SERVING ..• SOUTHEASTERN MASSACHUSmS
t eanc 0 VOL. 25, NO. 28
CAPE COD & THE ISLANDS
FALL RIVER, MASS., THURSDAY, JULY 9, 1981
20c, $6 Per Year
Ordinationl
July 18 Bishop Daniel A. Cronin will ordain Rev. Mr. Stephen J. Avila a priest for the Fall River diocese at ceremonies to be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, July 18, at St. Mary's Cathedral. Rev. Mr. Avila is a native of St. John the Baptist parish, New Bedford, and the son of Jos:eph S. and Alice (Guerra) Avila. He has one brother, David. He graduated from New liedford High School in 1973 and from Providence College in W77. In September of that year he entered the North American College in Rome. He holds a bachelor's degree in philosophy ;lnd sacred theology, the latter from the Gregorian University, £lIso in Rome. The ordinand served his dia· conate in St. Anthony's par:ish, East Falmouth. He will offer his first Mass at 2:30 p.m. Sunday, July 19, at St. John the Baptist parish, with Rev. Manuel P. Ferreira, pastor of Immaculate Conception parish, New Bedford, as homilist. Concelebrants will be Father Ferreira; Father Luciano Pereira, pastor of St. John the Baptist; Msgr. Charles Murphy, North American College rect,or; Father Gerard Hebert, a diol:esan classmate and associate at St. Thomas More parish, Soml!rset; other diocesan priests; and Father R. Stephen Vallenga, a North American classmate from the Cleveland diocese. The vesting priest will be Father Joseph Marino of the Birmingham diocese. Tum to Page Seven
------------They' need everything
The Diocesan Department of Social Services, anticipating £1:1'rival of several Indochinese refagee families in the near future, in addition to a family that unexpectedly arrived Tuesday night, has appealed for "everything needed for setting up housl~ keeping," as well as for "caring American friends" for the newcomers. Mrs. Marylou Mancini of the diocesan department and Rev. James Hornsby, pastor of Sit. Luke's Episcopal Church, Fall River, also involved in resettle:ment efforts, said clothing, furniture, kitchen equipment, bedding an4 towels are prime needs. The refugees will probably stay initially with Indochinese families already in the Fall River Tum to Page Sixteen
SISTER AVELAR with Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Furtado and their sons, Marco, 5, Roy 13, Paul 7, Anderson,6 months.
Oldtime religion works fine for her By Pat McGowan
They still make the old-fashioned type convent parlor, com· plete with shiny floor, straightbacked chairs and a Sabbatarian hush. And they still make the oldfashioned type nun, complete with long black habit and a part-time retirement job dusting aItars. That's part of the truth about Our Lady of Mt. Carmel convent in inner-city New Bedford, and 78-year-old Sister Aurora Helena Avelar of the Sisters of St. Dorothy. The other part is less conventional, you should excuse the expression. Sister Avelar, when not dusting altars, is a one-woman welfare agency and that staid convent parlor sees a seven-day-aweek procession of Christ's least brethren, seeking jobs,' housing, clothing, food and motherly, nononsense advice. The tiny nun's approach is
practical. Presented recently with a side of beef, she roasted and froze it, thus providing the makings of dozens of hot roast beef sandwiches to serve the hungry. A teacher for decades, during the school year she starts her day teaching Portuguese to primary tots at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel School, then "takes care of the things of the church," meaning her duties as sacristan. After that the rest of the day is hers - or rather, belongs to the poor she serves. They are busy days - and often nights. "The priests put me a telephone in the church basement and in my bedroom too, so I don't disturb the other sisters," she explains. In the basement, the phone rings in a large room where Sister Avelar stores clothing, furniture, yard goods and anything else she thinks her poor might need. The needs include holy pic-
tures and statues - Sister Ave- tel's, where she is an interpreter lar's is not a tiptoe approach to and advocate for often bewilderreligion and she unhesitatingly ed immigrants - Cape Verdean, calls a spade by its proper Azorean, Puerto Rican - "anyone in need, I help," she says. name. On errant men, for instance: Humble and simple, she sees "r have told them many times life clearly through her steelthat Archbishop Sheen said 'to rimmed glasses. On the contro· correct a vice, love something versial Kennedy family her opinmore than it.''' That something, ion is clearcut: "I go often to the little nun tells them, is their Boston and Senator Kennedy's families. office is very, very helpful. God Quite a few men have "cor· will reward the Kennedy family rected themselves daily," she because they help the immigrants very much." said. "I know I make mistakes in. On welfare: "We can't abuse English," she continued, "but the kindness of the government. I make myself to be understood." but if the country gives bread The bedroom phone rings far to the needy, it will not be in ;into the night, usually W/ith need; God will bless it." news of domestic difficulties. On drugs: "Many people use "Often there is no peace in the them because they have no home and if we give time and friends to help them." interest we can help the peoSister Avelar doesn't hesitate ple," explained Sister Avelar. Her time and interest frequent· to enlist volunteers in her ly take her to such places as cause. Visiting her, this reportdoctors' and dentists' offices, er was immediately pressed inhospitals, courtrooms and Social to service to' drive her to three Security and welfare headquar. Turn to Page Eight