VOL. 45, NO.47 • Friday, December 7, 2001
FALL RIVER, MASS.
Southeastern Massachusetts' Largest Weekly • $14 Per Year
Clergy conference highlights approaching U.S. liturgy changes By DEACON JAMES N. DUNBAR AND CATHOUC NEWS SERVICE
steps to work with the Vatican hoping that U.S. adaptations to the new general instruction could take effect at the same time as the instruction. Also coming up soon for American Catholics is use of the new weekday Lectionary for Mass - as an option in U.S. parishes beginning February 13 and as a requirement beginning May 19. Father Moroney said he hopes that a better understanding ofthe litorgy will be "the biggest change that anyone would notice" as the changes are implemented. 'This latest edition ofthe Roman Missal, the New Typical Edition, is intended to provide us with an opportunity at the beginning ofthe new millennium to deepen our understanding, theologically and spiritually and ritually, of what has always been in the Roman Missal;' he said. 'That's the core poin!;' he told The Anchor. "The change in the Roman Missal is not simply an occasion for a political reassessment of the way we order rubrics. But what's more important is to determine how and why we're celebrating Mass the way we do." Pragmatically, he said, "I've come here to talk about the ways that Roman Missal becomes adaptable to the dioceses ofthe United States;' he added. Father Moroney made itclear that Turn to page 13 - Liturgy
EAST FREETOWN - Hundreds of priests and deacons from the Fall River diocese gathered recently at Cathedral Camp to leam about changes in the liturgy that U.S. Catholics can expect to see in the coming months. The instructional workshops from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and a briefer meeting from 7 to 9 p.m. - were presented by Father James P. Moroney, associate director of the HOLY UNION AND MERCY sisters meet regularly at the Landmark retirement facility in Secretariat for Liturgy of the U.S. Fall River for a book club and were recently discussing the novel "To Kill A Mockingbird." Conference of Catholic Bishops, a Clockwise from left are, Holy Union Sister Eugenia Maria Arsenault, 63 years of service; priest in the Diocese of Worcester. Msgr. Stephen 1. Avila, director Holy Union Sister 'Elizabeth Magdalene Clayton, 66 years; Mercy Sister Denisita Sullivan, of the Office of Worship, coordi50 years; Holy Union Sister Vera Herbert, 75 years; and Holy Union Sister Francis Sebastian nated the workshops, which keyed , Dwyer, 75 years. (AnchodGordon photo) on what had been discussed and voted by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops at the bishops' November 12 through 15 meeting in Washington, D.C. A number of changes Will come in connection with the Vatican's new General InStI1lction of the Roman Missal, which is'to take effect immore than $6 billion of unfunded religious in this diocese will re- mediately whenever the third edition NORTH DARTMOUTH Retired members of religious retirement liability for the more member you in prayer for all your , of the Roman Missal coines out in communities who spent their than 85,000 religious sisters, generous support," she said. Latll. The instruction itselfhas been "The Diocese of Fall River has public since July 2000. lives in Church ministries will be brothers and order priests in this given without stint to assist reliassisted by the national collection country. The new edition of the Roman The Fall River diocese alone gious congregations of men and Missal is expected to appear within for the Retirement Fund for Religious to be taken up in parishes contributed $163,110 last year women to care for their elderly the next month, Father Moroney rein this diocese and nationwide reports Mercy Sister Elaine and retired members," Sister ported. Heffernan, episcopal representa- Heffernan added. "This aid has At the meeting the bishops took this weekend. enabled the religious to continue Now in its 14th year, the RFR tive for religious. "This brings our total diocesan their service to the people of the has evoked a greater response from U.S. Catholics than any an- contribution for all the years of the diocese in spite of reduced memnual appyal in the U.S. Catholic collection to $1.9 million and you bers available." The crisis in unfunded retireChurch history, helping to offset can be assured that 52,000 retired ment became evident in the early 1970s for Catholic religiou& orders, Sister Heffernan said. For nearly a century they had established some of the largest systems of education, heaith care and social service ministries in the nation. They supported and trained their members. Until recent decades, the care of elderly members of religious institutes was ensured by younger members who entered religious life in sufficient numbers to provide financial and human resources to care for all members. But today, elderly religious who are retired from active, paid ministry far outnumber their POPE JOHN Paul II greets Bishop Sean O'Malley, OFM wage-earning religious colCap., at the proclamation of the post synodal document for leagues. Health costs have sky-
Religions retirement collection is this weekend
Turn to page eight - Religious
the Synod of Oceania on November 22. The bishop was also in Rome attending a!T1eeting of the Pontifical Council for Family.