FALL RIVER — With less than two weeks to go, the 2017 Fall River Diocese Catholic Charities Appeal has entered the homestretch, and Appeal officials are asking those who have not yet made their donation to do so before its June 28th conclusion.

Results to date are “encouraging,” said Jim Campbell, director of Development for the Diocese. He pointed out that anyone can follow the progress of the Appeal by visiting its website at www.frdioc-catholiccharities.org and checking the status bar on the homepage, which is updated daily.

Proceeds from the Catholic Charities Appeal support the charitable programs, ministries, and agencies sponsored by the Fall River Diocese throughout Southeastern Massachusetts, Cape Cod and the Islands.

In a recent letter on the Catholic Charities Appeal, Bishop Edgar M. da Cunha, S.D.V., notes the “proud history” of the Diocese in serving the poor and needy, and explains that this year’s Appeal theme of “Whatsoever you do,” taken from the Gospel of Matthew, reflects “our call to always be ready to serve.”

It is his hope, he writes, that the Catholic Charities Appeal is not seen as a burden, “but rather as an opportunity to pray and give thanks, to share your gifts with others, and to serve one another.”

Many parishes throughout the Fall River Diocese are using these last days of the Appeal to redouble efforts to reach out to prospective donors, reminding them that Appeal-funded services help respond with spiritual and material assistance to those in need within their own local communities.

“The work of the parishes in soliciting parishioners and businesses in the local community for the poor and those in need in our area is the heart of the Appeal,” said Campbell. “I am impressed by the depth of commitment that our faithful demonstrate every day and the tremendous effect these efforts have to so many concerned and compassionate parishioners from all across the diocese.”

Donations to the Catholic Charities Appeal can be sent to Appeal headquarters at P.O. Box 1470, Fall River, Mass. 02722; dropped off at any parish in the diocese; or made through the Appeal website at www.frdioc-catholiccharities.org.

For more information, visit the website, contact the Appeal Office at 508-675-1311, or send an email to Jim Campbell at jcampbell@dioc-fr.org.

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has called for the first-time ever a Convocation to take place from July 1-4, 2017 in Orlando, Florida. More than 3, 000 people from more than 140 dioceses will partake in this extraordinary event in the life of the Catholic Church.  The theme of the Convocation is The Joy of the Gospel in America.  There will be sessions focusing on numerous topics relating to Unity, Renewal, Missionary Discipleship, Witness and Evangelization.

Bishop Edgar M. da Cunha, S.D.V., is pleased to have 15 people from the Fall River Diocese joining him for this unique and enriching meeting.  You are invited to join in prayer with the diocesan delegation as they prepare to represent the diocese at the various events and sessions. As the Convocation takes place July 1-4, Bishop da Cunha encourages you to join him and the members of the delegation in prayer and reflection on the meeting’s topics that are so important in the life of the Church.  As we join in rebuilding the Fall River Diocese in hope and faith, let us be united in prayer during this Convocation, so that the Holy Spirit will enkindle the fire of God’s love within the hearts of all.

Members of the Fall River Diocese who will be attending the Convocation met recently with Bishop da Cunha for a preparatory meeting and gathered for this group photo. They are, front row, l to r, Diana Reeves, Beatriz Furtado, Berta Herrera, Marian Desrosiers, Beth Mahoney, and Marie Chabot; back row, l to r, Steve Meaney, Deacon Frank Lucca, Peter Marshall, Father David Frederici, Bishop da Cunha, Father John Murray, Peter Kortright, and Deacon Joe Regali. Not pictured but also attending the Convocation are Mary Dwyer and Claire McManus.

You may follow the Convocation as it is streamed live on the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops website, or carried on Catholic cable networks Catholic TV and EWTN. Check their websites for times and details.

For more information, please visit: Convocation of Catholic Leaders.

Get the Prayer for the 2017 Convocation here.

World Youth Day 2016, Krakow, Poland
CNS/Paul Hering photo

Pope Francis wants to find a better way for the Church to accompany young people in their journey to “discover their plan for life and realize it with joy” and has dedicated the upcoming 15th Synod of Bishops to this important pastoral task. The Synod, to take place in October 2018, is themed Young People, the Faith, and Vocational Discernment.

To prepare for the Synod, the Vatican has launched an online survey with 53 mostly multiple-choice questions divided into sections addressing areas such as life choices, religion, attitudes, influences, etc. It also asks which topics are most urgent for the Church to address. Now, Pope Francis and Synod planners want to hear from youth and young adults around the world – including our young people here in the Fall River Diocese- as part of the Synod’s consultation process.

As stated in its introduction, the goal of the survey is to provide those who are from 16 to 29 years of age with “the opportunity to communicate, express and recount who you are and what you want to say about yourself.”

Youth and young adults within that age group are strongly encouraged to complete the survey. To do so, follow the link below; It will bring up a page in Italian. Please click on the drop down menu in the upper right-hand corner and choose your language.

https://survey-synod2018.glauco.it/limesurvey/index.php/147718

To learn more on the 2018 Synod: Young People, the Faith, and Vocational Discernment:
U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops
Pope’s Letter to Young People (Vatican)
Preparatory Document for the 15th Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops (Vatican)

WAREHAM — The Fall River Diocese Catholic Campus Ministry will offer an overnight program entitled Embark on August 1-2 at Sacred Hearts Retreat Center in Wareham.

