t eanc 0 FALL RIVER DIOCESAN NEWSPAPERFOR SOUTHEAST MASSACHUSETTSCAPE COD & THE ISLANDS

VOL. 38, NO. 48 • Friday, December 9, 1994 FALL RIVER, MASS. Southeastern Massachusetts' Largest Weekly • 511 Per Year

Fall River had largest delegation

DIOCESAN PARTICIPANTS in the National Catholic Stewardship Council annualconference, held' last month in Boston. (Kessler photo)

National Catholic Stewardship conferencestudies use of time, talent, trea'sure

World AIDS DayMass draws largecrowd to Cathedral

Saying that the first AI DSpatient he met was a 78-year-oldnun who contracted the diseasefrom a blood transfusion, BishopSean O'Malley said that AIDS/HIV should not be considered a"punishment from God."

He spoke at a Mass of Healingand Remembrance offered at St.Mary's Cathedral Dec. I, WorldAI DS Day. "The church refuses toaccept such a simplistic and crueljudgment," he continued, sayingthat Christians must respond tothe worldwide health problem with"compassion, love and a spirit ofhope."

Bishop O'Malley, a CapuchinFranciscan, cited the example ofSt. Francis of Assisi, a person asterrified of lepers as many todayare of the AI DS virus, and notedthat in medieval times leprosy wasconsidered a punishment for sins.Yet, said the bishop, "the grace ofGod allowed Francis to embrace aleper," and that embrace changedthe life of the future saint, eventu­ally inspiring him to found theFranciscan order.

The same grace of God is atwork today, continued the bishop.He said one example is the fact"that some people never suspectedthe love in their families until theyadmitted having AIDS" and expe­rienced the unwavering support oftheir loved ones.

Bishop O'Malley expressedgratitude for diocesan efforts inthe AI DS ministry, citing the workof Hope House, a residence forAI DS patients opened last Sept.27 by St. Anne's Hospital, FallRiver. He also thanked the manypriests and sisters in the diocesewho minister to AIDS patients;and Ms. Krysten Winter-Green,director of the Diocesan Office ofHIV / AIDS Ministry, and coordi­nator of the World AIDS DayMass, for the contributions sheand her staff have made. Theyinclude publication of an HIV/AIDS Resource Manual whichhas circulated throughout the na­tion and is being distributed toMaryknoll missionary prieststhroughout the world.

The congregation crowding St.Mary's Cathedral for the AIDSDay Mass included, in addition tomany priests and other adults,large representations from dioce­san high and elementary schools."It is important for young peopleto be here," stressed the bishop,

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Stewardship; Ann Masden, Alex­andria, LA, and Marianne Murphy,Romeoville, IL, on Restructuringthe Annual Appeal; John Lewis,Jr., New York, NY, on SolicitingMajor and Planned Gifts; andPaul LeBlanc, Seattle, WA, onIncorporating Stewardship in theAnnual Diocesan Appeal.

'The annual Christian Steward­ship Award of the National Coun­cil, given to a person who exempli­fies Christian stewardship in his orher sharing of time, talent andtreasure went to Seattle Archbi­shop Murphy and the Bishop Wil­liam G. Connare Award for Dis­tinguished Service was presentedto Frank J. Koval, director of de­velopment for the diocese of Lans­ing, MI. Koval has worked in thefund raising field for the diocesefor 41 years.

The conference closed with anaddress on its theme by Mary Hig­gins Clark, America's top writer ofsuspense novels, who has 28 mil­lion books in print in the U.S. andadditional millions in other coun­tries. Ms. Clark discussed her faith,family and writing career, notingthat the Catholic Church has

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sponse," presented by ArchbishopThomas J. Murphy of Seattle,Wash., Archbishop James P. Kele­her of Kansas City, Kans., BishopJohn J. McRaith of Owensboro,Ky., and Auxiliary Bishop RobertF. Morneau. of Green Bay, Wisc.

The first day of the programconcluded with a concelebratedliturgy at Boston's Cathedral ofthe Holy Cross with Cardinal Lawas principal concelebrant.

General program group sessionson parish and diocesan tracks in­cluded, for parishes, presentationsby Msgr. Joseph M. Champlin,Camillus, NY, whose topic wasStewardship and Sacrificial Giv­ing; Barbara and Francis Scholtz,St. Augustine, FL, Ways to Intro­duce Sacrificial Giving; Rev.Thomas McGread, Wichita, KS,How to Nurture Commitment ofTime and Talent; and Rev. WarrenMcCarthy, Schaumburg, IL, TheRole of the Pastor in NurturingStewardship.

The diocesan track offered dis­cussions by Richard Costello, Nor­wich, CT, and Herman Guenther,Colorado Springs, CO, on PlannedGiving; Jerry Locey, Seattle, WA,on Ways to Improve Response to

The Fall River c:liocesan delega­tion, 49 strong and led by BishopSean O'Malley, was the largestgroup in attendan,ce at the recentNational Catholic StewardshipCouncil's conference in Boston.The parley drew over 600 partici­pants from the United States, Can­ada and Jamaica.

Themed "Stewardship: A Grate­ful Response," the gathering em­phasized that, as a letter to those'atthe meeting from Boston CardinalBernard Law put it, "the sharingof time, talent and treasure tofurther the mission of the church isthe responsibility Of every memberof the Christian faithful."

The three-day general programwas preceded by a two-day pro­gram for persons involved withstewardship on the diocesan level.It included presentations on estateplanning, establishment of dioce­san foundations, 'management ofcapital fundraising campaigns,planned giving and organizationand operation ofdiocesan steward­ship committees. '

The general program openedwith an update on the 1992 pas­toral letter of the U.S. bishops,"Stewardship: A Disciple's Re-

Retirement Fundfor Relil~ious

still in needWASHINGTON (CNS) - The

Retirement Fund for Religious col­lection, to be taken up this week­end in diocesan parishes, has raised$150 million across the nation insix years. Although the most suc­cessful collection in U.S. Catholichistory, it still accounts for only 3percent of the support orders needto care for their aging members.

Auxiliary Bishop Carlos A. Se­villa of San Francisco, chairmanof the U.S. bishops' Committee onReligious Life and ;\1inistry, gavethe stark statistics during a reporton the Tri-Conferelltce RetirementOffice at the bishops' fall generalmeeting in Washington.

Bishop Sevilla gave the histori­cally low stipends paid religiouswomen as one cause for the con­tinued unfunded retirement liabil­ity, pegged last July at $6.3 billion.

"Members ofrelil~iousinstitutesstill in ministry are trying to addressthe question ofcompensation sincethe need for adequate compensa­tion now impacts deficiencies inthe past as well as retirement needspresently and into the future," hesaid.

"The current median stipend doesnot meet the current average costof supporting even one retiredmember,"

And religious as a group are get­ting older, the bishop added.

The number of religious overage 70 will stay the: same for thenext 15 years, but the numberbelow age 70 will continue to drop.By 2000, the median age of reli­gious in the United States is fore­casted to be 70.

"This means not oply that re­tirement needs will continue butalso indicates a corresponding im­plication for staffing the aposto­lates in which active religious arenow involved," he said.

Bishop Sevilla also noted thatreligious institutes are trying tohelp themselves in many ways.Many are selling property, estab­lishing retirement trust funds, util­izing convent space more effec­tively and renovating and down­sizing motherhouses.

Mercy Sister Laura Reicks. as­sociate director of the retirementoffice. said many orders now havedevelopment offices and are alsoemphasizing jobs that provide sal­aries instead of stipends.

Notre Dame Sisters currentlyput all pensions f:arned by theirmembers into a J'i~tirement fund,

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...----In This Issue----------------------------------,

DePaul CenterGroundbreaking

Page 2

Father DuffyDies

Page 3

When Catholics 'Disagree

Page 6

Outcry OverEmbryo Research

PageS

Taming theChristmas Tree

Page 10

Three Park St. DominicanSisters die in Fall River

,. CAMP

'~~I-:I :"

ter on the area, and are acting asliaisons to the community. A mail­ing listing advisory committee con­tacts will be sent to reside nts inearly 1995.. Committee members "ca::ne to

us with a lot of concerns thai: havebeen abated" since they have "edu­cated themselves about St. Vin­cent's" by visiting its programsand meeting staff members, andthey have communicated their sat­isfaction to other members of thecommunity, said Father Costa.

The DePaul Center will be a"self-contained environment'" andoff-campus privileges will bl: rareexcept for possible summer heachtrips, said Browne. The staff-to­student ratio will be high: one tofour during waking hours and oneto six at night, he added.

"80 percent of our cost is staff,"he said. "These are kids who re­quire a lot of personal attention."

The center will accommodateup to 32 residents in two dormito­ries, 16 in each. The center's otherfacilities will be an education ,:om­plex with classrooms; an indus­trial arts shop; recreational anddining halls; an administrationbuilding with offices and a nurse'sstation; and a program hous~ forstaff meetings. A hospitality cen­ter at the camp entrance will re';eivevisitors. The gymnasium, to bebuilt out of sight of the road, willfeature a basketball court and fit­ness equipment.

Construction to date haH in­cluded digging of roads to be pavedlater and the foundations of build­ing additions. A new leaching fieldand septic system have been <:om­pleted.

Browne and Father Costa saythey expect programs to get under­way at the site by July, when onedormitory and the dining hall willhave been renovated.

Father Costa noted St. Vinc<~nt'shas overcome significant hurdlesin the past year to arrive at thegroundbreaking. "It's an under­statement to say getting to thispoint wasn't easy, but as we over­came each obstacle we got strong­er," he said.

He hopes that the communitywill come to see the DePaul Centeras an asset.

Browne noted that St. Vincent'shas done as much as possible topreserve the camp site as it is.

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to provide what the Common­wealth cannot. The DePaul pro­gram represents "maximum use oftaxpayers' dollars for these serv­ices," said Browne. "We providethem better and cheaper than theCommonwealth could itself."

Currently operated at St. Vin­cent's in Fall River, where it canonly accommodate a dozen youths,the DePaul program already has awaiting list of two dozen boys.

Referrals come mainly from theMassachusetts Department of So­cial Services, and more than halfthe youths entering the programcome from the greater Fall Riverand New Bedford areas, with a fewfrom out of state.

The youths generally have abackground of neglect or abuse athome and have behavior problemsand difficulty in school.

"These are kids who are givingoff signals that they need help"and require immediate placementoutside of the home "in an envir­onment that can provide safety,stability and security," saidBrowne.

Counseling and therapy in theDePaul program, lasting up tothree months, assess a youth'sneeds, determining whether he canreturn home or requires furtherresidential care.

The program, said Father Costa,operates with the philosophy that"problems left neglected don't goaway; they get worse.~' The DePaulassessment is designed to "uncoverthe reason" for negative behaviorand "identify the needs of the fam­ily and the resources the familycan access so they can be reunited."

Browne emphasized that all re­ferrals are interviewed to assurethey are appropriate candidatesfor the program. Youngsters re­quiring a locked setting or whowould pose a risk to other resi­dents or'the community will not beadmitted.

"N <> activity here will pose athreat to the peace and tranquilityof this neighborhood," BishopO'Malley said at the groundbreak­ing.

St. Vincent's has kept residentsofthe camp neighborhood appriseaof plans for the site on a continu­ing basis. Three advisory commit­tees, composed of a total of 23Westport residents are examiningseciJrity, environmental concernsand the impact ofthe DePaul Cen-

GROUND BREAKERS: (from left) contractor Glen Whitaker, Bishop O'Malley, FatherJoseph Costa and Mark Browne of 51. Vincent's Home, and architect Alan Kearney breakground at the former 51. Vincent's Camp, Westport, for 51. Vincent's new DePaul Center.

St. Vincent's breaks ground for DePaul CenterBy Marcie Hickey •

Bishop Sean O'Malley joinedSt. Vincent's Home director Father

. Joseph Costa and adolescent serv­ices director Mark Browne inwielding shovels last Saturday.They were breaking ground at theformer St. Vincent de Paul Camp,Westport, which will be trans­formed in the coming year into theDePaul Center, home of St. Vin­cent's short-term residential diag­nostic program for youths.

St. Vincent's Home, which pro­vides services for children at itsFall River campus, acquired theproperty after diocesan summercamps for exceptional and under­privileged children were relocatedto Cathedral Camp, East Freetown.

Construction on the 83-acreDePaul' Center site will involveonly one new building, a gymna­sium, while six existing structureswill be renovated and three willreceive additions. The facilities willserve a maximum of 32 boys 12 to18 years old. .

Father Costa expressed grati­tude that the diocese has desig­nated the camp, a piece of "primereal estate" that could have beenused for lucrative purposes, forservices to children in crisis. Itsprofits, said an onloo~er, will berealized in the form of improvedlives for youths.

The challenges inherent in pro­viding services to troubled youthsare "worthwhile, because it doesmake a difference for these kids,"said Father Costa. "It's the kind ofexperience that turns things aroundfor them."

Bishop O'Malley told about 100clergy, staff members and friendsof St. Vincent's attending thegroundbreaking that the churchwants to provide the best for"God's little ones."

"How can we give [the poor] left­overs and hand-me-downs andkeep the best- for ourselves?" heasked.

There is a tremendous need forprograms like the DePaul assess­ment, and society cannot blametroubled children for their prob­lems when the services it offersthem are inadequate, Father Costasaid.

"The system is overburdenedwith kids in need," said Browne,explaining that state services areso overwhelmed that they look toprivate agencies like St. Vincent's

Sister Biltcliffe

late Emile and Olivina (Langevin)Beauregard.

After professing vows in theDominican community in 1933,she taught at Sl. Anne's School,Fall River, and at schools in NewHaven, CT, and Plattsburgh, Moo­ers Forks and Peru, NY, retiringfrom the education field in 1978.

She is survived by two sisters,Sister Marie Paule Beauregard ofthe Park Street community, andMarie-Joseph Beauregard of St.Liboire, Canada; two brothers,Charles Beauregard of St. Liboireand Romeo Beauregard ofSt. Dom­inique de Bagot; and two nieces;both members of the Park Streetcommunity, Sister Marie JeanneBeauregard in Fall River; and Sis­ter Marie Germaine Beauregard;serving in Valleyfield, Quebec.

Sister LaneSister Lane 93, was born in

Atlanta, GA, and was the daugh­ter of the late Edward and Dora(Hayes) Lane. .

A graduate of Catholic Univer­sity in Washington, DC, she taughtat Dominican Academy in FallRiver for 24 years and thereaftertaught in Plattsburgh, NY, at St.Peter's School, where she was alsoprincipal and superior of the Dom­inican community for four andthree years respectively, retiring in197'1.

She has no immediate survivors.Sister Landry

Sister Landry, 100, was a nativeof Fall River, the daughter of thelate Napoleon and Aisemierie(Cote) Landry. Her ministry in­cluded housework and cookingand she also cared for boardingschool students and was a sacristan.

During her active life she servedin houses of her community inNorth Dakota, Acushnet and FallRiver and in Plattsburgh, Peru,Mooers Forks and Ellenburgh,NY.

She is survived by a niece, SisterRita Pelletier, OP, of the ParkStreet community; two nephews,Rev. Richard Landry, MS, direc­tor of LaSalette Center for Chris­tian Living in Attleboro, and Maur­ice Allard of Pawtucket, RI; cou­sins, grandnieces and grandneph­ews.

Sister M. Georgina Biltcliffe,RS M, 72, died Dec. I at RhodeIsland Hospital. The Mass of Chris­tian Burial was offered for herDec. 5 at Holy Name Church, FallRiver.

A native of the city, she was:thedaughter of the late George A. andRose Marie (McDermott) Biltcliffe.

She entered the Sisters of Mercyin 1941 and thereafter taught in

, schools of her community in theProvidence and Fall River dio­ceses, including Holy Family Gram­mar School and the former OurLady of Mercy School, both inNew Bedford.

She held a master's degree inlibrary science from MarywoodCollege, Scranton, PA, and servedas a librarian in Rhode Islandschools and at Bishop Feehan HighSchool, Attleboro. She also taughtadult education classes in RhodeIsland for several years.

