Dear Parishioners:
We had a great night last Saturday at our Annual OLM School “Spring Fling.” Nearly two-hundred OLM School families, staff and friends gathered at the Omni Hotel in Providence to celebrate and support our school. I am grateful to the many who made it such a great success. We thank OLM Parishioner Gene Valicenti of Channel 10 News and WPRO Radio Fame for generously serving as our toastmaster for the evening. It is always a fun evening but also a critical fundraiser for our parish school. I wish to thank the many donors who gave donations in advance of the evening and the benefactors who provided the auction items for the evening. The silent and live auctions had some terrific items on which to bid including Red Sox-Yankee Game packages, a Fishing Excursion on a 35 foot boat, a weekend at beautiful Vermont Vacation Home, and of course, Dinner with the Priests of OLM. They all produced high bids but it was Dinner with the Priests that sold for the highest at $3,000! Now Fr. Connors and I have to just figure out how to cook!! We sold two of the dinners!I want to thank OLM Parishioner John Pontarelli of Pro-Scape Landscaping who not only provided a landscaping design for the auction but during the auction generously included providing the landscaping for OLM Church and School. We are grateful to all those who bid on all the auction items and generously donated to this critical fundraiser for our school. We couldn't meet the $2.5 million budget of our school without this important event. In the name of Sister Jeanne, the faculty and students I thank you for the support, it is truly appreciated!
This weekend we mark one of the highlights of the year, First Communion! It is always a joyful and happy day when our parish children receive Jesus Christ truly present in the Eucharist for the first time in their lives. I am grateful to the teachers who have worked so hard to prepare the children for this important day. In particular I wish to thank Mrs. Mickey St. Jean our OLM First Communion Coordinator and the many volunteers who help her in the Religious Education Program for doing such a terrific job preparing the children. Also I wish to thank Mrs. Mary Martin-Tuite and Mrs. Mary Ryan who have so wonderfully prepared the First Communion Class at OLM School. The dedication of these fine teachers of the faith along with the example of their own families has brought these children to this truly great day in their faith lives. May they continue to grow in the faith and nourish their faith on the Eucharist every Sunday. Of course this week we also celebrate Mothers’ Day and so we wish all our of our Mothers a truly happy, healthy and holy Mothers Day. Fr. Connors and I are to offer Mass for all Mothers both living and deceased on Mothers’ Day. Also we crown the Blessed Mother the Queen of Heaven and Earth this Sunday at 10:30AM Mass. Last May Pope Francis talked about a mother’s roles during a visit to the Basilica of St. Mary Major, the oldest church in the West dedicated to Jesus’ Mother. He stated: “A mother helps her children grow up and wants them to grow strong; takes care that her children develop better, that they grow strong, capable of accepting responsibilities, of engaging in life, of striving for great ideals. Our Lady does just this for us, she helps us to grow as human beings and in the faith, to be strong and never to fall into the temptation of being human beings and Christians in a superficial way, but to live responsibly, to strive ever higher.” We are getting close to reaching our Catholic Charity Appeal parish goal of $193,000. I thank all those who have donated thus far but we still have not heard from many parishioners. The Catholic Charity Appeal is our call to help the poor throughout the state by supporting the many good works of our Diocesan Church. If you have not yet pledged your gift, I urge you to please do so today. Thank you.Happy Mother’s Day! Congratulations to our First Communion Class! See you at May Devotions on Monday! God Bless. Go Sox! Go Bruins!!