This gathering provides an opportunity for first-year students to meet the diocesan campus ministry team, and to meet other students who will be heading to college in the fall.

Attendees will have an opportunity to explore the transitions that define their past, present and future.

Students are encouraged to take the time away to reflect with others and on their own and listen to the experiences of a young adult team in preparation for their transition from high school and home life, to living on their own.

Embark is open to any first-year student, resident or commuter, attending any university or college.

There is no charge to attend.

Space is limited; register today at www.fallrivercampusministry.com

For more information, please contact Father David Frederici at FrDavid@fallrivercampusministry.com or Deacon Frank Lucca at flucca@umassd.edu.

 A Reflection on the
Convocation of Catholic Leaders: The Joy of the Gospel in America
By Beth Mahoney

Beth Mahoney served as the coordinator of the Fall River Diocesan delegation to the Convocation of Catholic Leaders

Gathering for a group photo at the July 1-4 Convocation of Catholic Leaders are Fall River Diocesan delegates, from left, Father John Murray, Peter Marshall, Berta Herrera, Claire McManus, Marie Chabot, Bishop Edgar da Cunha, S.D.V., Beatriz Furtado, Father David Frederici, Beth Mahoney, Deacon Frank Lucca, and Deacon Joseph Regali.

During the first four days of July, Orlando, Florida was the place to be for Catholics in the United States.  More than 3,500 cardinals, bishops, priests, religious and lay leaders from around the country gathered to listen, dialogue and act on the needs of the Church in the 21^st century.  This extraordinary event, convened by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, was the Convocation of Catholic Leaders, with its theme of “The Joy of the Gospel in America.” Delegations came from various dioceses, ministries, interests, perspectives and cultural families to reflect on several topics pertinent to the life of the Catholic Church.  The Convocation began with prayers asking for an outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon the assembly and an affirmation of our unity in the Joy of the Gospel.

From there the Spirit lead the delegations through an amazing adventure of honest dialogue, prayerful reflection, incredible witness and evangelical discernment on the needs of the Catholic Church today. From the Diocese of Fall River, we had a diverse and committed group, who took their task to heart.  The members attended the plenary sessions, took an active part in the breakout sessions, participated in all the liturgical services, and spent much time in prayer, reflection and dialogue with each other.  We were led through it all by Bishop Edgar da Cunha, S.D.V., who shared the Convocation experience with us in dialogue, prayer and the listening sessions. It was truly a historical moment in the life of the Catholic Church in the United States, and certainly in our own diocese.

The Convocation’s breakout sessions, plenary gatherings, and moments of prayer were led by the cardinals and bishops of the United States. Bishop da Cunha led one of the program’s breakout meetings; his session focused on the topic of refugees and immigration.

As you walked through the halls of the hotel or convention hall, you could sense the joy and openness of the delegations as the friendliness flowed through everyone.  It was a beautiful feeling to experience that the Catholic Church is alive and well, ready to move forward in the Spirit of God. There were so many good points: words spoken, witnesses given on forgiveness and healing; on creativity and actions to be taken; on newness to develop; and on changes that need to be lived.  Cardinal Wuerl spoke of reconnecting in the Pentecost experience- to be bold- to embrace this time of urgency in the Church with mercy and compassion and be filled with joy.  I had the opportunity to speak with him after his talk.  He simply smiled and said, “Embrace the Spirit of Pentecost and trust in the Spirit.” Returning to the diocese, there is much hope for newness, as Bishop da Cunha expressed so clearly in his first Pastoral Letter – Rebuilding in Faith and Hope.

When you look at the various needs within dioceses and understanding the needs right here in our own, one ponders as to how to respond to them all. Immediately preceding the closing Mass and rite of sending forth to share the Joy of the Gospel in America, each diocesan delegation had an opportunity to meet with their bishop to recap all of what we heard and learned in the course of the Convocation, and to discuss how to best share this with others back home. There is so much to digest, ponder and act on, but there is one thing that I believe is certain for Bishop da Cunha and our entire diocesan delegation: we are set on fire to share the news of the Joy of the Gospel in the Diocese of Fall River.  Come Holy Spirit, Come!

Learn more:
Visit the website: Convocation of Catholic Leaders
Watch the sessions: Convocation of Catholic Leaders Video on Demand

FALL RIVER — Bishop Edgar M. da Cunha, S.D.V., will celebrate a 6:30 p.m. Mass in St. Anne’s Shrine, Fall River, on Wednesday, July 26, the Church’s Feast of Saints Joachim and Anne. In what has become tradition, St. Anne’s Parish offers a special Mass on that day as the culmination of its observance of the feast day of its patroness. This year, though, the celebration will include something extra which the parish hopes will come to serve as spiritual support in the current opioid crisis.

Bishop da Cunha will bless and dedicate a statue of St. Mark Ji Tianxiang, a 19^th-century Chinese martyr who spent most of his adult life trying to overcome an addiction to opium. The statue of the saint will be placed in the Shrine to serve as special place for visitors to come and pray, asking for the intercession of St. Mark Ji Tianxiang for those who are suffering from drug addiction or for those who have died from it. A special place will be designated for persons to leave prayer cards from those who have succumbed to addiction.