She is survived by Ii brother,Nicholas W. Biltcliffe of Fall River,and several nieces and nephews.

SISTER LANE

SISTER LANDRY

SISTER BEAUREGARD

Three Dominican Sisters of St.Catherine of Siena have died thismonth. Sister Jean de Verceil Beau­regard died Dec. I; Sister MartinLandry died Dec. 4; and SisterMary Loretta Lane died Dec. 5.Sister Beauregard's Mass of Chris­tian Burial took place Dec. 6 andSisters Landry and Lane's jointMass was offered today, all at theDominican Motherhouse at 37Park St., Fall River.

Sister BeauregardSister Beauregard, 93, who died

after a long illness, w<;ls a native ofSt. Dominique de Bagot, Quebec,Canada, and the daughter of the

Be Not Afraid

.. I J fl' •

OJ'.; St. Anne, Dominican Priory,Fall River

1991, Rev. Adrien L. Francoeur,M.S., LaSalette Shrine, Attleboro

Dec. 141970, Rev. Msgr. John J. Hayes,

Pastor, Holy Name, New Bedford

Dec. 151942, Rev. Mortimer Downing,

Pastor, St. Francis Xavier, Hyannis

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STEWARDSHIP...,A WAY OF LIFE

Death sentence forPaul Hill completes"horrifying" cycle

WASHINGTON (CNS) - TheU.S. bishops' pro-life spokeswo­man said the death sentence givento Paul Hill Dec. 6 for murdering aFlorida abortionist is wrong be­cause "you should not kill peopleto show that killing people iswrong." '

"But a judge has decided thatthe State of Florida should killPaul Hill because Hill killed Dr.Britton because Britton killed un­born children. The cycle of vio­lence is horrifying," said HelenAlvare.

Ms. Alvare, director of plan­ning and information for the Sec­retariat for 'Pro-Life Activities ofthe National Conference of Catho­lic Bishops, made the comments ina statement issued the same day asHill's sentence.

Circuit Court Judge Frank Bellruled that Hill, a former Presby­terian minister, should die in Flor­ida's electric chair for killing Dr.John Britton and clinic escort JohnBarrett outside the Ladies Centerabortion clinic in Pensacola July29.

Hill received two life sentencesfor his convictions under federallaws protecting clinic entrances.The state death penalty takes prece­dence. '

Ms. Alvare's statement notedthat although Catholic teachingallows governments in some casesto apply capital punishment, thepurpose of punishing Hill couldhave been achieved by a life sen­tence. She also said the U.S. bishopshave a longstanding position op­posed to the use of the deathpenalty.

"In a society saturated with andsick from violence, capital pun­ishment is a tragically mistakensentence," she said.

A prominent supporter of legalabortion also opposed the deathsentence for Hill, though for dif­ferent reasons.

Kate Michelman, president ofthe National Abortion and Re­productive Rights Action L,eague,said sentencing Hill to death "willnot prevent another anti~choice

fanatic from pulling the trigger."The spokesman for a group that

stage& blockades at abortion clin­ics, Rescue America, said Hill'sconviction was unfair in the firstplace because the judge overruledhis attempt to argue that the kil­lings were justifiable homicide.

Hill defended himself at his statemurder trial and did not deny theshootings.

Florida law provides for auto­matic state'Supreme Court reviewof capital sentences. It typicallytakes about 10 years to exhaust allpossible death penalty appeals inFlorida.

NOTICEIn keeping with our 50­

week publishing schedule,the last Anchor issue for1994 will be dated Dec. 23.Items for publication inthat issue should reach ouroffice by Dec. ~O. The firstedition of the New Yearwill be dated Jan. 6, 1995.

Baptiste Gahamanyi of Butare wasnamed apostolic administrator.

Bishop Phocas Ni~wigizeof Ruh­engeri was living in Goma, Zaire,the site of refugee camps.

Missionary of Aftica Father An­tonio Martinez was named admin­istrator of the diocese.

Bishop Nikwigize, a Hutu, fledRwanda with many of his faithfulin mid-July as the Tutsi-dominatedRwandan Patriotio Front consol­idated its power in the country.

FATHER DUFFY

to worthwhile nonprofit youth andcivic groups.

Father Duffy and "right-handman" Bill Doyle also brought inbig names in basketball - theBoston Celtics and Harlem Globe­trotters as well as individual proand college players - to boostCYO programs. The priest's long­time friend Bob Cousy often ap­peared at CYO events even afterhis retirement from the Celtics.

In 1970, Father Duffy was awar­ded the Bronze Whaler Statue forhis work with youth.

Also during his time in NewBedford, Father Duffy was areadirector of the Catholic CharitiesAppeal. In Hyannis, he was mod­erator for the Cape and IslandsDistrict of the Diocesan Councilof Catholic Women, chaplain forthe Father McSwiney CouncilKnights of Columbus, and Faith­ful Friar of the F:ourth DegreeBishop Tyler Assembly. He wasnamed to the advisory board ofthe Kennedy Skating Rink in Hy­annis.

In March of thi$ year he wasnamed an honorary chaplain ofthe Southbridge-based FormerMassachusetts Statelfroopers, Inc.,for kindness, under.standing andguidance shown many members ofthe state police.

Father Duffy is survived by histwin brother, Thomas H. Duffy ofBranford, CT; and seven nieces.

VATICAN CITY (eNS) - PopeJohn Paul II has named apostolicadministrators for three diocesesin Rwanda whose bishops weremurdered, for another Rwandandiocese whose bishop is missing,and for a fifth diocese whosebishop is in exile.

Archbishop Vincent Nsengiyum­va of Kigali and Bishops ThaddeeNsengiyumva of Kabgayi and Jos­eph Ruzindana of lByumba wereshot dead last June by RwandanTutsi rebels who apparently mur­dered the clergymen in revenge forthe deaths of family members atthe hands of Hutu militias.

Bishop Thaddee Ntihinyurwa ofCyangugu was named apostolicadministrator of Kigali; BishopFrederic Rubwejanga of Kibungowas named administrator of Byum­ba; and Father Andre Sibomana .was named apostolic administra­tor of Kabgayi.

Bishop Augustin Misago ofGikongoro was reported missingabout the same time that the threeRwandan prelates were killed. Likethem, he was seeking refuge inKabgayi, but his body was notfound with the others. Bishop Jean-

The Mass of Christian Burialwas celebrated Wednesday byBishop Sean O'Malley at St. Fran­cis Xavier Church, Hyannis, forFather Edward C. Duffy, 72. Pas­tor at St. Francis Xavier sinceJune 1981, Father Duffy died Dec.4 after a long illness.

He was born March 23,1922, inFall River, the son of the lateThomas H. and thl~ late Anna(Connolly) Duffy. He graduatedin 1939 from BMC Durfee HighSchool, Fall River, !Lnd attendedProvidence College for two yearsbefore entering St. Mary's Semi­nary, Baltimore.

Ordained June IS, 1946, byBishop James Cassidy at St. Mary'sCathedral, Fall River, he was paro­chial vicar at St. Francis Xavierfor eight years, then entered theU.S. Navy Chaplain Corps forthree years, serving in Quantico,VA; Alameda, CA; and in Japan.

Returning to the diocese, FatherDuffy was parochiaJ vicar at St.James parish, New Bedford, until1969; administrator at St. Johnthe Baptist, Westport, until 1971;pastor at St. Mary's Seekonk until1978; and then pastor ofSt. Mary's,Mansfield.

In 1981, after. being na med pas­tor at St. Francis, father Duffywas named dean of Khe Cape andIslands Deanery, a post he helduntil 1990 and which carried thetitle of Very Reverend.

While in New Bedford in the1960s Father Duffy was involvedwith the Society for the Preven­tion of Cruelty to Children, theMental Health Clinic Board ofDirectors, and the Catholic YoungAdults.

He was especially well-knownas director of the New BedfordArea CYO, for which he organizedcountless spiritual, social, culturaland athletic events. Hie hosted NewEngland CYO conventions anddirected trips to Washington, DC,the New York World's Fair andthe Expo in Montreal. He offereduse of the CYO's Kennedy Center

Father Duffydies at 72

Pope names administratorsfor Rwandan dioceses

"I'. ".,

I'.,

the exception of angels and lastyear her principal told her "I 0 canthe angels." A class valedict orianwho turned in her graduationspeech to her faculty advisor wastold by that person that while itwas okay to thank parents, teachersand administrators, it was inap­propriate to thank God in a "pub­lic setting."

I advised her that we live inAmerica and that it is a free ·~oun­

try and that she can say anythingshe wants and if they don't ::ike itthey can sue her! I find it almostincredible that a country can defendthe right to burn the American flagas an expression of disrespect, butforbid a citiz~n to reverence theCreator in "public settings"!

If you think I am overreaeting,let me return to the Postal Se;:vice.I would like to close by quoting aletter sent this year to almost ,~verypost office: "Expressions [su(:h as)'Season's, Greetings' and 'HappyHolidays must be used in li~u of'Merry Christmas' or'Happy Han­ukkah' to avoid the appearance offavoring any particular religion orreligion itself. Symbols iden::ifiedwith a particular religion, includ­ing but not limited to Nal:ivityscenes, crosses or the Star of David,shall not be displayed on postalproperty. Such sensitivity is appro­priate during seasons that have asubstantial impact upon ma.ilingpatterns."

111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111THE ANCHOR (USPS-545-020). SecondClass Postage Paid at Fall River. Mass.Published weekly except the week of July 4and the week after Christmas at 887 High­land Avenue. Fall River. Mass. 02720 by,the Catholic Press of the Diocese of FallRiver. Subscription price by mail. pOltpaid$11.00 per year. Postmasters send addresschanges to The Anchor. P.O. Box j', FallRiver. MA 02722.

.. .. ..." 0'..

praye~BOX .

For LoveLord our God, help us to

love you with all our heartsand to love all men as youlove them. Amen.

Any business should considerthe bottom line and that bottomline should be servicing customerwants, which should certainly takeprecedence over being politicallycorrect.

Federal Express and UPS areexamples of companies that areresponsive to their customers' ex­pectations: As a result, they havecaptured much of the overnightand package delivery business fromthe Postal Service.

While it is true that we live in amulticultural society, it seems pat­ently unfair to be openly hostile toreligious customs and symbols.One still very astute nursing homeresident confided in me that whileshe always enjoyed the schoolchil­dren who came caroling at Christ­mas, she preferred the Catholicschool students, not that they sangany better, but that she preferredtheir selections to those of the pub­lic school students, who were lim­ited to wh;at she referred to as "justthose Santa Claus songs."

A public school teacher told methat 25 years ago she was allowedto decorate her classroom withreligious symbols as long as theyincluded either a Star of David orsome recognition of Hanukkah.About 15 years ago she was told toavoid all religious symbols with

the living word, , -

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CAROLERS AT CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY, WASHINGTON, DC

"Rejoice in the Lord always! I say it again. Rejoice!...The Lordis near." - Phil. 4:4,5

About Christmas and the·Pos·tal ServiceBy Father Kevin Harrington

Every Christmas season seemsto bring a new controversy on thepolitically correct manner to cele­brate the holiday. A few years agothe Supreme Court had to decidewhat sort of Christmas scenes weretoo overtly religious to be dis­played on public grounds. Thisyear's brouhaha involved the Pos­tal Service's initial decision to can­cel plans for the popular Madonnaand Child stamp for 1995 becauseit seemed too religious for Christ­mas. The decision was announcedimmediately following the stunningRepublica!1 victory in both Housesof the Congress as well as in manygubernatorial races.

President Bill Clinton, consum­mate politician that he is, came tothe rescue, intervening to restorethe stamp plans. However, it shouldbe noted that a spokesperson forthe Postal Service said that thestamp was not dumped from the1995 roster for religious reasons,but because it was felt that with theexception of one year, 1976, thePost Office had published Madon­na and Child stamps since 1966and that, after so many years, itwas considered that one Madonnaand Child looks just like another.

This statement was issued by thesame Postal Service that recentlyhad a contest to consider whichpicture of Elvis Presley should beselected for a stamp in his honor. Isuppose it will be just a matter oftime before Madonna, the enter­tainer, will get her own stamp!

The only question the PostalService should ask itself is whetherits customers want the Madonnaand Child stamp, taking into con­sideration that after almost 30years, it is stiII one of the service's ­mQs~ p()pular stamps.

CNSfCalholic University of America photo

--------------------------------------

GENERAL MANAGERRosemary Dussault

~ leary Press-Fall R....er

EDITORRev. John F. Moore

the moorins..-,

'. • I, .' : ••~ #. .. 1 ".. I

THE ANCHOR - Diocese of Fall River - Fri., Dec. 9, 1994

,-......

4

theOFfiCIAL NEWSPAPER OF THE DIOCESE OF FALL RIVERPublished weekly by The Catholic Press of the Diocese 'of Fall River

887 Highland Avenue P.O. BOX 7Fall River. MA 02720 Fall River. MA 02722-0007

Telephone 508-675-7151FAX (508) 675-7048

Send address changes to P.O. Box 7 or call telephone number above

The Editor

Shame on Massachusetts!Teachers must go on strike for decent pay; policemen must

arbitrate; firefighters are treated like second:'class citizens; the·elderly are threatened with pension cuts: the Massachusettslegislators vote themselves a 55 percent pay increase. .

Perhaps nothing has been more insulting to the people ofthis Commonwealth than the financial maneuverings of theirGeneral Court. During the recent election campaign, there wasnot the slightest hint that personal greed would motivate oneof the first items brought to a vote in the State House.

To make matters worse, the legislators, knowing well theoutrage their action would stir up among their employers, thepeople of Massachusetts, secretly redrafted the pay raise bill tomake it immune from repeal.

At a time when the economy is slowly recovering fromrecession and when the state job market remains tenuous atbest, the Beacon Hill gang demonstrated how swiftly it couldact when it came to lining its members' pockets. But when itcomes to legislation that affects the lives of constituents, thegang's cheetah-like speed suddenly shifts to turtle-like plodding.

Example: Mike Barnicle, the Boston seer, has pointed outthat_ whereas the pay raise went through in a matter of seconds,for 135 years the state constit~tionhas included anti-Catholicwording, and that when the president of the State Senate askedhis fellow legislators to begin the process of expunging thatwording, inaction ruled tlhe day.

The bottom line seems to be that when a dollar bill is wavedin front of our politicians or there are perks available, theymove immediately; when it is constituents who will benefit, theday after forever becomes a suitable time frame for action.

Our legislators simply seem unable to run Massachusetts·objectively. Were they to doso, the constitutional amendmentprohibiting aid to denominational institutions such as schoolswould long ago have been expunged. '

Financial shenanigans and the countenancing of continueddiscrimination against denominational institutions: whatmakes all this even more galling is that many of our legislatorssit in church on Sunday as if they were' living symbols of faith.Yet, when it comes to voting,. they opt for public posturing,regardless of their private beliefs. They may be forgetting thatsuch split personalities often self-destruct; but inthe meantimethe common good can be seriously damaged. Removing offj­cial prejudice from the Massachusetts Constitution would beat least a token of goodwill-to say nothing of reversing theirown unconscionable pay hike.

We must protest when injustice rules and the common goodis flagrantly abused. Those who have the public trust shouldnot demonstrate narrowmindedness or abdicate their respon­sibilities. They should keep in mind the welfare of the wholestate family and should remember their accountability fortheir public actions.

We, the electorate, must for our part hold them to suchnorms, letting them know they have no right to become thetools offactions that demean their integrity. But sad to say, thecurrent behavior on Beacon Hill in no way reflects adherenceto these ideals. As a result; our Commonwealth is shamed-bythe duplicitous actions of our elected lawmakers.

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addiction and misuse of personalfunds?"

The bishops said, "Great caremust be taken to ensure that thecommon good of society is servedand the individual rights of thepeople are protected. The moral

operation of legalized gambling I Iestablishments is a concern for all I Ithe members of our society."

Signing the statement wereArchbishop Daniel A. Cronin ofHartford, Bishops Edward M. ~~~~~~~~~~;;;~

THE ANCHOR - Diocese of Fall River - Fri., Dec. 9, 1994 5Connecticut bishops.suggest criteriafor gambling

HARTFORD, Conn. (CNS)­Connecticut's bishops have issueda set of five "protective criteria"they said should be applied togambling as the state considersexpanding gaming possibilities.

