Diocese of Fall River, Mass.
F riday , November 27, 2015
Bishop da Cunha to open ‘Doors of Mercy’ at St. Mary’s Cathedral on December 13
By Dave Jolivet Editor davejolivet@anchornews.org FALL RIVER — Earlier this year Pope Francis announced to Catholic faithful across the world a Year of Mercy to begin in December. He proclaimed, “Dear brothers and sisters, I have often thought of how the Church may render more clearly her mission to be a witness to mercy; and we have to make this journey. It is a journey which begins with Spiritual conversion. Therefore, I have decided to announce an Extraordinary Jubilee which has at its center the mercy of God. It will be a Holy Year of Mercy. We want to live in the light of the Word of the Lord: ‘Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful’ (cf. Lk 6:36). And this especially applies to confessors! So much mercy! “This Holy Year will commence on the next Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception and will conclude on Sunday, Nov. 20, 2016, the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe and living Face of the Father’s mercy. I entrust the organization of this jubilee to the Pontifical Council for Promoting the New Evangelization, in order that it may come to life as a new step on
the Church’s journey in her mission mercy of God.” to bring the Gospel of mercy to each The theme of the Holy Year will be person. “Merciful Like the “I am confident Father.” that the whole The Holy Church, which is in such Father will open the Holy need of mercy for we are Door of St. Peter’s Basinners, will be able to silica on December 8 find in this jubilee the in Rome that it may, joy of rediscoverhe said, become ing and rendering “a Door of Mercy fruitful God’s through which mercy, with which anyone who enters we are all called will experience the to give comfort love of God Who to every man and consoles, pardons every woman of and instills hope.” our time. Do not The pope forget that God instructed that on forgives all, and December 13, the God forgives always. “Doors of Mercy” be Let us never tire of opened at cathedrals asking forgiveness. Let throughout the world us henceforth entrust thereby inviting all faiththis year to the Mother of ful Catholics to join the Mercy, that she turn Universal Church in Merciful Like the Father solidarity during this her gaze upon us and watch over Year. Misericordiosos Como el Padre Jubilee our journey: our Fall River Misericordiosos Como o Pai Bishop Edgar M. penitential journey, our year-long da Cunha, S.D.V., journey with an open heart, to receive will symbolically join with bishops the indulgence of God, to receive the all over the world at a ceremony at
One week before Thanksgiving, a long line queued up for food for the holiday at the St. Anthony’s Parish Food Bank in New Bedford. Thanks to donations from parishioners and others, more than 450 families received a turkey. (Photo by Eric Simmons)
At the conclusion of the recent Fall Scholarship Dinner, video screens announced a total gain of $1,435,000 for FACE during the year, representing proceeds from the dinner along with money raised in events sponsored over the year by the FACE Cape Cod Committee, annual accrued interest, and a $760,000 bequest from the estate of Dennis J. Hurley.
Holy Year of Mercy
St. Mary’s Cathedral in Fall River on December 13, the Third Sunday of Advent, at 3 p.m., at which time he will open the “Doors of Mercy” in the Diocese of Fall River. “Let us join with the Holy Father and all who heed his call to open our hearts to this Holy Year pilgrimage of faith in fact or in recognition of our Spiritual pilgrimage through prayer and works of mercy to the Father,” said Bishop da Cunha. Father Jon-Paul Gallant, diocesan director of the Office for Divine Worship told The Anchor, “Our diocesan celebration will be combined with the annual Marian Medal awards. The opening of the ‘Door of Mercy’ at the cathedral will be celebrated in the context of Solemn Daytime Prayer and Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament presided over by the bishop.” At the cathedral, the bishop will lead a procession of clergy and laity to the main cathedral door and pray, “Open the gates of justice, we shall enter and give thanks to the Lord” (Ps 118:19). As the doors open, the bishop will continue, “This is the Lord’s Own gate: let us enter through it and obtain mercy.” After which he will lead the procession through the Turn to page 14
New pastor ignites parish with Faith on Fire
By Becky Aubut Anchor Staff beckyaubut@anchornews.org BREWSTER — When Father William V. Kaliyadan, M.S., was assigned to Our Lady of the Cape Parish in Brewster earlier this year, he sent a letter to the parish outlining what he intended to bring to his new congregation, including a family-orientated catechesis program. Father Kaliyadan had been an associate pastor on Cape Cod before being assigned to a parish in New Hampshire, where he had been inspired to bring family catechesis to that parish after attending seminars in the Diocese of Manchester. He said: “I got some ideas and wanted to integrate that part into the classroom but I didn’t want it in the structure of a classroom. The reason I
took that path was I noticed so many parents who bring their children, drop them off and then they go home. There was something missing.” Father Kaliyadan has a doctorate in psychology, and
decided to reach out to the parents at the New Hampshire parish to gently gather their thoughts, and found “they felt insufficient in their knowledge as parents,” he said, “and someTurn to page 15
It was a full house at Our Lady of the Cape Parish in Brewster as families gathered for Mass before a Faith on Fire session, a new family catechesis program at the parish.