The story of this fairly recent saint and the suggestion for a statue of him in the Shrine was brought to St. Anne Parish Administrator Father David C. Deston Jr., by a local doctor who treats drug addiction.

Father Deston thought it made sense, and the parish agreed. “Drug addiction is a growing problem causing much pain in our society today,” Father Deston explained. “We turn to counseling and medicine to treat it, but we also need to pray. As a church, it’s our responsibility to provide a place to pray, to support people and to help them carry their cross.

He believes the new statue will be the first-ever to depict St. Mark Ji Tianxiang.

The 42-inch high statue, to be made of fiberglass, is being created by New Bedford-based sculptor Erik Durant, who coordinates the Fine Arts program at Bristol Community College. Its cost is being covered by private donors. The project required a great deal of research by Durant in order for him to produce an authentic depiction of the Chinese saint as no photos or sketches of him exist.

St. Mark Ji Tianxiang was a respected Catholic doctor in 19^th-century China. When he developed a violent stomach ailment, he began treating himself with opium and soon became addicted to the drug. He prayed for relief and sought counsel from a priest, but eventually was barred from receiving the sacraments of the Church because at the time his addiction was regarded as gravely sinful and scandalous.

Some thirty years later, in 1900, while still addicted and prohibited from the sacraments, he along with other Catholics in his village were rounded up as part of the persecution of Christians during the Boxer Rebellion. He still considered himself a Catholic and refused to renounce his faith at his trial; he was then murdered. It is said that he sang the litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary as he was led to his execution. On October 1, 2000, he was canonized by Pope John Paul II as one of the Martyred Saints of China.

The statue of St. Mark Ji Tianxiang will be placed in the St. Joseph’s Shrine area within St. Anne’s. It will soon be joined by a another statue, still in the making in Italy, of St. Maximilian Kolbe, the Polish Franciscan Friar who was killed by lethal injection at a concentration camp during World War II.

All are welcome to attend the July 26 Mass and dedication.

St. Anne’s Shrine is open daily from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

FALL RIVER — For the third consecutive year of his tenure as Bishop of Fall River, Bishop Edgar M. da Cunha, S.D.V., has presided over a record-breaking Catholic Charities Appeal.  The faithful of the Fall River Diocese have responded to the challenge of “Whatsoever you do…” with commendable generosity.

Jesus’ words in Matthew 25 remind us to see anyone in need as an opportunity to express our faith in action.  The final result of the Catholic Charities Appeal was another record amount to fund the social ministries of the diocese.

The books have closed on the 2017 Catholic Charities Appeal for the Diocese of Fall River and the results were $4,785,415.89!

The total was the highest in the 76-year history of the Appeal.  This total was $155,000 more than last year’s record, which increased by $300,000.  This means that Bishop da Cunha’s three years have seen an increase of more than $500,000 to the annual Appeal.

Although figures for the number of donors in each of the 82 parishes are not yet complete, it appears that more than 32,000 individuals and businesses were moved to support the diocese. The Appeal proved compelling enough to inspire sacrificial giving once again.

“We are enormously grateful for the hard work and week-by-week advocacy that our pastors and parish leaders put into this annual appeal,” said Jim Campbell of the Catholic Charities Appeal office. “Without their example and the strong message of encouragement from our bishop, we would have had far less success.”

The results of the Appeal showed some strong accomplishments across the diocese – 39 parishes had increases over their Appeal total from last year, with seven parishes exceeding 10 percent increases, and two more than 40 percent. St. Mary’s Parish in Mansfield became the first parish in the history of the diocese to raise more than $200,000.  They finished at more than $204,000 – a six percent increase!

“There are several factors that distinguish our Appeal in the mind of our donors,” Campbell added. “Once again Bishop da Cunha narrated each Appeal video in three languages, bringing a personal touch that matters to many of our faithful.  We also based our message around a Scriptural theme and tried to make the video more of a visual sermon.  This is based on feedback we received from previous Appeals. We also used social media and the Internet more than ever before to spread our message.

“There is genuine respect for the work being done on behalf of the poor by the Diocese of Fall River in meeting the needs of those it ministers to.  The agencies and apostolates are well-received and highly-regarded in their communities.  As always, our pastors are the most important link in connecting Catholic social teaching with the imperative to help.  Lastly, we are very proud of the sound stewardship which has always been a benchmark of the Appeal.”

Bishop da Cunha, as he reflected on this wonderful result, commented: “I am so proud of our priests and the lay leaders in every parish who worked so diligently on behalf of the poor.  These results, along with the progress we have made in securing philanthropic support for our schools, indicate the well of generosity is deep and plentiful among our people. The response of a great number of people, parishes, and businesses in the Diocese of Fall River to our annual Appeal demonstrates an abiding love of neighbor expressed in prayer and action.”

Visit the Catholic Charities Appeal Website for the Listing of Parish Appeal Totals

FALL RIVER — In his recent pastoral letter “Rebuilding in Faith and Hope,” Bishop Edgar M. da Cunha, S.D.V., called for Catholic schools in the Diocese of Fall River to “pro-actively and successfully reach out to and enroll diverse student populations with special focus on traditionally under-served groups such as Latinos” and to “grow tuition assistance funding to serve students living at or below the poverty level.” In response to this call, two new initiatives have been launched for schools in two areas of the diocese.