Their criteria include keepingaway compulsive gamblers, under­age gamblers and the poor, andallowing local communities to re­ject gambling.

The statement was issued by theConnecticut Catholic Conference,public policy arm of the state'sbishops.

"Individuals who participate ingambling are obliged to make con­scientious, prudential judgmentsabout their activity," the bishopssaid. '

"This applies as well to civilgovernments,. private institutions,churches and other private ownersand sponsors of gambling activi­ties."

The five protective criteria thebishops l.isted urged that:

- State and local governmentmaintain "the moral and legal in­tegrity of the games," includingkeeping "organized crime" out ofgambling.

- Safeguards be enforced todiscourage "abuse of gambling"by individuals. Examples suggestedincluded placing limits on theamounts tha.t could be wageredand setting restrictions on gam­bling credit.

- All or part of gambling rev­enues that go to government "beused for programs that benefit thepeople of the state or those whoreside in the communities wherethe games are operated."

- Citizens "be provided theopportunity through referendumto decide whether gambling shouldbe permitted in their communi­ties."

- The state keep underage gam­blers away and "every effort shouldbe made to preclude undue attrac­tion ofthe economically disadvan­taged to participate in games ofchance."

In Connecticut, people can takepart in state: lotteries, plus grey­hound racing, off-track betting andstate-sanctionedjai alai, which is agame like handball. The state alsopermits churches and other non­profit organizations to run bingosand games of chance.

There is also an Indian-runcasino in the state, reportedly thebiggest casino of any kind in theWestern Hemisphere. Efforts havealso been made over the past twoyears to introduce state-licensedcasinos in Hartford and Bridge­port.

The bishops quoted from the"Catechism of the CatholicChurch" on gambling. It saysgames of chance "are not in them­selves contrary to justice" but be­come "morally unacceptable whenthey deprive someone of what isnecessary to provide for his needsand those of others."

Public policy aspects of gam­bling make th~ issue more com­plex, "leading us to consider sev­eral important questions," thestatement said.

"Will the continued expansionoflegalized gambling in Connecti­cut enhance local economies andthe state's revenues without addingto the state's social and law en­forcement problems? Is the stateable to regulate gambling so thatorganized crime will not becomeinvolved? Are there appropriatelimits set to protect gamblers from

VATICANCITY(CNS) Help­ing the poor is an essential respon­sibilitv of a Christian and a mainpart (;f the churc~'s social teach­ing. Pope John Paul II told Chi­lean bishops. In order to de\'clop asense of sharing with the poor.Catholics should be asked to giveof "what is necessary and not onlyof what is supcrfluous." the popesaid. Citing a speceh he ga\'e in a19!P visit to Chill:. the pope said:"The poor cannot wait! He whohas nothing cannot wait for relieftoarriveasa kind of rebound fromthe general prosperity of society."

It's essential

By FATHER JOHNDIETZEN

for better or for worse" means, inthis instance, doing everything pos­sible to stop abusive behavior, notonly for her sake and the child­ren's, but for his sake as well.

Genuine "tough" love will say:This will not continue. For yoursake as well as for ours, you needhelp. Get it. You must have somekind of long-range therapy.

If he will not, her promises tolove him, as well as the obligationto love herself and the children, donot require her to continue in asituation that allows his abusive­ness to go on.

Someone may protest: Thereare hard things in every marriage;you learn to put up with them.

True. The reason you put upwith them, howev~r, in marriageor any other good relationship, isthat you are helping each othergrow emotionally, spiritually andmentally.

That is clearly hot happeninghere. The man is seriously hurtingboth himself and his family.

And the mother; if she is capa­ble of aoy alternative, is permit­ting harm, not only to herself andthe children, but to her husband aswell.

Marriage vows are meant to bekept. But if a spouse is brutallyand destructively abusive, part ofkeeping those vows is to do what­ever is possible to end the circum­stances that make that abuse pos-sible. I

If this is the only way to moveone's spouse out of an atmospherethat is destroying him and eve­ryone else, the other spouse isbeing faithful, not unfaithful, tohis or her marriage vows by fol­lowing this course.

It may be the !larder way, butthe alternative is to make both ofthem dependent, in a very un­healthy way, on each other's needsand weaknesses.

People in this kind of painfullife need our prayers, for wisdomand courage for themselves, andfor understanding in those aroundthem, especially their families andreligious leaders.

Marriagevows andabuse

Daily ReadingsDec. 12: Ze!=. 2:14-17 or Rv

1l:19a;12:1-6cl,10ab; Ps45;11-12,14-17; lk 1:26-38or lk 1:39-47

Dec. 13: Zep 3:1-2,9-13;Ps 34:2-3,6-7,17-19,23; Mt21:28-32

Dec. 14: Is 45:6b-8,18,2Ib-25; Ps85:9-14; lk7:19-23

Dec. 15: Is 54:1-10; Ps30:2,4-6,11-13; lk 7:24-30

Dec. 16: Is 56:1-3a,6-8; Ps67:2-3,5,7-8; In 5:33-36

Dec. 17: Gn 4·9:2,8-10; Ps72:3-4,7-8,17; Mt 1:1-17

Dec. 18: Mi 5:1-4a; Ps80:2-3,15-16,18-19; Heb10:5-10: lk 1:3!J-45

Q. This past Sunday the Gospelsaid, "What God hns joined to­gether let no man separate."

The priest then told of a womanwho ran into the strel!t to get awayfrom her husband who was beat­ing her and often her children.

She was badly bruised andbloody. The people 1~llthered toldher to leave him and go to hermother's home. She said she wouldrather die than break her marriagevow. With that her husband cameand began beating her and tookher home.

Our priest told us how weak weare running to the courts gettingdivorce after divorcl~. He seemedto be holding this woman up as anexample of strength in marriage.

There was no mlmtion of theman's role in this marriage. And ifthat woman seeks a divorce to pro­tect her life and very often the livesofher children how CfID that womanbe considered the guilty one?

If we interpret the words ofJesus the way the priiest did, aren'twe saying that Je!llIs condonesbeating women and that he wouldcondone even the death of womenat the hands of their husbands?

I cannot believe this. It would beencouraging sin, it seems to me.(New York)

A. Let's pass by for now thepriest's attitude and talk about thewife in his homily.

I admire such a woman's desireto be generous and faithful, butsomething serious about marriagevows got lost somewhere.

When they were married, thiswoman promised to love herspouse, for better 01' for worse, forricher or for poorer, until death.

What love is shown in being acooperator in her spouse's violenceagainst her and her children?

Blunt as it may sound, this isobjectively what she does whenshe remains in such a destructive,violent situation.

Any husband who behaves thisway toward his family is seriouslysick. He has a gross personalitydisorder, which he is acting out onthe nearest persons available.

Certainly he is missing some­thing essential in his commitmentand relationship to his wife andchildren. To accept and adapt tosuch behavior is not what mar­riage vows mean.

Fidelity to the promise to "love

MORRIS

KENNY

By

DAN

ANTOINETTE

BOSCO

fault,. simply the temperame nt ofthe child.

Whatever their children's tem­peraments, parents must expectand require appropriate behavior.The child who hits others or des­troys property must learn restraint.The teen whose mouth shoots offat every occasion must learn con­trol. Some children will be ea.sy tosocialize, others' more difficult.

While you can help your chil­dren modify their inborn temper­aments, you would probab:ty bewise to accept the basic char~.cter­

istics you no,tice.You might need to adapt your

parenting style to the differenttemperaments of your children.But 'you as parents have the re­sponsibility and the power to helpyour children to relate appro­priately to others.

By

MARY

Dr. JAMES &

kindness, and from a woman 'Ihave never met.

Maybe there are more litt\(: kind­nesses being sent our way than werealize. Maybe we find it hoHd torecognize a pure gift and acknow­ledge the giver.

I saw a woman once at the PortAuthority bus terminal in NewYork handing out sandwiches topeople who apparently were :lome­less. I asked her why she was doingthis. "JJecause I'm not hungry andthey are," she said.

Ms. Kirgma's little book is gar­nished with quotes from greatminds down through the centur­ies. I recall one by the 15th c<:nturyDutch Catholic scholar Erasmuswho said. "Give light. and the dark­ness will disappear of itself."

That's been great advi<:e forpeople of any era. Let's be: kind-just for the joy of it.

and said to the divine in general,"So, how are things out thereanyway?"

The next three-quarters of anhour or so might be called acciden­tal meditation. It was a most plea­sant and - no kidding - holytime. God didn't reveal any Lottonumbersor even an answer to myplumbing conundrum. However,serenity has its appeal.

Winston returned. "Sorry Itookso long," he said, "You must besomewhere between claustropho­bia and boredomland."

"Not even close," I smiled.

-By'

"This is a special giftThat you can never see

The reason it's so specialIs it's just for you - from me

Whenever you are happyOr even feeling blue

You only have to see this giftAnd know I think of youYou can never unwrap it

Please leave the ribbon tiedJust hold it close

to your heartIt's filled with love inside."

What a beautiful random act of

Th~l was,oneohh-estrongestlessons in my life. seeing the beautyof an unexpected kindness. Ms.Kirgma writes that with such kindacts. "for a few minutes, the mad­ness and the bitterness of the worldbegin to melt."

Eversince I read that little book,I have been thinking of all the ran­dom acts of kindness I have beenblesscd with in my life.

Recently I received a gift fromone of my readers in response tothe sad ness I had experienced.Barbara Shook, a Pennsylvanian,sent this poem of hers attached tothe ribbon of a gift-wrapped pack­age:

had been shaped that way by thefamily.

Today researchers can demon­strate that each of us is born with acertain type of neurochemistry.That is, temperament is shaped bybiology. -

Research does not say that peo­ple are born good or bad, agreea­ble or angry, fearful or bold.

Rather the research supportswhat parents have noticed through­out the ages: Children are bornwith an innate temperament whichmothers often say they can distin­guish from the day of birth.

Does inborn temperament meanthat parents cannot shape theirchildren? Quite the opposite. Par­ental intervention is what changesthe children who change.

The good news is that parentsneed not blame themselves for thepersonalities of their children. Thebad news is that children with cer­tain temperaments can challengetheir parents more than their easy­going peers.

The colicky baby who is nevereasily comforted is a high-needschild and demands much fromparents. Often this is nobody's

and wet to work on the outside ofthe mobile. Too bleak to do any­thing - and with about 45 min­utes on my hands.

Given our frantic schedule oflate, this sudden crash into non­activity kind of caught me with mypsychological seatbelt unhitched.I sort of metaphorically slammedagainst the windshield of life, and Ithink I left a head dent in it.

Tons of things to do, and noway to get at them. No phone. Nonothin'. .

Here's the God part. Nah, novisions or anything like that. Iclosed my eyes and simply tried tocalm down. Gradually, I did.

Interestingly enough, 'I wouldhave thought myself calm beforeWinston split. But as Ilet my headhave its own lead, a different kindof calm took over. I mentallyrecited a slow, deliberate Hail Mary

\ . .

. My 86-year-old 'mother, wholoves to read, was the one whointroduced me to a book titled"Random Acts of Kindness." byDaphnc Rose Kirgma. It drew myinterest as soon as I read theauthor's explanation of the title.

"Random acts of kindness,"wrote Ms. Kirgma, "are those littlesweet or grand lovely thingswe dofor no other reason except thatmomentarily the best of our hu­manity has sprung exquisitely intofull bloom."

Imml:diately I began a list, start­ing with my memory of a kindnessmy mother did for a new familythat moved into our neighborhoodwhen I was 12 and we lived in arather poor neighborhood in Al­bany, N. Y. The new family movedinto a three-family house acrossthe street.

This family app~ared almost des­titute, and my mother wondered ifthey had any food. Not askingthem, my mother cooked a bigItalian meal and asked me to bringit to our new neighbors. I stillremember the surprise on themother's face and the tears in hereyes when she told me to thank mymother.

Dear Mary: I have two teenagedaughters. I know that parents'often comment on the differencesbetween their children, but in mycase the differences are like nightand day.

One of my daughters is calm,orderly, even-tempered and gen­erally easy to live with. The otherisjust the opposite - volatile, hot­tempered, sweet when she wants tobe, a hellion when she doesn't. Ican't believe they grew up in thesame family.

I try to treat them alike and holdthem to the same standards, butwe always seem to be fighting withthe hotheaded one.

Should I have different expecta­tions for each? When I don't treatthem aBike, they both complainthat I am not being fair.

Help! - IowaResearchers are finding some

new answers to the ancient ques­tion of nature vs. nurture.

For a tong time experts thoughtthat physical characteristics wereinherited while emotional charac­teristics were due entirely to envir­onment. Colicky babies were dueto nervous parents. Shy children

Nature vs. nurture

Accidental meditation

Give light

Last weekend I was working onthe water system of our rentalmobile home when God - orsomeone doing a credible imita­tion of God - paid an unexpectedvisit.

Cold rain. Cold wind. Muddypump house. Muddy clothes.Muddy hands. Dense, slate cloudcover. Almost totally dark at 3

, p.m. In other words, standard al­most-winter day in the PacificNorthwest.

My friend Winston was helping.We needed two more 90-degreePVC fittings and a ":r." He volun­teered to make a parts run back totown while I held down the fort.

The "fort" was a 6-by-8 pumphouse. A drop light illuminatedone little corner. A tiny spaceheater provided warmth.

Out of the blue it hit me. There'was nothing I could do. Too dark

of all time that women are .notallowed to be ordained to thepriesthood and clerical celibacy isridiculous. They also get exercisedif you take church rules and regu­lations seriously at all.

Catholics are entitled to theiropinions. that's what I say. Thercis much room for a varicty of opin­ions as long as wc're talking aboutissues not ccntral to Christian doc­trine or 'infallible papal pronouncc­mcnts. I know there is no end ofsubtle theological distinctions in­volved here. and for all I know I'ma herctic. but I'm talking aboutbasically good-hearted pcople wholive in the real world.

What irritates the daylights outof me is the self-righteous attitudeof both right-wing and left-wingCatholics toward each other andthe huge crowd of moderate Catho­lics who believe they have a rightto their own ideas and interpreta­tions. Catholic moderates take theirfaith, the church and the demandsof the Gospel just as seriously asdo the right-wing and left-wingstone-throwers.

Noone can see into anyoneelse's soul, into the privacy of hisor her life, personal history and,relationship with God. Catholicson the extreme left and extremeright have no right to condemnordinary Catholics who prefer tomind their own business and goabout living their faith in the every­day world as God 'gives them thelight to do so.

It's fine - healthy, in fact - forCatholics to disagree and debateamong themselves, of course, butwe should do it without hurlingcondemnations. -

Notice that in John's Gospel(3: 17) Jesus will have none of thiscondemnation stuff. Let us ponderthe words of G.K. Chesterton:"Catholics know the two or threetranscendental truths on which theydo agree; and take rather a plea­sure in disagreeing on everythingelse."

THE ANCHOR - Diocese of fall River - fri., Dec. 9, 1994

SERVING ON committees forthe Jan. 13 Bishop's Char­ity Ball from the Somerset area are (from left) Mrs. RogerDube, hospitality; Rev. Daniel L. Freitas, Ball director andpastor of St. John of God parish, Somerset; Mrs. JosephBelanger, president of the Fall River District Council of Cath­olic Women; Mrs. Manuel T. Nogueira of Fall River, presi­dent of the Diocesan Council of Catholic Women and Ballco-chair; Rosemary Ferreira, hospitality. (Gaudette photo)

By Mitch Finley

When Catholics disagree

Who is a good Catholic andwho isn't? Catholics on the extremeright and extreme left point, anaccusing finger at everyone in thechurch but themselves. They wagthat finger vigorously. cluck ing,"All you people who call your­selves Catholics, you don't agreewith us, so you're bad Catholics."

For right-wing Catholics you'rea bad Catholic unless you believethat the pope is God's older brot her.For left-wing Catholics you're nota good Catholic unless you ignorethe Vatican, throw blood on nuclearbombs, sell all you have and golive in a South American slum.

