12.22.95

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FALL RIVER DIOCESAN NEWSPAPER FOR SOUTHEAST MASSACHUSETIS CAPE COD & THE ISLANDS

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VOL. 39, NO. 50

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Friday, December 22, ]995

FALL RIVER, MASS.

Southeastern Massachusetts' Largest Weekly

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2 THE ANCHOR --

Diocese of Fall River

Fri .. Dec. 22.1995

Retired officer reports spare tires can save lives Retired Fall River Police Sergeant Raymond A. McGough, who served the city for 33 years, in the process garnering scores of awards and, citations from a wide variety of civic and governmental organizations, has reported on the potential of a spare tire to save lives when it is thrown into water or slid on ice to a potential drowning victim.

His report on the subject follows: Many years ago, after experimentation with an automobile spare tire mounted on a steel rim and weighing approximately 42 pounds, it was found that when thrown into water or slid on an icy surface to victims, it was a valuable tool in effecting rescues. This was demonstrated over 40 years ago by members of the Massachusetts Safety Officers' League when I served as president.

JUST AROUND the corner, the Bishop's Charity Ball, scheduled for Jan. 12 at the Venus de Milo restaurant, Swansea, always proves to be an enjoyable and worthwhile event.

From left, Msgr. Thomas Harrington, pastor of Holy Name parish, New Bedford, and diocesan director of the Ball, Katherine M. Lancisi, co-chairperson of the Ball and president of the Diocesan Council of Catholic Women, and Joseph Motta, co-chairperson of the Ball and president of the Attleboro District Council, Society of St. Vincent de Paul, plan for the event which will feature live entertainment by Studio One. (Gaudette photo)

:• Music ~fbte~ ~

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Unfortunately, the general public has not been sufficiently educated on use of a tire to save lives.

Often witnesses will stand helplessly on the shore after calling for help and often rescue personnel jeopardize their own lives by jumping into frigid waters to effect· a rescue.

In 1982 a plane crash-landed on the Potomac River in Washington, D.C. Many people stopped their vehicles on a bridge and watched, never realizing they had potential life preservers in their trunks.

I would appreciate more education of the public by the news "New England hospitality , media on this simple procedure so we can stop thisisenseless loss of with a European Flair" life.

LIGHTHOUSE CHRISTIAN BOOKSTORE

• Rosaries • Gifts

The story of St. Nicholas begins on this page and will run through page 9/ Photographs are of this year's Christmas d~splay at LaSalette Shrine, Attleboro, the work ofSister Gertrude Gaudette, OP, each panel depicting St. Nicholas is 4 by 8 feet, painted on 3/4 inch plywood. A true Renaissance woman, she also took the story's photographs.

Salette Center for Christian Living Attleboro, MA 02703-5195

December 29-31

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January 12-14

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January 12-14

ELEMENTS OF SPIRITUAL LIFE

January 19-21

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January 26-28

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'

Deacons to mark feast ofSt. Stephen Permanent deacons and candidates of the Diocese of Fall River along with their wives and children will celebrate the feast of St. Stephen, patron of deacons, with a 7:00 p.m. liturgy on Dec. 26 at St. Stanislaus Church, Fall River. Pastors and parochial vicars of the deacon's and candidate's parishes have been invited to attend and concelebrate this litufJ~Y. Relatives, friends, and invited clergy will join in honoring the first deacon martyr and then will be guests of the St. Stanislaus community at a festive buffet in the parish center.

The celebration had been an annual event for the diaconal community until a fire some years ago that destroyed St. Stanislaus Church. It is being resumed this year for the first time since the fire through the courtesy of Father Robert Kaszynski, pastor, Deacon Frank Mis, coordinator of the event, and the St. Stanislaus parish family.

Nicholas was born in Palara on the southwest coast of Asia Minor around 280 AD. His par' ents, both of rich and noble families, died during a plague when he was very young. A loving uncle, a bishop in the area, took Nicholas into his home to raise him. Under the bishop's care, Nicholas learned prayers and rituals.

Beloved by people and the clergy, he was ordained to the priesthood at age 19 and at age 29 was appointed bishop of Myra, an ancient city in southern Asia Minor. '

THIS SIMPLE "praesepio" is part of a 275-set collection at the U niv~rsity of Dayton, Ohio's Marian library', Set against a background of crumbling ruins, it symbolizes that a new culture is emerging from the remains of the old. (CNSj UDayton photo)

~~:~~~ . ~~~. ~.~.~ . ~. ~a ..

Christmas 'dinner for the poor The Taunton Family will hold a free birthday party on Christmas Day at the Coyle Cassidy High School on the corner of Hamilton and Adams Streets, Taunton.

Breakfast, (donuts, bagels, muffins,juice and coffee) will be served at 9 a.m. with dinner (turkey, potatoes, squash, mixed vegetables, gravy, bread and butter, cranberry sauce, pickles and beverages) following from II a.m. to I p.m.

The first 50 persons to attend will receive grocery store gift certificates.

Volunteers will distribute used clothing, toys and books and M r. and Mrs. Santa Claus will be on hand to give gifts to all present.

Attendees will also receive a bag of groceries and leftovers to take home for supper that evening.

Drivers are needed to deliver meals to senior citizens and housebound persons between· 11 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. To have meals delivered, to make a donation, or to volunteer, call Michael House, Veterans Agent for Taunton, tel.

821-1038 or Sr. Corline Cronan, tel. 823-8399. The group served 407 on Thanksgiving.

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1111I1111I111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111II111111111111111 THE ANCHOR (USPS-545-020). Second Class Postage Paid at Fall River, Mass.

Published weekly except the week of July 4 and the week after Christmas at 887 Highland Avenue. Fall River. Mass. 02720 by the Catholic Press of the Diocese of Fall River. Subscription price by mail, postpaid $11.00 per year. Postmasters send address changes to The Anchor, P.O. Box 7, Fall River, MA 02722.

When Nicholas was a lad, his uncle surprised him with a legacy the boy had been left by his father. Already known as a kind and generous youth, Nicholas knew at once that he would use the money to ease the sufferings of the poor and needy. Even as a child, he had chosen to live a

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Holidays are festive at Bethany House The first Christmas season at Bethany House Adult Day Health Care, Taunton, has delighted participants and staff alike.

Throughout the holidays, participants have enjoyed a wide variety of activities including crafts, baking, socials, discussion groups and even a holiday luncheon trip to Benjamin's restaurant.

"It·s a fun place:' said Emley Lincoln, a Bethany House participant from Raynham. "We ean do whatever we like, I like to decorate."

The activities sche:dule at Bethany House is designed to accommodate each participant's preferences. Special care was taken during

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the holiday season to include a variety of events and activities.

"We wanted to give our participants the chance to share memories of past Christmas celebrations and traditions," said Melody Ring, director of therapeutic activities.

Bethany House Adult Day Health Care offers weekday nursing care, medical monitoring, access to rehabilitation, therapeutic activities, socialization and nutritious meals to adults with health care needs who live in the community.

For more information about Bethany House Adult Day Health Care, please contact Diane Craig, program director, at 822-9200

The Officers & Employees of

Duro Industries, Inc. EMLEY LINCOLN and George O'Brien, both of Raynham, decorate the Christmas tree at Bethany House. Program assistants Holly Silvia and Judy Eastman, certified nurse aides, offer encouragement.

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4 THE ANCHOR _.

Diocese of Fall River -- Fri .. Dec. 22.1995

themoorin~

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the living word

Christmas Choices It's rather sad to think that many measure the importance of Christmas by the success or failure of commercial sales. Ever since the holiday shoppnng season began at Halloween, the national economy has hinged on how much money people will spend as they prepare for Christmas. Day in, day out, the media proclaim sales figures as if !hey were the very lifeline of the country. Of course, this is closely tied to the amount of advertising that Christmas generates for the media. It's always business as usual and the reason for the season is all but lost in the pursuit of the. dollar.