In order to increase their ability to reach and serve Latino students, three schools in Fall River and three schools in the Greater New Bedford Area will be participating in the University of Notre Dame’s Latino Enrollment Institute (LEI) in October 2017. The LEI will help school leadership have a deeper understanding of Latino cultures and traditions, intercultural competency, and enlist faculty, staff, and parents to reach out personally to Latino families and invite them to Catholic schools. Since its 2012 launch, 163 schools have participated in the LEI and experienced an average 23 percent increase in Latino enrollment.

The participating schools are Holy Name, Holy Trinity, and Bishop Connolly High School in Fall River and Holy Family-Holy Name and St. James-St. John in New Bedford, and Bishop Stang High School, Dartmouth. Each of these schools is committed to serving diverse populations and making their schools welcoming and inviting places where students from all cultural backgrounds can learn and succeed.

The second initiative seeks to directly impact low-income students. Entitled the Hope and Opportunity Initiative, it aims to provide 100 new low-income K-8 students with scholarships of up to $2,000 to attend a Catholic elementary school in the Fall River or New Bedford areas for the 2017-18 school year. In addition to the $2,000 scholarship, schools and parishes are offering financial aid to help bridge the remaining tuition gap. To date, 40 students have received the Hope and Opportunity Initiative scholarship and will be attending a Catholic elementary school this fall. This Initiative is made possible by a generous donation from the Carney Family Foundation, and the diocese expects to offer this opportunity to more students in the future.

“We are enormously grateful to both the University of Notre Dame and the Carney Family Foundation for their commitment to Catholic school education and willingness to partner with our Fall River and New Bedford Catholic schools,” remarked Fall River Diocesan Superintendent of Schools Steve Perla. “Their support enables our schools to more effectively serve under-served children and their families and provides access to children whose parents could not otherwise afford a Catholic school education for their children.”

For further information regarding diocesan Catholic schools’ participation in the LEI or the Hope and Opportunity Initiative, please contact Sarah Heaton at sheaton@dfrcs.org or (508) 678-2828.

Bishop Edgar M. da Cunha, S.D.V., and Diocesan Superintendent of Schools Steve Perla (at right) present Susan and Jack Dawley with a plaque recognizing their generous gift to Catholic schools in the Diocese. (Photo courtesy of The Anchor.)

OSTERVILLE — A substantial gift from a Cape Cod family will mean a big step forward for the infusion of digital learning into the curricula at Catholic schools in the Fall River Diocese.

John and Susan Dawley and family of Osterville have donated $550,000 to fund a Wi-Fi Readiness Initiative proposed by the diocesan Catholic Schools Office to ensure that students, faculty and staff have reliable access to robust Internet service.

The Wi-Fi Readiness Initiative followed a recent review that found that most Catholic schools in the diocese in need of upgrades to their Wi-Fi infrastructure in varying degrees to meet bandwidth and hardware goals set by the 2016 National Education Technology Plan.

“The gift from the Dawley family combined with some funding from a federal government program will allow our schools to make significant upgrades to their facilities’ Wi-Fi infrastructure,” explained diocesan Superintendent of Schools Steve Perla.

“This added capacity will be vital to enabling our teachers to continue to expand their use of technology in their classrooms, and it also assists our schools with moving toward a blended learning instructional method, an approach which results in teachers being able to more effectively meet individual student learning needs.”

Bishop Edgar M. da Cunha, S.D.V., acknowledged the gift at a recent gathering with benefactors of the diocese, expressing his own personal gratitude to Jack and Susan Dawley for their “extraordinary generosity” as well as “in the name of more than 6,000 students who are going to benefit from your generosity.”

The bishop added that the Wi-Fi project will “make a huge difference for the teachers and for the students and for the next generation, because they will benefit from the technology that is available now.”

Jack Dawley explained that he and his wife were impressed by the “state of the art program” outlined for the schools in the Wi-Fi Initiative and the wide impact it would have.

“We traditionally have given money to my alma mater and that’s gone into endowed scholarships, so we figure we’ve helped about 25 kids over the last 25 years. This proposal was a ‘four bagger,’ to use a sports analogy. Twenty-two schools including five high schools with some 6,000 kids. So how can you beat that if you want to give to charity? We’re thrilled that we’re able to do this…,” he said.

Anticipated total cost for the Wi-Fi improvements at diocesan schools is $828,821, and includes upgrades such as faster Internet access; properly sized firewalls; more robust switches; additional cabling and access points; and the installation and configuration of devices.

For the balance of the cost not covered by the Dawley gift, the diocesan Catholic Schools Office has successfully sought funding from the Schools and Libraries Program of the Federal Communication Commission’s Universal Service Fund, commonly known as E-Rate. The program provides discounts to assist schools and libraries in the U.S. obtain affordable telecommunications and Internet access.

FALL RIVER — The Faith Formation Office will offer Essential Catholicism: A Preparation Course for Adult Confirmation in two separate locations this fall, beginning in September. Essential Catholicism is a six-session course.

In Easton, the course will be offered on consecutive Tuesday evenings, from September 19 through October 24, at the Holy Cross Parish Center, 225 Purchase Street.

