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

VOL. 30, NO. 37 • Friday, Sept. 19, 1986 FALL RIVER, MASS. Southeastern Massachusetts' Largest Weekly • $8 Per Year

MOST REVEREND JAMES lOUIS CONNOllYFourth·B/shop 01 Fall RI"er

1951 - 1970

2 THE ANCHOR - Diocese of Fall River - Fri., Sept. 19, 1986

Bishop Cronin'sstatement

'on the deathof Bishop Connolly

It is with a heavy heart indeed that I announce the death of our beloved Bishop James L. Connolly,retired Bishop of Fall River.

The dedication of Bishop Connolly to the life and mission of the Church spanned more than 60years of priesthood, 41 of which were spent in the episcopacy. It may rightly be said of him that he trulyloved the Church.

That love was lived in faithfulness to Christ and in tender concern for the flock entrusted to hispastoral care. The fruits of his priestly labors, evident in countless ways throughout the diocese, willlong cause his memory to be held in benediction by all who knew and loved him. He truly was "a greatpriest who in his days pleased God."

While we mourn his passing, we are confident that he will now receive blessings and compassionfrom the Lord God, his Savior, for this is the reward of those who seek the Lord and serve him with alltheir heart. This our beloved Bishop Connolly did valiantly throughout his priestly life.

I urge all the faithful of the diocese to unite in prayer for the eternal repose of his soul. May he restin the peace of Christ.

Bishop of Fall RiverIN 1962, Bishop Connolly greeted His Beatitude Paul

Peter Meouchi, Maronite Patriarch of Antioch, during a visitto the Fall River diocese, where from 1922 to 1925 the patri­arch was pastor of Our Lady of Purgatory Church, NewBedford.

Requiescat In Pace

PRIESTS AND PARISHIONERS

IMMACULATE CONCEPTION CHUIICH

NORTH EASTON

"Behold, a great priest"THE ANCHOR - Diocese of Fall River - Fri., Sept. 19, 19863

He was a people's bishop.He didn't mind a bit when excep­

tional youngsters at Fall River'sNazareth Hall School adorned hislapel with peanut butter and jelly.

He invited a reporter, plus hermischievous three-year-old daugh­ter, to share lunch at his episcopalresidence.

He was given to wandering intoLeary Press, where The Anchor isprinted to chat with workers and."see how things were done," saidveteran printer Carl Gagnon. "He'dcome once or twice a year andmeet all of us," Gagnon recalled.

When in 1985 Bishop ConnollyHigh School students on a walka­thon passed his retirement quartersat the Catholic Memorial Home inFall River and several girls brokeranks to give him a spontaneoushug, he chuckled that he thought it"a grand idea" that his namesakeschool, formerly for boys only,had turned coed.

Last Friday Bishop James L.Connolly, 91, entered eternity. Hehad been a priest for over 60 yearsand a bishop for 41 of those years.

"He truly was 'a great priest'who in his days pleased God," saidBishop Daniel A. Cronin, his suc­cessor, in a formal statement.

Less formally, Bishop Croninexpressed his personal grief at apress conference last Monday. Not­ing that he visited Bishop Connollyonly hours before his death, hesaid that the prelate, althoughweakened, recognized him.

"I blessed him," recounted Bish­op Cronin, "and he feebly madethe Sign of the Cross too. I returned

home and at 6:30 p.m. received thecall that he had died."

Bishop Cronin said he enjoyed aclose relationship with his predeces­sor, whom he visited regularly."He always greeted me with 'Youlook elegant and you're doing agood job,' " said the bishop.

Looking back over Bishop Con­nolly's term of office, Bishop Cron­in noted that it spanned the "enthu­siastic Catholicism" of the postwaryears, which saw constr~ction .of33 churches in the Fall River dIO­cese, in addition to four regionalhigh schools, 14 elementary sch~ols

and 15 parish religious educationcenters.

The spiritual development with­in the Church that followed theSecond Vatican Council was care­fully guided on the diocesan levelby Bishop Connolly, said BishopCronin.

He mentioned as particularstrengths steps taken to bring dioce­san practice into conformity withnew liturgical guidelines, formationoffered seminarians and initiativestowards ecumenism.

Saying that Bishop Connollybelonged "to the generation ofbishops that expected to die inoffice" as had their predecessors,Bishop Cronin said that althoughhe found the transition difficult,he retired "with nobility and grace,"submitting his resignation to PopePaul VI in 1969, upon reaching his75th birthday and actually retiringOct. 30, 1970.

"My respect for him grew andgrew," said Bishop Cronin.

In retirement, Bishop Connollycontinued to accept assignmentswithin the diocese as long as hishealth permitted. The appoint­ment of his former chancellor, thethen Bishop Humberto S. Medeirosto the see of Brownsville, Texas,brought him great happiness, asdid Bishop Medeiros' accession t.othe see of Boston in 1970 and hiscreation as cardinal in 1973.

On the latter occasion, BishopConnolly was one of those flyingon the plane to Rome for theceremonies of elevation to theSacred' College. In 1983, whenCardinal Medeiros died, the bishop,already in frail health, was presentfor his interment in St. Patrick'scemetery, Fall River.

Poignantly, Bishop Connolly wasburied Sept. 17, the date of Cardinal~edeiros'death in 1983. And Bish­op Cronin noted that his own 18thanniversary ofepiscopal ordinationcame the day of Bishop Connolly'sdeath.

"I had mentioned it to him whenI visited him an.d although hecould not speak clearly, it wasobvious that he understood," saidthe bishop.

Fall River Native

Bishop Connolly was born inFall River November 15, 1894, theson of the late Francis and AgnesMcBridge Connolly. At the age ofthree days he was baptized in St.Patrick's Church by Rev. J.F. Han­ey. His godparents were PatrickCorrigan and Helen Mannion. Hegrew up with two sisters and fourbrothers, all now deceased. One,

Bernard, joined him in the priest­hood, serving as a Sulpician and aprofessor at St. Charles Seminary,Catonsville, Md., until his death in1932.

The future bishop graduatedfrom St. Patrick's School in 1909and from B.M.C. Durfee HighSchool in 1913. He entered St.Charles Seminary, Catonsville, andcontinued his studies at the Sulpi­cian Seminary in Washington. Hewas ordained Dec. 21, 1923 byBishop Feehan in St. Mary's Cathe­dral, where he himself was to ordainso many priests in future years.

His first assignment was as asummer assistant at Our Lady ofLourdes Church, Wellfleet, thenhe returned to Washington andfrom there went to Louvain Univer­sity, Belgium, where from 1924 to1928 he fulfilled the requirementsfor a doctoral degree in historicalscience, which he received summacum laude.

The young priest's dissertationwas a study of John Gerson, 15thcentury chancellor of the Universityof Paris. Some 400 pages long, itwas the first such study in Englishof the famous reformer and mystic.

