Dear Parishioners:
I thank the many parishioners who have so generously responded in support of the Our Faith, Our Future Capital Campaign. Thus far we have over $750, 000 pledged toward our goal of $2 Million. It is a great start to this vital campaign for the future of our wonderful parish. I offer my thanks also to Joe and Carol Cavanagh and Michael and Brooke O’Connell who serve as the Our Faith, Our Future Campaign Chairs. Their leadership and support has helped to get us off to this great start for the campaign.
This weekend we are asking every parish family to make their pledge in support of the campaign. We are asking every one of our 2,200 parish families to consider a pledge of $4,000 over four years. We know that some may be unable to afford this size gift but also that many others can afford to do more. However, everyone can make the same size sacrifice.
This campaign is part of the larger diocesan campaign called Grateful for God’s Providence. It’s total goal is $50 Million and already $42 million has been pledged by Catholics across the state. Our portion of the campaign that will support the Grateful for God’s Providence Campaign is $535,000. We have already gone beyond that amount, so please know that every dollar pledged this weekend goes directly in support of the projects at OLM. These critical projects are estimated to cost $1.5 Million and will help ensure the future of our beloved parish.
We are truly blessed to live in such a community as East Greenwich and worship at Our Lady of Mercy. God has been generous with the blessings bestowed upon our town, our parish and our families. One of the sincerest ways to express our gratitude to God is to share our blessings. I am very hopeful that each and every parish family will make the necessary sacrifice and share their blessings in support of the Our Faith, Our Future Capital Campaign. With such sacrifice and support, we are certain to be successful in reaching our goal of $2 Million! I thank you in advance for your sacrificial support Our Faith and Our Future!
We need every parish family to participate to be successful in this vital campaign for our parish. As we consider our support of this noble effort, I am reminded of the words of St. Pope John Paul the Great: “Remember the past with gratitude. Live the present with enthusiasm. Look forward to the future with confidence.” May we remember those who have gone before us at Our Lady of Mercy and by whose sacrifices left us this parish. May our present effort in support of our parish be full of enthusiasm and sacrifice. And may we always be confident of our future as a family of faith!
It is gratitude that we celebrate this week as a nation on Thanksgiving Day as we gather with family and friends and share a meal. Although it is a civil holiday, it is primarily a spiritual occasion for us to stop, reflect upon our blessings and offer prayerful thanks to God the Almighty Father. On Thanksgiving Day before we eat our turkey, cranberry sauce, sweet potatoes and pumpkin pie, even before we enjoy the football games and good times with family and friends, we must offer prayers and thanksgiving to God. We give thanks to God for bestowing so many blessings upon us. We give thanks for the blessings of freedom and liberty, prosperity and good fortune, family and faith! The great spiritual writer, St. Teresa of Avila reminds us: “In all created things discern the providence and wisdom of God, and in all things give Him thanks.”
Certainly the best way for us as Catholics to offer prayerful thanks to God is at the Thanksgiving Day Mass at 9:00am on Thursday. Together we gather as a parish family to offer praise and thanksgiving to God as together we pray and worship at Holy Mass. There is no better way to begin Thanksgiving Day then to gather as family of faith and celebrate the Eucharist, which itself means thanksgiving in the Greek. Following Thanksgiving Day Mass, I make my annual trip up to my sister’s home in Saratoga, NY for the holiday dinner. This year as an added blessing, I get to baptize my new grand-niece on next Saturday afternoon in NY.
Happy Thanksgiving! Be well. Do good. God Bless. Go Pats! Oremus pro invicem!