In North Dartmouth, it will be held on consecutive Wednesday evenings, from September 20 through October 25, at Bishop Stang High School, 500 Slocum Road. (Use the Chapel Entrance.)

Classes in both locations will be from 7 to 9 p.m.

Both sessions will conclude with a mandatory retreat for adult confirmation candidates on Saturday, October 28, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at St. John Neumann Parish, 157 Middleboro Road, East Freetown.

Fees are as follows: $25 for class registration, which includes materials for participants; and $20 for the retreat day, which includes lunch.

Bishop Edgar M. da Cunha, S.D.V., will celebrate Adult Confirmation at 4 p.m. on Saturday, November 18, at St. Mary’s Cathedral, Fall River, for any adult candidate who is at least 18 years of age and has completed the preparatory instruction.

To register for either class or obtain further information, please contact your parish office. You may also visit the Diocesan Office of Faith Formation  website at www.fallriverfaithformation.org or contact Deacon Bruce J. Bonneau at that office at 508-678-2828, ext. 13.

FALL RIVER — In response to the deadly events taking place this week both in this country in Charlottesville, Virginia, and abroad in Barcelona, Spain, Bishop Edgar M. da Cunha, S.D.V., is asking priests in the Fall River Diocese to celebrate Masses this weekend (August 19-20) for the intention of peace.

Specifically, the bishop is encouraging that prayers from the Church’s special “Mass for the Preservation of Peace and Justice” be used, and that the General Intercessions or Prayer of the Faithful, when the congregation is asked to pray for the concerns of the Church and the world, include petitions for an end to racial violence and terrorism, for those who were killed, and for those in need of healing.

“The horrible and sinful acts of this week compel us as a community of faith to turn to Jesus Christ, who is the Prince of Peace, to ask for an end to hate and violence and all that divides us,” Bishop da Cunha said.

“I pray that we, as a Church, may be an instrument of Christ’s peace.”

Along with the prayers of the Mass, Bishop da Cunha encourages all to remember in their own personal prayers the intentions of peace, justice, and harmony across the nation and around the world.

FALL RIVER — While the students may have been away, many Catholic schools in the Fall River Diocese were nevertheless busy places over summer months as a number of renovations and upgrades were completed within the school buildings and properties. Along with physical improvements, several schools will also begin the new academic year with additional or expanded programs. The list below provides a look at some of what’s new for students as they return to Catholic schools in the Diocese.

• St. Francis Xavier School, Acushnet
  New STEM lab (STEM is Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics); 15 additional Chromebooks for student use
• Bishop Feehan High School, Attleboro
  New windows, floors, desks, and additional parking lots; construction begun on a new gym
• St. John Evangelist School, Attleboro
  New desks; extended after-school enrichment programs
• St, Margaret Regional School, Buzzards Bay
  New music program; renovated bathrooms and modular units
• Bishop Stang High School, Dartmouth
  New chemistry and biology labs
• St. Joseph School, Fairhaven
  Foyer given a face lift to make it more welcoming; “Buddy Bench” on its way for the playground
• Bishop Connolly High School, Fall River
  New lockers, resource center, and gym floor
• Holy Trinity School, Fall River
  Acquired 40 new Kindles; Google Chromebook to be available for each 8^th-grader; launching a student podcast
• St. Michael School, Fall River
  New playground
• St. John Paul II High School, Hyannis
  New flooring, lighting, sidewalk, and TV studio.
• St. Mary School, Mansfield
  New online integrated school management system with parent portal access
• All Saints Catholic School, New Bedford
  Opening a second PreK- 4 year-old class
• Holy Family-Holy Name School, New Bedford
  Acquired two additional carts of Google Chromebooks for grades 4-8; established the Monsignor Thomas J Harrington Science Lab; converted media room into a multi-purpose resource room; additional outside lighting; completion of new bathroom stalls; gym repainted, and outside rosary repainted
• St. James-St. John School, New Bedford
  New flooring in the middle school
• St. Mary – Sacred Heart School, North Attleboro
  Offering program for PreK through 4-year olds
• Coyle & Cassidy High School, Taunton
  Dr. Nichole Rich hired to serve as Director of Student Support Services to expand the school’s support for students with mild to moderate learning needs; expanded technology program for grades 6 and 7
• Our Lady of Lourdes School, Taunton
  New playground; beginning a STEM Club and Track and Field Club
• St. Mary School, Taunton
  Offering Mad Science after-school program; new computer tables in classrooms; STEM program evolving to STEAM program to include Arts along with Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics

FALL RIVER — Bishop Edgar M. da Cunha, S.D.V., has authorized a special collection in parishes of the Fall River Diocese to support the victims of Hurricane Harvey and to assist in recovery efforts in areas impacted by the devastating storm and related flooding.

The collection will be taken up during Masses on the weekend of September 9 and 10.

In the wake of this tragedy, Bishop da Cunha encourages all to continue to pray for the suffering people of southeast Texas and to remember those who have perished.

Proceeds from the collection will support the humanitarian and recovery efforts of Catholic Charities USA and will provide pastoral and rebuilding support to impacted dioceses through the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.  Catholic Charities USA is the official domestic relief agency of the U.S. Catholic Church.