To St. Paul

Together with two other FallRiver priests, Father Connolly wasnext assigned to the Archdioceseof St. Paul, Minn., at the requestof its archbishop. The trio wasdubbed "the three Wise Men fromthe East." One became Archbi­shop of St. Paul, the late MostRev. William O. Brady; one ispastor of a St. Paul church, Msgr.Francis J. Gilligan; and in 1945Father Connolly was named TitularBishop of Mylasa and coadjutor,

with the right of succession, of theFall River diocese.

Prior to his episcopal appoint­ment, Father Connolly had taughtat St. Paul's major seminary, alsoserving as rector of both the minorand major seminaries of the asch­diocese. He was also instrumentalin bringing the Rose HawthorneLathrop Dominican Sisters to St.Paul to found a cancer hospital.

Bishop Connolly's consecrationtook place in St. Paul on May 24,1945, with Archbishop John Greg­ory Murray the presiding prelate.His chaplains were Rev: Russell J.McVinney, the late Bishop of Provi­dence, and Rev. James J. Gerrard,who was to become Fall River'sauxiliary bishop.

Sacred Heart PastorA solemn pontifical Mass in St.

Mary's Cathedral on June 7, 1945welcomed the new bishop to hisdiocese. Archbishop Murraypreached and Cardinal Spellman,then an archbishop, headed thevisiting prelates.

Bishop Connolly served as pastorofSacred Heart Church, Fall River,in addition to his duties as coadjut­or until the sudden death of hispredecessor, Bishop James E. Cas­sidy, on May 17, 1951, broughthim to the position of Ordinary.

Care for the aged and exceptional-comes first to mind when onereviews the episcopate of BishopConnolly, but hardly less importantis the chain of high schools that heerected throughout the diocese.Beginning with Bishop Stang Highin North Dartmouth, and continu­ing with Bishop Feehan, Attleboro;Coyle and Cassidy, Taunton; and

Turn to Page Six

mourns Ihe loss 0/

SAINT MARY'S CATHEDRALFall River

•

Very Rev. 8arry W. Wall, Rector

'I

FATHER COSTA

Most of our regular fea­tures will not appear in thisspecial memorial issue of TheAnchor, nor will they appearlin the Sept. 26 issue, which'Will be dedicated to the im­l[Jortant subject of health care.All will resume in the issue ofOct. 3.

NOTICE

While in Taunton Father Gomeswas briefly assistant area CYOdirector, then from 1970 to 1974was director of the youth pro­gram. He has been at St. John ofGod since 1984.

Father CostaA Fall River native, Father Costa

was born in 1951. He is the son ofMaria (Carvalho) Costa and JosephP. Costa. He graduated from Espir­ito Santo School, Fall River, and!Bishop Stang High School, NorthDartmouth, before preparing forpriestly ordination at St. Thomasand St. John's seminaries.

Ordained May 14,1977, by Bish­op Cronin, he was parochial vicarat Our Lady of Health parish, FallRiver, serving while there as chap­lain to the Fall River juvenile,:ourt; and at Our Lady of Mt.Carmel parish, Seekonk, where heserved from 1980 until he wasnamed chaplain at St. Vincent'sHome in 1984.

Father Costa is also president ofthe diocesan priests' council.

OFFICIAL

Dioc,~se of Fall River

FATHER GOMES

His Excellency, the Most Reverend Daniel A. Cronin, Bishop ofFall River, announces the following appointments:

Reverend James F. Greene from Pastor of Sacred HeartParish, Oak Bluffs, to Pastor of Saint James Parish, NewBedford.

-

Reverend John A. Gomes from Parochial Vicar at SaintJohn of God Parish in Somerset, to Pastor of Sacred HeartParish in Oak Bluffs.

Reverend Joseph M. Costa from Chaplain, Saint Vincent'sHome in Fall River, to Parochial Vicar ofSaint John of GodParish in Somerset.

Effective Wednesday, September 24, 1986

Bishop's Ballmeeting setA planning meeting for the 32nd

annual Bishop's Charity Ball willbe held at 1:30 p.m. Sunday atWhite's restaurant, North West,:port.

The ball, which benefits dioce­san summer camps for underprivi­leged children and other charita­ble apostolates, will be held Friday,Jan. 16, and will be cosponsoredby the Diocesan Council ofCatholicWomen and the Society of St.Vincent de Paul.

At Sunday's meeting, commit­tees will be appointed and balldecorations will be discussed.

The committees will meet againat I p.m. Jan. II at Lincoln ParkBallroom, North Dartmouth, wherethey will decorate the ballroom.

(Freitas) Gomes and the late Alex­ander G. Gomes. At age 5 he cameto the United States, attendingMt. Carmel grammar school andHoly Family High School in NewBedford.

After studies at St. Thomas Sem­inary, Bloomfield, Conn., and St.Mary's Seminary, Baltimore, hewas ordained by Bishop ConnollyMay 3,1969.

He was parochial vicar at OurLady of Lourdes parish, Taunton,and St. Anthony of Padua, FallRiver, then was engaged in pas­toral ministry at Charlton Memor­ial Hospital, Fall River, from 1977until 1984, when he was assignedto his present post.

FATHER GREENE

Pastors, parochial vicar nanled by bishopBishop Daniel A. Cronin has

announced appointment of twopastors and a parochial vicar, effec­tive Wednesday, Sept. 24.

Rev. James F. Greene, pastor ofSacred Heart parish, Oak Bluffs,will be pastor of St. James parish,New Bedford; and Rev. John A.Gomes, parochial vicar at St. Johnof God parish, Somerset, will be­come pastor at Oak Bluffs.

Succeeding to Father Gomes'position will be Father Joseph M.Costa, now chaplain at St. Vin­cent's Home, Fall River.

Father GreeneFather Greene, born in 1933 in

Fall River, is the son of the lateFrank B. and Anne (Reardon)Greene. He graduated from St.Joseph's School, Fall River, andCase High School; Swansea.

He prepared for the priesthood'at St. Philip Neri, Cardinal O'Con- .nell and St. John seminaries; all inthe Boston archdiocese. After hisordination Feb. 2, 1961, by BishopJames L. Connolly, he served threeyears as parochial vicar at St.Joseph's parish, Taunton, beforeentering the U.S. Air Force, wherehe was a chaplain for nine years.

Returning to the diocese in 1973,he was parochial vicar at St. Fran­cis Xavier parish, Hyannis, and St.Dominic, Swansea, until he wasnamed to the Oak Bluffs parish in1979.

