Dear Parishioners:
Last Saturday morning over 500 people gathered at Planned Parenthood of RI. Fr. Connors and I along with a few parishioners from OLM were among them. We gathered there to pray for an end to abortion and an increased respect for human life. We were also there to protest the depraved practices of Planned Parenthood. The large crowd was led in prayer by Bishop Tobin who called for the conversion of heart of Planned Parenthood workers. A host of speakers included our own Fr. Connors who reminded the crowd that “the Church stands ready to receive with open arms all those hurt and wounded by abortion. The God of mercy and love stands ready to forgive and to convert our ‘throw-away culture’ into a culture of life and a civilization of love.”
All during the peaceful and prayerful protest Planned Parenthood was blaring music from their building. It was a rather obvious attempt to
“shout down” the speakers calling for their defunding. No matter how loud the music got during the protest it did not and cannot drown out the voice of the voiceless unborn. Let us continue to give the unborn a voice as we call for the defunding of Planned Parenthood. Our tax dollars should not be used to kill innocent unborn children and then sell their bodies and body parts as part of a macabre scientific experiment. Pray for an end to abortion and an increase in respect for all human life.
This Monday we welcomed our new OLM School faculty members at an orientation session. We are so happy to have such excellent additions to our outstanding faculty. The new teachers were joined on Wednesday by the entire faculty as they spent the day preparing for the start of school this Tuesday! On this Monday our OLM School Faculty gathers for a day 
of retreat at the Enders Island Retreat Center in Mystic. Their retreat is being led by Fr. Joe Upton, the Chaplain at the Prout School and the University of Rhode Island. I ask you to please pray for our teachers that this time of retreat might be one of renewed faith and zeal as they begin another school year.
This Sunday we welcome the many new families who are entering OLM School this year. We are overjoyed that they have decided to entrust their children and their education to our parish school. There are many educational choices available to parents and we are happy they think 
OLM School is the best way to go!
It’s hard to believe but school starts this week. East Greenwich Public Schools begin on Monday and OLM School begins on Tuesday. The first day of school is always a great day for children and families. Do you remember your first day of school? I remember my very first day in 1970! My Dad brought me to school and into the classroom. I saw some friends, he said “So-Long” and my school career commenced! I hope and pray that all our students enjoy their first day of school! Having a parish school is a true blessing for our community.
Pope Francis reminds us about the mission of Catholic Schools: “Our
generation will show that it can rise to the promise found in each young person when we know how to give them the material and spiritual conditions for their full development; to give them a solid basis on which to build their lives; to guarantee their safety and their education to be everything they can be.” We pray for OLM School that the new school year is truly a year of faith, hope and love for all!
We invite all parishioners to join us on Friday at 9:00AM for the Mass of the Holy Spirit. 
Join us as we celebrate the Beginning of the New School Year at OLM. We pray together as a parish family that the Holy Spirit continues to guide Principal Fuller, the OLM Faculty and Staff, OLM students and families. May they grow together in wisdom, understanding, piety, knowledge, counsel, fortitude, and awe. Welcome back students and teachers, have a great first week of school! Saint Thomas Aquinas, the patron of students, intercede for us. Be well. Do Good. God Bless.