eanco VOL. 35, NO. 48
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Friday, December 6, 1991
FALL RIVER, MASS.
in compliance with the teachings of the Catholic Church. Competent adult patients have the primary responsibility for decisions concerning their health and the corresponding right to refuse treatments which merely prolong the dying process. The sacredness of human life from conception through death must be recognized. Thus every ordinary effort must be made to preserve and improve human life, but medical techniques need not always 'prolong the natural process of dying. The Catholic Church, the bishops explain, is unalterably opposed to any attempt to legalize "mercy killing." Life belongs to God, yet one is not obliged to prolong life by disproportionate means (measures which offer no reasonable hope of benefit or involve excessive hardship). Euthanasia, the intent of which is to terminate human life, is Turn to Page I I
RIVER DIOCESAN NEWSPAPER FOR SOUTHEAST MASSACHUSETTS CAPE COD & THE ISLANDS Southeastern Massachusetts'Largest Weekly
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511 Per Year
Don't forget Sister at church this weekend
Parishes to offer guide to Health Care Proxy Bill The Catholic bishops of Massachusetts are distributing 750,000 copies of a leaflet explaining the state's Health Care Proxy Law, enacted last year to validate documents naming an agent or proxy to make health care decisions for an individual if he or she should lose the ability to make such decisions. The leaflet, to be distributed through parishes, will assist Catholics in understanding the moral aspects of federal and state laws regarding health care decisions. In addition to the state bill, a federal law which became effective Dec. I requires all health care facilities receiving Medicare and Medicaid funding to advise their clients of their right to prepare "advance directives for health care decisions." Catholics who choose to designate a health care agent or proxy should ensure that their personal convictions will be faithfully adhered to and that the agent will act
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By Bernard Casserly (Related feature on page 12)
FLOWERS are great but retired religious also need cash. Be generous this weekend.
Sister Mary Ambrosia was not feeling well, so she went for a check-up and discovered she had diabetes. Her doctor put her on a strict diet, ordering her, among other things, not to eat any cookies. "All my life I had to give up sex," she said, "and now, after 50 years in the religious life, I have to give up cookies, too?" After a sister working on the annual appeal for the national Retirement Fund for Religious (Dec. 7 and 8 in the Fall River diocese) told that story at Mass one Sunday, a parishioner told her she shouldn't tell it in church. "If I can't tell it in church," she replied, "where can I tell it." Where indeed, if not among the churchgoers who have benefited most from the sacrifices of a generation of d.edicated teaching sisters? Right here let me say that as a long-time activist in the Catholic
League for Religious and Civil Rights, I hate Catholic-bashing as much, if not more, than most Catholics I know. Still and all, if we Catholics can't bash each other when we deserve it, who can? For example, how come we Catholics are tightwads compared to our Protestant and Jewish siblings when it comes to supporting our churches. Although I question the reliability of some of the statistics on which this comparison is made, there is one figure about our skinflint nature concerning which I have no doubts. That is how penurious we are in aiding our retired religious, '---
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DId you know that the average American Catholic gave 50 cents last year toward the retirement program for U.S. sisters, brothers and order priests? There are more than 50 million Catholics in the Turn to Page I I
These Santas deliver toys by motorcycle By Marcie Hickey With the likelihood of a white Christmas always in question, these Santas prefer motorcycles to sleighs for holiday deliveries. On a cool autumn day when the leaves hl!-d barely turned, the New England Vikings Motorcycle Club was already thinking Christmas. The 15t> members of the club, representatives of a dozen more motorcycle organizations and a" number of independent riders took to the pavement on a grey-skied Sunday afternoon for a "toy run" to benefit needy children through the Fall River District St. Vincent de Paul Society 'and the deanery Catholic Social Services.
The intimidating spectacle of the 280-bike throng commanding the highway and winding through streets in Westport, Somerset, Swansea and Fall River was somewhat mellowed by the teddy bears and doll accessories strapped to the handlebars of the roaring machines. The run began at Battleship Cove, Fall River, and ended at Kennedy Park, in the shadow of the city's St. Anne's Church. Santa Claus was in the lead, the trailer hitched to his motorcycle laden with colorfully-wrapped gifts. Each motorcycle aficionado participating in the run brought a new toy for donation, and as the
crowd gathered 400 gifts were passed to Santa and loaded onto a city firetruck, then taken to St. Bernard's parish, Assonet, for storage until distribution for the holiday. Recipients will include some of Catholic Social Services' current clients and needy families known to the Vincentians, said Fall River
MARIAN MEDALISTS ARE LISTED ON PAGES 8& 9
Catholic Social Services director Mary-Lou Mancini, LCSW. The donations are a welcome boost, she said, because "times are so hard right now," and more people need assistance than did .last year. The Vikings, headquartered in Lakeville, began the toy run project four years ago. This is the second year the Catholic organizations will benefit, and both parties hope it will become an annual alliance. "It worked so well last year we decided to stay with them," said Ray Caron, vice president and toy run chairman for the Vikings. "Every year it gets bigger and bigger."
The Carons, Fall River residents who attend St. Anne's Church, have four grandchildren, said Caron's wife, Claudette. "Those kids want for nothing," said Mrs. Caron. "They have what they need, but a lot of kids don't. I grew up poor myself and sometimes went without things. I know how sad it is. Kids have to have something" at Christmas. The Virtcentians were represented at the event by district president Len Nicolan and vice presi c dent Leopold ThibllUIt. "I think it's a great thing they're doing, especially with the way the economy is," said Nicolan. This Turn to Page I I
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FROM SANTA'S WORKSHOP to Kennedy Park: (from left) Fall River District Vincentians president Len Nicolan, Fall River Catholic Social Services director Mary-Lou Mancini, New England Vikings president Rob
Robinette, vice president Ray Caron, Vincentians vice president Leopold Thibault, Right: Santa and his helpers load donated toys onto a city firetruck. (Hickey photos)