Father GomesFather Gomes is a native of

Madeira, Portugal, where he wasborn in 1942, the son of Cisaltina

September 21Rev. George Pager, Founder,

1882, Sacred Heart, New BedfordRev. George Jowdy, Pastor,

1938, Our Lady of Purgatory, NewBedford

September 24Rev. Joseph E. C. Bourque, Pas­

tor, 1955, Blessed Sacrament, FallRiver

September 26Rev. John J. Donahue, Assistant,

1944, St. William, Fall River

111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111,

THE ANCHOR (USPS-545-020). SecondClass Postage Paid at Fall River. Mass.Published weekly except the week of July 4and the week after Christmas at 410 High­land Avenue, Fall River, Mass. 02720 bythe Catholic Press of the Diocese of FallRiver. Subscription price by mail, postpaid$8.00 per year. Postmasters send addresschanges to The Anchor, P.O. Box 7, FallRiver, MA 02722.

the moorina-,4 THE ANCHOR - Diocese of Fall River - Fri., Sept. 19, 1986

Memories of the HeartIt seems as if he has always been with us. His death has been

an occasion of remembrance and of realization that too oftenin life we fail to reflect on each other.

Often it is death that is the catalyst of memory.And memory is so important. At a certain time in life we are

in fact the sum of our memories.So many people try to suppress, or we might say, Valiumate,

their minds into oblivion. What they do, in fact, is destroythemselves.Truly to live, we must cherish and nurture ourmemories.

The return of Bishop Connolly to the good Lord has been anoccasion for such memories for all whose lives he touched. For19 years he led the diocese as its shepherd and priest throughturbulent days. He began his days as our bishop in the midst ofthe Korean War. The Indochinese turmoil proved far morethan a mere storm cloud, while events in the Middle East blewasunder any hope of a United Nations settlement.

Kerouac was on the road and the theatre of the absurd wasmuch in vogue.

Bishop Connolly's days as our bishop encompassed anunprecedented economic boom. Civil Rights, the Great Societyand the feminist movement took root. Andy Warhol was kingof pop art and Hair was the in musical.

The bishop was. keenly aware of history's lessons and knewwell the Church did not exist in a vacuum but had to cope andface the realities of the times with a vision and hope born offaith.

During his episcopacy the U.S. church was in transitionfrom a relatively stable and long-established way of life andaction to a new order of things as the pontificate of Pope JohnXXIII brought with it the opening of the Second VaticanCouncil. .

Bishop Connolly's love of the Church and her history wouldnot allow him to miss a session of the Council nor fail toimplement its directives in the diocese. His ability to grasp theimportance of this moment in the pilgrim journey of theChurch allowed him to bring to the diocese a sensible as well asa dynamic application of the Council's insights.

Because of this he recognized' need, whether seen in theelderly, the exceptional child or the terminally ill. And as anintellectually gifted man he saw that education was the bestmeans of fulfilling the church's mission to teach as Jesus did.

He did not merely build schools. He infused those schoolswith the love of learning and the pursuit of excellence to theend that the Church could be truly present in a world immersedin a revolution of spirit and mind. His practical approach tolife brought solace to those dubious and fearful of change.

All of this, of course, was possible because he was not merelyan ordained bishop but, more important, a believing man. Hislife as priest, student, professor and bishop was a total andconstant witness of faith. It was a faith made evident not bybombast or theatrics, even though he enjoyed a good show;rather, it was a spirit that heartened those around him.

Bishop Connolly acted according to his beliefs. His gargan­tuan accomplishments in mortar and stone but reflected hismighty mind and soul. •

Finally, it would be inconceivable to ignore his dedication tothe media. His belief that the Church is well served by com­munications is evident in his establishment of this newspaper.His love and regard for The Anchor were not mere tokenism;neither was his television outreach to shut-ins. For his manygifts to our diocese may we always prove our gratitude by ourfaithfulness and devotion to the Church he loved. The Editor

-

WE MOURN THE

LOSS OF A SHEPHERD

AND FRIEND

WHO SHOWED US

THE WAY TO CHRIST

NOTRE DAME de LOURDES PARISH

FALL RIVER

REV. ERNEST E. BLAIS, PASTOR

Continued from Page ThreeBishop Connolly, Fall River, theyserve over 3000 students.

Many OreanizationsOrganizations of every type

served the faithful of the dioceseunder Bishop Connolly's leader­ship. Spanning all age groups wasthe Confraternity of Christian Doc­trine, which assumed new impor­tance in a day when parochialschools found it more and moredifficult to continue their tradition­al task of providing a completeeducation for Catholic children.Foreseeing the growing need forCCD, the bishop in May 1968authorized the opening of a dioce­san CCD Center.

In 1953 women of the diocese.were united in the Diocesan Councilof Catholic Women, which holdsannual conventions and frequentdistrict-wide meetings.

Together with the St. Vincent dePaul Society of the Diocese, theDCCW sponsors the Bishop's Ball,which has come to be the mainevent of the winter social season insoutheastern Massachusetts. Eachyear the event raises a significantsum of money for diocesan chari­ties.

Also serving youth is the CatholicYouth Organization, which spon­sors a varied program of social,spiritual, cultural and athletic activ­ities.

Special events throughout theyears of Bishop Connolly's episco­pate were many. In 1952 came afour-day obset"vance of the tOOth

6The Anchor

Friday, Sept. 19, 1986

Behold

ST. MARY'S CATHEDRAL altar boys surround Bishop Connolly prior to annual Massfor deceased diocesan clergy on Nov. 10, 1970, the day the bishop announced his retirement.

anniversary ofthe start ofconstruc- In 1954 came the golden jubilee and distinctions came to Bishoption of St. Mary's Cathedral. observance of the founding of the Connolly during his years ofleadingAmong six monsignori created at Fall River Diocese by St. Pius X. the Fall River diocese.this time was Msgr. James J. Ger- By happy coincidence, the year They include his reception ofrard, whom Bishop Connolly was also saw the canonization of Pius. the insignia of a Grand Official ofto consecrate as his auxiliary in Personal Honors the Order of Christ from the Portu-1959. Numerous decorations, awards guese government, various honor-

ary degrees from colleges, inductioninto the Fourth Degree of theKnights of Columbus, a citationand prize for a sermon from theFreedoms Foundation of ValleyForge, Pa., reception into the ThirdOrder of St. Francis and affiliationwith the Franciscan Order of FriarsMinor.

Order of Christ

All are distinguished awards,particularly the Order of Christ,conferred June 20, 1957, before1,000 people who crowded to capa­city Lincoln Park ballroom inNorth Dartmouth. The order wasI~resented by Dr. Luis Esteves Fer­Illandes, Portuguese Ambassadorto the United States.

A Grand Official of the Order isthe highest rank given to non­royalty or non-heads of state.

The Order was presented to Bish­op Connolly in recognition of hiscare for Portuguese immigrantsand forthose of Portuguese descentin the diocese.

At the time of the presentation:Bishop Connolly was the only bish­op in the country to possess thishigh decoration.

In accepting it, the bishop recall­c:d the history of the Order ofChrist and the role the Order playedin the golden age of Portuguesel:xpansion.

Bishop Connolly praised the re­cord of Portuguese expansion asfairer and more glorious in itstreatment of persons than that ofilny other nation. The spiritualvalues represented by the Cross ofChrist have always influenced andstill guide Portugal's development,the Bishop said.

