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	City Parish Holds Novena to Promote Healing Standard-Times May 27, 2006 http://www.southcoasttoday.com/daily/05-06/05-27-06/04religion.htm NEW BEDFORD — Our Lady of Fatima Parish, 4256 Acushnet Ave., is currently holding a "Novena to the Holy Spirit: A Journey of Prayer for the Repentance and Healing of the Church." The Novena acknowledges in a particular way the sins of clergy sexual abuse. The Novena will be offered at 7 p.m. daily through Friday, June 2, and will conclude at 4 p.m. Saturday, June 3 with the Vigil Mass of the Pentecost. All people are invited to join them as they call upon the Holy Spirit to assist them as they work to bind up the wounds of abuse and restore the faith of their community. These prayer services offer an opportunity to pray together for healing and renewal of the Catholic Church — not only rocked by scandal, but also facing new challenges in the infancy of the 21st century. Since his installation in 2003, Bishop George W. Coleman has made it a priority to create safe environments in churches and schools and to continue to provide support to survivors and all people who have suffered as a result of clergy sexual abuse. Voices of Hope to perform ACUSHNET — The Voices of Hope from Shepherd of the Valley United Methodist Church in Hope, R.I., will present a Gospel Concert at 7 p.m. June 10 at the Acushnet-Wesley United Methodist Church, 67 Main St. Their style of music is Southern gospel with songs made famous by the Gaithers, Mosie Lister and other artists. Performing throughout New England for the past six years, the ensemble has been featured at the 2nd Annual Providence GospelFest, a benefit concert for the Turkey Earthquake Relief fund; the R.I. Council of Churches Ecumenical Breakfast; the United Methodist Annual Conference; the Miss Rhode Island Pageant; and on various cable TV programs. Hosted by the United Methodist Women, the free concert will last approximately one hour. A free will offering will be taken to support the music ministry. Light refreshments will be served. Voices of Hope CDs and audiotapes will be available for purchase. For more information, visit www.thevoicesofhope.com. UIA to donate training for grant program NEW BEDFORD — United Interfaith Action (UIA) is pleased with the major grant awarded by the state to New Bedford of $1,001,800 for teen violence prevention and law enforcement efforts. Working with other community organizations, social service agencies, the New Bedford Police Department and Mayor Scott W. Lang, UIA proposed and worked towards the inclusion of a Street Workers Program as a key strategy in the grant applications for both New Bedford and Fall River. UIA will donate training for the New Bedford Street Workers Program. Workers will reach out to at-risk teens on the street in order to form positive working relationships and to connect the teens with recreational activities, educational opportunities and subsequently to jobs. The teens will be referred to various nonprofit agencies providing services and currently running youth programs here in New Bedford. A federation of religious congregations that work on community improvement issues, UIA member congregations in New Bedford include Pilgrim United Church of Christ, Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish at St. James Church, Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church, Our Lady of the Assumption Church and the Church of St. Lawrence-Martyr.
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