To add to all this, we have the Washington gang tinkering with the national budget, adding yet more to our woes. It is unnerving to see our elected officials playing politics with people's lives over economic issues. Both parties are doing an excellent job of eroding confidence in government and its ability to govern. As merchaqts recite a litany of woes, politicians paint pictures of recession. As the debate continues, people are becoming more and more pessimistic, even to the point of fearing a depression.

A third factor worrying the electorate is the continuous and massive layoffs that corporate mergers are .creating. Millions have found themselves looking for jobs in the interest oflarger profits for the few who control the purse strings of capitalism.

So many who have given years of service to what were once considered good jobs are now receiving unemployment benefits. We have become so commercially "efficient" that we have no qualms at replacing a person with a computer. Business has no soul.

These realities should be an indication that we must strengthen ourselves with values that cannot be destroyed by the war lords of computers, industry and politics who have tried their best to take Christ out of Christmas and out of people's hearts as well.

F or those who still believe that there is life after the dollar, this season provides a good time to revitalize priorities. Some have had to do this the hard way after finding themselves with no job, no home, no medical coverage and no one to care. The way to strengthen the individual, the family and the community is to act, not react. The power of choice is ours. We should not allow it to be taken a way or destroyed by the dictates of commercialism.

Those of us who wish to live a life worth living have the opportunity to strengthen our values and moral attitudes during the days of Christmas. Many cannot make life choices alone. They need help. Church, family and friends are the resources that are lacking in so many people's lives. To restore and renew these values and initiatives in one's life is not an easy task. However, it is necessary. The security we seek, the love we need' and the self-esteem we hope for are to be found in following the course of action we know in our hearts we should.

Christmas is the perfect time to make the journey to Bethlehem. In its honesty and simplicity, we can see that the gift of life has deep meaning and importance. That is the real message of the loving God who chose that the Word should be made flesh. In this truth all can find the real security that we not only seek but need.

In this world, choices may indeed be hard but they willle~d us to the world to come.

The Editor

OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER OF THE DIOCESE OF FAll RIVER Published weekly by The Catholic Press of the Diocese of Fall River 887 Highland Avenue P.O. BOX 7 Fall River. MA 02722-0007 Fall River: MA 02720 Telephone 508-675-7151 FAX (508) 675-7048 Send address changes to P.O. Box 7 or call telephone number above

GENERAL MANAGER

EDITOR Rev. John F. Moore

Rosemary Dussault ~

LEARY PRESS - FALL RIVER

eNS/ Joy,:. pholo

THIS MOSAIC OF THE HOLY FAMILY DECORATES AN OUTSIDE WALL OF HOLY FAMILY CHURCH IN CITRUS HEIGHTS, CALIF.

"You shall find the infant wrapped in swaddling clothes, and laid in a manger." Luke 2:12

Decorating o.ur own Christmas trees

By Father Kevin J. Harrington Have you ever wondered why so many stories about tragedies and about heroic efforts to help others appear during the Christmas season? A journalist friend of mine told me that such events occur all year long but only during the Christmas season do the media focus upon them. The tree falls whether or not 'anyone sees or hears it falling! Christmas 1995 has been no exception to this rule.

The story of the tragic fire that put 1400 workers out of their jobs at the Malden Mills in Methuen was .followed by an extremely generous offer from Aaron Feuerstein, president of Malden Mills Industries. He promised workers he would continue paying them for 30 days and continue their health insurance for 90 days.

Feuerstein was quoted as saying: "My father, who was a very observant Jew, taught me, and I still remember his quotation: 'In those circumstances whe.re there is a moral vacuum, do everything within your power to be a man.' And that's what he instructed his children to do," he said.

The workers stood and cheered.

The complete interview included credit for that quotation as coming from the great rabbi Hillel.

1n Jesus' time, Rabbis Hillel and Shammai were held in great esteem.

The moral teachings of Jesus resembled, for the most part, the flexible thinking of the school of Hillel rather than the rigorous attitudes of Shammai. Jesus favored mercy over justice as both occur in the biblical tradition. without ever

presenting God as disinterested in justice. However, as we know, Jesus was even stricter than Shammai in his unequivocal opposition to divorce as practiced by Jewish men of his day.

Perhaps the Christmas tree is the most apt metaphor. Many people spend their days gathering ornaments but lack a Christmas tree 1'0 hang them on. The Christmas tree is our vision of God, man, and self. Our tree might be lopsided, blighted, and dismal, but it is' better than nothing. For Feuerstein, dollars ($6 million, to be precise). were like ornaments that would only be an accumulation of fragments; but given to his employees they gave people a hint of the wholeness of his mosaic.

The root of the Hebrew word "shalom" means being intact, complete, put together inside. To greet someone with "shalom" means to wish that person wholeness, hoping he or she is filled with the hap-

••••

NOTICE

Most of our usual columns will not appear this week, due to our Christmas features. All will return in our next issue which willbe dated Jan. 5, 1996. There· will be no issue on Dec. 29.

pi ness that comes with being in harmony with self, nature and God. It is asking that one's lift: be a work of art.

This insight first came to me in college when I heard a characterin a Saroyan play, "The Tim.e of Your Life," say "Living is an art, it is not bookkeeping." Shaping the fragments of our lives into sl:>mething of significance requires a unified angle of vision. This is rarely achieved in a dramatic way, as with St. Paul on the road to Damascus. Many achieve it after much pain and anxiety and only find some peace after being humbled and thrown off horses higher than St. Paul's.

The ancient Greeks were fond of exhorting their people to live according to nature. One sage observed that the ·Greeks considered the beautiful holy whik the Jews thought the holy beaUl:iful.

Perhaps these positions are n at as antithetical as they appear. Just as a work of art has wholene:;s, a well-designed life has a wholeness.

For Jews, Yom Kippur is a day of atonement. It is a time for a person to get back in touch with God, to find his O( her primary work, to discern what he or she should be doing. The search' for God's will is unifying: it brings an ever-unfolding sense of vocation.

For Christians, Christmas reminds us of our profound solidarity.

Because God uniquely blessed us human beings by revealing His very nature to us through our own human flesh, He has made the holy and the beautiful one! Merry Christmas, dear reader!

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Troubled parish seeks a silent night· ~~i~~~c~~~. 22,1995

As Nicholas grew into manhood, word of his generous nature spread and many of his impov, erished countrymen sought his help. He miracu' lously multiplied a shipment of grain to avert a threatened famine and on several occasions brought young students back from the dead. He gradually became identified as our Santa Claus, derived from the Dutch Sinterklaas. He. answers the universal yearning for a season of childlike innocence:: and peace on Earth.

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TORONTO (CNS) - Father Tom Day says he hopes for a silent night for his crime-ridden innercity community - even if it is only one night.

"We have a dream this time of year which springs from a Christmas tradition - a child being born on a silent night," said Father Day, the pastor of St. Paul's Parish, which encompasses Regent Park, Canada's largest public housing complex.

"We're dreaming of a night when our children can sleep in peace," the priest said.

A silent night is rare in the St. Paul's community. Gunfire is the norm, an offshoot of the thriving drug trade that plagues the complex.

Many in the community live in constant fear, locked into their homes oncl~ the sun goes down, Father Day said.

"Ninety-five percent ofthe community are the salt of the earth," he said. But there is much temptation for the kids for whom the drug trade is the only economic activity they know.

The students of St. Paul's School prepared a play which places the nativity story in their housing complex. The performance, in St. Paul's Church, was designed to coincide with a Dec. 20 nighttime community demonstration against the violencl~.

"We're asking for one night when our c:ommunity can sleep," Father Day said.

In the playa child is born to a single mother in a stairwell of a Regent Park apartment building.