Donations to the diocesan hurricane relief collection may be made at any of its parishes, or sent directly to the Fall River Diocese, P.O. Box 2577, MA 02722. Please mark “Hurricane Relief Collection” in the memo section of the check.

FALL RIVER—Following the decision of President Trump to end the DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) program, Catholic Social Services is urging anyone with DACA set to expire on or before March 5, 2018 to contact Tim Paicopolos at its Fall River office at 508-674-4681 as soon as possible. Those persons qualify for DACA renewal for the duration of the program, but the renewal application must be submitted by Catholic Social Services by September 28, 2017.

Paicopolos is an immigration attorney at Catholic Social Services. The agency, sponsored by the Fall River Diocese, assists persons with DACA as one of its services and has helped over 200 persons complete their applications.

“Since the president’s action,” Paicopolos said, “there is a lot of confusion about what this means to people who have, had, or wanted DACA.”

He explained three critical points: if a person never had DACA, he/she will not be able to apply for it; if a person’s DACA card expires on or before March 5, 2018, his or her renewal application must be received by U.S. Customs and Immigration Services no later than October 5, 2017; and if a person’s DACA card expires after March 5, 2018, there will be no renewal; his or her standing under DACA will end on that date.

Paicopolos underscored that in spite of much misinformation to the contrary, “all DACA does not end on March 5, 2018.”

He encourages anyone with questions or uncertainties to contact him at the number provided above and if need be to leave a message with contact information. He or another Catholic Social Services staff member will return the call.

FALL RIVER — This year the Church celebrates the 100^th anniversary of the apparitions of Our Lady of Fatima, recalling the appearance and message of the Blessed Virgin Mary to three shepherd children in Fatima, Portugal, six times over six months in 1917.

Friday, October 13^th will mark the anniversary of the final apparition of Our Lady of Fatima; in observance, the Fall River Diocese will offer an afternoon of prayer and reflection on that date at Bishop Connolly High School in Fall River.

All are invited to take part, either for the entirety of the program or for any of its elements as one’s schedule permits.

It will begin with Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament at 1 p.m. in the school auditorium.  Adoration, recitation of the Rosary, and presentation of a documentary on Our Lady of Fatima will follow and take place continuously in adjacent areas throughout the afternoon. There will also be the opportunity for the sacrament of Reconciliation during that time. At 4 p.m., Bishop Edgar M. da Cunha, S.D.V., will lead Benediction in the auditorium to conclude the afternoon program.

Weather-permitting, recitation of the Rosary will be outside at a new statue of Our Lady of Fatima on the grounds of Bishop Connolly High School. Earlier in the day, the statue will unveiled and blessed by the Bishop in the context of a special program for Catholic school children from the Fall River Diocese as part of the Fatima Apparition anniversary.

The statue will serve as lasting remembrance of the diocesan observance of the centennial of Our Lady of Fatima and as a place to visit to pray, to seek her intercession and to respond to her enduring message for peace.

Fall River – Members of the Fall River Diocese are invited to join Bishop Edgar M. da Cunha, S.D.V., in the annual Procession and Mass for Peace on Monday, October 9, 2017, the Columbus Day holiday.

Participants in the procession should meet no later than 5:30 p.m. in the area of St. Anne Church, across from Kennedy Park on South Main Street, to march approximately one-half mile to St. Mary’s Cathedral. The procession will begin at 6:00 p.m. Marchers will carry candles, recite the rosary and sing Marian hymns in various languages.

At approximately 7 p.m. Bishop da Cunha, S.D.V., will celebrate the Mass for Peace at St. Mary’s Cathedral, located at the corner of Second and Spring Streets.

The Mass for Peace will last about one to one-and one-half hours, with the entire ceremony concluding around 8:30 p.m.

Those who are disabled or handicapped should proceed directly to St. Mary’s Cathedral, where a special area will be designated for them.

The Columbus Day Procession and Mass for Peace is a long tradition in the Fall River Diocese. It was first held in 1975 especially to pray for peace in Portugal but its emphasis has since broadened to include peace and justice worldwide.

FALL RIVER — Bishop Edgar M. da Cunha, S.D.V., will celebrate the annual Red Mass in the Fall River Diocese at 4 p.m., Saturday, October 14, in Saint Mary’s Cathedral, Fall River.

A long standing tradition in the Church, the Red Mass is celebrated each year in the diocese to invoke God’s guidance and strength on those who work to promote justice in the legal system.

Judges, attorneys and others working in the justice system throughout Southeastern Massachusetts, Cape Cod and the Islands are invited to attend.

At the conclusion of the Mass, in keeping with a tradition unique to the Fall River Diocese, Bishop da Cunha will present the St. Thomas More Award to members of the area legal community in recognition of dedicated service.

Selected for the honors this year are, as distinguished jurist, Judge Paul C. Dawley, Chief Justice, Massachusetts District Court Department; as distinguished attorney, Michael J. Princi of Hyannis; as distinguished court employee, Patricia A. Lunny, Office of the Clerk Magistrate, Third District Court, New Bedford; as distinguished recipient of the ecumenical award, Miriam H. Babin, Assistant Judicial Case Manager, Bristol County Probate Court; and as distinguished recipient of the Joseph P. Harrington Founder’s Award, Judge Joseph I. Macy, retired First Justice, Nantucket District Court.