Sometimes, of course, bothgroups are self-serving. Rememberearlier this year when the VatIcanannounced that it was acceptablefor girls to be altar servers atMass? I was astonished - and, Imust admit, tickled - to readletters-to-the"editor in right-leaningCatholic periodicals from Catho­lics having fits about girl altarservers.

The irony was so thick youcould cut it with a knife. Not onlydid these letter-writers call for dis­sent from the new "girl altar serversare OK" Vatican directive, but thereasons they gave for dissent weresimilar to those used for decadesby Catholics who disagree with theofficial church teaching on artifi­cial methods of birth control.

Right-wing Catholics sometimesca'll those who disagree with themto "the radical demands of theGospel" - but what they mean isabsolute, unquestioning obedience

.to selected official church teach­ings that never made a claim toinfallibility. While they reluctantlyadmit that these teachings are notinfallible, they talk and act a~ ifthey are.

Left-wing Catholics act as ifyou're a bad Catholic if you don'tthink it's one of the great injustices

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AMONG 101 diocesans who received the Marian Medalfor outstanding parish service from Bishop Sean O'Malley in aceremony at St. Mary's Cathedral last Sunday are, top fromleft, Rudolphe Blanchard, St. Hedwig parish, and RolandBlanchard, Holy Name, both New Bedford, believed the firstbrothers to be honored in the same year; Mrs. Mary Silva, St.Peter the Apostle, Provincetown, Permanent Deacons MichaelMurray and Frank Camacho; Mrs. Frances Gorczyca, HolyRosary, Taunton; Pauline Gregoire, St. Mary's, and DoloresVasconcellos, Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, both of New Bedford.(Kearns photos)

Letters are welcome but the editorreserves the rlaht to condense or edit, Ifdeemed necessary. All letten must betyped, signed and Inelude a home or busi­ness address (only the city name Is used Inprint). Letters do not necessarily reOeetthe editorial views of the Anchor.

Dear Editor:'Many thanks to The Anchor for

recognizing in its issue of Oct. 28ththe fact that St. Mary's Parish inMansfield is now 100 years old.The people ofSt. Mary's have pro­fessed their Christian faith as aCatholic Family during years oftremendous challenge and changeboth within the Church and withinsociety at large. Being at the outeredge of the diocese, so to speak,the Catholic people of Mansfieldare honored to be brought to thecenter of diocesan life through TheAnchor. Our deepest gratitude toour diocesan paper for makingknown our religious journey andhistory to both parishioner andnon-parishioner alike.

Rev. Pete: .. N. GrazianoPastor

Bereaved invitedto annuaH service

Many thanks

ADVE N1WiREAlH

PRAYERTHIRO WEEKOF ADVENT

Hospice Outreadl of Fall River,which provides respite care to ter­minally ill homebound patients,will hold its 10th annual interfaithcandlelight service for bereavedpersons at 7 p.m. Thursday, Dec.15, at Notre Dame Church, FallRiver.

Hospice Outreach bereavement·coordinator Rita Good said allwho are grieving the loss of a fam­ily member or frif:nd are welcometo attend the se:rvice at whichBishop Sean O'Malley will be hom­ilist and Claire Amiot will sing. Itwill also includl~ a candlelightceremony during which those pre­sent may give the names of lovedones and place a white bow on aChristmas tree in their memory.The bows will be distributed at thechurch entrance.

Those planning attendance areasked to notify the Hospice Out­reach office at 673-1589.

gerous, unwise, ill-advised' and'unconscionable.' "

Quoting a Wall Street Journalarticle by Father Richard .JohnNeuhaus, MCFLadded, "Ifsome­one objects that, at five or 15 days,the embryo does not look like ahuman being, one only has topoint out that this is p,recisely whata human being looks like at five orIS days of development."

"The creation and destructionof human life for scientific exper­iinentation is truly Orwellian andshould cause all American, toshudder with horror," said MCFLpresident Madeline McComish.

Acknowledging widespread op­position to the practice, the direc­tor's advisory committee said Dec.2 that Varmus should move slowlyon providing federal funds forresearch involving human embryosand should establish a committeethat would consider ethical andmoral issues involved in spe(:ificprojects.

Dr. Steven Mul1er, presidentemeritus of Johns Hopkins 1I ni­versity and chairman of the I'll HHuman Embryo Research Panel,said members of the advisorycommittee received more than50,000 pieces of mail, most ofthem protesting the use of pu'blicfunds for such research.

Douglas Johnson, federal Ie gis­lative director for the NationalRight to Life Committee, said afterClinton's announcement that thepresident,."after meditating on therecent defeat of ranks of pro­abortion incumbants, has suddenlydisplayed a spark of respect for thesanctity of innocent human life:."

"We hope that spark will grow,"Johnson added.

In its statement, the coalitionurged Congress to "enact and en­force laws and policies which for­bid direct support" for humanembryo research.

"Further, we urge that, as isdone with other cases of civil rightsviolations, institutions or individ­uals be made ineligible to receiveany public money as long as theyconduct such unethical human em­bryo research," the statem<:ntadded.

Microsoft; John F. Kennedy Jr.;Stephen Carter, Yale Law profl~s­

sol' and author; members of Cc,n­gress Henry Bonilla, R-Texas,Cynthia McKinney, D-Ga., a:ndSusan Molinari, R-N.Y.; Rali?hReed, executive director of theChristian Coalition; trumpeterWynton Marsalis; talk-show hos­tess and actress Oprah Winfrey;and Maya Lin, the sculptor whodesigned the Vietnam Vetera:nsMemorial in Washington.

In Time's short profiles of theindividuals, Ms. Alvare was notl:das a pro-life feminist who sees nocontradiction in the roles. Bmharise from scriptural teachingsabout equality in creation ar..dJesus' treatment of women, shesaid.

An attorney, Ms. Alvare hasbeen director of planning and infor­mation for the U.S. Catholic Con­ference Pro-Life Secretariat since1990.

In an essay preceding the listing,Time said it .picked people using a"civil and social impact" standard.

nonhuman organisms and puttinghuman embryos in animals forgestation.

"We object to all these experi­ments, primarily because almostall of them would involve ourgovernment in destroying humanlife at its earliest stages," saidMsgr. Lynch. .

"Some experiments actually'would require that hundreds ofhuman embryos be specially createdin the laboratory for the sole pur­pose of being manipulated andthen destroyed," he added.

The debate is not about "whenlife begins," Msgr. Lynch wrote,but about "whether our govern­ment should respect all humanlives, or treat some human beingsas disposable research material."

"To choose the latter course willonly bring discredit upon the enter­prise ofgovernment-sponsored med­ical research," Msgr. Lynch added.. The NIH panel's 'recommenda­tions also drew strong criticismfrom the Massachusetts CatholicConference, representing the headsof the state's four Catholic dio­ceses [see The Anchor, Nov. 18,19941.

"Experiments like those pro­posed by this NI H panel are con­demned in medical ethics, pun­ishable as crimes in several states,and contrary to the norms reflectedin your current regulations," theconference said in a Nov. 9 letterto Varmus.

"Approving federal funding forthem will bring disgrace upon theNational Institutes of Health, andincrease public distrust of the entireenterprise of fede"rally sponsoredmedical research," they added. "Wetherefore urge you to reject theNI H panel's recommendations intheir entirety."

Massachusetts Citizens for Lifeissued a statement protesting theNI H panel's decision, noting that"research on human embryosmerely for the purpose of researchis so appalling that even tradi­tional supporters of abortion, suchas the Washington Post and Chi­cago Tribune, have editorializedagainst it, recognizing it as 'dan-

usee pro-life spokeswoman namedamong 50 young leade~s by Time

WASHINGTON (CNS) - Hel­en Alvare, who serves as spokes­woman for the U.S. bishops onpro-life issues, has been named asone of Time magazine's 50 youngleaders of tomorrow.

The Dec. 5 issue of the magazineincluded Ms. Alvare, 34, in its listof members of Congress, entre­preneurs, scientists and activistsage 40 and younger who the maga­zine's editors believe will make adifference in the country.

"I was surprised and extremelythril1ed that Time could pick anypro-life activists to be a part ofwhat's going to lead America forthe next 50 years," Ms. Alvare toldCatholic News Service. She saidshe doesn't take her inclusion onthe list as a personal triumph somuch as a recognition that pro-lifeactivisim is being seen as a positiveaspect of the country's future.

"If it wasn't me it would havebeen someone else," she said.

The list included Bill Gates,founder of computer software giant

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WASHINGTON (CNS) - Des- 'pite President Clinton's surpriseannouncement' denying federalfunds fol' the creation of humanembryos for research purposes, acoalition representing pro-life, pro­family, medical and legal groupssaid Dec. 5 that all human embryoresearch should be banned.

"The manipulation and destruc­tion of one set of human beings,even if done in the name of curingserious disease, is not morally neu­tral, it is morally repugnant," saida statement signed by more than70 scientists, scholars, attorneysand leaders of pro-life or othergroups.

"This injustice and the use ofpublic money taken from Ameri­cans who are disgusted by suchhuman experimentation cry outfor a firm and clear repudiation bypublic officials," said the statementreleased Dec. 5 at a press confer­ence in Washington convened bythe American Life League.

In'a separate statement, theAmerican Life League called Clin-'ton's Dec:. 2 announcement onembryo research "deceptive" andsaid the experimentation he bannedis "only a small proportion of des­tructive research using human em­bryos."

The production of human em­bryos in private labs solely forexperimentation and the produc­tion of"surplus" human beings forthe in vitro fertilization processwould not be affected, the Ameri­can Life League said.

Earlier, an official of the U.S.bishops' conference had beenamong those urging Dr. HaroldVarmus, director of the Nationa:IInstitutes of Health, to rejectproposalsby the NIH Human Em­bryo Research Panel for fundingembryo research.

Msgr. Robert N. Lynch; generalsecretary of the National Confer­ence of Catholic Bish'ops and U.S.Catholic Conference, said the bish­ops' conference objects to all theexperiments recommended for ap­proval last September.

Just hours before Clinton's an­nouncement, the advisory commit­tee to the NIH director votedunanimously Dec. 2 to endorse thepanel's proposals.

Under those proposals, researcheligible for federal funds wouldinclude studies aimed at improv­ing successful pregnancies, under­standing the process of fertiliza­tion better, and aiding in the diag­nosis of genetic problems in anembryo before it is implanted inthe womb.

Research deemed unacceptableand "not to be federally funded forthe foreseeable future" would in­clude cloning, genetic diagnosisfor sex selection, cross-species fer­tilization, d(:velopment of human/ -

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FRANCISCAN FRIARSMASS AND DEVOTIONS

to

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ST. LOlJIS CHURCH420 Bradford Avenue • Fall River

~.~ ::~:,:~PRO-LIFE LEADEn Dr. Joseph R.Stanton joins

members of the Christ the King parish, Mashpee, Pro-LifeCommittee at a recent presentation on euthanasia and abor­tion. Pictured, from left, are Patricia Devlin, Margaret Dig­gins and Claire Twitchell. Dr. Stanton, founder of the Value ofLife Committee, said that laws on physician-assisted suicidelike the one which passed last month in Oregon, "are loweringthe barriers against killing, just as they did in Germany in the1930s." ..

Dr. Stanton drew another parallel to' Nazi horrors in adiscussion of embryo research, which he said is creatinghuman embryos that "become laboratory slaves, destined fordeath."

At the Nuremberg trials Nazi doctors were sentenced todeath "for carrying out fetal experiments on non-consentingadults," said Dr. Stanton, adding that the practice threatens toreturn in another guise: in September~s, the National Instituteof Health has approved the creation of human embryos solelyfor research purposes, to be destroyed after 14 days. Calling it"a crucial issue of our lifetimes," Dr. Stanton urged letterwrit­ing to newspaper editors condemning such research.

~l[ND£RMember FDICIDIF

tion" and begin to trust adults,said Father Costa, "you see a bigdifference in a short period oftime. They feel safe enough to startaddressing some painful issues."

The DePaul Center project "is astatement of our commitment tokids, and a statement of the com­mitment of the diocese to thesechildren and their families," FatherCosta said.

It is also making a statementat;>out the responsibility of societyto reach out to troubled youthsrather than casting them aside andwriting them off.

"We hope the neighborhood un­derstands that it is contributing tomaking a difference in the lives ofthese kids," said Father Costa.

No Harm"N 0 one can truly discover any

harm that prayer can do, the grea­test harm being not to practiceit."-St. Teresa of Avila

Build your own home nowwith aConstruction Loan from.Citizens-Union Savings Bank.

DePaul groundbreaking

THE ANCHOR - Diocese of Fall River - Fri., Dec. 9, 1994 9

Continued from Page Two"Well over 60 acres will remain inthe natural state," he said. Main­taining the buildings and upgrad­ing the water and septic system canonly improve the site, he added,and there will be less disruptionfor the town with fewer youthsaround than there was when thesite was a summer camp.

Ultimately, though, Father Costaand Browne ask that the DePaulCenter be judged on how well ithelps children.

Browne told the story of a 15­year-old whose behavior problemsat school and at home remained amystery until it was discoveredduring assessment in the DePaulprogram that he could not readand was embarrassed to ask forhelp. He now takes pride in carry­ing around a stack of books toread, said Browne.

