Diocesan Survey Favors State Aid, r /~. r.~l Mergers, New Plants
The ANCHOR AV5PIC& Il4AI'A
v
A n Anehor of the Soul, Su're and Firm -
ST. PAUL
More than one-half of the priests in the Diocese of Fall River and a little more than one-half of all teaching Religious in the Catholic elementary and high schools are in favor of closing all parochial and diocesan schools if "public. funds are not forthcomin" from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. This was anouJrlced today by Rev. Patrick J. O'Neill, superintentotal of 519, or 95 per cent considered is whether there is dent of schools, as the result of Athe teaching Religious, and a Catholic school." of a survey designed by 190, or 79 per cent of the priests In realistically facing the posCatholic Education R e - returned scorable answer sheets. sibility of closing schools in the search Center at Boston College. Questionnaires to the priests and religious were distributed by the Diocesan School Office.
Fall River, Mass., Thursday, Dec. 11, 1969 PRICE 10垄 Vol. 13, No. 50 漏 1969 The' Anchor $4.00 per Year
Declares Letters' Exert' Greatest TV Influence HOLLYWOOD (NC)-Letters from listeners and viewers influence the content of television programs. While many people are unhappy and critical over TV shows not many bother to express themselves to the TV people. This ]s the conclusion of approbation, influence manageMrs. Mary Armstrong, for- ment, she stressed. m,eIT' secIretary to Ralph Dan"Just one or two letters may iels, executive vice-president have a great impact on the fuof CBS television here. She handled the mail. "A show is sold on the basis of letters. If people bother to write, management listens. Not one ,letter Is thrown into the wastebasket," said Mrs. Armstrong' who retired this year to t,l:!~~ on 路the .job of. motherhood. Letters that are sincere and specific, either in complaint or
ture of any kind of- program. But the trouble is there are too few letters for management to guage public likes and' dislikes. It's pathetic how few people do write in," she observed. Mrs. Armstrong said stations keep a mail count book and路 refer letters to persons responsible for a particular program. The fewness of letters, said Mrs. Armstrong, in turn give the Nielsen ratings an influence that she implies is disproportionate. Cardina~ "In 15 years I was never called once by the rating service. I know many people who have never been called. Where are their voices?" she declared. The former secretary gave BOSTON (NC) - Richard advice about writing letters Cardinal Cushing of Boston this to stations: be honest, be perhas endorsed a legislative sonal, be positive, be specific, proposal which would allow don't be bigoted, don't be clever the state to purchase "secular or cute, don't use a group foreducational services" from non- mula (no impact at all) and public school systems in Massa- don't forget to write the sponsor. chusetts. "If you don't want other peoThe proposed measure would, ple doing your thiking for you, in effect, authorize the state de- sit down, write a letter and write partment of education to subsi- often. Mail count is frequently dize the instruction of students checked by management," Mrs. Armstrong pointed out. Turn to Page Six
Cushing Backs Measure To Aid Schools
Says Abortion Is
REV. GERARD A. HADAD
Father Hadad's First Mass Sunday Rev. Gerard A. Hadad, son of Solomon and Estelle (Jean) Hadad, 613 Pleasant St., Somerset, will l>e principal concelebrant of a Mass of Thanksgiving on Sunday afternoon at 3 in St. Patrick,'s Church, Somerset. 'Father Hadad was ordained Saturday, Dec. 6 by John Cardinal Dearden, Archbishop of Detroit, in ceremonies in the Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament, Detroit. Born in Fall River on May 9, 1931, he graduated from Prevost High School in Fall River, and the Sacred Heart Seminary College, Detroit. Father Hadad received his theological training' Turn to Page Six
~Exterminative
The reports show that both near future or consolidating the Religious and priests of the schools so as to have some form Fall River Diocese have a posi- of Catholic school education surtive attitude toward Catholic vive, the following decisions to schools. Better than nine out of eliminate certain grades or 10 respondents agree that "how- grade levels were given: 1) Parents are most effective ever hard it is to define, Catholic schools have a unique and in the religious formation of desirable quality not found in their children at the primary level. public schools." 2) Parents are least effective Why send students to Cathoin the religious formation of lic schools? children at the high school An overwhelming majority their level. (90 per cent or better) pointed 3) If Catholic schools had to to "giving the students a sense c1ose_ some grades, then high of moral values," or "religious school should close last. and moral atmosphere of the 4) CCD program is presently school." Eighty-three per cent as cffectiv.e as attendance at also gave "discipline" as an im- Catholic school at the primary portant reason for choosing a level. Catholic school. 5) It is most important to The principal reasons for have priests and Religious as sending children to public school teachers at the high school level. were listed as "tuition costs," 6) It is least important to "distance of the Catholic school have priests and Religious as from home," "large number of teachers at the primary level. lay teachers." Catholic schools were judged Sizable numbers question the superior to public schools by a proposal of "every Catholic majority in the following areas: Preparation for marriage and child in a Catholic school." But 54 per cent of the Religious and family life, Teaching of self-discipline, 49 per cent of the priests agree Developing respect for perthat "every Catholic child should spend some time in a son and property, Teaching honesty and tr.uthCatholic school." Nearly the same ,number ,of respondents fulness. The public schools were think that"in buying a new home, one of the things to be seriously Turn to Page Six
Results of School Voting PRIESTS SISTERS (Percentages) Consolidate small schools Close Grades 1 to 3 Replace schools with CCD Close Grades 7 & 8 Shared Time Programs Close High Schools; establish CCD Build Religious Education Centers Next to Public Schools Open Ecumenical Centers Next to Public Schoo~s , Convert Certain High Schools To Regional Junior Highs
74
73
28
47
14 29
17
26
44
50
24
21
52
64
51
58
38
54
Medicine'
Cardinal OIBoyle,Vehemently Opposes District of Columbia Move WASHINGTON (NC) Patrick Cardinal O'Boyle, in the strongest terms, has denounced an abortion-on-request proposal for th~ nation's capital. "Abortion is murder. "That is the issue. "I do not say it is legal murder - the law has never been consistent enough to recognize the full truth. But abortion is morally the same as any other murder." "And Anglo-American lawaiways has recognized that aboll'-
tion is a grave crime ,against the human life of the unborn. To permit abortion now would simply be to decide that is is expedient for some to die for the welfare of the rest of us," the , cardinal asserted. ' Cardinal Q'Boyle's views are outlined in a statement he has issued in his stand against recommendations made by a committee on District of Columbia General Hospital, seeking supplementary appropriations from Congress to improve the hospital's services. The recommendations included a proposal for
easing the anti-abortion law in the nation's capital by permitting an abortion to be performed on any woman who requests one. "If any woman has a right to have an abortion, poor women would have the same right. But no one has a right to an abortion, no more than any parent has a right to kill his infant after it is born. ' "Birth is no magic dividing line that separates the prehuman from the trUly human. The unborn child is as' much a person -a living human individual-as
any of us," Cardinal O'Boyle emphasized. Prior to 1946, the Cardinal said, U. S. courts consistently held, that the unborn child is not a legal person in the extent that the child could collect for injuries suffered before birth. "Beginning in 1946, this old view was completely reversed. and the reversal began with a case right here in the District of Columbia. In that case, the court observed that the law regarding the property of unborn children and the law regarding Turn to Page Six
CARDINAL O'BOYLE