Diocese of Fall River, Mass. † Friday, July 4, 2025
Happy Independence Day, America
The 78th annual Blessing of the Fleet in Provincetown Left: Bishop da Cunha blesses the fleet under sunny skies on Sunday, June 29, in Provincetown. The annual event began with a special Mass for the local fishermen and fisherwomen, coinciding this year with the solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul. (St. Peter was a fisherman). A procession to the docks followed Mass with the statue of Saint Peter along with banners of the many local fishing boats. The St. Peter statue was blessed, along with all the banners, and secured on the lead boat of the procession of boats to be blessed by the Bishop. Assisting the Bishop is Father Philip N. Hamel, Pastor of St. Peter the Apostle Parish in Provincetown. Photo credit: Deacon Alan Thadeu
Catholic Guild For the Blind provides spiritual connection across Southeastern Massachusetts and beyond
By Joan D. Warren Editor
joandwarren@anchornews.org
A Spiritual Oasis: How the Xavier Society’s Rosary Group Builds Community in the Diocese of Fall River and Beyond
FALL RIVER — For visually impaired Catholics in Southeastern Massachusetts and beyond, spiritual connection is just a phone call away. Thanks to the Catholic Guild for the Blind, a local ministry of Catholic Charities of Fall River and under the patronage of St. Margaret of Castella, who was blind and had multiple disabilities, those living with vision loss can access a faith-filled community that offers prayer, reflection, and fellowship in a format that’s both accessible and welcoming. Meeting by phone on the first and third Thursdays of each month at 7:00 p.m., the Guild hosts a bi-monthly Rosary group that blends tradition with meaningful conversation. With no
internet or smartphone required, participants simply dial 1-774-462-3143 and enter access code 8916. The first Thursday of each month is reserved for a traditional Rosary, while the third Thursday features a scriptural Rosary and often welcomes guest speakers. All are welcome to join. This simple local effort — powered by the voices of the faithful in cities like Fall River and New Bedford — has taken on renewed significance in 2025, as the Xavier Society for the Blind, the national organization supporting the Guild, celebrates its 125th anniversary of service. When participants call in, a quiet yet powerful connection begins to form. Over a dozen voices from places within the Diocese of Fall River and beyond join in — not just to speak, but to pray. It begins with thirty sacred minutes praying the Rosary together — often followed by intentions for fellow members like Bob Branco of New Bedford, age 67, or Amara
Pina, also of New Bedford, who, at 82, finds deep comfort in the group’s companionship, especially after losing her brother and sister. For many, like Karen Crowder of Leominster and Rachael, a guide dog user who joined in 2021, the call is more than a prayer meeting — it’s a community. Rachael recalls recognizing the voices of people she had known from her days at the Perkins School for the Blind in Watertown, Massachusetts — a shared connection that dates back to the 1960s and ’70s. “It’s comforting,” she says. “It feels like coming home.” Rose Mary Saraiva, a facilitator from the Diocese of Fall River, has been part of the group for over a year. She often begins the post-Rosary portion with a short spiritual reflection — a Lectio Spiritus — inviting everyone to share how it speaks to their heart. From there, conversation flows: about faith, struggles, joys, and sometimes just about life. 8 Turn to page three July 4, 2025 †
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