"Once they begin this interac-

- .~~~~~.......- ........... --.......- ........................WGOD'S ANCHOR HOlDS

~~~~~~~~

sibility. Four former members haveentered seminaries; one was or­dained a priest and another a dea­con this year.

SERValso encourages all youngCatholics to recognize the call toa distinctly Christ-centered life,said the president of the group'sNotre Dame club, senior AnthonyPopanz.

A diocesan-sponsored SERVprogram has begun in San Diego,and "some kids get excited aboutit," said Father John Dolan, thediocesan director for priestly voca­tions.

Father Dolan said that the SanDiego group started simply withvisits to Catholic schools to dis­tribute prayer cards and to explainthe program. The cards provide aprayer that students injunior high,senior high and college can recitefor peers in whom they see thesigns of a religious vocation.

For more information on theNational Legion of SERV or onestablishing a local club, contact:National Legion of SERV, Attn:H. Juliano, P.O. Box 211, NotreDame, IN 46556.

said one member who is set toenter a seminary.

"I'm sure that all our prayerstogether [generate] great power.Prayer is the most important thingin a vocation. It's crucial for a richrelationship with God," and it is inthat relationship that discernmentof a vocation fundamentally takesplace, said Peter Minahan.

Largely due to the studentorganization, his vocation "be­comes more clear every day andevery week," and he is more confi­dent telling' people about it, theNotre Dame senior commented.

Founder Juliano is now over­seeing establishment of the Na­tional Legion of SERV.

The national organization hasminimal structure with freedom toadopt or adapt the activities of thefounding clu,b, said Juliano.

Those wishing to enroll in the~roup will be asked for a yearly $2donation, jf they can afford it.

A quarterly newsletter for thenational legion is available. '

The group does not influencemale members' choice betweendiocesan priesthood or religiousorders nor does it endorse any par­ticular order ormen or women.

Juliano said that perhaps 10 to15 among some 50 members of theNotre Dame club have discerned apriestly or religious vocation orare seriously cqnsidering the pos-

ST.STANISLAUSDED·leAnON: Bishop Sean O'­Malley and pastor Father Ro­bert S. Kaszynski (left) cele­brate dedication liturgy forthe new St. Stanislaus Churchon the feast of Christ theKing. The new church wascompleted three-and-a-halfyears after fire destroyed theoriginal St. Stanislaus. Right,the bishop is wel<:omed withbread and salt-symbols ofprosperity, health and wis­dom-by parishioners in Pol­ish costume. (StudioD photos)

Students use prayer, peer supportto encourage religious vocations

SOUTH BEND, Ind. (CNS) ­Young Catholics are .praying forone another and prompting oneanother to consider vocations tothe priesthood and religious lifethrough a program called StudentsEncouraging Religious Vocations,known as SERV.

A national expansion is under­way for the group, which sponsorssuch activities as a Way of theCross dubbed "Sta.tions for Voca­tions"; a "vocations vigil," whichentails setting aside an hour forpersonal prayer monthy; meetingswith priests and religious for lec­tures and informal discussion; andother gatherings such as retreatsand weekly Masses.

The first SER V club began atthe University of Notre Dame in1990. The organization is notofficially affiliated with the univer­sity.

It arose partly from conversa­tions between a retired Notre Dameemployee, Herb Juliano, and stu­dents who prayed the rosary regu­larly at the Notre Dame grottohonoring Our Lady of Lourdes.

The group hopes to show youngmen and women that others respectpriestly and religious vocations bypromoting an environment of spir­itual and practical.support frompeers and concerned adults, Juli­ano explained.

SERV is succeeding in that goal,

10 THE ANCHOR-Diocese of Fall River-Fri., Dec. 9,1994 Don't-buy' teens clothes for-'Christma~s!

! :~\!.A..~1l

Christmas Tree Blessing'

By Christopher CarstensThis is Christmas shopping sea­

son;and I have one simple sugges­tion, a practical truth that will helpparents avoid a world of gift­giving mistakes.

Never buy a teenager clothes forChristmas.

For a teenager, clothes are aChristmas gift almost guaranteedto disappoint. There's virtually noway parents can get it right, andthere are so many potential mis­takes. It isn't worth it.

For teens, clothing is a publicstatement, a way of saying whoyou are and how you want to beseen by your peers. For parents,clothes are a way of staying warmin the winter, a practical matter.

First, there is a code in teenag­er's clothing, a set of signals thatcommunicate to all other teens.Any teenager can look out acrossthe school campus and sort thekids into sets based on the clothesthey're wearing.

In the typical California highschool, kids sort themselves intosuch groups as surfers, gothics, oldstyles. school boys or school girls,grunges, stoners, red necks, nor­mals - and 100 other groupswhose names vary from school to

school. Unless you are certain whatclothing fits what style, you'll get itwrong.

Sadly, some items of clothing·can be downright dangerous. Ared shirt or a pro-football teamjersey in the wrong neighborhoodcan get you beaten up, or worse.

Parents can't know about allthose rules. It helps to try to stayinformed, and you can surely insistthat your kids don't wear ganguniforms and wear clothing that isappropriately modest, but beyondthis? It's hopeless!

Second, youth style is beyondthe comprehension of mere adults.For example, my daughter goes toa college where most of the stu­dents look like they rummagedtheir clothes out of dumpsters.

Now, let us not fool ourselvesinto thinking this is an inexpensivelook. Indeed, some of those kidsare wearing $90 jeans and $200sweaters, carefully assembled tolook like they came out of thedumpster behind Macy's or Lordand Taylor.

As a mere adult, your chancesare practically nil of choosingsomething your kids think isfashionable or stylish. You willalmost inevitably wind up choos-

ing something you would like rightnow, or something that you thinkyou would have liked when youwere a teenager. Both strategiesproduce purchases that will lan­guish in the closet and eventuallyend up unworn, tossed in the St.Vincent DePaul box. TrLlst me onthis one - I've watch,~d it toomany times.

So, that leaves you with theoption of buying "practical"clothes. Practical translates as"horing." Kids have a sp,~cial wayof understanding this - you havebought them something you need­ed to buy anyway, and called it apresent. This is seen as unfair.

There are two choices left. Eitheravoid clothing altogether, or giveyour kids the money and let themchoose the clothes the::nselves.That's what we've done for years,and it works out great.

We go for an after-Christmastrip to the discount factory outletmall, and make a day of it. Wehave lunch together, and spendour Christmas money on Clothesat the inevitable sales.

Everybody gets clothes they like- and will wear. We have a funfamily day. Who knows if it's theperfect solution, but it works forus.

The annual taming of the Christmas trleeUse grinder to remove pitch fromknife. Use butter and gasoline toremove pitch from hands and grin­der. Use common sense to removewife from house for dinne:r whenshe finds pitch-stained towels ingarage.

Day 5: Bring tree into house.Take it back out again. Hack tocorrect height using butcher knife.Repeat process until you have anapple crate of wood chips. Investtwo hours trying to indu(:e theevergreen monster to stand upstraight on its own (using fishingIeade~ as guy wires and tacking itto piano legs, sofa arms anc', win­dow sills). Install a ceiling hookand hang it. You can repla(:e thehunk of ceiling plaster late.r justlike last year.

Day 6: Spend an hour locatingthe strings of lights you stored lastyear, and then two or so Iiourstesting them all. When one goesout, they all go out. Decide 1:0 gobuy new ones.

Your comments are welcomedby Dan Morris, 25218 MeadowWay, Arlington, Wash. 98223,

witnesses" of Christ's teaching.All Christians should serio'L1sly

reflect on their faith and their livesduring Advent, he said, particu­larly through the sacrament ofpenance. As Christmas approaches,people should strive to give up thesuperfluous, search out the essen­tial, and create a climate of sile nceand prayer, he said.

court order. The brief was with­drawn the next day, as the case ofJulia Christians vs. Crystal Evan­gelical Free Church was being ar­gued before the 8th U.S. CirC"JitCourt of Appeals in St. Louis.

At issue is an order by the Min­nesota U.S. District Court a ward­ing to debtors the $13,500 whi,:hBruce and Nancy Young tithed totheir New Hope, Minn., chur<:hbefore they filed for bankruptcy,

Bankruptcy claim reversed

believer should, like the Baptist,make his voice heard in proclaim­ing the salvation of the Lord, fullyadhering to his Gospel and wit­nessing it visibly in the world," hesaid.

on walls and told people they'dbagged a three-point, pot-metalbuck.

If you've ever seen that oldRobert Redford movie about Jere­miah Johnson you can see one ofthese in the background inhis logcabin. Which brings up a question:How did Jeremiah build an entirelog cabin complete with log-burn­ing fireplace with only an ax beforewinter set in?

It takes me a week to set up aChristma.s tree, and I have a gar­age full of things that cut andpound at my disposal.

Day I: Challenge stability ofmarriage by picking out tree withwife.

Days 2 and 3: Remove tree fromcar. Wipe pitch from car using"butter" theory. Vacuum firneedles from car. Replace brokenrearview mirror on car. Patch seatand roof liner punctures in car.Use solvent to clean butter fromcar.'

Day 4: Limb tree from bottomso it will fit three-legged, pot­metal stand passed down fromJeremiah Johnson. Use electriccarving knife with serrated edge.

The pope said parents have aprimary responsibility to educatetheir children to be "courageous

WASHINGTON (CNS) - Pre­sident Clinton has ordered theJustice Department to withdrawits support of a claim that money aMinnesota couple tithed to theirchurch should be seized to payofftheir debts.

In an unusual presidential action,Clinton asked Attorney GeneralJanet Reno to withdraw a briefthat the Justice Department hadfiled in support of a bankruptcy

By Dan MorrisAccording to Father John Har-'

don's Modern Catholic Diction­ary, the first known mention of aChristmas tree was in 1605 atStrasbourg, and it was later intro­duced into France and England.

It's my guess Christmas treeswould have been popularized morequickly, but the candles kept goingout when they tried to get themacross the English ChanneL andwhen one would gp out they wouldall go out.

According to my neighbor. Bud.it was shortly thereafter that thethree-legged Christmas tree standwas invented by a spiteful Eng­lishman, but it was sent to theAmerican colonies. by mistake.Father Hardon does not mentionthis.

Colonists were so amused by thechallenge of balancing an ever­green on a wobbly, three-leggedcontraption that they embraced itas an annual tradition and storedthe stands in the attic between yuleseasons, t:xcept in the remote areaswhere, because they had no attics,they hung the three-legged stands

Give witness during Advent, pope saysVATICAN CITY(CNS)- Pre­

paring for Christmas should remindChristians of their duty to giveclear witness against violence, racialhatred and disrespect for life, PopeJohn Paul II said.

Like St. John the Baptist, whoproclaimed the coming of the Lord,today's faithfUl should announcemoral truths to contemporary so­ciety, the pope said at a Sundayblessing Dec. 4.

The pontiff said he was referringto the "many serious situations"that plague modern society: moralindifference, a "contempt for hu­man life in its first stages or as itproceeds to its natural end," racialhatred, violence, war, and intoler­ance.

All these are causes of "thatdesert of injustice, pain and des­peration that is advancing in oursociety," he said.

"In the face of this scenario, the

Instead of the shrub shall come'up the fir tree and instead of thenettle shall come up the myrtletree: and the Lord shall be namedfor an everlasting sign that shallnot be taken away.

A reading from the .Book ofEzechiel: Thus saith the LordGod: I myself will take of themarrow of the high cedar and willset it: I will crop off a tender twigfrom the top of the branches the­reof, and I will plant it on amountain high and eminent.

On the high mountains orIsraelWill I plant it and it shall shootforth into branches and shall bearfruit and it shall become a greatcedar; and all birds shall dwell'under it and every fowl shallmake its nest under the shadowof the branches thereof.

And all the trees of the countryshall know that I the Lord havebrought down the high tree andexalted the low tree and have'dried up the green tree and havecaused the dry tree to flourish. 1the Lord have spoken and havedone it.

A readingfrom the Book oftheApocalypse: To him that over­cometh 1 will give to eat of thetree of life. which is in the para­dise of my God.... And he showedme a river of water of life, clear ascrystal. proceeding from thethrone of God and of the Lamb.

In the midst of the street the­reof and on both.sides of the riverwas the tree of life bearing twelvefruits. yielding its fruits everymonth and the leaves of the treewere for the healing of the nations.

At the end of the readings theleader says: Let us pray: Bless, we.beseech thee', 0 God, our Christ­mas tree, decorated in honor ofthe birth of thy Son. May thelightand beautyofthis tree be reflectedin our lives that we may sharethroughout eternity in the gloryof the true Tree of Life. We askthis through Christ our Lord,who redeemed the sin of Adamthat came through a tree by hisdeath on the tree of Calvary.Amen.

The tree should now be light­ed. All may join in singing one ormore Christmas carols and, if'desired, refreshments may beserved..

The children in a familv ordesignated persons in other gr<lUpsmay read one or more of the fol­lowing scripture selections:

A reading from the Book ofGenesis: And the Lord God hadplanted a paradise of pleasurefrom the beginning: wherein heplaced man whom he had formed.

Ani!. the Lord God broughtforth of the ground all manner oftrees. fair to behold and pleasantto eat of: the tree of life also in themidst of paradise: and the tree ofknowledge of good and evil.

A reading/rom the BookofIsaiah:You shall go out with joy and beled forth with peace: the moun­tains and the hills shall sing praisebefore you and all the trees ofttlecountry shall clap their hands.

For a home blessing of aChristmas tree, the motber. fatberor other adult reads the followingexplanation. For parish, schoolor other groups, the designatedleader reads. The tree remainsunlit until the end of the service.

A reading from the Book ofPsalms: The fields and all thingsthat are in them shall be joyful.

Then shall all the trees of thewoods rejoice before the face ofthe Lord because he 'cometh:to judge the earth. .

In the Book of Genesis. we are·told of the tree of the knowledgeof good and evil, whose fruit ourfirst parents were forbidden toeat. When Adam and Eve dis­obeyed God's command. they were

.cast from the Garden of Edenand they and their descendantsknew sickness and death.

• For long years mankind suf­, fered until Christ came as redee­

mer to die on the tree of Calvary.Thus the tree holds a special

place in the story ofsalvation andis fittingly one ofthe most impor­tant symbols of the Christmasseason.

As our own tree once stood inthe dark forest, cold and un­adorned, so was the world beforethe coming of Christ. But now,brightly decorated, it reminds usof the tree of Calvary, whichbrought us redemption.

Let us now read God's word.

Beatificatiion explored for Polish p.riest

organist; Jackie Racine on flute;and Jane Murray on oboe.

On the altar was a painting ofthe red AIDS ribbon drapedaround a cross, the work of DonaldBurton, a member of St. ThomasMore parish, Somerset. The rib­bon, worn by many at the AIDSMass, symbolizes solidarity withand compassion for persons withAIDS.

AT WORLD AIDS DAYMass, Bishop O'Malley speaksand a Catholic school studentis among those offering peti­tions. The red ribbon paintingby Donald Burton was sup­plied by the Diocesan Officeof AI DS Ministry. The bishopis wearing vestments adornedwith dancing figures, describedas redemptive people who,having been redeemed, canthen redeem others. The vest­ments were obtained by FatherJohn Ozug. (Kearns photos)

World AIDS Day Mass

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Continued from Page Onesaying it was an opportunity forthem to "learn the dangers of thisdisease."

Students Shirley Guerreiro andBryan Lemieux of Bishop StangHigh School, North Dartmouth,were cantors for the Mass; andalso a cantor was Elaine Nadeau.Musicians were Madeleine Grace,

Fund in need THE ANCHOR-Diocese of Fall River-Fri., Dec. 9, 1994 11

Continued from Page Oneand the active sisters also add 5percent of their current salaries tothe fund.

Another example of how reli­gious orders are sharing care forelderly members is found in Rich­field, Ohio, where 22 religious com­munities in the dioceses of Cleve­land and Youngstown, Ohio, andPittsburgh support an intercon­gregational retirement center.

