Bishop Connolly Flays ,Former Priests
In Homily at TV Mass
The
ANCHOR
Aw ~ttMor of ........, ..........
"III
••....
~.
__._-
-~~
1 j I !
I'I'.P."
fall River, Mass. a Thursday, Dec. 28, 1967 Vol. 11, No. 52
@
1967 The Anchor
PRICE 10c $4.00 par Year
Diocese -to Observe 'Peace Prayer Day On Monday Next
. HAPPY NEW YEAR!
New Year's Day will be observed as a day of prayer for peace in the Diocese of Fall River by directive of the :Most Rev.. James L. Connolly, Bishop of Fall River. This designaition for next Monday - Feast of the Octave of Christmas - is in keeping with the suggestion of His Holiness Pope Paul. Bishop Connolly's state ognizing Him. But this recogni NEW YORK· (NC)-The. Christmas season is a bit tion comes from daily encounter ment to the priests of the .with Christ, at· the Altar to be brighter for hundreds of thousands of impoverished men, diocese follows: 'women and children in 15 countries because of Amercian sure, but also through prayer; "I write you as we approach at the least a prayer of referral. :generosity to the Bishops' Thanksgiving Clothing Campaign the New Year, aware of Our "Years ago, we all grew up in November. Catholic Relief :Holy Father's urging that, in under a tradition of, the Morn and blankets have been Services, the agency main wear this Year of Faith, we make ing Offering in which we of shipped to the 15 countries. New Year's Day, a "day of fered God, "our prayers, works tained by U.S. Catholics The largest portion, 1,115,000 prayer." This surely could seem and sacrifices in unison with the which processes, ships and pounds, was designated for dis
Clothing Campaign Helps Needy in 15 Countries
.Incongruous to all who associate the New Year with festivity. But it hits at the roots of weeds, or tares, that thrive in God's garden. As spiritual leadel's, we should be the first to recognize this and do something about it. "However, if we ourselves are not convinced of the need and the power of prayer, preferring oother to be "open to the. world" illnd find Christ in the "encoun ~r and dialogue" with all man ner of neighbors, I'm. afraid the Holy Father is going to be disap pointed. It is not too likely that (H.·jest or layman find Our Lord easily if he has no way of rec-
whole Church." When I use the words "we all" I am referring to the men and women living Turn to Page Two
distributes material donated to the annual campaign, announced 'here that more than 4.5 million pounds of used clothing, foot-
tribution in South Vietnam, .while 350,000 pounds were ship ped to the Middle East for ref Turn to Page Eighteen
Baltimore Priest Taunton Native
Immediate target of the Bish op's remarks was the televised interview of three such ex priests by David Susskind in a program televised Saturday eve ning over Channel 2. The Bishop declared that it was time other voices were heard on the matter lest the charges of these former priests be taken as true or lest it be thought that there was ignorance or inability to answer what they keep repeating. To the oft-spoken charge that a man does not know what he is doing or promising when he takes on himself the obligation of celibacy, the Bishop reminded his viewers that three separate times before a man becomes a priest-before he is advanced to the subdiaconate, the diaconate and the priesthood-he writes in his own handwriting to his bishop that with fUll knowledge and understanding he knows what he is asking for, he willing ly undertakes the work and its obligations, and he is motivated only by the glory of God and the desire to save his soul and to· serve the Church. The man so Lnvolved is certainly no young ster; as a matter of fact, Church Law provides that a man usually be 24 years old to be ordained a priest. And certainly before that age, men and women are making crudal decisions in oth er fields of endeavor. . The Bishop pointed out, fur ther, that the rule of celibacy, far from being just a few cen turies old, is a discipline that dates back to the beginning of the 4th Century. And even in the E'astern Church tradition, it was never a question of priests being allowed to marry as of mar r i e d men being allowed to become priests af,tel' their marriage. The Bishop asked why people Turn to Page Fourteen
Medal Awards On Jan. 5
Most Rev. James L. Con nolly today celebrated a pon tifieal requiem Mass in St. Mary's Church, Taunton, for JRev. Edward F. Reilly, a TAun ton-born priest of the Arch C1iiocese of Baltimore. Father Reilly, the son of the I:ate Peter and Susan (Corr) Reilly of Taunton, died Christmas eve in St. Anthony's Hospital, St. Petersburg, Flor ida, where he had served as ehaplain and the last several jlCars as patient. He was a graduate of Taunton High School, St. Charles Col ~ge, Catonsville, Md. and St. MalOY'S Seminary, Baltimore, Md. He also studied music and Tum to Page Two
In a direct and hard-hit· ting talk delivered during the course of Television Mass las.t Sunday morning over New Bedford Television Sta tion WTEV, Channel 6, Most Rev. James L. Oonnolly, Bishop of Fall River, answer ed charges and statements made by some priests who have left the priesthood and 'atttlmpted marriage.
The Bishop announced today that a ceremony will be con ducted on Friday night, Jan. 5 at 8 o'clock in St. Mary's
DISCUSS VIETNAM PEACE: Pope Paul and President Johnson devoted an unpre cedented hour-long Ohristmas-season audience to discuss way and means of achieving peace in Vietnam. The United States Chief Executive reported they talked about the "vital necessity of tlaking new steps to bring peace in Vietnam." The Vatican audience was the last stop on the President's around-the-world trip NC Photo.
Cathedral, Fall River, for the conferring of the Distinguish~d Service Medal for the Fall Rive!.' Diocese. Notice of nominations will be sent to recipients before the end of this week. The award will be made to individuals who have been dedi cated to various phases of youth work, who have manifested in terest in preserving the ideals of Christian family life, and the care of the sick, the aged, the needy and the underprivileged.