Herod is portrayed as a gun-toting

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drug pusher who seeks to corrupt the child, while the wise men urge the child to avoid drugs.

The idea of the play and the other events that evening is to give the community a sense of solidarity, Father Day said.

He said he has no illusions that the drug problem will disappear, but he hopes the community's youth can be "led to goodness."

"The whole thing is a prayer," Father Day said.

"It's Christmas time, it's a time for dreaming and miracles," he said. "It's time for 'the' miracle."

5

Merry Christmas

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CHRISTMAS DAY (MONDAY, 25 DEC. '95) 8:15A.M. (ENGLISH) 9:30 A.M. (PORTUGUESE) 11:00 A.M. (ENGLISH) 12:15 P.M. (PORTUGUESE)

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President to marry PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (CNS) - Haiti's president, Father Jean-Bertrand Aristide, has confirmed to journalists that he is engaged to marry. Although he declined to identify his fiancee, media reports identified her as

'Too"'busyfor Christmas?

,Mildred Trouillot. 33, a Haitian:' American lawyer who has been working for Father Aristide. Miss Trouillot is a member of one of Haiti's wealthiest and powerful families. "As far as the date is concerned, I don't have one yet. When I know, I will tell you," a smiling Father Aristide told reporters.

BLESSINGS OF THE..S1S.. SON ~'

May your Christmas be filled with the joy of Christ's birth and blessed with the light ofHis love.

BOASFESTAS

SANTO CHRISTO PARISH FAMILY FALL RIVER

A Joyful Christmas Season and A Blessed New Year To All

~ From the Parish Family of St. Francis of Assisi Mill and Newton Sts. New Bedford, MA

After his death, Nicholas was proclaimed the patron saint of children, fishermen, prisoners and sailors. His name was often invoked by crewmen facing storms at sea. On one occasion, a shiP in the Mediterranean, battered by winds and waves, ran aground in shallow water. Having"heard. of 'the power of Nicholas, the captain and crew prayed to him for aid. He appeared, gave them a helping hand, then disappeared.

Another time, he appeared to a young sailor who had also called on him for help. The saint t~ok the helm of the young man's ship and guided it to port.

Even today, many sailors pray "May 路St..Nicholas hold the tiller!" ,

Christmas is 'produced and directed by God

By Father William W. Norton On the bumper of my car is a sticker which reads'" Miracles Happen; Ask the Angels." The miracle of Christmas is found in J oh'n's Gospel 3: 16 - ~'God so loved the world He gave us His only begotten Son that those who believe in Him may not perish, but have life everlasting."

What is so special is that Christmas comes from God. We do not make Christmas: ask the angels, ask Mary, ask Joseph, ask the shepherds in the fields tending their flocks. Christmas happened when we as a waiting world least expecte,d it.

Joseph A. Fitzmyer, a biblical scholar, in "The Gospel According to Luke" says there are three main parts to the infancy narrative: the setting of the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem; the birth' itself; the manifestation of the newborn child to the shepherds and then the reaction of all who heard of it to the birth and the angel choir appearing over the skies of Bethlehem.

God set the time and the place and

announced the Good News through a multitude of angels.

Bethlehem was the place of David, the shepherd boy who while tending his flocks was called to be Shepherd Ki'ng of all -Israel. Jesus is the new David - the Good Shepherd par excellence. His birth was underdr'amatic in that its eyewitnesses (eft no biographical account. We do not know theday, the date or the hour of the baby's first breath. The shepherds represent all the poor working-class people of the world and as one fifth grader said recently, "Jesus was born poor so everyone could be able to say He is ours." He is born for everyone. Shepherds announced the Good News to the sleeping town, just as Mary Magdalene announced the resurrection of Christ, for she was the first to see him risen from the dead.

Consumers are tricked into believing that the buying and the giving of gifts are the reality of this day.

Madison Avenue trivializes a wonderful spiritual feast but the truth is that Christmas is a matter of God's heart and is the miracle we still celebrate almost 2,000 years later.

By Dan Morris Hint: If you recently c(lunted licking Christmas stamps a:~d the egg beater as lunch, read or.,.

Television, newspapers and magazines are fond of providing us semi-preachy columns this time of year that tell us ways to simplify life so we "can enter into tt,e season more fully and with a greater sense of what the holidays are supposed to be about," to quote one.

So, just how do we know if we are too busy? Answer Uncle Dan's quiz, that's how: What types of things do you have planned so you can relax and enjoy the season?

I) Leaning your forehead onto the steering wheel and dozing off during an oil change at Slick Nick's Grease and Go. 2) Finding a turkey leftover soup recipe that does not require a trip to the store.

3) Taking part in an Advent prayer series.

What brought you the most delight within the past 48 hours?

I) Discovering that the l;ablecloth the kids used for a tent last 路summer can be dyed red.

2) Learning the Mastercard people just upped your limit.

3) Spending a leisurely evening making a gingerbread hous(: with your children.

How are you handling shopping stress -like when someone snatches a parking space for whic:~ you have been waiting an eternity with your turn signal on while thl~ current occupant unloads a cart of presents, searches her purse fprever for her keys and' presumably-balances her checkbook in the car before attempting to vacate the spot?

I) Rip the plastic Jesus off your dash and hurl it at the parking space thief?

2) Stay right where you are, gunning your engine and hoping the driver might stray in front of you? , 3) Whisper "Tsk, tsk," and renew your search?

What is the first item on your daily to-do list?

I) To number the pages (If the to-do list.

2) To wrap presents and address cards while the fruitcake is baking.

3) To call your daughter and see if she can join you for morning Mass and window shopping?

What kind of Christmas tunes do you find yourself hummingor hear echoing in your head?

I) "Here Comes Santa Claus" by the Chipmunks?

2) The "We're open 'til midnight" jingle for Olson and Farn:>by's department store?

3) "The First Noel"? , How to score: Give yourself three points for answering each question, and a bonus point if you were not tapping your fingers.

If you scored three points or less, you are too busy and sh ould reschedule Christmas.

If you scored from six to dght points, you are an average American Catholic and didn't realize Advent had started until midooDecember.

If you scored nine or higher, you clearly have not been trying to park in any of the malls neal my place.

Your comments are welcDme always. Please send them to Uncle Dan, 25218 Meadow Way, Arlington, Wash, 98223. '

God is 'Truth

Norris tI. Tripp

By Father John Dietzen

SHEET METAL

Q. Your column is always most informative, and I hope you can help me with a question that has barned me for year's.

J. TESER, Prop.

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The Old Testament says God is the source of all Truth. His word and law are Truth. He is the Truth.

It's probably a shlpid question that no one else would ask, but what is the Truth? (Pennsylvania)

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A. That's not a stupid question at all. Perhaps the reason more people don't ask it is that not many think about it as you have.

Usually when we use the word "truth," we mean it as something we know or speak. If I tell someone that the sun rises in the east (from our earth perspective, at least), we say that is true, it fits the facts; or put more formally, it conforms to reality, it matches what is really out there.

When we speak of Truth with a capital T, however, we mean something much more:. When Scripture, for example, refers to Truth in the way you de:scribe, it is not speaking of something that only mirrors reality, but of reality itself, total reality, total heing. In other words, the being we call God. Throughout the Bible God describes himself rept:atedly with two especially identifying qualities, loving tenderness and absolute faithfulness.

In Hebrew the words are "hesed" and "emet." They occur often in the Old Testament, particularly in the Psalms, and parallel words abound in the Nt:w Testament in the words and actions of Jesus.

While attributes of God cannot be isolated from one another, it is the second ofthesl~ qualities, God's unfailing fidelity, that we connect most to his Truth.