Rt. Rev. Msgr. John A. Silvia,pastor of St. John the BaptistChurch, New Bedford, was toast­master. Francis J. Carreiro, a Som-

I ~'j

f/f/I am the resurrection and

the life: he that believeth

in me, although he be dead,

shall live; and everyone that

liveth and believeth in me

shall not die forever. "

JOHN II: 25-26

PRIESTS AND PARISHIONERS

OUR LADY OF MOUNT CARMEL CHURCHNEW BEDFORD

REV. MSGR. LUIZ G. MENDONCA, V.G.

BISHOP JAMES L. CONNOLLY

Rest In Peace

Behold, a great priest THE,ANCHOR ~- Diocese of Fa" River~ Fri.• Sept. 19. 1986 7

Fourth Decree KDlehl

Bishop Connolly was inductedinto the Fourth Degree of theKnights of ColumbUi on May 30,

cneUOWD official, represented thelaity; Rt. Rev. Mssr. Antonio P.Vieira. paltor of Me. CarmelChurcb. New Bedford. extendedfelicitatioa. of the priests of thedioce.e and Governor Foster Fur­(:010 tbO!lc oitbe CommODwcaJth.

Ambusador Fernanda said thedecision of the president of Portu­pI to present the decoration toBitbop Connolly was promptedby his decp interest in the Portu·pie members ofhis diocese.

_HonorAtaoenturies-oldccremonyBish­

op C:;:::onnolly ~as rca:ived into theThird Order of St'~'Ilo.eilat 0111Lady's Chapel,. New. Bedfqr$l.,ipJanuary 1958.

With him, 104 men received thetraditioD&l. Franciscatiscapular andcord from Rev_ Vitorian Reisch~

man, O.F.M., Commissary Pro­vincial of the Third Order for theProvince of the Most Holy Nameof Jesus.

The homilist was Rev. Anth(loyO'Driscoll. O.P.M .• Guardian ofSt. Francis Friary. Brookline, anddirector of retreats at St. FrancisRetreat Lodge at Sharon. He con­gratulated Bishop Connolly forgivin,; bis flock a beautiful andbumble example in becoming amember oftbefamily ofSt. Francisof Assisi.

In August. 1959, the Franciscansagain honored the diocesan Ordin­ary by affiliating him to the Francis­can Order of Frian Minor at sol­emn ceremonies at Our Lady'sChapel..

Bishop Connolly was the third'member ofthe American hierarchyto become so afftliated-the honor _

bavingalrcady been bestowed upon 1954, at uercian in SKred HeartFrancis Cardinal Spellman, Arch~ School auditorium in fail River.bishop of New York, and Richard The clan was named in BishopCardinal Cushing, Archbishop of Connolly's honor. Included in itBoston. was President John F. Kennedy,

Very Rev. Celsus' Wheeler, then U.S. SenatoT. a summer resi-O.P.M.; ProviDcilI of 1m New dent of Hyaonlsport.YortProvince,mulandconferred' State Muter John W. McDc-the official document in the name vitt of Cabot Province conferredof Most Rev. Augustine Sepinski, ihe K of C degree.O.F.M., Minister General of the The dioces.aD leader was tbeOrder, who granted the affiliation fourth member oftbes..te's Catb-in~ome.-June'8.1959. otic hierarchy so honored. Pre-

FatherWbeelcrsatd, "This honor vious Fourth Degree classel wereis bestowed only on those whose dedicated to Cardinal Cushing,love, benefactions and appre- the most Rev. Bishop John J.ciation of things Fraq,ciscan are Wrigbt of Worcester and the Mostwell known to us. We honor Bis1(cbt;. <':'Rc:Y.,lJilihop Christopher J. Wei·ConDollyas a great chOJcbm:p-': ,. dolt OfS,pringt'ield.and (or hisJccomplishmeatswi~ Freldo.... Mect.1out number for GOd in word andpractice." In February, 1954, Bishop Con-

Spedal Privllelu nolly was cited by the FreedomsFoundation of Valley Forge, Pa.,

Theaffdiation made Bishop Con-· for his sermon, "The Devil Walks;'nolly a Franciscan by adoption., delivered in St. Mary's Cathedralgiving him the right to use .the on June 3,1953, at the firsl pontif.initials O.F.M. after his name. ical night Mass celebrated in the

By virtue of his affiliatioD with Fail River diocese. Bishop Con-the First Order of St. francis, noily received a cash award andBishop Connolly participated in the George Washington Honorthe merits ofthe whole Franciscan Medal ata regional ceremony laterOrder and had the ri8ht to wear that winter.the habit of the Friars, to enter and The object of the Foundation'slive in Franciscan friaries anywhere annual awards is to honor citizenson earth, and the right to celebrate for outstanding efforts to improvethe Masses and offices approved public understanding and appre.by the Holy See for the Franciscans. ciation of the basic constitutional

During the ceremonies Bishop rights and freedoms inherent inConnolly was presented the habit. tbe American way of life.sandals and Seraphic breviary ofthe Franciscans. Bishop Connolly, in his prize-

winning sermon, warned oftbreatsagainst which no amount of armscan prevail.

He stresse4 the need to "take up

Turn to Page Eleven

IN 1958 Bishop Connolly is affiiiated with the FranciscanOrder of Friars Minor in ceremonies at Our Lady's Chapel.New Bedford.

May God

RestHis Noble

Soul

ST. ANNE'S PARISH COMMUNITY

FALL RIVER·

•

4

*,*

1894 - 1986

MAYHE RESTIN PEACE

ST. THOMAS MORE PARISHSOMERSET

.,IN 1961, Bishop Connolly, on aisle seat in third pew at right eenter._nends Mass opening a session of Vatican Council II. (Appetiti photo)

-'~:.,;; ""~V ..o:i" ' " "DURING A 1965 tour of Air Force bases abroad, where he administered the sacrament of confirmation to service personnel and their families,

Bishop Connolly is pictured with adult candidates in Spangdahlem, Germany.

,,,,

c

Share The

Eternal Joy of

""" ...,. ,..m," "","

The Lord

ST. THERESA'S CHAPELSAGAMORE

HIM 0 LORD

GRANT UNTO

May Bishop Connolly

CORPUS CHRISTI CHURCHSANDWICH

ETERNAL REST

,,#¥

A RARE ·PHOTO (undated) of Bishop Connolly with Bishop JamCIE. Cassidy. ",ht. third bishop of Fall River.