The Red Mass is so named because of the color of the vestments worn during the liturgy, which is the Mass of the Holy Spirit, who will be invoked upon those in attendance. Its roots date back to 13^th century Europe, and it is widely celebrated in dioceses throughout the U.S.

The St. Thomas More Awards are named for St. Thomas More, a 16^th century English layman and lawyer martyred for opposition to the divorce of King Henry VIII and for refusing to renounce papal authority.

Award recipients were nominated for the recognition by the Red Mass planning committee of judges, attorneys, court personnel and priests from across the diocese, headed by New Bedford attorney Michael J. Harrington.

Judge Dawley became Chief Justice of the state’s District Court Department in September 2013. It is the largest of the seven departments within the Massachusetts Trial Court with 158 judges and 62 courts throughout the Commonwealth.

He was appointed to the bench in 2001 and then appointed as Administrative Justice for Region 2 (comprising three counties) in 2004. He has served as First Justice of the Brockton District Court, chair of the Probation Committee, and as a Justice of the Civil Appellate Division.

Previously, Dawley worked for the Plymouth County District Attorney’s Office, becoming Deputy First Assistant District Attorney there and receiving, in 2000, Prosecutor of the Year Award from the Massachusetts District Attorneys Association.

For the past 10 years, he has been an adjunct faculty member at Stonehill College.

Dawley holds degrees from Tufts University and Suffolk University Law School.

Married, he and his wife, Maura, have three children.

Attorney Princi has practiced law for over 40 years. Now a senior partner in the law firm of Wynn and Wynn, he is based at its Hyannis office and concentrates in complex civil litigation, personal injury, business and general litigation, and transactional law.

Since 1983, he has served as outside counsel to Housing Assistance Corporation of Cape Cod, devoting numerous pro bono hours to support affordable housing and shelter for the homeless. He has for the past 25 years organized a holiday gift basket party for the agency’s clients living in shelters.

Princi has been an active in his community over the years including service as a member of the Barnstable School Committee and as a board member of the Cape Cod YMCA and the Cotuit Center for the Arts.

For the past 12 years, he has been among sponsors of “Taste and See,” a major fundraiser for the homeless sponsored by Our Lady of the Assumption Parish, Osterville, and Our Lady of Victory Parish, Centerville, where he is a parishioner and longtime lector.

A member of several professional associations, he has served on numerous boards and committees of both the Massachusetts Bar Association and the Massachusetts Academy of Trial Attorneys.

He is a graduate of Bowdoin College in Maine and Northeastern University School of Law.

Following service in the United States Navy, which included a tour in Vietnam, he transferred to the Massachusetts Air National Guard where he was Staff Judge Advocate and senior legal counsel.

He and his wife, Area, have a family of six children and 11 grandchildren.

Mrs. Lunny is manager of the Office of Clerk Magistrate for the Third District Court in New Bedford, and as such, she supervises a staff of 25, coordinating work assignments, training, and the development and implementation of office policies and procedures.

She has worked for the District Court for 27 years, beginning as a procedure clerk then working her way up to case coordinator and supervisor of the criminal clerk’s office before her promotion to her current post.

She has received the Trial Court Excellence Award for her service.

Lunny attended Kinyon Campbell Business School and Southeastern Massachusetts University/UMass-Dartmouth.

A resident of New Bedford, she is married to Steven Lunny, and they are the parents of a daughter and son and grandparents of two. Lunny is a parishioner of St. Julie Billiart Parish in Dartmouth.

Attorney Babin has served for 16 years in the Bristol County Probate Court as Assistant Judicial Case Manager, where she is responsible for the court session, pleadings, filings, and management of the judge’s caseload.

She began her legal career in 1978 as an associate with a sole practioner. She then became an assistant district attorney in the Bristol County District Attorney’s Office for six years before beginning her own practice in New Bedford, concentrating in civil and criminal litigation and probate and family matters. She joined the Bristol County Probate and Family Court in 2000 as a Family Law Facilitator, assisting indigent litigants with legal services providers and community agencies for assistance.

Her longtime commitment to ensuring that the indigent have access to legal services is reflected in her years of service to entities established for that purpose. She was a director for the Massachusetts Legal Assistance Corporation; director for South Coastal Counties Legal Services, Inc., and chair of the former Southeastern Massachusetts Legal Assistance Corporation.

Throughout the years, she has served several professional associations: as director and president of the Bristol County Bar Association; as president of the Bristol County Bar Advocates; and as a regional delegate in the Massachusetts Bar Association.

Babin holds degrees from Barnard College of Columbia University, New York, and the Boston University School of Law.

She is a member of Temple Beth El in Fall River and Temple Emmanu-El in Providence.

Judge Macy was the Presiding Justice for the Nantucket District Court from 2006 until his retirement in 2013 after which he was a Recall Justice for two years. Appointed to the bench in 1998, he served predominantly in Trial Courts of Bristol County as well as in Nantucket.

A resident of Fall River, he was in private law practice there for many years and served as legal counsel for the Fall River and Swansea School Committees, Citizens for Citizens, and the Southeastern Regional Transit Authority.

He currently serves as corporation counsel for the City of Fall River.

