retired religious Brothers, Sisters and priests of congregations and orders will be held in parishes across the Fall River Diocese on December 9 and 10. ''We have a total of 349 religious over the age of 70 within our diocese and the aid given in this annual collection enables them to continue their service to the people of the diocese in spite of reduced numbers available for their works," said Mercy Sister Elaine Heffernan, diocesan episcopal representative for religious.

Citing the $141,580 raised locally last year, Sister Heffernan reported that it brings the total diocesan collection during the past 18 years of the collection to more than $2.6 million. ''The Diocesb of Fall River has given without stint to assist religious c6ngregations of men and women to care for their elderly and retired members," said Sister Heffernan in a l letter to pastors • ''This year's appeal theme is 'Share in the Care.' Your support is greatly appreciated and you can be assured that th~ retired religious will remember you in their

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