We are able to trust him without conditions, have total confidence in his tender love for us, because if he were not faithful to his promises, he would quite literally stop being God. The letter to Timothy puts it graphically. We ourselves may be unfaithful, but God can only be faithful. For him to act against what he has said and done would be a cosmic lie, a violation of ultimate reality and Truth, by which God would seem to deny, disown, his own self(2Tm. 2: 13). Howthat all works out, that God is a faithful judge and also a faithful redeemer, we do not know. But the fact is inescapable in the Scriptures.

We can barely grasp all of this, of course, even illl a small way. The full understanding of a Truth which encompasses all that exists or could exist is infinitely heyond our experience or compl'l~hension, which is why God made it at least a little easier for us, wrapping it all up in human language in the human nature of his Son. Your question is wonderfully appropriate to reflect on during the feast we are: now celebrating.

The Truth you ask about is not simply knowing about reality, about God. This Truth is precisely the being who is the solid ground of all our hope and faith.

The one who reveals himself in the incarnation sends to our earth not just information, but the promise of sharing a life beyond our imagining and someone who can give us a hint of what it will be like.

At the Last Supper, with charming simplicity, Philip says to Jesus, "Lord, show us the Father, and

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Another story tells of the plight of a penniless father of three daughters. Unable to provide dowries for them, he had decided to sell them into slavery. Then St. Nicholas came to the rescue, tossing a bag of gold, enough for a dowry, through a window of the father's house.

He repeated the anonymous gift for each of the daughters..

The traditions of giving gold~wrapped choco~ late coins on the December 6 feast of St. Nicho~ las, and gifts on Christmas Day may have deve~ loped from this and other acts of kindness of the saint.

that will be enough for us." The Lord answered: "You still do not know me? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father." When you see me, you sec all there is to see.

When Jesus says "I am the Truth" (J n. 14:6), he is not claiming simply to know everything. He is proclaiming that all of what is real, all that has being, dwells among us in him, the Word made flesh.

1"\ free brochure answering questions Catholics ask about Mary, the mother of Jesus, is available by sending a stamped self-addn!ssed envelope to Father John Dietzen, Holy Trinity Church, .

704 N. Main St., Bloomington, III. 61701.

(Questions should be sent to Father Dietzen at the same address.)

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8 THE ANCHOR -

Dioceseo.f.fall River -- Fri., Dec. 22.1995

Family Circus comics celebrates family life . PHILADELPHIA (CNS) Lots of laughs and love have graced the panels of the 35-year-old "Family Circus" comic strip.

And it's created in one of illustrator Bil Keane's favorite places . - home.

"My whole idea in doing 'The Family Circus' is just to give an insight into what I consider the happiest place in the world -- a home where there's love and family enjoying one another," Keane told The Catholic Standard and Times, Philadelphia archdiocesan newspaper.

"The largest and most blessed congregation in the world is the family," said Keane, 72, who lives in Paradise Valley, Ariz.

Keane, has been promoting family values since the first "Family Circus" ran on Feb. 29, 19/10.

Today the comic appears daily in more than 1,500 newspapers throughout the world.

"I don't set out to preach at all," he said "but since 1feel religion is a natural part of family life, I show that in the cartoons periodically. I don't run it into the ground because every day, in my estimation, the cartoon has a religious undertone because it's showing a happy family."

"Family Circus," which features a father, mother and four children, is modeled after Keane's family.

He and wife Thel have five children. The youngsters in the comic

represent their children "who, when I started the cartoon, were just about the ages of [characters] Billy, Dolly, Jeffy and a few years later, PJ," Keane said. .

Mommy in the comic strip is modeled after Mrs. Keane, whom he met while stationed in Australia in the Armyduring World War II. "She looked exactly like Mommy in the cartoon when I started the feature," Keane said. "Every cartoon I send out I show to her."

Keane never had an art lesson, he said, but taught himself to dra w by studying and imitating cartoons in the New Yorker magazine.

"When an idea hits me - I

c~uld be driving a ÂŤar, watching television, on the beach or in the supermarket - I jot down the idea;" he said.

He recently illustrated a backto-school poster promoting Catholic schools for the National Catholic Educational Association.

"The main purpose in doing 'The Family Circus' is to entertain," Keane said. "In entertaining, my natural inclination is to draw cartoons about our own family and to reflect what I feel is a typical American family .... When our kids were growing, saying their prayers or attending church or referring to God was a part of everyday life. I show it that way in the cartoons." .'

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A.GOOD TIME is being had by all at the annual Christmas party hosted by Very Rev. Franci.s L Mahoney, VE, Vicar of Clergy, at Holy Name parish, Fall River. (Gaudette photo)

When Dutch emigrants crossed the Atlantic and founded New Amsterdam, now New York City, they brought with them many traditions, including that of" Sinterklaas. '.' The saint is also known to Germans as Kriss. Kringle, derived from "Christkindl" or Christ Child; to the French as Pere Noel, Father Christmas; to Ital, ians as Bambino Natale; and to the English as Father Christmas. •.

.COME HOME FOR CHRISTMAS ...And Find the Lord!

MASS SCHEDULES: FEAST OF CHRISTMAS CHRISTMAS EVE: 4:00,7:00 and Midnight CHRISTMAS DAY: 8:00,9:30 and 11:00 a.m.

FEAST OF THE HOLY FAMILY SATURDAY VIGIL: 4:00 p.m.

SUNDAY:

8:00,9:30 and 11:00 a.m.

(No 5 p.m. Sunday Mass)

NEW YEAR'S:

FEAST OF THE SOLEMNITY OF MARY, MOTHER OF GOD NEW YEAR'S EVE: 4:00 p.m.

NEW YEAR'S DAY: 8:00, 9:30, and 11:00 a.m.

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL! Saint John the Evangelist Church in the village of Pocasset Cape Cod, Massachusetts 'REVEREND ROBERTC. DONOVAN, Pastor REVEREND FRANCIS B. CONNORS, Mass Assistant REVEREND MR. JAMES MARZELLI, Jr., Deacon And the PARISH STAFF and FAMILY

"'/lll~

Appreciate路 the ordinary at Christmas time

by Father Eugene Hemrick

When my father died, our mother turned to us and said, "[t would be wrong to be sad. We have been blessed to have lived together with a wonderful person. God would be angry with us if we became angry over Dad's death."

Thanks to mom's sense of appreciation, we were strengthened to carryon with a feeling of having been blessed rather than deprived.

As Christmas approaches, it is my wish that you will be enriched with the gift of appreciation.

Appreciation comes in many forms.

My recent trip to Malta accented this fact for me.

When I envisioned Malta, I saw it filled with vegetation. To my surprise I found it was rocky, and I was informed that the little farming they had only came about after foreign traders import(:d soil.

It made me think how I have always appreciated something so ordinary as the rich soil of the farms of lllinois, my home state. It has a beautiful odor when plowed, and its dark color is unlike any other soil in the world.

When I saw how Malta cherished its soil, I was overcome with a sense of thankfulness. I thought of it much as Native Americans do: earth is life. Americans are gifted with an abundance of it.

Anthony Trollope, the Victorian novelist, had an, acute appreciation for "usual" things like this.

Unlike many of us, who might take something like (lUI' soil for granted, he would have esteemed it for its great beauty.

Unlike many writers who emphasize the unusual, he: valued the

usual. Artist like TrollQpe give us a deeper appreciation of the usual.

The psalms wonderfully deepen our appreciation for the usual, and in Daniel 3:67-70 we read, "Cold and chill, bless the Lord; praise and exalt him above all forever.

SPC. PETER Long from Buffalo, N.Y., holds his wife Stephanie before leaving to head for the NATO base in Kaposvar, Hungary. Long will join the NATO forces assigned to uphold the peace in the former Yugoslavia. (eNSj Reuters photo)

Dew and rain, bless the Lord ....

Ice and snow, bless the Lord."

