Diocese of Fall River
The Anchor
F riday , December 18, 2009
The Christ Child beckons: ‘You can go home again’
By Dave Jolivet, Editor
FALL RIVER — Perhaps it’s the warm aura radiating from crèches in churches across the globe at this time of year. Even the most hardened of hearts can be touched by the image of the Baby Jesus, the Blessed Mother and St. Joseph in the tender moments following the birth of the savior. Contrary to what the media machine feeds folks, Christmas is a time for coming home again to family and friends. That includes coming home to the Church for some who have been away for many years, for many reasons. “We try to encourage parishioners to invite a family member or friend to come with them to Christmas Mass,” Father Jay T. Maddock, pastor of Holy Family Parish in East Taunton, told The Anchor. “We try to help them in with any specific questions or problems they have had with regards to being away from Church. “At Christmas, we always welcome our visitors and encourage parishioners who don’t join us regularly for Mass to know they are welcome and wanted. It obviously
Fourth Sunday of Advent
must be done on a personal level and that’s why people who live their faith by regular participation at Mass can have the most influence on family and friends who have been away from the Church.” Father Marcel H. Bouchard, pastor of Corpus Christi Parish in East Sandwich, said in his 37 years as a priest he has seen a number of people come back to the Church during this blessed time of year. “Some do come back and stay,” he said. “I’ve seen people who have returned because of an Advent homily that touched them, and led them back to the flock.” Father Bouchard told The Anchor that his parish is utilizing the Internet this year to encourage people to “Come back to Corpus Christi Parish, come back home for Christmas. We are asking parishioners via email to bring a family member or friend who has been away from the Church to Christmas Mass. It’s one of the nicest Christmas presents you can give.” Father Thomas E. Costa Jr., a parochial vicar at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Parish in Seekonk, has Turn to page 13
December 20
THE GIFT OF GIVING — The Coyle and Cassidy community recently gathered at St. Mary’s Church to celebrate the Christmas season of giving with the students and faculty of St. Mary’s Primary School, all in Taunton. The event was presented in preparation for the annual National Honor Society and Leadership Assembly’s Toy Gift Shoppe. Here members of Coyle’s National Honor Society sort gifts donated by staff, students, parents, alumni and local merchants.
Christmas’ Midnight Mass continues a strong tradition
By Deacon James N. Dunbar
NORTH EASTON — The fact that some unfamiliar faces and some long-unseen parishioners are often among those in attendance “shows how deep and long-standing the tradition is of attending the Christmas Mass at midnight,” said Father James W. Fahey, pastor of Immaculate Conception Parish here. “Of course I’m not reporting about Immaculate Conception Parish, because I’ve only been here six months. But in other parishes I’ve
attended or served in, the midnight Mass on Christmas has always been a special time for Catholics,” he added. He recalled that once upon a time if the family took a child to Midnight Mass, “it meant they thought you were mature enough to handle it — that is, to stay awake,” he said, laughing. “That was in the days before we had vigil Masses, and the Midnight Mass was considered the big Mass on Christmas and every family felt it was the way they should start
Christmas,” he said. Although he’s heard over the years of some reports of misbehavior by party-goers who then attended Midnight Masses, “I’ve never witnessed it.” He fondly remembers that one of the first Masses at which he served when he was seminarian was Christmas Mass at midnight. And when he was assigned to St. Theresa of the Child Jesus in Attleboro, “then-Bishop O’Malley wanted me to be there for the midnight Mass Turn to page 15
Shrine’s Christmas lights can become beacons guiding people back to the faith Kenneth J. Souza Anchor Staff
ATTLEBORO — Lapsed Catholics or those who have drifted away from their faith for various reasons are often inspired to come back to the Church during the festive seasons of Advent and Christmas. Perhaps it’s the promise of new beginnings — the coming of the Messiah and the commencement of new years, both liturgical and calendar — that inspire people to return to the fold. While the big draw at La Salette Shrine in Attleboro this time of year is the brilliant display of lights, shrine director Father Andre A. “Pat” Patenaude thinks these tiny beacons might also, in some small way, be guiding people back to the faith. “It’s sometimes hard to tell if people are coming back to the faith,” Father Pat said. “We can judge perhaps through the number of confessions we are hearing during Advent at the shrine. Since Thanksgiving we’ve heard close to 1,000 confessions. That’s a pretty good number.”
Father Pat said he’s also noticed a larger amount of young families coming to the shrine this year as a group and often coming to confession together as well. “Once they know the sacrament of reconciliation is available to them everyday — from 2 to 8 p.m. — many people avail themselves of it,” he said. Of the thousands who annually flock to La Salette between Thanksgiving and New Years, Father Pat said many aren’t Catholic or even Christian, so it’s difficult to determine who has come for spiritual or religious reasons. “I’ve had a couple of people tell me that they’ve been away from the Church for a while, or they’ve drifted away from the faith,” Father Pat said. “For a lot of people, they’ve been away for a year, or maybe two. But I had one person that had been away for 30 years. I can’t help but believe they’ve somehow been inspired by the Holy Spirit to come here or through the prayers of family members to bring them back.” Turn to page 12