"The need was so great, congre­gations were just waiting for ourdoors to open," said Sister MildredBaker, a Sister of the ImmaculateHeart of Mary who is intercom­munity liaison for Regina HealthCenter.

The solution came with theopening of Regina Health Center,which has an 81-bed skilled nurs­ing area and 74 assisted-living units.Residents currently include 76 wo­men and men religious, six dioce­san priests and 36 other individu­als, mostly family members of thereligious.

Word has quickly spread of thecenter's success and sisters involvedin it have' become consultants todioceses wanting to start similarprojects.

For the Sisters of Charity of theBlessed Virgin Mary in Dubuque,Iowa, costs of caring for its 660sisters age 65 and over reach nearly$8 million annually.

In addition to using funds fromthe retirement collection. the orderof 1,026 nuns has created a charit­able trust, building it up by sellingproperty, mostly girls' high schools,and involved its development officein working with donors on estateplanning and wills.

The order has also renovated itstwo large retirement centers inDubuque and Chicago to includeassisted living areas and is involvedin ministry by and with the agingin a center on motherhouse groundswhere retired sisters teach classesfor more than 320 area seniors.

Sisters of the Presentation, alsobased in Dubuque, care for agingmembers as hospital chaplains,pastoral ministers and in otherroles and also have a sister study­ing gerontology for future minis­try to aging religious.

In Brooklyn, N.Y., the MercySisters havc~ reduced the area theyuse in their motherhouse and rentedout the freed space as single-fa~ily

units.And Sisters in Song, a choral

group of 57 sisters from 30 com­munities in 21 states, has releasedtwo albums, including one for Christ­mas. Proceeds are divided betweenthe Tri-Conference office and asecond national agency, SupportOur Aging Religious.

Statistics, Anyone?A new mortality study on the

life expectancy of religious con­cluded that unless communitiesincrease their retirement assets, alltheir resources will shortly have togo to the costs of caring for agedmembers.

According to the study, membersof religious orders usually livelonger than laypersons, with theaverage age of death for a womanreligious 85 or as opposed to theage of 80 for laywomen.

Similarly, the average age ofdeath for a .religious priest orbrother is 78, as opposed to 74 forlaymen.

Many observers credit the lon­gevity of religious to good healthhabits and absence of the prob­lems frequently accompanying ca­reers in the secular world, mar­riage and parenthood.

Suite 980, Washington, DC 20005,Tel. (202) 289-1093.

In the Fall River diocese, FatherMarcel H. Boucnard, pastor ofCorpus Christi parish, East Sand­wich, is chairperson of the Dioce­san Stewardship Comittee. Forfurther information on the dioce­san program, he may be reached atPO Box 1170, East Sandwich 02537­0384, tel. 888-0209.

. and his outspoken support of thethen-outlawed Solidarity move­ment, was kidnapped Oct. 19, 1984.On Oct. 30, his body was draggedfrom the frozert Vistula River.Pathologists testified that the maincause of death was probably chok­ing on blood from head woundsand vomit brought on by the shockof severe beatings.

An estimated 8,000 people ­including delegations from morethan 100 regional branches.ofSoli­darity trade unions - attendedthe anniversary Mass.

In a letter r~ad at the Mass,Pope John Paulll praised FatherPopieluszko as a "defender of truth,justice and hum.an dignity," fromwhom it was possibile "to learnabout responsil>ility for Polandand about its.Christian heritage."

1n 1987 the pope prayed at thepriest's grave, which has beenvisited by 13 million pilgrims fromaround the world.

Continued frol11 Page One"always been the very heart of myexistence."

The National Catholic Steward­ship Council encourages both dioce­san and parish-centered steward­ship. With Kansas City, KS BishopJames P. Keleher as episcopal mo­derator and Matthew R. Paratoreas national director, council head­quarters are at 1275 K St:, NW,

WARSAW, Poland (CNS) ­Cardinal Jozef Glemp of Warsawplans to appoint a commission toresearch the case for beatificationof a popular Polish priest mur­dered by secret police agents 10years ago.

Speaking at a recent Mass mark­ing the 10th anniversary of thepriests' death, he said Father JerzyPopieluszko, whose 1984 murderwas widely believed to have con­tributed to the collapse of thecountry's communist regime, hadbecome a "figure on a world scale"and confirmed that his teachingshad been loyal to church and Gos­pel traditions.

Four years ago, the Warsawarchdiocese approved a prayer forFather Popieluszko's canonization.It also raised St. Stanislaw KostkaChurch, where the priest is buried,to the status ofa national sanctuary.

Father Popieluszko, famous forhis "Masses for the homeland"

Stewardship conference

STEWARDS: At the Na­tional Catholic StewardshipCouncil conference are, top,from left, Father John Sulli­van, chaplain at Sturdy Mem­orial Hospital, North Attle­boro; Joanne Riley and JamesRiley of Sacred Heart parish,North Attleboro; Eleanor Char­bonneau, St. Francis Xavierparish, Acushnet:. At right,Father Marcel Bouchard, chair­person of the Diocesan Ste­wardship Committe and pas­tor of Corpus Christi parish,East Sand wich (left), andMsgr. Daniel Hoye, pastor ofSt. John the Evangelist par­ish, Attleboro. (Studio Dphotos)

TV Christmas specials listed

"Jacob" is worthy movie subject

Catholic Memorial HomeFall River

2 p.m. Dec. II: Espirito SantoChurch choir will perform in sola­rium. 6:30 p.m. Dec. 12: Carolingby St. John the Baptist Church,Westport, paril;hioners, who willbring gifts for residents. 7 p.m.Dec. 13. Swansea Community Bandwill perform. I:30 p.m. Dec.. 14:Blessing and lighting of Christ mastree in solarium. 6 p.m. Dec" 15:Trip to LaSalette Shrine, Attle­boro.

I p. m. Dec. 18: Christmas partyfor residents, f.amilies and l;taffwith a visit from Santa. 10:30 a.m.Dec. 21 and Dec. 22: "Santa andthe Sisters" visit each resident anddeliver gifts.

6 p.m. Dec. 31: New Year'sParty with entertainment by ArthurCote Trio.

22: Caroling by Elizabel~h PoleElementary School student:;. I p. m.Dec. 23: Caroling by MarianManor depa:rtment headn. At 2p. m., the ca rolers will join staff,residents and their families for thehome's Christmas party.

2:30 p.m. Dec. 30: New Year'sEve party for residents and staff.

Madonna ManorNorth Attleboro

6:30 p.m. Dec. 12: Caroling byyouth group of Sacred HeartChurch, North Attleboro. 3: 30 p.m.Dec. 14, Brownie Troop 999 fromFalls School visits. At 6:30 p.m.students from Bishop Feehan Highschool will sing carols. 2 p.m. Dec.15: Entertainment by the four-andfive-year-old students of LittleFolks School, Attleboro. 2 p.m.Dec. 16: Sing-along with eUI:haris­tic ministers and chapel volunteers.At 3:30 p.m., Christmas carolingby Girl Scout:,. At 7:30 p.m., CubScout Pack 46 of Plainville willvisit.

6:30 p.m. Dec. 19: Sing·,alongwith Merryl Chabot. 7 p.m,. Dec.20: Happy Hearts choral ~:roup,

dressed in red and white Victorian­style clothing, will perform Christ­mas carols. Noon Dec. 21: WinterWonderland Luncheon. 2 p.m. Dec.

,22: Residents prepare Chri ,tmascookies to be served during a pres­entation of a: Lawrence WelkChristmas Show video.

2 p.m. Dec. JI: New Year's Eveparty with cabaret singer Mere­dith Arico.

GIFTS. FROM THE HEART: Students at St. Joseph'sSchool, Fairhaven, are observing Advent with the theme"Gifts from the Heart...Receive the Gifts of Christmas." Stu­dents are assembling "gift packs," containing soap, toothpast,e,shampoo, an.d a brush, comb and face cloth, to be presentedDec. 21 to Sister Rosellen Gallogly, RSM, for clients of tbeMarket Ministries shelter in New Bedford.

--Nursing homes announlceChristmas events

Christmas activities planned thismonth at the four diocesan nurs-ing homes follow. .

Our Lady's HavenFairhaven

Today at 1:30 p.m.: Keyboardentertainer Dave Valerio will playChristmas tunes in the auditorium.

I :30 p.m. Dec. 13: Seniors fromSt. Mary's parish, Fairhaven, willstage a talen"t show and distributegifts and homemade pastries at aGolden Agers Christmas Party. 10'a.m. Dec. 14: Holy Family-HolyName School, New Bedford, pre­schoolers will sing and dance forresidents, who will have their pic­tures taken with the children andSanta. At 6 p.m., Eighth-gradereligious education students fromSt. Joseph's Church, Fairhaven,will perform Christmas skits in theau<!itorium.

2 p.m. Dec. 18: Alysha LaFleur,a 14-year-old volunteer at the home,will lead a sing-along in the audit­orium. I :30 p.m. Dec. 20: AndreChampagne, home volunteer, willplay favorite tunes on the piano, tobe identified by listeners In a "NameThat Tune" session. 10 a.m. Dec.21: Dartmouth High School stu­dents will perform a concert. 10a.m. Dec. 22: Residents can havetheir Christmas gifts wrapped forfree. 9:30 a.m. Dec. 23: Santa'ssleigh will travel the halls of theHaven, delivering gifts for resi­dents from their families and fromthe St. John the Baptist Church,

, Westport, giving tree project. AtI :30 p.m., resident and familyChristmas party.

I :30 p.m. Dec. 31: Residents'New Year's Eve party.

Marian ManorTaunton

6 p.m. Dec. 10: Caroling byHaskins Pony Club equestriangroup.

9:30 a.m. Dec. 13: YMCA pro-, gram preschoolers, who visit the

Manor monthly, will sing carols.6:30 p.m. Dec. 13: Caroling byDaisy Troop 50 I. 6:30 p.m. Dec.15: Caroling by Cub Scout PackII of Raynham. 9 a.m. Dec. 17:Children of residents' and staffmembers' families and childrenfrom the community are invited to"B'reakfast with Santa" to receivea small gift and have photos taken.

10:30 a.m. Dec. 19: Christmaspageant by children from BennettElementary School. 10 a.m. Dec.

first ,Christmas, II p.m. Dec. 19,repeated 10:30 a.m. Dec. 21, 4p.m. Dec. 23, II a.m. Dec. 24 and25, and 1:30 and 10 a.m. Dec. 26.

- "A Castle Christmas" withBritish tenor Dennis O'Neill sing­ing carols in a Victorian setting, Ia.m. Dec. 20, repeated II p.m.Dec. 23, 2 p.m. Dec. 24 and IIp.m. Dec. 25.

-,- "Silent Night in Berlin" withsingers and instrumentalists backedby the Dresden State Orchestra, 5a.m. Dec. 21, repeated I a.m. Dec.23,4 a.m. Dec. 25, II p.m. Dec. 27and I a.m. Dec. 30.

-,- "The Gospel of Luke: TheChristmas Story," re-enactment ofScripture with footage ofthe HolyLand, in English at 8 p.m. Dec. 22,repeated 2 p.m. Dec. 23,4:30 a.m.Dec. 24, midnight Dec. 25 and 10p.m. Dec. 27, and in Spanish at IIp.m. Dec. 17 and 4 p.m. Dec. 19.,-"A Time to Remember" star­

ring Donald O'Connor, about aboy who bears witness to Christ­mas through his personal trials, 8p.m. Dec. 23, repeated 5:30 a.m.Dec. 24 and 2 p.m. Dec. 25.

- The pope's Christmas mes­sage live from St. Peter's at 8 p.m.Dec. 24, repeated 10 p.m. Dec. 25and 6 p.m. Dec. 26.

- Christmas Eve Mass cele­brated by Archbishop AgostinoCacciavillan, papal pro-nuncio tothe United States, live at the Basil­ica of the National Shrine of theImmaculate Conception at 10:30p.m. Dec. 24, preceded by a livechoral meditation at 10 p.m.

- Christmas Eve Mass fromOur Lady of the Angels Monas-'tery Chapel in Birmingham, Ala.,live at I a.m. Dec. 25, repeated at 8a.m. Dec. 25 and midnight Dec.26.

- Christmas Day Mass cele­brated by Cardinal James A.Hickey of Washington live at theBasilica of the National Shrine ofthe Immaculate Conception atnoon Dec. 25.

Fatigued by his dispute withEsau and the desert's heat, he liesdown on a rock and dreams abouta ladder to heaven on which angelsare descending and ascending.

It is here that he hears God'spromise that the land upon whichhe rests will be given to him and hisdescendants. Later his na,me willbe changed from Jacob to Israel.

The movie's high point for me,was its artful portrayal of thecov­enant between God and Jacob. Nomatter whether he is disappointedat not having Rachel as his firstwife or is wrestling with an angel,Jacob's commitment to God comesthrough forcefully.

Most would agree that the mean­ing of commitment today has beengreatly diminished. This is partlycaused by seeing more commit­ments broken than kept in societyas a whole.

"Jacob" forcefully counters this,allowing us to imagine what com­mitment really implie's through itsdepiction of the workings of com­mitment between God and Jacob.

- "Rough Edges," about twowomen who meet at a park benchnear a vandalized nativity scene, 9p. m. Dec. 21, repeated I a. m. Dec.22 and 2:30 p.m. Dec. 24.

- "Focus on Faith with KathieLee Gifford," in which the talkshow host and singer shares herfaith and the music of Christmas,4:30 p.m. Dec. 23.

- Christmas Mass from St.Frances of Rome Church in NewYork, I p.m. Dec. 25.

- Pope John Paul II's "Urbi etOrbi" ("To the City and to theWorld") message at 2 p.m. Dec.25.

Eternal World Television Net­work cable highligh'ts (all timesEST):

- "Nicholas, The Boy WhoBecame Santa," animated tale ofSt. Nicholas, in English at 8 p.m.Dec. II, repeated 10 a.m. Dec. 14,10 p.m. Dec. 16 and 3:30 a.m. Dec.17, and in Spanish at 4:30 p.m.Dec. II, repeated 6 a.m. Dec. 12,6:30 a.m. Dec. 13,11:30 p.m. Dec.14,2:30 a.m. 4:30 p.m. Dec. 24 and2:30 a.m. Dec. 25.

- "The Fourth Wise Man" star­ring Martin Sheen, Alan Arkinand Ralph Bellamy as the Magi, inEnglish at 8 p.m. Dec. 15, repeated2 p.m. Dec. 16,4:30 a.m. Dec. 17,10 p.m. Dec. 20, and I p.m. Dec.24 and 30, and in Spanish at IIp.m. Dec. 10, repeated I a.m. Dec.21 and 4 p.m. Dec. 26.

- "Music for Christmas" pe'r­formed. by The Catholic Univer­sity of America's music school andthe Basilica ofthe National Shrineof the Immaculate Conception'schoir, 4 a.m. Dec. 18, repeated1:30 p.m. Dec. 19,10 p.m. Dec. 22and 8 p.m. Dec. 25.

- "Christmas in Nuremberg"with music of Bach and Handelplus Christmas favorites,S a.m.Dec. 19, repeated I a.m. Dec. 22, 5a.m. Dec. 25 and II p.m. Dec. 26.

- "The Savior is Born," Mor­gan Freeman's narration of the

tricked he gave into Laban's de­mand to work. The scheming butlovable character of Laban, beau­tifully played by Giancarlo Gian­nini, credibly demonstrates howthis could happen.

We realize that anyone who hadbenefitted from the goodness of aJacob would hold onto him at anycost.

A number of biblical scholars, today tell us that if we truly want

to become one with the Bible wemust imagine "seeing the place"where its stories took place and thepeople involved.

"Jacob" aids our imaginationwith its desert scenes and authen­tic costumes. We get a real sense ofwhat it must have been like duringthe nomadic life of Israel's pa­triarchs.

The two-hour presentation of"Jacob" excellently summarizes hislife, starting with him taking thebirth right from his brother Esau,and explaining his name, whichmeans "attached to the heel." ,Scripture scholars tell us that al­though Esau was born first, Jacobwas attached to his heel, and, as itwere, tripped him up by clinging toit to get to his father Isaac's firstblessing.

Esau's anger drives Jacob fromBeer-sheb,a and causes him tojourney to Laban in Haran. It isthe beginning of his intimate jour­ney with God.

WASHINGTON (CNS)- Broad­cast and cable teievision will air awide variety of Christmas servicesand specials throughout December.

NBC will show Midnight Massfrom the Vatican at II :30 p.m.EST Dec. 24.

Faith & Values Channel cablehighlights (all times EST):

- "Silent Mouse" with LynnRedgrave narrating the true storythat led to the composition of"Silent Night," 9 a.m. Dec. 10,repeated 8 p.m. Dec. 20, midnightDec. 21,8 p.m. Dec. 24 and 9 a.m.Dec. 25.

- "The Joy of Music," in whichpan flutist Zamfir and the Joy ofMusic Chorale perform Christmasmusic in Europe's famous cathed­rals and churches, 7:30 p.m, Dec.18, repeated 3:30 p.m. Dec. 23 and7:30 p.m. Dec: 25.

- "Santa," a BBC special show­ing the evolution of Santa Claus'image, 8 p.m. Dec. 18, repeated 9p.m. Dec. 22 and I a.m. Dec. 23.. - "Highway," which looks athow Christmas is celebrated onBritain's the Channel Islands, 6p.m. Dec. 20, repeated 7:30 a.m.Dec. 21, 4 p.m. Dec. 23 and 2:30p.m. Dec. 25.-" 'Tis the Season," a Hawaii­

set story of how a young girlle-arnsthe real meaning of Christmasfrom a mysterious woman, 9 p.m.Dec. 20, repeated I a.m. Dec. 21.

- "Silent Night," with Spanishopera star Jose Carreras In Salz­burg, Austria, explaining religiouscustoms associated with Christ masand singing "Silent Night" in thechurch where it was written, 8 p.m.Dec. 21, repeated midnight Dec.22 and 4 p.m. Dec. 25.

- "The Journey," the FatherPeyton's Family Theater showstarring Lois Nettleton about ateenager who helps a homeless,pregnant robbery victim againsther father's wishes, 8:30 p.m. Dec.21, repeated 12:30 a. m. Dec. 22, 2p.m. Dec. 24 and midnight Dec.26.

By Father Eugene HemrickTurner Network Television

rightly described the productionof the biblical "Jacob" when theysaid, "It is a beloved Old Testa-

, ment parable of devotion, integ­rity, redemption and faith." Betterfamily entertainment we could notget!

"Jacob" will be aired throughDec. 17.

There are a number of things Iliked about it. First, MatthewModine as Jacob artfully portrayskindness, compassion, sufferingand faith, while remaining a veryhuman being.

Unlike the lead characters insome biblical movies, Modin\:offers a certain naturalness whichhas the viewer not only admiringhim, but feeling that the virtues heportrays could be imitated.

