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t eanc 0 VOL. 32, NO. 50
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Friday, December 16, 1988
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FALL RIVER DIOCESAN NEWSPAPER FOR SOUTHEAST MASSACHUSETTS CAPE COD & THE ISLANDS Southeastern Massachusetts' Largest Weekly
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$10 Per Year
World opens heart to Armenia VATICAN CITY (NC) - The Vatican announced it was donating $100,000 to Armenian earthquake victims as church charity organzations geared up to join a rare international relief effort to the Soviet Union. $100,000 has also been pledged by Catholic Relief Services, the overseas aid and development agency of U.S. Catholics.
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EXAMPLES of church-aided programs are the Community Soup Kitchen at the Cath~lic Social Services building in Fall River, where volunteers Mayetta and Joseph Levasseur prepare for diners in this 1983 photo; and St. Francis Residence in New York City, a hotel purchased by the Franciscan Order as a home for street people and former mental patients. (Torchia and NC photos) .
"Give Five," Christians asked WASHINGTON (NC) - "We decided to make a bold move and set a standard of what might be expected of all of us," said John Thomas, a spokesman for Independent Sector, a nonprofit group of corporations, foundations and voluntary organizations, including Catholic Charities USA. With assistance from the Advertising Council, the group has produced television, radio, newspaper and magazine ads urging Americans to contribute 5 percent of their income and 5 hours a week to their favorite charities. "The campaign is not geared to a specific charity," said Thomas. "It tells people to think about what they're doing for whatever causes they care about." At least in part, U.S. churchgoers and their congregations seem to be taking such advice to heart, according to results of a study by Gallup pollsters released Dec. 7. Titled "From Belief to Commitment," the study showed that .U .S. congregations of all church denominations donate nearly half of the money received from their members to charitable works and surpass U.S. foundations and corporations as sources for direct grants. In 1986, individuals contributed $41.4 billion to their congregations, and, of that, $19.1 billion, or 46 percent, was used for service programs and activities in the community. About $22.3 billion, or 54 percent, went to worship and religious education. Social service activities reported by the congregations surveyed included day care, family counseling, housing for senior citizens,
meal services, youth programs, refugee relief, civil rights, social justice, community development, health programs, education, arts and cultural efforts and environmental projects. Catholic Charities spokeswoman Cynthia Russell said the study illustrated the role individuals play through their churches and their "shared value system" in helping the nation's need. "It's important to take a look at church activity in social services and the important role donors play in making that possible,"Ms. Russell said. "If you took away the churches there would be huge gaps. Churches have a network, are well-run and efficient." Father Eugene F. Hemrick, USCC director of research and an adviser to the study, said it helped "to educate society to ways of helping people" and "to keep people aware they are stewards." "We're to take care of the goods of the earth and as stewards are to see that the earth's abundance is shared by all," Father Hemrick said. "It's a privilege. People easily forget that. The more they get the more they want." Immaculate Heart of Mary Sister Frances Mlocek, USCC director of finance, and Father Lou McNeil, director of the Glenmary Research Center in Atlanta, also helped with the project. In addition to Catholic Charities USA, Independent Sector members include the U.S. Catholic Conference, the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities, the National Catholic Conference for Interracial Justice and the National Catholic Development Conference.
Ms. Russell pointed out that the new study, as well as giving figures on contributions and their use, Turn to Page Six
ADVENT WREATH PRAYER FOURTH WEEK OF ADVENT
STIR UP thy power and come, we pray thee, o Lord, and with great might succor us; that our deliverance, which our sins impede, may be hastened by the help of thy grace and the forgiveness of thy mercy, who livest and reignest with God the Father in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, world without end. Amen.
Bisho'p Daniel A. Cronin has authorized a special collection for Armenian relief in diocesan parishes this weekend. Proceeds will be forwarded to Catholic Relief Services for transmittal through the Armenian Catholic Exarchate of the United States and Canada for an ecumenical relief fund to be administered by the Exarchate, the Archdiocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church of America and other Armenian churches. Bishop Cronin also asks that parishes and individuals remember the Armenian people in prayer.
Pope John Paul II sent telegrams to Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev and Catholic and Orthodox church officials, pledging the· church's aid and his personal prayers for Armenians. "I express to you, to the Soviet people and especially to the entire Armenian nation my spiritual closeness and my painful sharing in this very sad event," the pope said in the Russian-language telegram to Gorbachev Dec. 10. The pope expressed condolences in separate messages to the Armenian Orthodox patriarch, Vasken I, and to the Catholic Armenian patriarch in Beirut, Archbishop Jean-Pierre XVIII Kasparian. The earthquake struck Armenia, a southern Soviet republic, on Dec. 7, leaving an estimated 50,000 people dead and thousands more injured. Half a million people were reported homeless. Gorbachev cut short his U.S. visit to fly to the devastated region Turn to Page Six
Pope asks policy revie.w
Special ministers. VATICAN CITY (NC) - U.S. recent ruling by the Pontifical bishops should review policies to Commission for the Official ensure that special ministers of the Interpretation of Canon Law. Eucharist do not distribute comA commission ruling, made munion when enough prie.sts and public last July, said a special mindeacons are present,' said Pope ister is not authorized to "exercise John Paul II. his temporary task when there are "I n some cases there may still be present in the church, even although a need to revise diocesan policies not participating in the eucharistic in this matter," the pope said to celebration, ordinary ministers who U.S. bishops from Illinois, Wis- are not in any way impeded." Ordinary ministers are priests consin and Indiana. Special ministers of the Eucha- and deacons. rist are lay people granted permisA 1980 document by the Vatision to distribute communion. can congregation for Divine WorMany U.S. parishes have programs ship said special ministers could by which such ministers regularly distribute communion when there help distribute communion at is no ordinary minister, when the Masses and bring the sacrament to . priest is impeded by illness or the sick in homes and health care advanced age and when "the number of faithful going to comfacilities. The pope stressed '''the supple- munion is so large as to make the mentary character of the faculty celebration of Mass excessively granted to lay persons to distrib- long." ute holy communion." The 1980 document said "a Review is needed "not only to reprehensible attitude is shown by ensure faithful application of the those priests who, though present law but also to foster the true at the celebration, refrairi from notion and genuine character of distributing communion and leave the participation of the laity in the this task to the laity." life and mission of the church," the The pope, in his talk to the pope said Dec. 10. bishops, also discussed the 1989 The bishops were at the Vatican special meeting between the leadfor their"ad limina" visits, required ership ofthe U.S. bishops and Vatevery five years to report on the ican officials. He called the meetstatus of their dioceses. ing a "pastoral collaboration." The pope said church rules on No date or specific agenda has special ministers are established.in been announced for the summit canon law and were reiterated in a Turn to Page Six