Celebrating the New School Year, Praying for Flood Victims, Saint Teresa of Calcutta, Pray for US!

Dear Parishioners: School is back!  The students at OLM School arrived back  to begin the new school year on Friday.  Smiling faces and happy parents filled the parking lot for the Frist Day of School!  Welcome Back OLM School!   We officially welcome our New OLM School Families this Sunday at the 9:00AM.  We are grateful these families have chosen OLM School and overjoyed that their children begin living  the schools’ mission as the future saints and scholars of our Church.  Welcome to OLM!

On Friday we officially open the new school year with the Mass of the Holy Spirit.  We gather as a school and parish community invoking the Holy Spirit to come down upon us and guide us to continue to grow in wisdom, faith, hope and love.  Everyone is invited to join us for this special mass on Friday at 9:00AM.  Let us pray that this new school year may be fruitful and faithful for all:  “Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in them the fire of your love. Send forth your Spirit and they shall be created. And You shall renew the face of the earth. Amen.”

I wish to thank Deacon Brian Morris for preaching at last Sunday’s Masses.  He did a great job and we can be proud of this native son of OLM.   Keep Deacon Morris in your prayers as he returns to his priestly studies at St. John’s Seminary in Boston.  We look forward to his ordination to the priesthood next June.

Next Sunday Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta is to be canonized by Pope Francis a Saint of our Church.  Saint Teresa of Calcutta, as she is to be known, is most remembered for her selfless charity and her selfless work with the poorest of the poor especially in Calcutta, India.  She joyfully served lepers, the dying, the poor and others who would otherwise suffer without care. Her services were given freely, and her example was followed by the good Sisters in the order she founded, the Missionaries of Charity.

Millions of pilgrims from across the globe are expected to attend the Mass of Canonization next Sunday in Rome.   Mother Teresa inspired many as she truly was a humble person with an unlimited capacity to offer unconditional love to people.  Blessed Mother Teresa once said: “There are two kinds of poverty. There is the poverty of material where people are hungry for bread, real hunger. But there is much deeper hunger and that is hunger for love.”

Loving all and giving comfort to the suffering, offering shelter to the homeless, helping the poorest of the poor and giving hope to the hopeless was Blessed Mother Teresa's life work.  Her work lives on in the  good works and faithful dedication of her good Sisters, the Missionaries of Charity. They continue to serve all over the world as she did.  May the soon to be Saint Teresa of Calcutta intercede for us!

This  week I received an email from a colleague from Baton Rouge, Louisiana.  Thankfully he and his family were not adversely affected by the recent flooding.  However, he did tell me about the devastation and destruction that thousands of people suffered.  Sadly some people lost their lives. Homes and businesses were completely destroyed with a large part of the State of Louisiana declared a total disaster zone. The Diocese of Baton Rouge and Catholic Charities are helping the many victims.  They also suffered losses as three  Catholic schools and seven Catholic parishes  are considered to be  at a complete loss.  Priests have been sent to the many shelters to offer Mass and provide support for the many victims.

My friend asks for your prayers, writing: “ I would simply ask for your prayers at this time.  Baton Rouge has had one  heck of a summer!  It began in the heat of the summer with the shooting of Alton Sterling, leading to protests.  This tragically lead to a gunman killing three police officers and our community in need of  deep healing.  As we began to catch our breath from these sad events, we then took on flood waters.  Please pray for us.”  I have assured him we are praying for our brothers and sisters in Louisiana!

Be well. Do good. God Bless.  Go Sox!