Lara Flynn Boyle, who playsRachel, does not let physical beautyoverrun the ,beauty of a devotf:dand loving woman who not onlysupports her, husband but whohelps us sense what it was like forher when the couple was unable tohave a child.

The most charming character in"Jacob" is Laban, Rachel's fatherwho tricks Jacob into marrying hisdaughter Leah, and then has himwork seven years to win Rachel'shand.

Whe'n we read about Jacob, itseems incredible that after being

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the knowledge they convey, butmore precisely, as a means to dis­cover their true identity as a childof God, one who is called to becomeGod-like in and through one's li(e."

He said extracurricular activi­ties also take on a different light inCatholic schools. They not onlyprovide socialization and distrac­tion, but enable the students to"appreciate new depths of humanexperience that convey the livingpresence of God" either throughone's friends or one's own limita­tions.

Since public schools do not havethe underlying principle of a cen­tral belief in God, their role "standsin stark contrast" to Catholicschools, Father Jacobs said.

And because he believes Catho­lic schools are not just functional,he said the teachers should viewtheir profession as a vocation.

"Teachers deal with students asindividuals, communicating to theirsouls," he said.

According to Father Jacobs, allwho are involved with Catholic'schooling, from students to bish­ops, must be clear on why theschools exist in the first place.

"Otherwise," he said, "parents,students and teachers will not beinspired and motivated to contri­bute their time, feeling and focus"to the schools' success.

When Catholic educational lead­ers understand and communicatethe role of their schools they willbe instrumental in forming futurechurch leaders, he said.

They also "will have; ensuredthat the Gospel win be faithfullyproclaimed not only to the nextgeneration but well into the nextmillennium."

Moral foundation setsCatholic schools apart

SaJJivan)sEst. 1962

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THE ANCHOR-Diocese of Fall River-Fri., Dec. 9, 1994 13

WASHINGTON(CNS)- Cath­olic schools' success is often linkedto their academics and discipline,but what really sets them apart istheir underlying principles, saidAugustinian Father Richard Ja­cobs.

The priest delivered the annualSeton-Neumann lecture, sponsoredby the U.S. Catholic Conference'sEd ucation Department and its Com­mittee on Education.

Today's education research con­tinues to prove that Catholicschools are effective primarilybecause they offer "rigorous cur­riculum, good discipline and asupportive climate," said FatherJacobs, who is director of Villa­nova University grad uate programsin school leadership.

While these characteristics areimportant and may sell Catholicschools to parents, he said, theyare not what makes a Catholicschool distinctively Catholic.

The moral framework, the cen­tral belief in God and the spiritualformation of the students are thekey principles surrounding thi: ex­istence of Catholic schools, saidFather Jacobs.

"The development of moral char­acter is the heart of education," heemphasized, adding that this aspectis overlooked in public schools.

The priest said public educationhas "failed youth because it con­veys little or no moral purpose."

The moral aspect prominent inCatholic schooling is what pre­vents education from being "re­duced to instruction," and it effectseverything in the Catholic schoolfrom the classroom to the lockerroom, he said; for example, "Stu­dents take courses not merely for

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boring. genuinely. really awesome!"-Amanda Sinclair

"I think religious education hasmade me a much better person. Iknow it has made me more lovingand caring. It has also helped mysister Bria nne who is in secondgrade. My sister and I are also get­ting along better now because wehave been coming here. Actually.it's helping my whole family." ­Allyson Keefe. "Religious ed ucation has brought

me closer to God. I now under­stand the fulfillment of the scrip­tures. I now can understand aboutGod instead of keep trying 10 justguess at what it meant when theGospel was read at Mass. I nowunderstand what people mean whenthey talk about Jesus. I also nowunderstand the chapter in theBible." -Joe:y Centrella

Confirmation I"Religious ed ucation helps me

understand my life. God. and myfamily and friends. By knowingand learning more about God andJesus. I can understand that mylife is great compared to some ofthe hardships Jesus had to face. Ican deal with humiliation a lot bet­ter. and am not as concerned aboutmaterial things as much as I amabout things that I could neverhave another of. like my familyand friends.

"Religious ed ucation has helpedme to understand the life of Godand Jesus a lot more. I learnedwhat they have done to help us.God has also helped me to under­stand my self a lot better and torealize that there is only one meand to be myself. Also to try to bethoughtful and understanding ofmy friends and family and ene­mies. also to give everyone a fairjudgment."· Kathleen Bergstrom

The religious ed ucation program.coordinated by Marie Mann. alsoheld during November a parentnight with pro-life speaker LindaThayer and a benefit auction forleukemia patient Sara Woodland,a sophomore at Harwich High.

"I learn aboul God. Jesus andMary to see what Ihey did. Tolearn about a virtue; love. faithand hope. To love everyone even ifthey're different." -Jessica Mon­geau

"Religious education helps melearn more about God. Jesus, Maryand Joseph. It helps me to give outmy love. It gives me somethingthat brings me love." +-Jenny Vohs

Grade ~

"ReI. Ed. has made me kinder.Also it made me more independ­ent. ReI. Ed. is fun. ReI. Ed's foreveryone. There is no better placeto be. ReI. Ed's the place for me.Best place in the world: outstand­ing teachers; radical. in otherwords. Miss Mann; independent.that's what it's m"de me; never

Month. The grades 1-5 studentsoffered thanks for such things as:"my guinea pig"; "my family"; "myfriends"; "my home"; "my health";"sports"; "clothes"; "my school";"my dog and my cat"; "my VCR";"my Nintendo"; "my mom anddad"; "God and Jesus."

Students also viewed the video"The PUmpkin Who Was Not aSquash," which had the theme ofvaluing differences and uniqueness.

St. John Evangelist CC·D

"What r~ligiou~~duc~~i~~"doesfor '',;,~,/CCO students at Holy Trinity

parish. West I-Jarwi<:h. markedReligious Education Month inNovember with a project themed"What Religious Education Doesfor Me." Grades 1-3 made postersand grades 4-10 wrote composi­tions. Among the stu.dents' com­ments:

Grade 4"Religious education is a place

where I can believe in myself, anda place where I can express my­self." - Jody Baran

"Religious education hclps meto learn aboul God and Jesus andthe Good News thaI Jesus taughtpeople about. To pray. to love oneanother, and be happy aboutyourself. Now 1 know about thelife of Jesus." . Will Lazarescu

Handsome paper turkeysadorning the religious edu~ation

bulletin board and office door atSt. John the Evangelist parish,Attleboro, sported fcathers deco­rated with expressions of thanksby the more than 600 students inthe CCD program. Students wereasked to prayerfully reflect withtheir class and catechist about whatthey were thankful for as theycelebrated Religious Education

GUILTY AS CHARGED? For a mock trial at Our Ladyof the Angels parish, Fall River, eight students in the juniorhigh religious education program were accused ofimpersonat­ing Christians. Other students acted as lawyers and jurors,while "The Honorable" Rev. John A. Gomes presided asjudge. At left is youth advisor Kenneth Carrier.

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Coyle-Cassidy High

-.'

A Limo to Lunch was enjoyed by t.op fundraisers in St.Mary-Sacred Heart School's recen.t kit drive. Amongthose accompanying principal Alberta Goss were (,front)Shannon Crounse and Ian Demers and (from left) Kath­leen and Shauna Crounse, Heidi Charlebois. Otha stu­dents who won the lunch trip were Sara Smith, DannyWarren and Jaines Warren.

NORTH ATTLEBORO - Winners of student (:oun­cil elections last mo'nth were'president Merilee Fazio, vicepresident Brendan Poirier, treasurer Melissa WrigM andsecretary Andrea Gualtieri. Homeroom representativesare Irene Choberka for grade 8; Kathh!en Crounse. grade7; Amanda Klimiata. grade 6 and ShaLlDa Crounse, grade5. The new council's first project is a grades 6-8 Chris':masdance. planned for 6:30 to 9 tonight.

Third-graders and their families are participating in anAdvent project. Each student will ta:ke a turn bringinghome the class Advent box for a night. The box con'tainsan Advent wreath, stories about the s'~ason, a book des­cribing traditions and customs of Advent, and a snack.

Grade 5 recently held an "Element T-Shirt· FashionShow" as part of their science studies of atoms, elementsand molecules. After learning important facts aboUl: theelements, such as symbol and atomic number, the stu­dents painted the facts on T-shirts which were thenmodeled in a fashion show format. MeghanPetrone andKeith Svendsen were crowned Miss Iron and Mr. Mer­cury for their outstanding knowledge of their assignedelements. .

Seventh-graders included a "Guess Who" game in theirstudy of the American Revolution. Students researchedimportant historical figures and assumed their subjects'identities while classmates tried to guess who they Wl:re.In religion, the seventh grade class created booklets of"Words to Live By," taken from the Bible, while eighth­graders laminated their own "illuminated scripts" using afavorite Bible quote.

Grade 8 will perform the play "Pleasl: Explain Christ­mas" on Dec. 20, accompanied by a musical performanceby the rest of the student body.

• • • •The school h~s a flag pole and the American and papal

flags;bu't no way to bring the two elements together! Avolunteer is ·needed' to put up the flag pole and attachrigging. For information call the school at 993-3547.

St. Mary-Sacred Heart

Holy Family~HolyNameNEW BEDFORD - Students from preschool through

grade 8 will participate in the annual Christmas pa'geantto be held at 3 p.m. Dec. 18 at St. Lawrence Church. Thejunior choir and instrumentalists will provide mus:ic.Canned goods will be collected at the door.

The school Christmas celebration will be at II a.m.Dec. 19. Students will present the gifts of mittens, hats,gloves, and socks they are collecting du:ring Advent fordonation to charity.

A new stamp club for students in grade:; 4-6, advised byGilbert Borges, president of the Whaling City StampClub, meets 2:30 to 3: 15 p.m. alternate Thursdays.

Over 40 needy families benefited from the HFH:'J.Thanksgiving food drive. Students had collected 2,000bags of groceries before the school's Thanksgiving liturgy,and additional items, including turkeys, were collectedduring Thanksgiving week. Third-graders, who collectedthe most nonperishable foods, were trutedto a pizz,aparty. '

Seven students won over $200 worth of tickets for th,~

New Bedford Concert Series at the Zeiterion Theatre fortheir essays on why they enjoy performances at the "Z."The winners were Daniela Chirigotis, Larr;y Sa'voie, EricilBorges, Amy Mitchell, Melissa Tanque, Peter Hegart]'and Catherine Monty. All other entrants in the contest.,which was open to grades 2-8, received two tickets to the:Paramount Brass Performance in April.

Debate DebutOn Nov. IS a Bishop Stang first took place in the

auditorium of New Bedford High School. Juniors LisaReale and Derek Sousa argued the affirmative, and twoteams of sophomores, Jeff Figueiredo and Chris O'Don­nell and Parker Gavigan and Josh Giguere, debated thenegative for Bishop Stang in the opening round of theEastern Massachusetts Debate Conference. The topicwas the United States' immigration policy.

The students are members of Stang's new SpartanForensic and Debate Team, coordinated by soCial studiesteacher James McDonald..

"I joined the team to improve my public speakingskills" said Miss Reale. "What I've learned is a lot of

'times' when people look at an issue, they look at itthrough their eyes only. But in a debate, a person has tolook at both sides of the issue. The feeling of knowingwhat I'm talking about from both sides is fun."

"I.1's exciting to shape a vision of an issue through logicand persuasion," Sousa said. "We're learning how toresearch information, analyze it, develop a belief, and,argue it with sound reasoning."

McDonald, who coached debate at Roselle Park HighSchool, New Jersey from 1965-1991, is assisted by hisson, Joseph McDonald, a 1994 graduate of the Univer­sity of Rhode Island.

"It's interesting," said senior Olivia Davis, one of morethan 20 team members. "I've improved my interpersonalskills, but I've also learned a lot about current events.Debate has made me think of both sides of an argumentnow." .

The National Forensic League, which represents 2,500schools, recently granted the Spartan team its officialaffiliation. For the first time in its history, Bishop Stangwill be represented in district and, possibly, nationalcompetitions.

SADD's StoryAs faculty advisor for the Bishop Stang Chapter of

Students Against Drunk Driving, Sanda Charves con­tinues to warn students of the dangers of alcohol.

The '94-'95 SADD officers are seniors Jennifer Lus­sier, president; Michelle Neves, vice president; AndreaCicirelli, secretary; and sophomore Charles Burke, Jr.,treasurer.

Meeting weekly after school, the Stang Chapter hassponsored a variety of activities., including monthly bulle­tin boards outside the nurse's office, an October schoolassembly, and ubiquitous banners and red ribbons atHomecoming.

SADD members attend out-of-school workshops andseminars, organize and ru'n the Adolescent Issues Aware­ness Day (scheduled this school year for May I), andcoordinate pre- and post-prom and graduation events.

Homecoming CourtKing Nicholas Furtado and Queen Sherri Fernandes

reigned at Homecoming Ceremonies. Court membersColleen Carney, Andrea Goodwin, Michelle Neves andElizabeth Rivet ~ere accompanied by escorts Seth Cor­reia, Christopher Erikson, Peter Hasenfuss and Peter 'Pendergrass.

Bishop Stang High

Dominican Academy, Fall River, eighth~grader San­day DeSa receives her class ring andfloral remembrancefrom her kindergart~n "little sister"Kelsey Leite, kinder­garten teacher Carol Brickhill and principal PatriciaMoncey. The eighth-graders' class rings were blessed aspart of the academy's Thanksgiving liturgy. (Gaudettephoto)

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'::,...~"Coyle-Cassidy exchange students, from left: Mariana

PinheirofromBrazil, Corina Uzcateguifrom Venezuela,and Sophie Reiny from Belgium.

, TAUNTON - During this school year, C-C is sponsor­ing its own league of nations by welcoming threeexchange students. Corina Uzcategui from Venezuela,Mariana Pinheiro, a Brazilian, and Belgian SophieRemy, though strikingly different, share much the samejoys and concerns.

Of course, beginning the school year is challenging foranyone, but is especially challenging for these youngwomen.

Mariana admitted, "I'm very shy and it is difficult tomake friends." Said Sophie, "I did not know anyone, andit was very difficult for me."

All three students have come to the United States forsimilar reasons: they are very interested in learning theEnglish language and' studying American culture. AsMariana put it, "I left Brazil to experience other lifestyles,but I chose America to learn English. I'm very fond of theUnited States because. it's a first world country."

Even though the girls have made new friends, they areall facing homesickness. "I call home at least once aweek," said Mariana. They all will be away from home atChristmas and agree that it will be very difficult. Corina,however, looks on the bright side: "I will miss,my familyvery much, but I know they will send me lots of presents."

The international guests have just experienced theirfirst traditional American Thanksgiving. When toldThanksgiving is a good excuse for Americans to eat a lot,Corina smiled brightly and said, "I think that will befun!" ,

Mariana is quick to point out that because of the'English barrier, a lot of her classes are very challenging.According to Sophie, "My favorite course is Sister Vera'screative writing class." Coyle instructors are impressed.Sister Vera comments, "Sophie is a true student. She isvery attentive and has quite a vocabulary. You know, notmany people know the meaning and proper use of theword cacophony!"

The girls are also getting a taste of cultural life. Sophieplays on the varsity vo)leyball tea m. "My high school dayin Belgium lasted from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. There was noroom for sports, so this is a treat," she said. Both Corinaand Mariana have found the local shopping inalls adelight.

All three students agree that their short time here willbe well spent. They believe they are lucky to be ,here, butthe more fortunate ones are we, their American hosts. Bybeing exposed to different ideas and cultures, we allbecome students. Even when these three young womenare back in their homelands, the impressions they' takeback with them and leave with us will be indelible. Theyare making this big world a bit smaller and little· morereachable.