BISHOP CONNOLLY smile. as he prepares to enter St. Peter's Basil­ica durio. a session of V~ticaa,Cou,Aci:llL., _". I,,

~

WE JOIN WITH

THE DIOCESE IN

EXPRESSING SORROW

AT THE lOSS OF A

G REAT SPIRIT UAllEADER, L==:===:=--------====:==~May He Rest In Peace

MOST REV. JAMES L. CONNOllY

THE PRIESTS AND PARISHIONERS

ST. PIUS THE TENTHSOUTH YARMOUTH

REV. MSGR. HENRY T. MUNROE, V.E.

sa

Behold, a great priest

AT PROCESSION into St. Mary's Cathedral 011 May 17, 1970, preceding Mass com­memorating his 25th year as a bishop, Bishop Connolly is preceded by then Bishop HumbertoS. Medeiros (left), whom he consecrated in 1966 and Bishop James J. Gerrard, whom heconsecrated in 1959.

THE ANCHOR-Diocese of Fall River-Fri., Sept. 19, 1986 11

..

Tum to Page Thirteen

Mass homilyFollowing is the text of the

homily preached by Very Rev.Barry W. Wall, cathedral rec­tor and pastor of St. Mary'sCathedral parish, at Tuesday'smemorial Mass for BishopConnolly, at which CardinalBernard Law of Boston wasprincipal celebrant.

Your Eminence, Your Excel­lency, Bishop Cronin, Bishop Riley,Bishop Mulcahy, brother priests,deacons, members of religiouscommunities, faculty and studentsof Bishop Connolly High Schooland faithful family and friends ofthe Most Reverend James LouisConnolly: we come together todayto commend to the Lord the muchbeloved fourth bishop of FanRiver.

We are honored to be joined byCardinal Law and it is inevitablethat the presence of the Archbishopof Boston in our midst shouldevoke the memory of CardinalHumberto Medeiros who was sucha close collaborator in the sacredministry with Bishop Connolly,from whom he received episcopcalordination in this sanctuary 20years ago.

It is probably not quite so wellknown that Bishop Connolly wasclosely associated with CardinalCushing and was very supportiveof the cardinal in the final years ofhis life when he experienced muchsuffering and painful illness.

Faith-filled Christians face deathwith a mixture of sadness and joy,gratitude and hope, and that isthere today.

While we are saddened by thedeath of Bishop Connolly, we findhope in the Lord's promise ofeternal life and we offer gratefulpraise to the Lord for the manyblessings he bestowed on BishopConnolly in this life and for theblessings that so many have receivedthrough the bishop's life andministry.

We need not recount the accom­plishments of Bishop Connolly's19 years as Bishop of Fall River;we need only say that in spite ofthe fact that he served during atime of great expansion for theChurch, his achievements wereprodigious.

Not the least of them was theestablishment of our diocesan highschools. The most recent one isnamed for him and the entire stu­dent body is here today to paytribute to the founder of BishopConnolly High School.

We need not dwell on his bi­ography or personal honors butwe should recall his abiding loveand concern for his family, forJennie, his sister-in-law, his niecesand their families, his special affec- .tion for his priest brother, Ber­nard, long deceased.

We should mention his absoluteloyalty to Bishop Cassidy in lifeand in death, and the special rela­tionship that he enjoyed with histwo confreres who went to Minne­sota with him over 60 years ago toteach in the St. Paul Seminary, thelate Archbishop Brady and Msgr.Francis Gilligan.

The bishop received a doctoratein history from the University ofLouvain in Belgium and receivedmembership in the Order ofChrist,conferred by the government ofPortugal. We need go no further<f> GOD'S ANCHOR HOLD'

.. . . . . . ... . . . . .... ......

... . .

followed by a gala banquet. InOctober of the same year BishopConnolly announced his retire­ment.

In Retirement

In retirement, he was assigned atitular see by Pope Paul VI, becom­ing titular bishop of Tribuzabeto,once a diocese in the western partof the dependency of Constantinethe Great. Today the former dio­~se would be located in Algeria.

33 Churches

In the course of his 19 years asfourth bishop of Fall River, MostRev. James L. Connolly had theunique privilege of planning andseeing built 33 churches.

They are St. Anthony, Taunton;St. Mary, 'New Bedford; St.Jacques, Taunton; Our Lady ofthe Annunciation, Dennisport; OurLady of Purgatory, New Bedford.

St. Pius X, So. Yarmouth (twochurches); Immaculate Con~ption,Taunton; Our Lady of Grace, No.Westport; St. Mary, So. Dart­mouth; Our Lady's Chapel, NewBedford.

St. Theresa, So. Attleboro; OurLady of Victory, Centerville; OurLady of the Assumption, NewBedford; St. Mary, No. Seekonk;Our Lady of Fatima, Swansea.

St. William, Fall River; St. Ann,Raynham; Espirito Santo, Fall Riv­er; St. Anthony of Padua, FallRiver; Holy Ghost, Attleboro.

St. Mark, Attleboro; St. Mary,Mansfield; St. Casimir, New Bed­ford; Holy Cross, No. Easton; Mt.Carmel, Seekonk.

Holy Trinity, West Harwich; St.Hedwig, New Bedford; St. Mary,Fairhaven; Queen of Martyrs,Mashpee; St Julie, No. Dartmouth.

St. Augustine, Vineyard Haven;St. Thomas More, Somerset.

In addition, he supervised addi­tions to churches in Hyannis, Buz­zards Bay, East Falmouth, OceanGrove, Chatham, Bass River, Den­nisport and Eastham.

IS CentersParish and CCD centers built

under the bishop's direction num­bered IS. These are:

St. William, Fall River; St. Mary,Mansfield; Immaculate Concep­tion, No. Easton; St. Mary, No.Seekonk; St. Francis Xavier, Hyan-nis. .

St. Joseph, Dighton; St. Mary,Norton; St. Mary, So. Dartmouth;St. Margaret, Buzzards Bay; St.Theresa, So. Attleboro.

Mt. Carmel, Seekonk; Immacu­late Conception, Fall River; St.Patrick, Falmouth; St. Joan ofAre, Orleans; Our Lady of Fatima,New Bedford. .

IS Parishes

Bishop Connolly also established15 parishes:

St. Mary, New Bedford; St. Anth­ony, Mattapoisett; Our Lady of

. Grace, No. Westport; St. Pius X,'So. Yarmouth; Holy Redeemer,Chatham.

St. Augustine, Vineyard Haven;Our Lady of Victory, Centerville;Our Lady of Fatima, Swansea; St.Ann, Raynham; Our Lady of theCape, Brewster.

Holy Cross, No. Easton; OurLady of Fatima, New Bedford; St.Elizabeth, Edgartown; St. Julie,No. Dartmouth.

tutes as a means of implementingthe decrees and directives of Vati­can II and of providing clear guide­lines for uniform pastoral practicein ministering to the spiritual needsof the people of God in the Dio-~~~ -

Among important changes intro­duced by the statutes was the grant­ing of faculties to priests fromother parts of New England whilein the Fall River diocese. Otherregulations govern marriage andfuneral services and the celebra­tion of Mass.