Early on when I read this, I wondered why we should bless God for foul weather. Then it dawned on me how the weather signals a change in the atmosphere and how the new atmosphere puts an end to feelings of dullness, routine. These changes give rise in us to another slant on life, which painters repeatedly have tried to convey on canvas. When dampness, chill and cold are appreciated for their beauty, they become a cherished prize.

The psalms fill us with appreciation in their praise of God as friend and lover. There is an old saying that if you have one good friend in your entire life, you are blessed.

The psalmists teach us that no one goes through \if(: without the friendship of God, and the more we appreciate this, the more we are enriched.

No doubt there may be some who find it difficult to be appreciative at Christmas, especially appreciative ofthe usual, ordinary things in life. Perhaps these people have experienced sickness, a loved one's death, hurt or disillusionment. In a very real way, they may be experiencing "the dark night of the soul" spiritual writers speak of.

At times like this, spiritual writers strongly urge us not to give up but to search for just one spark of life that we can appreciate. Iffound, it has the power to jump-start us once again into living peacefully.

May your Christmas be filled with the joy of appreciation, found particularly in the ordinary circumstances of your life.

As his name changed, so did the appearance of St. Nicholas. From the tall, dignified bishop, clad in a red robe, he became a jolly old elf dressed in a red suit trimmed with white fur. The bishop who rode a fine white horse hundreds of years later found himself packed into a reindeer sleigh filled with sacks of toys.

10

emors of the school said that counseling would be available for staff and pupils.

Many pupils witnessed the skirmish, which left Lawrence bleeding on the pavement outside the school.

Police questioned numerous suspects, but as of Dec. 12 no arrests had been made.

Teachers' unions called for improved security in schools, while the murdered teacher was Cardi- the opposition Labor Party urged nal George Basil Hume of West- the government to increase the minster. St. George's IS in the penalties for carrying knives.

Westminster Archdiocese.

Secretary of State for Educa"I am shocked and dismayed by , tion Gillian Shepherd promised an urgent review of the situation with such an appalling attack. This is a local authorities and Catholic major tragedy," the cardinal said. education officials.

He said Lawrence had made a Meanwhile, Lawrence's widow, great contribution to the school.

Frances, released a copy of a letter "He died looking after his pupwritten to Santa Claus by the couils, and I think his actions were ple's 8-year-old son, Lucien: typical of a dedicated school"Dear Father Christmas, teacher, an exceptional head, who "I hope you are well and not to did a tremendous job for a school which needed turning round." said (sic) cold. I hope you won't think I am being a nuisance but I have the cardinal.

Prayers were said in Catholic changed my mind what I want for Christmas. I wanted to have a telechurches across the country for scope but now I want to have my Lawrence and his family Dec. 10.

The cardinal celebrated a memor- daddy back .because without my daddy to help I will not be able to ial Mass at the school Dec. II. In an emergency meeting, gov- see the stars anyway.

"I am the only boy in the family now but I am not very big and I need my daddy to help me stop my mummy and sisters from crying.

Love from Lucien Lawrence, age 8."

THE ANCHOR-Diocese of Fall River-Fri., Dec. 22,1995

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"I need my daddy to help me stop my 'mummy and sisters from crying."

LONDON (CNS) - The stabbing murder of a teacher at a Catholic school has prompted calls for security improvements in innercity schools and stiffer la ws against possessing knives.

Philip Lawrence, a 48-)'ear-old father of four, was stabbed Dec. 8 when he went to help a 13-year-old pupil threatened by a gang of youths outside St. George Catholic School in Maida Vale, northwest London. He died later the same day".

The student he went to help survived the fight and was treated for knife wounds.

Lawrence had been head teacher of the school for two years and had been widely praised for his efforts to raise standards. .

Among those paying tribute to'

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Dec. 25 Vigil - Is 62:1-5; Ps 89:4-5,16-17,27-29; Acts 13:16-17, 22-25; Mt 1:1-25 or 1:18-25 .

Midnight - Is 9:1-6; Ps 96:1-3,11-13; Ti 2:11-14; lk 2:1-14 Dawn - Is 62:11-12; Ps 97:1, 6, 11-12; Ti 3:4-7; lk 2:15-20 Day -Is 52:7-10; Ps 98:16; Heb 1:1-6; In 1:1-18 or 1:1-5,9-14 Dec. 26 Acts 6:8-10; t:5459; Mt 10:17-22 Dec. 27 1 In 1:1-4; In 20:2-8 Dec. 28 1 In 1:5-2:2; Mt 2:13-18 Dec. 29 1 In 2:3-11; lk 2:22-35 Dec. 30 1 In 2:12-17; h 2:36-40 Dec. 31 Sir 3:2-6, 12-14; Ps 128:1-5; Col 3:12-17 or 3:12-21; Mt 2:13-15, 19-23 .

St. Nicholas models obedience to Christ by caring for children and helping strangers. So it is appropriate in a way that the feast of St. Nich()~ las on December 6 and the feast of the Nativity' on December 25 have come together in om culture and are thought of as one and the saml~.

The Incarnation was God's arrival among us. St. Nicholas and Santa Claus witness to God's con~ tinued presence among us.

As Francis Church wrote in ~897 in the New York Sun, in response to an anxious question fr~m little Virginia O'Hanlon, "Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love and gen~rosity and devotion abound and 'give your life its highest beauty and joy."

A Santa Claus for all

By Dr. James and Mary Kenny Once upon a time in a land so very far away, there lived someone who knew no selfishness.

He gave away what he had to those in need, never asking if they deserved it. He gave of his surplus, and when that was gone he shared whatever he had left.

He knew the secret of happiness and life, that is that giving is more blessed than receiving, and loving is even more of a joy than being loved. He was never bothered if people didn't say thank you or return his kindness. He simply got pleasure from being a loving person.

Unfortunately, he was quite rare (or perhaps the rest of us rarely let that giving and loving side of our nature show). We were too busy amassing goods for ourselves and protecting those goods that we had amassed.

In fear of being used or taken advantage of, we missed the grace of spreading joy. Having goods did not make us happy, ,but we were afraid to give them up.

Eventually, in the coldness of our hearts, we assigned this person to the North Pole. He lived there,

but nevertheless spent his year making gifts for everyone alive.

With no fuel and no vehicle, this person made do with reind,~er.

And once a year on Christmas Eve, this person put on a silly red suit and a hearty smile and flew around the world to give everything away.

He was happy reminding us of the generosity of our Creator, who for no reason at all, simply out of love, gave us life and placed us in a universe full of experiences and blessings.

Sometimes we think that Santa Claus is the good and loving part of each of us. But people are so afraid of him, of what it might mean to give and give without counting the cost, that they send him far away.

Yet once a year at least he slips out of that cold place, with a year full of pent-up love, to gin us all and awake the sleeping IDve in each of us.

Reader questions on family living and child care to be amiwered in print are invited. Addres!i questions: The Kennys; St. Joseph's College; 219 W. Harrison; J~enes­ selaer, Ind. 47978.

Blood drive In the spirit of giving this season you can help save a life by simply donating blood at the St. Anne's Hospital blood drive.

The Blood Drive is scheduled for Dec. 28, from 12:00 p.m:-5:00 p.m., in the Nannery Conference Room. Parking and entrance are on Forest Stn:et.

The donation process takes about forty-five minutes to complete, which includes registration and refreshments. Saint Anne's Hospital encourages individuals to make appointments in order to reduce waiting time.

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Macedonian envoy welcomed to Vatican

"I feel like Santa Claus"

By Dave Jolivet "I feel like Santa Claus'" That was a comment from a member of the youth group of Holy Name parish, Fall River, after helping bring a carload of gifts to the Diocesan Department Catholic Social Services in Fall River ear- . lier this week. The youth group gathered nearly 600 gifts from Holy Name parishioners to be distributed by Catholic Social Services to needy families in greater Fall River.

