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VOL. 41, NO. 48 •
Friday, December 12, 1997
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FALL RIVER, MASS.
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FALL RIVER DIOCESAN NEWSPAPER FOR SOUTHEAST MASSACHUSETTS CAPE COD & THE ISLANDS Southeastern Massachusetts' Largest Weekly
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$14 Per Year
La Salette Shrine opens Festival of Lights Marcoux, Father Ferdette, Brother Wilfred and Brother Ephrem, who, in 1953, hung lights on trees and religious displays around the manhistoric display ger. Simonne Romero, the shrine's continues to program office manager, said she attract visitors. had been told that there were 30,000 lights that first year. The number has grown to more than 225,000 in By MIKE GORDON recent years. "I think it's more ANCHOR STAFF beautiful than ever this year and I ATTLEBORO-When La still get goose bumps at the '5 Salette Shrine turned on its mag- 0' clock oooh,'" said Romero of the nificent Christmas lights this sea- sound from the crowd when the son, it marked the 45th year of its lights are turned on nightly at 5 p.m. annual Festival of Lights. For 'The first year of the lights was many, it brought many happy marked by special pr~yers and firememories and recalled a rich his- works highlighted the grand openSISTER GERTRUDE Gaudette of Fall River painted this and many of the displays for La tory reaching back to long before ing," Father Moquin recalled. Fire- Salette Shine's 45th annual Festival of Lights whose theme this year is "His Spirit is Among the first official year in 1953. works opened the festival and Us:' The lights go on at 5 p.m., daily through Jan. 4, 1998. (Anchor/Gordon photo) Today, it involves many people helped celebrate the Feast of the Imand preparations for much more maculate Conception and begin- Lights for more than 30 years. the talk was about. They were ex- a dozen volunteers began putting up than just the lights themselves. The ning of the new Marian year, but, "We used to bring the kids, but cited about their visit. "It puts you lights after labor day. Another festival instills a spirit undeniably since then, the shrine has not repli- . they're all malTied now," said Mr. in the holiday spirit," said Carolyn. dozen volunteers helped to set up linked to the Christchild found be- cated its fireworks display. "A good Shanoff. He added that it didn't She added that it was nice to come the international display of Nativneath the bright star of Bethlehem number of people came that first stop them from coming each year to the shrine and get away from all ity sets and many volunteers help and the lights continue to tell that year and there was !l line of cars . to enjoy the display themselves. the commercialism a&sociated with to run the day-to-day operations of waiting bumper to bumper on Park wonder-filled story. For some, the Festival of Lights the shrine's facilities. ,-.. Christmas. Described as the shrine's gifuo Street to get in," Father Moquin is a new experience they heard Turn to page 13 - LaSalette This year's display was put toGod's people wishing to celebrate continued. Interestingly enough, about through friends or from chilgether by many people including the true meaning of Christmas, the due to the backup the shine was dren drawing them to the bright maintenance staff m~mbers Joe Festival of Lights began on the causing to traffic during those first lights and warmth of the hol!day The third Sunday of AdPrecourt, Alan Chapman, Bruce Feast of the Immaculate Concep- few years, Father Sauve offered a attraction. Steve and Carolyn vent, as with the midVierling and Jan Szpakowski. tion, Dec. 8, 1953, on a small par- piece of land to the town which Krenicki of Newport braved a reLent Sunday, finds the AIOIlg with Brothers Paul Boucher cel of land in Attleboro. Accord- could have expanded Park Street to cent cold night with their daughand Lucien Brodeur, approximately ing to Father Ray.mond Moquin, four lanes and alleviated traffic, but ter and grandchild to see what all celebrant at Mass who was about to btl ordained a the town refused. Now with some wearing rose colored deacon at the time, people used to 250,000 visitors each year to the vestments as the drive around the La Salette semi- shrine people find themselves in church in this season of nary house as early as 1945 to sec long lines to reach the display. It is well worth the wait. Just as~ the candles which decorated every expectation rejoices at Francis and Anita Shanoff of North window at the tiny shrine. the thoughts of recallThe first year of the festival was Branford, Conn., who have been ing Christ's coming at organized by Father Sauve, Father making the trek to the Festival of the men vary," Bernier, who is in the first Christmas as By JAMES N. DUNBAR his second year and studying thewell as the Lord's gloSOMERSET - When Paul ology, reported. rious second coming at Bernier received the Ministry of His own discernment of a reliReader at recent ceremonies at Pope gious vocation began many years the end of time. Some John XXXIII National Seminary in ago, "when I was about 13 or 14, of us remember it as Weston, it marked a major mile- in grammar school, the Blessed Gaudete Sunday, the stone in' his preparations and dis- Sacrament School in Fall River. I Latin word meaning "recernment for being ordained a thought about it and kept putting priest for the Diocese of Fall River. joice." It comes from St. Turn to page 13 - Bernier Bernier, the son of Mr. and Mrs. Paul's letter to the Rudolph Bernier of Somerset and Philippians which bea member of Blessed Sacrament gins, "Rejoice in the Parish, Fall River, is among many men, who, during a business or proLord always, again I fessional career have discerned a say, rejoice." It reflects call to a religious vocation and are our deliverance by responding to it. Christ the redeemer At age 45, Bernier is among 75 seminarians from 34 dioceses from our bondage to throughout the United States and sin. Canada currently in the priestly formation program at Pope John SemiMARIAN AWARDS - Four of the 102 Marian Medal re- nary. cipients meet with Bishop Sean P. O'Malley, OFM Cap., after Located 12 miles west of Bosreceiving the prestigious diocesan service award during cer- ton, the seminary was established emonies at S1. Mary Cathedral, Fall River, on Dec. 7. At left, in 1964 as the first seminary in are James R. Wingate of the Cathedral parish and Katherine North America dedicated to the preparation of second-career canM. Lancisi of S1. ,John the Evangelist Church, Attleboro, and didates for priesthood in the Cathoat right, Joan Frazier of S1. Joseph Church, Taunton, and lic Church. Annette Sullivan, 81. Elizabeth Seton Church, North Falmouth. "We have a full house at the PAUL BERNIER (Kearns photo) seminary right now and the ages of
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In its 45th year,
'Second-career'seminarian inducted as reader