Last Assignment: St. Anne, Fall River

On the 19th of September 1959, I received a letter from Fr. Thomas Rondeau, my Provincial, informing that the recent Chapter had decided to assign me to our convent in Fall River, to replace Fr. Bedard as Director of St. Anne's Shrine.

"The Provincial Chapter has instituted you as spiritual moderator of pilgrimages to St. Anne's of Fall River to replace Fr. Raymond Bedard, and you will have as assistant, Fr. Raymond M. Corriveau, another son of St. Anne. The reason for this: it is imperative that we have at the Shrine, priests who speak English fluently since the majority of pilgrims who go to the Shrine are of the English language.

"I have said that you would be the "spiritual" moderator, for the Chapter decided that the temporal moderator, General Director of St. Anne's Shrine, would be the Pastor, Henri Laporte. In other words, Father Laporte, while remaining Pastor, will be responsible for the entire temporal administration including the gift shop. You and your assistant will be responsible for all spiritual activities."

New organization of the ministry at the Shrine. (Letter of Father Rondeau, Provincial, September 11, 1963)

"The Definitorium of the last Provincial Chapter decided to dissociate the function of Director of the Fall River Shrine from that of Pastor of the parish. Therefore, by the present letter I appoint you as the director of St. Anne's Shrine, and request you to entrust the financial administration to Father Corriveau, who is quite competent in his area, as you know.

I have asked Father Corriveau for the time being not expand the work of the Shrine or to make additional expenses. As long as we do not know what the future has in store for better stick to what we have."

Ministry at the Parish, Shrine, and School

• Regular parish work as "vicaire" (from August 1959 to September 1978). Including funerals and weddings.
• Director of St. Anne School, at the request of Father Thomas Landry, pastor. This involved religion classes for the students in higher grades, plus individual interview of students, providing an opportunity to discuss any issue of concern, one-to-one, questions about student's prayer life and vocation.
• Back to the Shrine, as Director (July 3rd 1978).

Besides my major involvements in ministry at St. Anne's Parish and Shrine, I was involved in many church-related activities, for example:

• The Greater Fall River Clergy Association (1964-1975) : Panel/discussions, Spring and Fall 1961 and 1968, organized by Fr. Blain and myself, substantial reports each time in the Fall River Herald News.
• The Charismatic Renewal (1974...)
• Healing Services at St. Anne's Shrine: I introduced them in September 1978. We had them every Sunday afternoon except during July and August. We had three teams of people praying and many healings resulted.
• St. Anne's Fellowship (1975...): A group that put on Youth and Adult retreats. This brought many people back to God and spiritual life.

Other activities and interests during my years at St. Anne's:

• Spiritual conferences (monthly) to Lay Dominicans (Third Order) and to Rose Hawthorne Dominican Sisters for many years.

I have preached and written much over the years.

• Preached Holy Hours every First Friday at the Shrine for years.
• Written many articles published in "The Anchor" and the Fall River Herald News.
• Written the biography of many of our Dominicans who died here at St. Anne's.
• I unofficially became the historian of the Dominican family in Fall River.
• I preached homilies Sundays and weekdays at St. Anne's Church.
• Also, 14 annual novenas to St. Jude at the Shrine. (I have preached a lot over the years and enjoyed this ministry.)

Today, at age 84, I cannot do much but go to my office at the Shrine daily from 2 to 4 p.m., if not prevented by a doctor's appointment or otherwise, and am available for confessions or spiritual counseling. This I can do sitting at my office now that I have difficulty walking or standing.

Conclusion

I end this story as I said I wanted to by giving thanks to God: "Magnificat." He has blessed me more than I can say through family and so many people who have touched my life and enriched it by revealing God's love for me. I have tried to share his love with others and that has been my joy. I have been a happy priest, have always believed as a profound truth the words attributed to Jesus by the apostle Paul: "There is more happiness in giving than receiving" (Acts 20:35).