"The generosity of Holy Name parish and the youth group has been overwhelming," said social services director Arlene A. McNamee, speaking in a room overflowing with gifts. Even youth group, director Father Stephen J. Avila was astounded by the result of the group's efforts. "I have never seen a response as great as this," he said.

The venture started out as a giving tree sponsored by the youth group, whose 60 ac;tive members made the tags for the tree. "After the first Sunday, all the tags were gone. The youth group had to scramble to make more," said Father Avila.

Gifts meeting the basic needs of children up to 14 years old, such as flannel shirts, socks, gloves, underwear and sheets were requested "things we may take for granted,"

said Father Avila. Not only was the response overwhelming, but those that gave did so in abundance. In many instances, instead of just the one item listed on the tag, people gave three or four gifts in one package.

Father Avila and Ms. McNamee spoke glowingly of the efforts ofthe Holy Name youth andthose who responded to the giving tree appeal.

Also assisting the Fall River office were SS. Peter and Paul, Fall River, St. Louis de France, Swansea, the St. Vincent de Paul Society and Holy Ghost parish, Tiverton, R. 1. , .

Other parishes in the diocese have also assisted Catholic Social Services. St. Mary's of New Bedford and St. Julie Billiart, North Dartmouth, have collected gifts for the New Bedford office and Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, Seekonk, has assisted the Attleboro office.

In addition, many other parishes throughout the diocese have organized giving trees and other activities to benefit those in need in their own parishes and neighborhoods; and Taunton District Council of Catholic Women donated 19 afghans to St. Mathieu's Residence for Women, Fall River.

VA T1CAN CITY (CNS) Pope John Paul II welcomed the first Macedonian ambassador to the Vatican and urged his country to avoid the ethnic and political rivalry of its Balkan neighbors. At the same time:, the pope expressed optimism about the Balkan peace negotiations in the United States, where Bosnian territorial issues were the subject of intensive talks involving all sides. It is important that the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia respect all groups and sectors of the population, especially minorities. the pope said.

~ Dec. 23

1901, Rev. Owen J. Kiernan, Pastor, Immaculate Conception, Fall River 1947, Rev. Charles P. Trainor, SS., St. Edward Seminary, Seattle, Washington 1970, Rev. Msgr. John A. Silvia, Pastor Emeritus, St. John Baptist, New Bedford 1986, Rev. William E. Collard, Cochaplain, Catholic Memorial Home, Fall River Dec. 24 1886, Rev. James K. Beaven, Pastor, Sacred' Heart, Taunton 1914, Rev. Timothy J. Duff, Assistant, St. Joseph, Woods Hole Dec. 27 1956, Rev. Thomas J. Stapleton, Pastor, Corpus Christi, Sandwich 1970, Rev. Msgr. Armand Levasseur, Pastor Emeritus, St. Anne, New Bedford Dec. 28 1955, Rev. Charles R. Smith, Pastor, Immaculate Conception, Fall River 1987, Rev. Edward J. Sharp, Pastor, St. Patrick, Somerset; Rev. Clement Paquet, O.P., Assistant, St. Anne, Fall River

Dec. 30 1991, Rev. ThomasC. Mayhew, Pastor, Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, Seekonk

The Directors, Officers and Staff of Lafayette Federal .Savings Bank appreciate your continued patronage, and extend to you and your family a joyous holiday season.

Jan. 1

SOME OF the nearly 600 Christmas gifts donated by members of Holy Name parish. Fall River. Works of charity such as this have occurred throughout the diocese this Christmas season. (J olivet photo)

1955, Rev. Jose Valeiro, Pastor, St. Elizabeth, Fall River 1956, Rev. Antonio M. Fortuna, Pastor, Immaculate Conception, New Bedford 1968, Rev. Francis R. Connerton, SS. STD., St. John's Seminary, Plymouth, Michigan 1975, Rev. Leo T. Sullivan, Pastor, Holy Name, New Bedford

Jan. 4 1961, Rev. Eugene L. Dion, Pastor, Blessed Sacrament, Fall River

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12

ANCHOR-Dio~e~eof Fall Ri~er-F;C··Dec. 22,1995

THE

MASS AND DEVOTIONS

Joseph W. Wilczek is the new pr.esident of Saint Anne's Hospital, Fall River. Wilczek has been acting president since February, 1995, and was previously senior vice president and chief operating officer of Caritas Christi, the Catholic health care system of which Saint Anne's Hospital is a member.

"Having worked with Mr. Wilczek very closely over the past several months, I and the board of directors have witnessed his ability to provide the creative leadership necessary to guide our hospital during this era of unprecedented change in health care," said Sr. Joanna Fernandes, O. P.., chairperson of the board of directors.

Working with the board, medical staff, and administrative team, Wilczek will lead tile development of sound strategic vision for Saint Anne's Hospital. Intrinsic to this vision will be a renewed commit-

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Wilczek named president of Saint Anne's Hospital ment to the unique mission and ministry of Saint Anne's as a Catholic hospital, and continuance of the hospital's provision of high quality, low cost health care within a cqJtlmunity setting.

• "Our organization is challenged today to adapt to the profound and changing market forces we now face, such as the rapid expansion of managed care and the likelihood of significantly reduced Medicare reimbursement," Wilczek stated As senior .vice president and chief operating officer at Caritas Christi. Wilczek managed activities for·the six-hospital health care system .. Earlier in his career, he held positions at National Medical Enterprise, Inc. and Brim Healthcare, Mount Auburn Hospital.

Cambridge, Mercy Hospital, Sopringfield. and Newton Wellesley Hospital, Newton. He is a member of

JOSEPH W. WILCZEK the Massachusetts Hospital Association, American College of Healthcare Executives, American Hospital Association, and the Catholic Health Associaton.

Wilczek, a resident of.Acton, will relocate to the Fall River area with his wife, Karen, and their two children, Jessica and Erika.

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A CHINESE worker sculpts a cathedral out of ice in the central Siberian city of Irkutsk earlier this month. (eNS/ Reuters photo)

An angel present when I need one

Sister Eleanor Perfetto, ASCJ Bishop Flanagan Ministry Center 1595 Norwich-New London Thrnpike Uncasville, CT 66382

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By Antoinette Bosco some soup. As I sat up in bed, she chen spiffed up. If ever there was About a mile from my. house is a hugged me and cried with me. At an angel on this occasion, it would rather tiny cottage that used to that moment, touched by such have to be a sweetheart. named house a real-estate office. Recently love, I started· to heal. God had Judi.

Sometimes I have felt 10nl~ly, as it was tranformed into a store spe- answered my prayer. Surely he had· sent me an angel - named we all do. I've wondered if there is cializing in angels.

Katie. ,. anyone in the wht>le world out Called the Littlest Angel, it is not all that unusual since shops How often I have wanted an there who really cares about me at like it have opened up in many angel to soothe my tired nerves that moment. At times like that, places the past few years. The store after a particularly stressful work I'd gladly have an angelic visitor to sells all kinds of angels to suit period., I remember once telling assure me that I'm remembered my daughter Mary, then a teen- and cared for. every taste.

What struck my fancy, though, ager, that I needed an angel to play Then I go to the mailbox and I was their sales pitch posted under sweet music to soothe my soul. find a letter. It turns out to be from the store's name: "Angels for every With that, Mary went to the Barbara Shook of Pennsylvania, a occasion." piano and played beautiful melo- reader of my columns wh,) has Now that was something to think dies for me, one after another. My become more than a pen pa:.. She about. Suddenly I had a rush of discomfort poured out of me as often shares her stories ofthe work memories about times I really could her music filled me, truly like sooth- she does for others within her famhave used an angel. ing balm. I· had been given an ily and at the hospital where she I remember once when I was angel for the occasion, and her volunteers. Always she send.s her home alone and very ill. My mar- name was Mary. love and prayers my way. She is a riage was breaking up, and my sisThere are many times I need an friend. No, more than that. She is ter Jeannette had taken my child- angel. Sometimes it's because I'm an angel: ren to her home, since all I could tired after doing a lot of cooking Some of pur angels for I~very do was care for myself. My life was and Cleaning when my children occasion are no doubt invisible in disarray, I really needed an and grandchildren come to visit. guardians, but the majority, I think, angel to bring some light to me.

