FALL RIVER DIOCESAN NEWSPAPER FOR SOUTHEAST MASSACHUSETTS CAPE COD & THE ISLANDS VOL. 42, NO. 47 •
Friday, December 4, 1998
FALL RIVER, MASS.
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Oceania assembly delves into strengths, weakness of its Church ~
Bishop O'Malley offers his reflections during the first week of the synod.
Editor's Note: Bishop Sean P. O'Malley is in Rome joining otller selected bishops at a Special Assemb(y on Oceania to take a hard look at the South PacifIC region and make recommendations for thefuture ofthe Church there. His rliflections on the first week ofthe synod being heldfrom November 23 to December 13 arrived at The Anchor in time for this week's edition. By BISHOP SEAN
P. O'MALLEY, OFM CAP.
ROME - St. Peter's Basilica was filled to capacity. Suddenly, the conch shell sounded with several loud blasts and the procession began. The bishops of the distant isles of the vast Pacific Ocean made their entrance, followed by the cardinaIs of the Roman Curia, and, finally, the Holy Father, Pope John Paul II. Four men arrayed in tattoos and loin cloths carried the Book of the Gospels on a Polynesian king's throne. The gifts at the offertory were borne by ladies in grass skirts and huge scapulars of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. The Prayer of the Faithful was recited in Mareenne, Tongan, Maori, Samoan, English, and French. All of this was to mark the opening of the Synod of Bishops for Oceania. This synod is one of a series of international assemblies of bishops that the Holy Father has called as part of the Church's spiritual preparation for the millennium celebration of the year 2000,
SYNOD ADDRESS - Bishop Sean P. O'Malley delivers his comments to Pope John Paul II and members of the Special Assembly for Oceania being held at the Vatican. The intervention, or talk, included the bishop's input towards a working paper during the first week of the synod. Text of the bishop's address is on page 12. (Photo courtesy of L:Osservatore Romano)
the 2000th birthday of Jesus Christ, the Savior of the World. With next year's synod on Europe, all the regions of the world will have been convened. Besides the bishops of Oceania, which some describe as the floating continent, the Holy Father invited a few bishops from outside of the region: one bishop from Toronto, one from England, one from the Seychelles in the Indian Ocean, the bishop of the Galapagos Islands, and the bishop of Fall River. I am very honored to have been asked, but also a little puzzled as to why. The first week of the synod has been quite absorbing. We have listened to 118 interventions lasting eight minutes each. They were given in English, French, Italian and even one in Latin. The comments were supposed to be directed to a working paper that had been prepared by a pre-synodal commission and which defines the theme of the Synod: "Jesus Christ and the Peoples of Oceania: Walking His Way, Telling His Truth, Living His Life." Some of the interventions were disturbing. Some missionaries spoke of the frustrations caused by the difficult challenges of limited resources and great isolation. One bishop spoke of his diocese which covers one million square miles of ocean. He has 3,000 Catholics and six priests, four of whom are over 70 years of age, to minister to them. In the missions in New Guinea, where I have three Capuchin classmates working, they speak over 700 languages and the transition from the Stone Age to cyberspace is an arduous journey. Part of Tum to page 12 - Synod
Special vespers service marks World AIDS Day ~ Hundreds gather in St. Mary's
Cathedral, Fall River for evening song to remember those who have died of AIDS By MIKE GORDON ANCHOR STAFF
SECOND SUNDAY OF ADVENT
FALL RIVER - Bathed in the light of candles and among the soothing notes of song, more than 300 people gath~red in St. Mary's Cathedral at dusk on the eve of World Aids Day to attend a special vespers service. The vespers service, written by Dr. Krysten Winter-Green, director of the AIDS Ministry Office for the Fall River Diocese, and musician-composer Glenn Giuttari, director of the Sine Nomine Choral Group, was led by Father Joseph M. Costa and included prayers, song and the recitation of more than 400 names of persons who have died of AIDS. "People have told me it was a beautiful service and very meaningful for the community," said Dr. Winter-Green following the service. "It's very prayerful and people have been very positive," she added before making rounds at the reception following the service to thank people for their attendance and participation. Vespers, which in Latin is the word for "evening," is the evening prayer of the Church and one of the two principal prayers in the Liturgy of the Hours. These prayers are said daily by bishops, priests, deacons and religious and were offered during this service to ask God's help for those afflicted with HIVIAIDS. The choir opened the service and was
followed by a solo piece featuring oboe and organ. Following the processional, presider Father Costa incensed the altar asking the Lord that the prayers of the evening rise up "like burning incense." An adaptation of Psalm 141:1-9 was prayed aloud with Father Costa and the congregation speaking alternate parts aloud. The prayer asked that the Lord would provide refuge: "Keep me safe: I have called to you, Lord, hasten to help me:' A Psalm prayer was followed by "In Oculis Dei" performed by the choir. A reading from 1 Thessalonians 3:12-13 was followed by a moment of silence and the moving hymn "God of Day and God of Darkness," which asked that God "Show the Christ in one another," and "let us be one with you." A Canticle based on porTurn to page 13 - Vespers
SHARING SONG - Dr. Krysten Winter-Green, executive director of the diocesan Office of AIDS Ministry walks through the Cathedral with volunteer Scott Amaral following the vespers service on the vigil of World AIDS Day. (Anchor/Gordon photo)