Students and faculty wore red ribbons on World AIDSDay, Dec. :1, to remember and pray for the victims ofAIDS and to become more aware of the disease.

The day's events included a showing of the powerfulmovie, "And The Band Played On" to the entire studentbody on the school's new closed-circuit television system.Bells tolled throughout the movie, every nine minutes,symbolizing the death of an AIDS victim:

Father John Denning, C~C, the Coyle and Cassidychaplain, led a prayer sel"vice at the close ofclasses for thevictims of AIDS and for all who are affected by thedisease. ., .. Also, certain students were missing from classes during

the course of'the day to show what it would be like if afriend 'or classmate was absent from students' livesbecause of AIDS. .

CC faculty members Kathy St. Laurent and Dr. MaryPat Tranter coordinated the event with help from studentorganizer Mary Gibbons of Plymouth:

COMMUNITY OUTREACH: For Christmas donation to Our Sister's Place batteredwomen's shelter, Notre Dame School, Fall River, students are collecting personal items, gamesand toys. The effort follows up on charitable projects of November: students conducted a Fastfor Hunger Day, donating money to the Fall River Community Fo.od Pantry; contributed toThanksgiving food baskets for the needy of the parish; and made placemats for theThanksgiving meal served at the Rocking Horse restaurant. Rocking Horse owner JackOliveira awarded prizes to three students in each grade.

Youth pastoralon video

can you think of? What is theirsymbolism?

Our last names, or family names,are relatively new, coming into usein the late Middle Ages. Manyfamily names come from thefather's name. For example, John­son means "son of John," andRichardson means "son of Rich­ard."

Other family names developedfrom a person's occupation, likeWeaver, Baker and Taylor. Otherswere associated with a place, likeWallace which means "man fromWales." Your own last names cangive you clues about your ethnicheritage or even about what yourancestors might have done for aliving.

If you want to check out whatyour name means, go to the libraryand ask for a book on names, likeMichael Shock's book, "By AnyOther Name" (Prentice Hall Gen­eral Reference, 1994, New York).You'll find out lots of fascinatingfacts about something we all takefor granted - your own name.

CHICAGO (CNS) - Saying itwas the first time in church historya cardinal has issued a pastoral onvideocassette, the archdiocese ofChicago's youth office has released"Here and Now," Cardinal JosephL. Bernardin's new pastoral onyouth.

In the 40-minute video, the car­dinal sits down with six youngpeople from the archdiocese andanswers their questions on church,youth programs, priests and celi­bacy, the multicultural nature ofthe church in Chicago, the role ofwomen in the church, and moralguidance.

The video used a talk show-styleformat, and the cardinal's responseswere off the cuff.

He assured the young people ofthe church's support. "I want youto know that the church, this localcommunity of faith, appreciatesvery, very much what you have tooffer to the church, and our expec­tations of you are really higherthan you think they are."

The video is an outgrowth of aseries of local youth meetings heldin February 1993, followed by anarchdiocese youth hearing the nextmonth attended by Cardinal Bernar­din.

A few months .after the hearing,the cardinal and a committee ofyoung people and youth leadersbegan thinking about the possibil­ity of issuing a pastoral statementin a video format.

The video is meant to be a toolto keep dialogue going betweenyouth and the church, accordingto Joanne Walczynski. who helpedproduce the project.

THE ANCHOR-Diocese of Fall River-Fri., Dec. 9, 1994 15

By Linda L. RomeHave you ever wondered what

your name means? Naming is apeculiarly human occupation, givento us, according to the Old Testa­ment, by God himself.

It seems that the human familyhas agreed that what we are calledmakes a difference. And what wecall others can hurt them, or it canexpress our affection for them.

Have you ever thought about it?Name-calling is a serious matter.

Giving you your name was atrue and lasting gift from yourparents, a gift they no doubt spentmany hours debating. My ownchildren are named in memory oftheir grandparents. Each of theirfirst names commemorates one oftheir grand parents; we picked theirmiddle names, the names we callthem every day, to reflect them­selves.

Many first names have mean­ings and associations. For exam­ple, my son's name John means"gracious one" in Hebrew, and hismiddle name Matthew means "giftof God," also from the Hebrew.

It has long been a commonpractice to name children aftersaints as a way to hold up thesaint's life as an example, or toplace the child under the specialprotection of that saint.

A name may have many ver­sions, depending on the country:John in Italy is Giovanni; in Spainit's Juan; Ivan in Russia; and Hans(from Johannes) in Germany.

First names are often changedinto nicknames, like Lisa for Eli­zabeth, or Jimmy for James. Youmay have had the problem of ateacher calling you by a nicknamewhen you preferred your full name,or the other way around. A per­son's name is special, and it's onlycommon courtesy to call someoneby the preferred name.

Nicknames, or pet names, canbe affectionate (like Slugger for agreat baseball player), or deroga­tory (like Shrimp for someonesmall), and can affect someone'sself-esteem.

It may be said that "sticks andstones can break my bones, butwords will never hurt me," but weall know that calling someone aname can be a powerful weapon.Noone wants to be called a cowardor a wimp because it really doeshurt.

Naming is a kind of power thatneeds to be used carefully. Ameri­can Indians understood the powerof names, choosing each one toembody special traits or talents(remember "Dances With Wol­ves"), so that the person wouldalways be able to identify with thestrength of the name.

It is common for teenagers todayto give each other nicknames. Ateenager may be known in a groupof young people by a name alto­gether different from his givenname. How many of these names

this-is serious~ tf-it isn't·possibleto raise the level of communica­tion there, something really iswrong. But perhaps consider­ing these steps will help you seeif better communication couldmake a difference:

1. First, be honest with your­self. What are you feeling? Par­ticularly, what angers or resent­ments have you stored in yourheart? Also, try to name thefears that have held you backfrom speaking about your feel­ings to the other person.

2. Ask the other person for atime when you can speak aboutyour concerns. Be sure you agreeon a time when distractions canbe minimized. The purpose ofsetting up a time is to let yourpartner know that this is notjust a casual conversation.You're hoping that both of youwill be attentive to what is dis­cussed.

3. In the conversation itself,take responsibility for what youfeel. Blaming another does nothelp solve problems. Tell yourpartner that your relationshipwith him or her is important toyou, and you are willing towork on it together.

4. Suggest joint problemsolving, inviting his or her ideason how to make changes in thedifficult situation. Be flexible.As you work on the immediateproblem, you also are enhanc­ing the goal of developing bet­ter communication. Further,many times just gaining somemomentum toward change makesthe problem less hurtful forboth of you.

5. Ask God to guide you.Your openness and courage be­come pathways for God's heal­ing for both of you.

Living in a relationship where"something's always wrong" ispainful. Young people who aredating don't need to be contentwith such a situation. See if it ispossible to move beyond fear togenuine communication.

Your comments are welcomedby Charlie Martin, RR 3, Box182, Rockport, IN 47635.

By Charlie Martin

thing's always wrong." Perhapsone or both individuals areafraid to face th¢ problems be­tween them. They fear thatad mitting the coqflicts will bringthe end of their romance. Unfor­tunately, avoiding problemsonly increases the possibilitythat the love between two peo­ple will erode.

\[ you find yourself in a dat­ing relationship where problemsare being avoided, realize that

SOMETHING'S ALWAYS WRONGAnother day I callAnd never speakAnd you would sayNothing's changed at allAnd I can't feelMuch hope for anythingIii I won't be there1'0 catch you if you fallAgain it seemsWe meet in the spacesIn betweenWe always sayIt won't be longflut something's always wrongAnother gameOf putting things asideAs if we'l come backTo them some timeA brace of hopeA pride of innocenceAnd you would say somethingHas gone wrongAgainIt seems we meetIn the spaces in betweenWe always sayIt won't be longBut something's always wrong

Written by Glen Phillips, Todd Nichols, Toad. Sung byToad the Wet Sprocket (c) 1994 by Sony Tunes Inc./WetSprocket Songs (ASCAP)

THE GROUP with rock'smost original name has anotherchart hit. Toad the Wet Sprock­et's "Something's AlwaysWrong" tells the story of a rela­tionship about t.o fall apart.

The song offers a clue to whythis couple facf:s such difficul­ties. They playa "game of put­ting things aside: as if we'll comeback to them some time."

Consequently, th'ese conflictsnever get resolved, and "some-

room, and pri.vate changing fa­cilities.

It is staffed by registered radio­logic technologists with specialcompetency in mammography.Their expertisl~, special qualitycontrol procedures, on-board pro­cessing of films. and state-of.·the­art equipment insure high qualityexams.

The Communicate: Health! Mo­bile Unit offers health care provid­ers, companies and civic organiza­tions an opportunity to lend ahand in the fight against breastcancer by providing women withhigh quality breast cancer scn:en­ing services in a comfortable set­ting. The mobile unit is availa.blefor a full day of scheduled screen­ings, and arrangements can bemade to have the mobile unit stayfor an extended period of time forspecial events.

Each screening takes less than20 minutes and indudes educationo.n breast self-examination usin,g aVideotape, breast models and take­home educational material.

··ST. BERNARD' ASSONETA prayer requ~st book is located

near the pu.lpit and may be used tolist special i.ntentions, which will beprayed for during the weekly Inter­cessory Prayer Group meeting. Re­quests may be made anonymously.SACRED HEART,N. ATTLEIlORO

Combining stewardship and theseason of Advent parishioners areasked to tak.e an ornament from theparish Advent Tree each week. Orna­ments are designated for "time, talentor treasure," and each person isasked to respond accordingly and onthe following week place a straw inthe Christ Child's manger for eachact of charity accomplished.ST. PATRICK, SOMERSln

Vincentians will serve supper atthe First Baptist Church S,)Up kit­chen in Fall River on Dec. 20. Dona­tions of desserts will be appreciated.A Christmas party will follow thesupper and the parish youth groupwill sing carols.ST. DOMINIC, SWANSEA

All welcome at Advent Evensongprogram at 7 p.m. Sunday, Therewill be a service of lessons and car­ols, accompanied by instruments andbells, and congregational carol sing­ing: ParishioneTs are collecting infantneeds for Birth right. Donations maybe brought to any Christmas Mass.ST. THOMAS MORE,SOMERSET

A lessons and carols progr~:m willbe presented at 3 p.m. Dec. 18. Allwelcome.CATHOLIC WOMAN'S CLl'B, NB

Christmas meeting 7:30 p.n:.. Dec.14, WamsuttaClub, NB, with musi­cal program by New Bedford HighSchool student:•.

Hospital mobile unit provides breastexams for underinsured women

More than 5,000 women in Mas­sachusetts will be diagnosed withbreast cancer this year alone. Ex­perts agree that early diagnosisoffers the best chance for a cure.and that mammography can detectbreast cancers earlier than anyother method. This is the motiva­tion behind the Communicate:Health!· Mobile Unit from SaintAnne's Hospital, which providesconvenieht, quality breast healthcare to uninsured and underin­sured women in the Fall Riverarea, taking an educational ap­proach to breast self examinationand offering safe, low-dose mam­mography.

The Communicate: Health! Mo­bile Unit is certified by the Massa­chusetts Department of· PublicHealth and the Medicare HealthCare Financing Administrationand is accredited by the AmericanCollege of Radiology. The 36-footcoach is equipped with a low-doseBennett High Frequency Mam­mography X-ray System, a AFGAMamoray MR3-II Processor, aregistration area, an education

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COM¥UNICATE: HEALTH! Saint Anne's Hospital'~;

mobile unit is venturing into the community to provide qualitybreast health care to uninsured women. Pictured, from left:David McQuaid, vice president of clinical services; AbethO~ton, RTRM, lead mammorgrapher; Debbie Hegley, RTR,dnver; Dr. M~rray Dimant; Dina Mello, RN, communityoutreach coordmator; and Donna Ellis, RTRM.

N.S. de GUADALUPE,NB. Celebrations for feast of Our Ladyof Guadalupe: 6 p.m. Mass withmariachis Dec. 10, followed bydinner, and Mass with dramatiza­tion of Guadalupe apparitions 7p.m. Dec. 12, followed by refresh­ments.

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K. of Co, WESTPORTMonthly meeting of St.· Isidore

the Farmer council 4373 Knights ofColumbus is 2 p.m. third Thursdaysat the Council home on Main Rd.,Westport.

TAUNTON STATE HOSPITALCivic and social groups interested

in sponsoring holiday activities forpatients are sought; information: San­ford R. Epstein,824-7551,(617)727­7978 ext. 127.

ST. JOSEPH, TAUNTONConfirmation students will host

"You Deserve a Break Today!", baby­sitting children ages 5-12 so parentscan make holiday preparations, 2 to5 p.m. Dec. II. Craft projects, aviqeo and refreshments are plannedfor the children.

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GUNS FOR GAMESThrough Dec. 17, Funz-A-Poppin

toy store in Swansea is conducting a"guns for games" swap: childrenunder 12 accompanied by an adultcan turn in their toy guns, knives orswords and receive a yo-yo or a dis­count coupon for any item in thestore.

SECULAR FRANCISCANSSt. Francis of Cape Fraternity will

hold a memorial Mass for recentlydeceased member Trudy Harris 7p.m. Dec. 13, St. John EvangelistChurch, Pocasset, celebrated by Fran­ciscan Father Stephen Doyle, ofBoston, who will also officiate atprofession of 95-year-old Emma To­desca as a Secular Franciscan. FatherDoyle will speak on Christmas devo­tions of ·St. Francis and applicationof the Franciscan charism to Adventand Christmas celebrations. Refre­shements and caroling follow; allwelcome.

SEPARATED/DIVORCEDCATHOLICS, NB

Pre-Christmas gathering 7 p.m.Dec. 14, Family Life Center, N.

, Dartmouth; participants asked tobring an inexpensive gift for Chineseauction to be led by Roseann Souza.

Fall River

THE ·IDEAL CHRISTMAS GIFTo ... A YEAR1SSUBSCRIPTION TO

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!HE ANCHOR--;-Qioc'ese of'Fa]1 River-':"':Fri:;'Oec:·9';'1994·'··CORPUS1CHRI8Ti;SANDWICH.·''~F:MMA'US/G~.L.JLEE/"'" , , '.'.' . Sponsors are needed for Family- GaliIe.e Meeting 6 to 9 p.m. Sun-

to-Family Christmas Basket Pro- day, Neumann Hall, Cathedralgram; information: John Forte, Camp, E. Freetown; Kathy St. Lau- .428-4041. rent will give witness on "The ThirdST. ANTHONY, E. FALMOUTH ~unday of Ady~nt:¢,re We Prepar-

.falmouth Interfaith Choir, under mg for the. VISItOr. Father Davedirection of Frederick Johnson, will Andrade will celebrate Mass.present Ron Nelson's "Christmas CURSILLOStory" 3 p.m. Dec. II; information: Cursillo Movement of Fall River548-0108. Leader's School 7:30 p.m. Dec. 14,EMMANUEL COiLEGE CLUB Bishop Connolly High School, FR.OF CAPE COD All Welcome.

Cape Cod alumnae of Emmanuel O.t. CAPE, BREWSTERCollege will hold a Christmas lun- Lower Cape UItreya monthlycheon beginning with a soCial noon meeting and Christmas party tonight;tomorrow at the Daniel Webster information, 385-9152.Inn, Sandwich. Information: 394- ST. MARY, NB5123. Giving tree is set up in MemorialSERRA CLUB NB Chapel for those who would like to

Meeting Ded. 12 at White's of supply gifts for the needy.Westport. Rev. Roland Bousquet of SEPARATED/DIVORCEDSt. Theresa's Church, New Bedford, SUPPORT GROUP, CAPE CODwill speak about the marriage tri- Meeting 7 p.m. Dec. 18, St. Pius Xbunal. parish life center, South Yarmouth.

Information: 362-9873.HOLY NAME, FR

Holy Name students will performtheir first ever Christmas musical,"Oh, What A Night!", 6 p.m. Dec. 16and 17 at the school. Information:674-9131.ST. PATRICK, FALMOUTH

Christmas open. house and treelighting at the rectory 3 to 5 p.m.Sunday; choir will sing Christmascarols and refreshments will beserved. Women's guild is collectingmittens and warm socks during Ad­vent; donations may be left at rec­tory any time. A parishioner is con­ducting a toy drive as an Eagle Scoutproject; unwrapped toys may be leftin box at rear of church. The juniorhigh youth group is sponsoring aparish giving tree.

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D. of I., NBHyacinth Circle 7\ Daughters of

Isabella meeting 6:15 p.m. Dec. 13;Members are asked to bring wrappedgifts for Market Ministries.