Celebrating Mary, a New School Year, and a Summer Wedding

The Nativity of Mary

Tomorrow, September 8th, we will celebrate the nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mother, which falls nine months after the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, the December 8th Solemnity when we recognize Mary’s gift of prevenient grace allowing her to be born without Original Sin. 


The exact date of Mary’s birth is unknown; what we honor on September 8th is the blessing of her being born and her role in salvation history. The words of tomorrow’s Gospel Acclamation voice that honor so beautifully, “Blessed are you, holy Virgin Mary, deserving of all praise; from you rose the sun of Justice, Christ our God.”

FACE Special Collection

This weekend at all of our parishes in the Diocese, we will have a special second collection to help make Catholic schools more accessible to more families.
This collection will be managed by FACE -the Foundation to Advance Catholic Education, which raises money for need-based scholarships to assist with the cost of Catholic education in the Diocese of Fall River.
I am pleased to share that in support of the collection, the Carney Family Foundation has announced it will match up to $50,000 in donations for FACE raised through it.

FACE wants to meet the challenges of serving diverse populations while addressing the increase in the demand for financial assistance for families striving to send their children to a Catholic school in our Diocese.
In the 2021-22 school year, FACE awarded approximately $1.4 million in financial aid to over 1,000 students who attended a Catholic school in all areas of the Diocese.
We have 19 Catholic schools in the Diocese that enroll approximately 5,400 students across grades K-12. In these schools, students receive a values- and faith-based education in a high-quality environment dedicated to helping them reach their God-given potential. 
Please visit www.face-dfr.org to learn more about FACE.

A Transitional Deacon’s Visit Home

Deacon Thiago Menezes Santos spent his summer assignment at the parishes of the Taunton Catholic North collaborative, Saint Anthony’s, Saint Jude the Apostle, and Saint Mary’s, with Fr. Freddie Babiczuk, to whom he says, “I owe gratitude for welcoming me and for taking good care of me during those months.” Deacon Thiago also worked with the Community at Holy Rosary Church in Taunton, which is made up of Brazilians and Cape Vredians. There he started a Holy Hour every Wednesday from 7 to 8 pm. Deacon Thiago was happy to report, “even though I had to come back to the seminary, other deacons from Saint Anthony`s Parish continue to make possible the Eucharistic adoration in that community every week.”  What a fantastic opportunity to make adoring the Lord available, especially during the National Eucharistic Revival.
One aspect of Deacon Thiago’s summer that I enjoyed hearing about was his experiences witnessing the wedding of his older (and only) sister, Alessandra, in his home country of Brazil. He recounts some memorable moments from the trip, “I blessed her union of love to my brother-in-law, Sergio Tiago, in the presence of my beloved father, Sergio. Curiously and coincidently, my brother-in-law has the same name as my father and me. Performing my sister’s wedding was truly a blessing and a relief in my heart after so many trials that I have faced along with my family this past year since I lost my beloved mother, Laura, my cousin, and my grandfather. However, despite all the trials, my family and I stand before the Cross of Christ while the world turns.”  
Deacon Thiago and his family are remarkable witnesses to living a life of great faith, particularly when facing tremendous difficulties and challenges. We wish him and all our Diocesan Seminarians a blessed school year; again, I ask you to keep each of them in your prayers.
Yours in Christ,
Bishop da Cunha

The Most Reverend Edgar M. da Cunha, S.D.V., D.D.

The Bishop of Fall River