Active in the community, he is or has been a trustee or member of the board of many institutions, among them the Fall River YMCA, the Fall River Deaconess Home and Citizens Scholarship Foundation. He is a parishioner of Holy Name Parish in Fall River.

Macy is a graduate of Brown University and Boston University School of Law, and a veteran of the U.S. Army, having served in Vietnam.

He and his wife Paula are the parents of a son and daughter.

All are welcome at the Red Mass. A reception and dinner will follow for which a ticket is required. For information, please contact Atty. Harrington at 508-994-5900.

FALL RIVER — In the wake of the destruction to Puerto Rico and other Carribean islands by Hurricane Maria, Bishop Edgar M. da Cunha, S.D.V., has recommended that pastors in the Fall River Diocese facilitate an opportunity for parishioners to donate to support relief efforts in the form of a “free-will offering” to be taken up at Masses during the weekend of October 7-8. Collected funds will go to help those who have been affected through Catholic Charities U.S.A.

Parishes in the Diocese had taken up a special collection for the victims of Hurricane Harvey in Texas and Hurricane Irma in Florida on the September 9-10 weekend.

“As you well know, since that time, another major hurricane, Maria, has inflicted catastrophic damage to the island of Puerto Rico and other islands in the Caribbean,” Bishop da Cunha writes in a September 27, 2017 letter to priests in the Diocese. “Faced with such great material needs and suffering among our brothers and sisters to the south, I am compelled to authorize a free-will offering in our parishes as aid to these many new victims.”

In addition, Bishop da Cunha also asked that prayers be focused on those who are trying to recover and re-build after the hurricane, and for effective efforts to provide them with relief.

FALL RIVER—This year the Catholic Church celebrates the 100^th anniversary of the apparitions of Our Lady of Fatima, recalling the appearance and message of the Blessed Virgin Mary to three shepherd children in Fatima, Portugal, six times over six months in 1917. Friday, October 13, will mark the anniversary of the final apparition of Our Lady of Fatima.

In observance, Bishop Edgar M. da Cunha, S.D.V., will celebrate a special outdoor Mass for Catholic students from the Fall River Diocese on Friday, October 13, at 9:30 a.m. in the stadium at Bishop Connolly High School in Fall River.  Following the Mass, the students will process while praying the rosary to the new statue of Our Lady of Fatima on the front grounds of the high school for its blessing and dedication by Bishop da Cunha.

The celebration will be live streamed via the Bishop Connolly High School Cougars Sports Network website at https://www.connollycougarssports.com. Please click the USTREAM icon at the bottom of the page.

FALL RIVER — Mark K. Shriver, whose 2016 book, Pilgrimage: My Search for the Real Pope Francis, is both an insightful portrait of the pope and a reflection on Shriver’s own journey of faith, will be the featured speaker at the 23rd annual Fall Scholarship Dinner to benefit students attending Catholic schools in the Fall River Diocese.

Sponsored by the Foundation for the Advancement of Catholic Education or FACE, the Fall Scholarship Dinner will take place on Thursday, October 26, at White’s of Westport, beginning with a 5:30 p.m. reception.

For the book, Shriver travelled to the pope’s native Argentina to talk to persons who knew him as a child, as a young Jesuit priest, and later as archbishop of Buenos Aires. Shriver’s talk at the Fall Dinner will look at the fruits of that journey, its impact on him personally, and the relevance of the pope’s message in today’s world.

Mark Shriver

Shriver is senior vice president of U.S. Programs and Advocacy at Save the Children and president of its political advocacy arm, Save the Children Action Network, based in Washington, D.C. He at one time served as a Maryland state legislator.

An advocate for children throughout his career, Shriver led a national coalition that convinced Congress to create the National Commission on Children and Disasters of which he became an appointed member and the elected chairperson.

He is also author of the best-selling memoir, A Good Man: Rediscovering My Father, Sargent Shriver, published in June 2012.

Shriver lives in Maryland with his wife and three children.

The FACE Fall Scholarship Dinner will feature a reception and extensive multi-course meal followed by a brief program and the presentation by Shriver.

In the current school year alone, FACE is providing $1.4 million in need-based scholarships to 1,100 Catholic school students in the Fall River Diocese. Of that amount, $112,000 is being directed to 56 students who are part of a new “Hope and Opportunity Initiative,” which aims to reach elementary school students living at or below the poverty line with expanded tuition aid.

“By investing in our schools, we also invest in the future of our Church and the well-being of our broader community,” write John J. Feitelberg and Nick Christ, FACE Dinner chair and FACE Board chair, respectively, in a letter of invitation to the Fall Dinner.

Last year marked the most successful fundraising year in the history of FACE and its predecessor, the St. Mary’s Education Fund, including the establishment of three separate one-million dollar gifts, two of which are permanently endowed.

In the context of the Fall Scholarship Dinner program, Bishop Edgar M. da Cunha, S.D.V., will present the annual Timothy Cotter Friend of Catholic Education Award to Mary and George Agostini of Seekonk, in recognition of their many years of service to FACE and the St. Mary’s Education Fund. They are members of Our Lady Queen of Martyrs Parish in Seekonk.

Those interested in supporting the Fall Scholarship Dinner through sponsorship opportunities or by purchasing individual tickets should contact the Diocesan Development Office at 508-675-1311 or visit www.FACE-DFR.org.