The thought of then getting back are all around us, most oftl~n in I must have dozed, because sud- on my tired legs to do the dishes is different sizes and shapes, breathdenly my neighbor Katie was sit- not appealing. ing and smiling. They have faces ting next to me, holding someBut when I look into the kit- we see and names we know, but thing that smelled so good. I really '~hen, there is my daughter-in-law they are truly "angels" in the ways felt for the first time in days that I Judi washing the dishes. Before I they send forth their love just wanted to eat. She had brought me c,an say, iH~Y.th.i,l}g,. ~~~.hfl~ ,~h~ ,k,it;, , ,whe~.. W~ ne.~~ it... .:.,. ,

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ST. VIN CENT de Paul Society district presid~nt Leonard Nicolan (right) and Kevin Tobiaz, co-owner of Straight Shooters Family Billiards in Fall River, stand in front of some of the toys collected for disadvantaged children. This is the fifth year they have teamed to collect toys and raise money.

(Jolivet photo) •

Area business takes cue to help the needy A Fall River family billiards establishment has teamed up with the St. Vincent de Paul Society for the fifth consecutive year to raise money and collect toys for needy children at Christmas time. Straight Shooters, co-owned by Richard Cyr, Kevin Tobiaz and John and Robert Albin, hostt:d a billiards tournament with proceeds going to the St. Vincent de Paul Society.

The billiards! game room is geared towards family entertainment, and the owners saw the need to help those who can't afford entertainment of any kind for their children. "This is a wonderful event, and the owners of Straight Shooters have been very generous the past few years. The guys have been doing this out of concern for the needy, and it's been a big help," said St. Vincent de Paul district president Leonard Nicolan.

This year's tournament was run on a snowy evening, but still managed to collect $625, surpassing last year's total of$505. "The turnout was tremendous. The place

was filled to capacity despite the weather," said Nicolan. In addition, over 10 boxeS of toys have been collected by Straight Shooters for area needy children.

Hunger rising WASHINGTON(CNS)- u.s. government programs that help feed the world's poor are endangered by a lack of understanding about the work they do. according to speakers who recently presented an annual report on world hunger.

Fewer people are dying of starvation because of years of development projects and better longrange planning. says the report.

"Countries in CriSis." from the Bread for the World Institute.

However, global hunger - particularly that caused or aggravated by violence - is a growing problem. made worse by worldwide cuts in foreign aid spending. said Bread for the World's president.

Rev. David Beckmann.

Young role models

THE ANCHOR-Diocese of Fall River--Fri., Dec. 22. 1995

VATICAN CITY (CNS) - Pope John Paul II turned his attention to children at Christmas time, telling them they should inspire adults around the world to live more peacefully. Speaking from his apartment window above St. Peter's Square Dec. 17, the pope blessed figurines of the baby Jesus held aloft by hundreds of childen. The statuettes w(:re to be used in Christmas nativity scenes. "I invite you to pray before the creche so that Christmas may bring a ray of peace to the children of the whole world," the pope told the youngsters. He asked their prayers so that "adults may learn to govern society taking into account the educational needs of the smallest ones."

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Christmas in my heart When the song of the angel is stilled. when the star in the sky is gone. when the kings and princes are home. when the shepherds are back with their flock. the work of

Christmas begins: to find the lost. to heal the broken. to feed the hungry. to release the prisoner. to rebuild the nations. to bring peace among brothers and sisters. to make music in my heart.

Rejoice!

A 'Child Was Born

Iteering pOintl FIRST FRIDA Y CLUB, FR Mass will be Jan. 5, 6 p.m. at Sacred Heart Church, Fall River, followed by a meal in the church hall. After the meal, the speaker will be Arlene McNamee, director of the Diocesan Department of Catholic Social Services. Information: Paul Dumais, teI.673-7675.

ST. PATRICK, WAREHAM First Friday exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, beginning Jan. 5 following 8 a.m. Mass until 9 a.m.

Mass Jan. 6. This month's adoration to pro-life. All welcome.

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FAMILY LIFE CENTER Peg Hannigan will present a talk on loneliness Jan. 10, 1996. at the Family Life Center. 500 Slocum Rd., N. Dartmouth, from 7-9 p.m. . .

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RETROUV AILLE Retrouvaille, a diocesan sponsored . program, can help struggling marital relationships. The next weekend programwillbeJan.19-21.CaIlBob and Meg Pettiti, tel. (617) 327-1864, or Phil and Diane Caruso (508) 4296293. All inquiries are held in confidence.

The glad tidings ofHis birth live forever in the hearts ofmen. May the joys ofthis Christmas be many for you.

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ST. PETER THE APOSTLE PARISH PROVINCETOWN REV. JOHN A. RAPOSO, PASTOR

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Our Catholic Schools • Our Catholic Yout Feehan shows Christmas spirit The Campus Ministry office of Bishop Feehan High School, Attleboro, directed by chaplain Father Greg Mathias, a.nd theology department chairperson Sue Colla mati recently began the school's annual Shamrock Santa collection. Students, by homeroom, are asked to purchase toy's and bring them to the school, where they are picked up and distributed to the needy.

Freshmen gathered toys for infants, babies and toddlers; sophomores for children ages 3 to 5;junior~ for children ages 6-10; and senIOrs, toys for pre-teens and teenagers.

The annual junior-senior Christmas dance was held Dec. 11th at Folan's Restaurant, North Attleboro.

The winter sports season began as both boys' and girls' varsity basketball teams posted victories in Eastern Athletic Conference jamboree games at Somerset High School. The boys' and girls' track teams placed 3rd and 2nd respectively at the EAC relay carnival at Wheaton College. The boys' swim team was overall winner at the Attleboro Relay Carnival on Dec. 16, and the hockey team was edged .3-1 in an abbreviated game against Plymouth South.

The annual Christmas concert was performed Dec. 15th in the school auditorium. The conc;ert band, chorus and drama department collaborated in the free event and 1,200 tickets were distributed to the local hospitals, nursing homes, and grammar schools.

The school's Committee for Cultural Awareness and Rac;ial

Equality sponsored its annual Christmas Around the World, at which gathering students prepared and shared international foods and Christmas customs from around the world.

The debate team recently competed at Bishop Stang. Jason Collins and Sharon Dwyer defeated Tabor Academy in the varsity division, with Jason ranking first and Sharon second among the speakers. In the novice affirmative division Melissa Thompson and Karen Tranavitch defeated Somerset.

Melissa was the top speaker. Shawn Le Marier and Dave Finnegan defeated Cohasset, ranking as first' and second speakers.

In the novice negative division, Eleanore Sbardelli was the top speaker, and she and Tyan Brown defeated Somerset.

Art Department Chairperson Brenda Loiselle recently announced plans to enhance the schools" Art Appreciation Night" on January 9th. In addition to a display of student art work this years evening will feature a "coffee house" theme with students and faculty participating. Singers, dancers. poets, magicians and musicians will share their talents from 6-9:30 pm in the school's library on Stobbs Drive.

Brad Mc Cromack, Katie Skitt and Sean Murphy recently attended the Journalism Education Association/ National Scholastic Press Association East Coast Regional High School Journalism Convention. They attended workshops and entered news writing and layout cont~sts.