Recognizing the "unsung con­tributions" of many to the work ofthe Fall River Diocese, BishopConnolly in 1967 introduced theMarian Medal award, since pres­ented to hundreds of laity and reli­gious who have notably served thepeople of God.

A high point in the prelate'syears as bishop came in 1967 whenhe welcomed the most Rev. LuigiRaimondi, the Apostolic Delegatein the United States, to the dioceseupon the occasion of the dedica­tion of Bishop Connolly HighSchool in Fall River.

On Sunday, May 24, 1970 theaccomplishments and memories of25 years as a Bishop culminated ata Mass at St. Mary's Cathedral,

the skeptical attitude of the pro­fessors who found it easier toimpress the young minds with theircapabilities by questioning and dis­puting ideals rather than develop­ing them?"

In Forefront

During Bishop Connolly's epis­copate the Fall River diocese wasin the forefront of implementingchanges in policy and liturgicalobservances brought about by theSecond Vatican Council. It wasthe first to introduce eveningMasses and Saturday fulfillmentof the Sunday obligation, and in1961 the first evening ordinationsin New England took place in St.Mary's Cathedral.

In 1964 a Diocesan Commissionfor Christian Unity was established,and in 1966 the first DiocesanSchool Board was named. APriests' Senate, also formed in1966, had as its responsibility con­sideration of "the pastoral dutyof priests, the priestly ministry,priestly preparation and approp­riate renewal of the religious life."

On August IS, 1968, the bishoppromulgated a revised set of Pro­Synodal Statutes or diocesan laws,governing Church life. His pur­pose was "to update Diocesan sta-

Continued from Page Seven

the sword of the spirit, the swordof truth, of loyalty and of faith,and enter into battle against thespirit of evil that is abroad.

"For some of us, freedoms beganto vanish when we were subjectedto brain-washing by some littleprofessor with a cause, who, in thename of academic freedom pre.sumed to clear our minds of ourheritage of religious and socialconvictions," the bishop declared.

Honorary Degrees

On June I, 1954, Bishop Con­nolly received the honorary degreeof Doctor of Sacred Theologyfrom Providence College. He wasthe speaker at college commence­ment exercises.

He was awarded honorary Doc­tor of Laws degrees from BostonCollege, Stonehill College, HolyCross College and St. Michael'sCollege.

At St. Michael's he said, "Iwonder how much confusion inthe world is traceable to the assem­bly line system of the large collegewhere the student has scant con­tact with the teacher who sits inexalted splendor?

"I wonder if much of the cyni­cism of our day is not traceable to

lPit!

I

I,I·1

Iii

..

IN MEMORIAM

"Blessed are the dead

who die in the Lord.

From henceforth now,

saith the Spirit, they are

to have rest from their labors,

but the deeds they did in life

go with them now."

APOC. 14:13

ST. JOAN OF ARC PARISH

ORLEANS

CHURCH OF THE VISITATION

NORTH EASTlfAM

A bishop's history of his diocese

. DURI~G A BREAK in 19~2 proceedin~s of the Second Vatican Council Bishop ConnollyenJoys meetmg members ofthe fIrst commUnIon class at the cathedral church ofViterbo Italy.The cathedral rector is at right. '

."

13The AnchorFriday, Sept. 19, 1986

BISHOP Connolly with afriend at one of the schools ofthe Fall River diocese.

I ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

Bishop Feehan was followed byBishop Cassidy, who had been his

. auxiliary. A strict teetotaler, at hisconsecration banquet, the newbishop drank the traditional toastto the Holy Father in ginger ale.

Among Bishop Cassidy's ac­complishments was a broadeningof the work of the St. Vincent dePaul Society and the establishmentand encouragement of homes forthe aged in FaIl River, Fairhavenand New Bedford. The work forthe aged was continued by BishopConnolly with the opening of homesin Taunton and Attleboro.

Both the homes for the aged andthe four diocesan schools for thementally retarded are beneficiariesof what has become "the mostcolorful and successful social eventin our diocesan district,"the annualBishop's Ball, a highlight of thewinter season.

"All residents in our homes forthe aged have, these past IO years,assurance that they will be caredfor to the end," writes the bishop,explaining that each home hasfacilities for the chronically ill.

Many OrdinationsIn a final section of his booklet,

Bishop Connolly notes he has beenprivileged to ordain 230 priests,130 for the diocese and 100 forreligious communities.

He comments approvingly onthe background and activities ofhis successor, Bishop Daniel A.Cronin, and closes with the per­sonal reflection: "So ends the his­tory of the diocese for the present.It has always been characterizedby strong faith, zeal for the houseof God, and concern for neighborto the end of making this earth abetter place to live in."

hospital in the diocese. He also'made the diocese the second in theUnited States to insist upon theteaching of catechism in all par­ishes. Upon the bishop's death,however, notes Bishop Connolly,the embryo CCD languished, notto be revived until 1933, and thenonly for a brief period.

In 1954, though, its time hadcome and there are today, writesthe bishop, some 70,000 childrenenrolled in CCD classes through­out the diocese.

Kennedy GiftThe bishop relates that while in

Palm Beach, Fla. in 1952, he wasinvited to play golf with Ambas­sador Joseph P. Kennedy, a sum­mer member of the Fall River dio­cese. While playing, he was told byJohn F. Kennedy of his plans torun for the U.S. Senate.

"What do you think of mychances?" queried the young man.

"Easy," responded the bishop."All you have to do is court theFrench-Canadians, they tradition­aIly are Republicans."

This he did, recalled the bishop,"and became a 'shoo-in.' "

Some time later, relates thebooklet, Ambassador Kennedy re­quested the bishop to contact him.When the prelate did so, Kennedycame straight to the point.

"I'd like to do something for thediocese," he said.

The result of the conversationwas the Kennedy Center in NewBedford, enjoyed annually by hun­dreds of youngsters and adults.

School SystemBishop Connolly devotes a sec­

tion to the diocesan school system,with emphasis on its high schools,then turns to the administration ofBishop Feehan, who served thediocese for 27 years. He notes thatthe "Benevolent Bishop" foundedthree orphanages and that 36 newparishes were erected during histerm of office, "all with churchesconstructed of wood, and much-­too small."

familiar style - was he not verylike the prophet Nathaniel?

I can picture Bishop Connollysitting under a fig tree with Na­thaniel. He would probably havethe Bible or one of Samuel EliotMorrison's works and maybe acribbage board would be handy.

If Christ approached, he wouldjump up and proclaim "You arethe Son of God, you are the Kingof Israel!"

And I would like to think Christwould salute him as a true Israeliteof the new dispensation in whomthere is no guile, for there wasnothing false in him.

May he now truly see the angelsof God ascending and descendingon the Son of Man.

immigrants, had to walk to Bos­ton, Providence, Newport or FallRiver for Mass before churcheswere built in their area.

