For some, Giving Tree program is a tangible Christmas miracle By
DEACON JAMES
N.
DUNBAR
and shampoo that are given on a FALL RIVER - I f you don't regular basis to CSS. And a CSS believe in miracles or that it's food basket is another gift." much better to give than receive, Frias has also found that God just ask Mary Lou Frias. plays a giant role - sometimes a For a decade, Frias, who has miraculous role - in making it been the volunteer coordinator for all happen. the Gift of Giving Program for the "I'll tell you a story," she told Fall River Diocese's Office of The Anchor last week. Catholic Social Services, has seen "Some years ago in the final first-hand how important Christ- stages of trying to match the mas presents can be to raising the goods to the request tags hung on hearts and minds - - - - - - - - - - - - Giving Trees of needy families "It was the most wonder- set up in our and their children ful Christmas story, and I par ish e s to the story and remember how it affected throughout the me~n~ng. of all of us. It made all of us diocese, we reChf1~t s bIrth. realize how good God is." alized we were Smce Hallowrunning out of een, Frias and girls' and lanearly 200 fellow volunteers have dies' jeans in size 14 so many had been spending their spare time asked for," related Frias, who hails and weekends collecting, pur- from Dartmouth and is a parishchasing, wrappirig and delivering ioner at St. John Neumann Parish warm clothing, toys and other in East Freetown. necessary items families have "Then, like now, we had begun asked for to help brighten路 their in the fall to take in the donations Christmas. from parishes, schools and indi"Last year we handed out ap- viduals as well as from business proximately 10,000 gifts to nearly and industrial donors. At the time 4,000 families and children, and we were using the former St. in the corning weeks we expect to Mary's Cathedral :School facility do the same - or even more as our working headquarters. As and in these final weeks it means we received the final donations we we'll be at it Sundays and nights," became anxious because no jeans she explained. were coming in. So we prayed "Our aim is to give each needy that God would provide," Frias rechild a great outfit of clothes and called. a great toy," she said. "It is also Then the miracle happened. for children, or adults who might "A man walked in with two gibe handicapped. For families of ant-sized plastic bags. He said he five or more we toss in other didn't know what was in them, but Tum to page 18 - Tree things, basic needs, like blankets
MAJESTIC MANGER - Students of Holy Family-Holy Name School in New Bedford bring the baby Jesus to the aitar in this modern recreation of the birth of the Christ Child at Bethlehem more than 2,000 years ago. (Photo courtesy of Susan Massoud)
N.B. Catholic school's Christmas pageant is just a little off Broadway By DEACON JAMES N.
DUNBAR
NEW BEDFORD - With a 2,OOO-year-old story line, an infant playing the baby Jesus, a cast of 225, and a choir backed up by professional, symphony orchestra musicians, Holy Family-Holy Name School's 2007 Christmas pageant extravaganza "Our Gift of Love" will be presented December 16 at 3 p.m., in St. Lawrence Church. "It's the greatest story ever told and this has been an annual event by the entire school for nearly 17 years," reported Cecilia Felix, principal at Holy Family-Holy Name School. "We feel it is our gift of love to the entire community in remembrance of the Christ Child at Christmas, who has come and will come again with his love," Felix added.
c-c students spread hope at 'Toy Mass'
In response to a comment that the well-staged, wellrehearsed pageant has all the earmarks of an off-Broadway (New York) show, Felix quipped that the pageant in St.Lawrence Church "is on Summer Street in New Bedford." The 30-minute presentation staged in the sanctu: ary of the church "offers everyone the opportunity to spend a half hour of love for Jesus and allow him to enter our minds and hearts," she added. Felix recalled that in a recent year one young student commented that it is the same story presented the prior year. "That made it easy to explain that this is indeed the greatest story, the birth of the Messiah, the Redeemer, and needs to be repeatedly told at Christ's birthday for Tum to page 10 - Pageant
Decernber 16, 2007 Third Sunday of Advent
By MATT McDONALD ANCHOR STAFF
'TIS THE SEASON - Some of the several thousand gifts presented to area needy children at a Christmas past fill one of the rooms at the headquarters of the Diocesan Office of Catholic Social Services at 1600 Bay Street in Fall River. The scene will be repeated in coming weeks as hundreds of volunteers collect, purchase, label and transport the presents to needy in parishes. (Photo courtesy of Mary Lou Frias)
TAUNTON - The procession of people handing over toys, dolls, boardgames, and sporting equipment wasn't half over and the students on stage were having trouble finding places to put them. Scores of potential Christmas presents were stacked in piles, as most of the 735 students at Coyle and Cassidy High School and their teachers continued to come forward, each with something appropriate for a child. Tum to page 20 - Toys
NEARLY THERE - Third-graders from Holy Family-Holy Name School in New Bedford gather around the Advent wreath.