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ANGELS ABOUND at the SS. Peter and Paul school, Fall River, Christmas play "The Mall and the Night Visitor," where an angel is sent to the mall to find the spirit of Christmas. (Pettenati photo)

STUDENTS AT St. Joseph's School, New Bedford, are participating in a buddy program which pairs 5th graders with kindergarten students. The older students visit their buddies weekly with a prepared lesson or project. They have helped kindergarteners write numbers, make a number book, and learn colors. Also on the agenda are arts and crafts and storytelling.

Connolly lists outstanding teens Joanne Dinis and Matthew Stiles have been named Bishop Connolly's Teenagers of the Month for December by Fall River Elks Lodge No. 118.

Joanne is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Joao Dinis of Fall River and a graduate of St. Anne's School.. She is the editor of the yearbook and has also served as business manager. Part of the foreign language club, the Connolly mentor program, National Honor Society and Portuguese National Honor Society, she has put in over' 120 hours of volunteer work at Charlton Memorial Hospital and is a member of Amnesty International. She is a recipient of the Xavier Book Award and hopes to pursue a medical career upon graduation. , Matt is the son 'of Mr: & Mrs. Kevin Stiles of Portsmouth, RI, and is a graduate of Por!smouth Middle School. He has served as student council president as a freshmen and as a senior. He is a four year member of the basketball and tennis teams and is a three. year member of the cross country team. Matt is also a member of Amnesty International.

He ranks in'the top 10% of the class and is a member of the National Honor Society and the .Spanish National Honor Society.

The Teenager of the Month program is sponsored by the Elks Lodge in an effort to bring recognition to outstanding youth in the area. Teenagers are selected by a panel of youth in each participating high school within the jurisdiction of the sponsoring Lodge.

Multiple achievement, citizenship, scholarship'and leadership are the basis for selection.

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ICHTHUS, 'the S1. Elizabeth parish youth group, Fall River, participated in a "We Can" food drive dressed in Victorian costumes, singing Christmas carols at Stop & Shop, Fall River, where the drive was held. Since. its organization in late September, Ichthus has held teen dances, sales, a haunted house, and formed a youth choir.

Senior Lauren Mauceri was the winner of the Lion's Club Speech Contest held at the Venus de Milo Re&taurant. Her speech was entitled, "Communications, Should There Be Limits?" Lauren went on to represent Connolly at the regional contest and finished as alternate for first place.

We also recognize junioJ's, Dan Murphy and Mary Noone for their excellent contributions in this contest.

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II.J INSTRUCTING CCD students and their parents, Father Timothy Goldrick (top photo) of St. Bernard's Chur,~h, Assonet, displays vestments worn and explained what they signify during a teaching Mass. Standing in front of ceo students' creations are Mike (left) and Brendan Ferreira at an open house following the teaching Mass.¡(Adams photos)

What's, the perfect gift?

By Amy Welborn Parents and teens would do well to remember at Christmas that while gifts can be beautiiful expressions of love, they can't replace time, concern and respl~ct.

Parents who are emotionally absent from their children's lives may try to make up for that void by filling it with material gifts. But in the end, the children know the difference, and all thosl~ gifts can't heal the hurts caused by a parent's self-centeredness and neglect.

It works the same way for kids.

I've always irritated my own children by unfailingly providing the same answer to their question about my Christmas wish-list: "What do you wan~ for Christmas, Mom?" "A good boy."

It's gq,tten to the point where they ask the question and imme" diately follow it up witjl a quick, "I know, 1know. Besides a good boy, Mom!" But it's true. Most parents don't

By Charlie Martin

EPIPHANY We the Magi come bearing gifts Where's the new king, Can you t,ell us this?

The yount: shepherd Pointed toward the sky "Follow that star," The angel cried!

Star of wonder, star so bright Lead us to our king tonight.

Tell us Huod Where is this child That lead!. our hearts To be reconciled?

Old King Herod sat so surprised "I too must see him Tell me what you find."

Star of wonder, star so bright Please protect this child tonight.

A holy qllliet filled the stable air Joy and wunder in All the people there Young mother Mary Kneeled 11)' his side Behold the Son of God Our Savior child.

Star of wonder, star so bright Lead all men's hearts here tonight.

We the Magi have brought our gifts Gold and myrrh and frankincense The joumey's left us .

Tired but satisfied And left II fire Burning deep inside.

Child of wonder, child of might Help us change the world tonight Help us change the world tonight.

Written and sung by Dan Boddicker Copyright (c) 1995

by Daniel Joseph Boddicker WHAT IS the hl:art of ChristGod that the Christmas stories mas for you'? reveal. Whatever the deepest Perhaps it is the good spirit meaning of ·Christmas is for you share with others. Maybe you, it is important that you you enjoy giving gifts to friends experience it fully. and family. Some rejoice in the Listening to Dan Boddicker's music, meals and decorations carol, "Epiphany," reminded me that mark the cele,bration. of a special gift that I find in Still others are renewed by Christmas. I appreciate the ways the sense of connection with Christmas restores my hope that

have overwhelming desires for material possessions. Forget all of that. Just give us one or two ofthe items on the following parent-ofteen's Christmas list, and we'd be happy as cla.ms: 1. We'd love the gift of happy kids intrigued with and passionate about life. So much of what we see in young people's popular culture is filled with negativity. It reflects attitudes of bo'redom, undefined anger, resentment and unrelieved cynicism.

2. The gift of time. Most fami·lies have to keep large scheduling calendars on which everyone's activities must be mapped weeks ahead of time: practices, lessons, meetings and working hours.

3. Communications. Believe it or not, we parents of teens would treasure the gift of knowing what was going on in our kids' lives.

We're not just nosy; we really do care and want to understand. When our daughter comes home and goes immediately to her room without a word and shuts the door, we worry.

We remember how just a few years ago that same girl chatted endlessly to us about every detail of her school day, and we regret

the world can change and that peace is possible.

Clearly, our planet is low on peace as we celebrate Christmas this year. Every day we hear about the effects of violence, hatred and greed. Vast numbers of our human family's members suffer from ongoing warfare.

Others, perhaps even you, face personal losses and are grieving.

Remembering Jesus' birth helps us affirm that we want conditions in our personal lives and on our entire planet to be different, better. Jesus gave us the vision we need to accomplish this. Christmas renews our determination to work to turn his vision into reality.

Like the Magi in the carol whose journey left them "tired but satisfied," expending this energy can leave us tired. We also may feel uncertain about what genuinely would bring healing into our lives and into our world. The song provides a hint in this area.

Like the Magi, we ought to give the gifts we have. But what are they? God has blessed each of our lives with purpose, abilities and dreams. Use your abilities or your dream to help bring God's healing to your small corner of our planet.

The song says that the encounter with the newborn Jesus "left a fire burning deep inside" the Magi. The same can be true for us this Christmas. Allow a fire to blaze in you - a passion for giving the best for yourself.

Your caring, compassion and belief in others carryon the work of Jesus in this world.

May our prayer this Christmas come from this carol's closing words: "Child of wonder, child of might, help us change the world tonight."

I wish you a Christmas that will renew your hope and strengthen your commitment to serve others as the loving presence of our God. Your comments are always welcome, Please address: Charlie Martin, RR 3, Box 182, Rockport, IN 47635.

THE ANCHOR-Diocese of Fall River-Fri., Dec. 22, 1995 the moments when we silently wished she'd just be quiet for a minute and leave us in peace. Well, that time has come, and you know what they say: Be careful what you wish for, you just might get it.

Forget the earrings and the sweaters. We'd trade all of that for an hour of honest conversation.

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Forget the pretty packages and the charge slips. The greatest gift teens can give parents is the same one they gave on the day they were born: the gift of their precious, beautiful selves. Now there's a present that can never wear out!

God's peace and blessings to you throughout this Holy Season and the New Yeal: CHURCH OF

ST. ANTHONY OF PADUA • FALL RIVER •

* We appreciate your continued patronage, and extend to you and your family wishes for a joyous holiday season.

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