Not the FirstFor a long time it was thought

that Fall River was the first dio­cese erected by Pope Pius X, butBishop Connolly has ascertainedthat a Canadian diocese tookprecedence, and he makes note ofthe fact in his booklet. He speaksof the first diocesan shepherd,Bishop Stang, with admiration.

"Sensitive to the presence of somany of Portuguese extraction, hepromised that he would speak their

.Ianguage within the year. And hedid. The matter of communicationwith Franco-Americans was eas­ier. He had the facility already."

On at least one occasion, how­ever, Bishop Stang must have beentaken aback. He asked a frankFrench-Canadian how he felt aboutthe new bishop. Not knowing towhom he was speaking, the manresponded candidly, "They playedus a dirty trick. They sent us aGerman. It should have been Msgr.Prevost!"

Among important accomplish­ments of Fall River's first bishopwas the founding of St. Anne'sHospital, still the only Catholic

guide ~im to the presence of herSon, the Eternal High Priest.

....................................................................................................................

Finally, may I share some wordswritten on the occasion of BishopConnolly's retirement and BishopCronin's appointment as his suc­cessor. They are from a BostonPilot editorial and a more inspiredportrait of Bishop Connolly couldhardly be written: "Through allthese years his fatherly ways, hiseasy manner, his open heart haveall been part Of the familiar stylethrough which he endeared him­self to his preists and people, athome and indeed far beyond it."

His fatherly ways - his easymanner - his open heart - his

By Pat McGowan

The following story appeared inThe Anchor on March IS, 1973.

What ~oes a bishop do in retire­ment? If he's Most Rev. James L.Connolly, former Bishop of FallRiver, he writes an anecdotal his­tory of his diocese. Just issued is"The Diocese of Fall River," 61pages of loving description and.discussion of the portion of theLord's vineyard tilled for 25 yearsby Bishop Connolly.

As the holder of 11 doctorate inhistory, the bishop goes back tobeginnings, even for what he refersto as "a memoir that I just satdown and wrote." He begins hisbooklet, which is dedicated to Aux­iliary Bishop James J. Gerrard,also retired, with a sketch of earlyexplorers of the area, starting withMiguel Cortorreal, believed byscholars to have sailed in theDighton area in 1511.

Tracing the forebears of theethnic groups represented in theFall River diocese today, the bishoplists Irish, French Canadians, Eng­lish, Italians, Poles, Lebanese, CapeVerdeans, Germans and Portu­guese, for all of whom nationalparishes were established. He notesthat early 19th century Irish Catho­lics on Cape Cod, among the first

Mass homilyContinued From Page Eleven

but should rather reflect for a fewmoments on his faithfulness inshepherding the people of Godentrusted to him.

The bishop lived the Christianlife for 91 years, 63 as a priest, 41as a bishop. Although he was ascholar by inclination and a teacherby training, he loved the pastoralministry. He would speak some­what wistfully of his six years aspastor ofSacred Heart parish whilehe was coadjutor bishop and of thepriests with whom he lived, theschool children, Holy Union Sis­ters, and parish organizations.

He wrote in his history of thediocese: "It was a glorious exper­ience and a difficult change for meto make when Bishop Cassidydied. "

He made the change trusting inthe Lord and in retirement hecould again write: "I became bishopin my own city, a serious changebut a welcome one nonetheless.Nothing like looking after oldneigh bors and friends."

Looking after old neighbors andfriends didn't mean just the folkshe knew in St. Patrick's parish orthose with whom he went to Dur­fee High School. He looked afterthe sick at St. Anne's Hospital andthe Rose Hawthorne Home, theexceptional children, needy kids atSt. Vincent de Paul Camp and St.Vincent's Home, the elderly in thehomes he greatly expanded, theseminarians to whom he had dedi­cated so much of his priestly min­istry, the young people who were .taught the truths of the faith inschools and CCD centers.

We could go on and on ­Guilds of the Blind and the Deaf,the DCCW and the Serra Club.All the while he carried on withcharacteristic common sensefounded on deep faith.

There is a Latin saying, "Lexorandi, lex credendi,"which means"One prays according to one'sbeliefs."

Invariably, when he was calledupon to offer prayer at the conclu­sion of an exercise, a gathering, agraduation it would be a prayer ofSt. Patrick or the Prayer of St.Francis/ Both prayers are very per­sonal and recognize a personalrelationship with Christ: "Christwith me - before me, after me,within me" and "Lord, make mean instrument of your peace."

Both prayers express the desireto spread the presence of Christ, tobe the Lord's instrument: "Christin the heart of everyone who thinksof me. Christ in the mouth ofeveryone who speaks to me. Christin the eye that sees me, in every earthat hears me" and "Where there ishatred, let me sow love; injury,pardon; doubt, faith; despair, hope;darkness, light; sadness, joy.

And then there was his devotionto Mary. His episcopal motto,"Auspice Maria," proclaimed hewas placing himself and his minis­try under the protection of Mary.

He explained that he found it onthe cornerstone of St. Mary's Sem­inary in Baltimore and when hewent to Belgium to study found itwas the motto of Cardinal Mercier.It summed up, he said, his per­sonal, family, and priestly ideals.He took great comfort in the factthat one third of the churches inthe diocese are dedicated to Maryunder one or another of her var­ious titles.

We pray today that Mary ourMother, under whose protectionhe placed himself in this life, may

"He Went About

Doing Good. "Acts 10:38

-It

SACRED HEART PARISH FAMILYNEW BEDFORD, MASSACHUSETTS

BISHOP CONNOLLY at 1964 Christmas party for the children closest to his heart-those at the three Nazareth Hall schools for exceptional youngsters. (Fontaine photo)

"~very day a good, happy day"

TalkingaboutGod

The following story appeared inThe Anchor on March 1, 1973

"We talked about God." Thatwas how Cardinal-elect Medeirosspent his first few days with Car­dinal Cushing, which were the lastdays of the Boston prelate's life.

Bishop James L. Connolly, re­tired Ordinary of the Fall Riverdiocese, recalls the statement astypical of the cardinal-elect's atti­tude toward life.

"I had asked him if he used histime with Cardinal Cushing tofamiliarize himself with the enor­mous task of heading the Bostonarchdiocese, and that was his rep­ly," said the bishop.

"This simple man probably didmore for Cardinal Cushing at theend of his life than anyone elsecould have done," added BishopConnolly.

He spoke as one of cardinal­elect's closest friends in the priest­hood, having known him since hisordination in 1946.

When Bishop Connolly suc­ceeded the late Bishop Cassidy in1951, among his first actions wasthe appointment of Father Medei­ros as his personal secretary, assist­ant chancellor and Vicar for Reli­gious.

Why did he choose him? ,"Youcouldn't miss him," was his laconicresponse. Among Father Medei­ros' duties was the delivering of amonthly spiritual conference tothe sisters of the diocese. Thesehomilies, given over a period offour years, are still remembered,said Bishop Connolly, who soonnamed him secretary vice-chancel­lor, then chancellor of the diocese.

