Diocese of Fall River to celebrate 120th anniversary, 10th year of da Cunha as Bishop; masses for mental health, substance use challenges also scheduled

ALL RIVER — A special 3 p.m. Mass on Sunday, October 6, in St. Mary’s Cathedral, Fall River, will observe and honor two significant anniversaries being celebrated in the Diocese of Fall River in 2024.

This year marks both the 120^th anniversary of the establishment of the Diocese of Fall River and the 10th anniversary of the installation of Bishop Edgar M. da Cunha, S.D.V., as its Eighth Bishop.

Bishop da Cunha will be the principal celebrant and homilist of the Mass with priests from across the Diocese concelebrating with him.

A reception on the Cathedral grounds will follow the Mass.

All members of the Diocese of Fall River are invited to attend. An RSVP for planning is asked by the end of the week. Please email cduggan@catholicfoundationsema.org or call 508-617-5306.

Bishop da Cunha began his ministry as Bishop of Fall River in the context of a Mass in St. Mary’s Cathedral on September 24, 2014. He had been serving as Auxiliary Bishop for the Archdiocese of Newark, New Jersey, for 11 years at the time of his appointment to the diocese by Pope Francis earlier that summer.

A native of Brazil, Bishop da Cunha came to the United States as a seminarian studying for the Society of Divine Vocations, also known as the Vocationist Fathers, for which he was ordained a priest in 1982 in Newark.

In the Diocese of Fall River, Bishop da Cunha shepherds a community of faithful numbering approximately 260,000 who worship in 69 parishes throughout Southeastern Massachusetts, Cape Cod and the Islands.

It was that territory -specifically, Bristol, Barnstable, Dukes and Nantucket counties and the towns of Marion, Mattapoisett and Wareham in Plymouth County- that Pope Pius X separated from the Diocese of Providence in March 1904 to establish the Diocese of Fall River. He chose Fall River as the See City with St. Mary’s Church to function as the new cathedral.  Within its territory, the new diocese already had 44 parishes serving some 130,000 Catholics. Father William Stang, a German-born Providence priest, was named First Bishop of Fall River.

Also, In the coming weeks, Bishop da Cunha will celebrate special Masses in two areas of the Diocese of Fall River to raise awareness of mental health and substance use challenges and the impact they can have on individuals, their families, and caregivers.

The Masses will take place at 10:30 a.m., Sunday, October 13, in St. Mary’s Cathedral in Fall River and at 4 p.m., Saturday, October 26, in Corpus Christi Church in East Sandwich.

October is designated annually as a time for greater focus on mental health awareness and on mobilizing efforts to support it. World Mental Health Day is October 10 and Mental Illness Awareness Week runs from October 6-12.

The Masses in both churches will be offered for those who have lost a loved one to suicide, drug and alcohol use, or mental illness, and for those who are currently experiencing mental health or substance use challenges. All are welcome to attend.

 A Book of Remembrance will be offered during the Liturgy for those who have died.  Anyone who would like to submit a name/names of loved ones for inclusion in the Book of Remembrance should email FR-Reception@ccfrdioc.org, with the subject line: Name for Remembrance Book.  You may also call Catholic Charities Diocese of Fall River at 508-674-4681 Ext. 1101.

The celebration of these Masses is an outreach of the mental health ministry of Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Fall River.

It is the hope of those involved in the ministry that the Masses will help to raise awareness about the importance of reducing stigma and encouraging open conversations about mental health and substance use, and to raise awareness of the need for suicide prevention.

They explain that a  faith community can make a difference in people’s lives and in the lives of the families who support them by educating members on the facts about mental health and substance use challenges, being accepting of a person’s challenges, welcoming those impacted as active members of the community, comforting them in time of crisis, supporting them in their ongoing need, and assisting them in their search for mental health services.

Jack Weldon, LICSW, serves as the mental health coordinator for Catholic Charities, and he and others at the agency are working with diocesan pastors and parishes to initiate mental health ministry and develop mental health ministry teams within their parish.

“We are working intentionally to affirm the dignity of every human being and create places of belonging and healing for those who are experiencing mental health and substance use challenges, and those who care for them” he said.

Both Masses for Mental Health Awareness will be livestreamed on the website of the respective parish, www.olfallriver.com (St. Mary’s Cathedral) and www.corpuschristiparish.org.