In 1958 Father Medeiros becameMonsignor Medeiros and two yearslater he was appointed pastor ofhis home parish, St. Michael, FallRiver. He became a familiar sightto neighbors as he was drivenbetween his parish and his office inthe chancery building.

"He has a license," confided theBishop, "but I think he only droveenough to convince the examinerthat he could. I'd hate to be in a carwith him at the whee!!"

Monsignor Medeiros was agh­ast at the news of his appointmentas bishop of Brownsville. Texas,said Bishop Connolly. "'I can'tdothis,' he told me. But soon herealized that going to Browns~ille

was God's will for him and;his atti­tude became 'Here I am, take l1)e.'

With his immigrant backgroundhe felt very much at home with theMexican-Americans of Browns­ville," continued the Bishop, "andhe won their respect by his han­dling of a farm dispute that was inprogress when he came to the dio­cese. Under pressure, that man ~s

terrific."One of Factors

The Bishop opined that the Car­dinal -elect's handling of theBrownsville labor dispute was oneof the factors leading to his choicein 1970 as archbishop of Boston.

In Boston, noted Bishop Con­nolly, the cardinal-elect has con­tinued his identification with thepoor. "His pastoral on 'Man's Cit­ies and God's Poor,' issued lastyear, was a wonderful piece ofwork."

The Bishop said that an out­standing characteristic of the cardin­al-elect is his willingness to listen.

. Following are excerpts froma 1970 interview with Bishop

·Connolly by New Bedford,Sunday Standard Times writ­er Everett S. Allen. They arereprinted by permission.

It is characteristic that the bishophummed as he entered the red­brick chancery - very likely some­thing from an oratorio, for he likesthem - despite the bleak chilli-,ness of the gray Spring day.

The bishop is Most Rev. JamesL. Connolly, D.O." bishop of theFall River diocese, and the spirit­ual leader of more than 300,000Roman Catholics residing in the

......................................~ .."When he was in Fall River, he'dspend hours listening to people'stroubles. He's still the same."

Bishop Connolly left for Romeyesterday with Cardinal-elect Me­deiros. "He was my 'peritus' orofficial theologian at Vatican II,"he said. "Then he came with me.Now I'm going with him."

1,194 square miles of Bristol, Barn­stable, Dukes and NantucketCounties, and the towns of Mar­ion, tV1attapoisett and Warehamin Plymouth County.

In part, the fact that he hum­med, despite weather that did notencourage it (and unquestionably,a number of ever-present prob­lems), may be attributed to a sens­ible, but indomitable optimism.

Additionally, it may have arisenfrom preoccupation, for the bishopis a man of the mind; essentially an

, educator by training,and inclina­tion, he moves incessantly ti"om .idea to idea, with both versatilityand certainty.

Student's EagernessHe converses with a student's

eagerness for exchange of thought.French is his "second language,"but he also is fluent in German andcan "get along" in Spanish andItalian.

He is a man of several facetsmelded in a manner to place atease a broad variety of people:Scholarly and articulate, yet given

to modern idiom in appropriatecontext; serious and thoughtful,yet interjecting humor withoutwarning; imaginative, yet practical.

Worked in Cotton MillsIn his youth, he worked in cot­

ton mills, in an oil refinery and hadthoughts of becoming an engineer.Those who have known him thatlong suggest he would have made agood one.

One suspects this is so; he is aman of tireless strength, unshaka­ble determination, and dedication,and undoubtedly would have beenoutstanding at whatever he choseto do. .

Bishop Connolly is 75, although" he does not look it or act it. He

presents an appearance of fitnessand total composure. Seated at hisdesk, he smoked an occasionalcigarette, but he is not sure hewanted to resume smoking after aseven-year lapse. He looked at thecigarette in his hand and said, "Ithought it might be relaxing and Iasked the doctor wbether I shouldsmoke. He said, 'At your age, what

The Anchor 15Friday, Sept. 19, 1986

does it matter?' " And the bishopsmiled a small smile.

The specific reason for this inter­view, which lasted one and a halfhours, and covered a couple ofdozen subjects, a half-dozen coun­tries and events of several centur­ies, is that Bishop Connolly isobserving his 25th y,ear as bishop.

Essentially, he was asked for hisobservation on matters of princi­pal concern to the church and tothose for whom he has providedspiritual guidance for a quarter­century.

Poll Induces SkepticismA recent Louis Harris poll, com­

missioned by the New EnglandCatholic Education Center, foundthat, "Seven in 10 ofthe total pub­lic of the Fall River diocese feelthat the attitude of people towardreligion has changed a lot" inrecent years.

The study concluded that thesense of change arises out of thefeeling that "the young are begin­ning to question and not takingthings for granted, the people arebeginning to think for themselvesand rely less on the church," andthat the churches themselves havechanged because of ecumenism,revised laws, rituals, and stands onsocial issues.

Of these conclusions, BishopConnolly remarked, "I think thething is exaggerated. The reportwas a disappointment in that, in asense, it pushed the panic button.The tougher it is, the better I likeit. I'm not a brave guy, but I acceptthe fact that these are changingtimes, that we are dealing withsituations that will not be cor­rected overnight. Some people wanteverything to happen now, rightnow.

Aware of Needs"I walked into a pretty good her­

itage here. I succeeded a wonder­ful man [Bishop Cassidy], whosemajor concerns were the aging andthe poor, and Bishop [Daniel F.]Feehan before him, who createdthe youth organizations.

"We are, and have been aware, of people's needs. This study

reminds me of the young priest outof Boston who came to New Bed­ford and said there was no preoc­cupation with poverty. The Stan­dard-Times took him up on it,editorially. Actually we have peo­ple working with the poor.

"Catholic charitable institutionsgive a pretty good account ofthemselves. And I am personallydistressed by such things as rentsranging from $20 to $40 a week inplaces that have no toilets. To say J

that such things exist elsewhen:~

too, isn't much of l;\n argument forallowing it. To say that we have'no preoccupa,tion' with such mat­ters ignores the facts." .

Of the "chan'ging church" re­ferred to in the polls; Bishop Con­nolly said, "The Vatican Council[The bishop participated in theEcumenical Council in Rome in1963 and 1964] was essentially inbehalf of the layman, determinedto bring the liturgy to an expres­sion that would bring in the con­gregation, that would enable widerparticipation in the workings ofthe church of men, women andchildren.

"The congregational singing andresponse to the Mass are highlyeffective and have secured a veryarticulate response from the con­gregation. This was not exactlyforeseen. The first year [of the

Turn To Page Twenty.Two

... :,

, I

'II '

f'f'The Lord loved him and

adorned him: He clothed him

with a robe ofglory and crowned

him at the Gates ofParadise. "ECf:~lus. 45:9

BISHOP CONNOLLY LAYING CORNERSTONEST. MARY'S SCHOOL IN 1963

St. Mary's Parish FamilyNew Bedford