Dear Parishioners:
It was indeed a tremendous celebration of Confirmation last Sunday. We thank Almighty God for such a grand day for this important event in the life of our parish family. We are grateful to Bishop Matano, the Bishop of Rochester, NY, for traveling to OLM to Confirm our 72 young adults. His sermon was profound and inspiring. We are deeply grateful for his presence at OLM.
We also thank the many people who made our celebration so solemn and joyful. In particular, we thank Doug Green and Mickey St. Jean, our Religious Education Program coordinators, who prepared the candidates for Confirmation. Their hard work and dedication to the youth of our parish are genuinely appreciated.
We thank Henri St. Louis, our talented and dedicated Music Director, the OLM Choir, and our guest musicians. The music was truly magnificent and uplifting and added much joy to our celebration. The Choir sang beautifully, and the brass quartet and timpani made the music even more festive! We thank them all for sharing the gift of sacred music that lifts our worship to God!
We also thank Cecilia Franzone and the OLM Decorating Committee for their dedication and hard work in ensuring our Church is truly beautiful for Confirmation. The flowers and altar linens were beautiful. We must also thank Sister Lourdes and those who work so hard in the Sacristy to ensure the vestments, sacred vessels, and the many details for the Confirmation Mass.
We are always grateful to the OLM Altar Servers, the many siblings of the newly Confirmed, who so dutifully served the Confirmation Mass with tremendous reverence. And we also thank our OLM Ushers, who welcomed the many guests and provided a warm welcome and hospitality for the Confirmation Mass.
And we especially thank the parents of the newly Confirmed. Their sons and daughters have reached this important milestone in their faith lives by fulfilling the promises their parents made for them at baptism. We thank the chosen sponsors of the newly Confirmed. They have borne witness to the Catholic Faith and inspired the Confirmed. We pray they continue to inspire and bear witness as they offer a good example of faith, hope, and charity to the newly Confirmed.
And finally, we thank the 72 young adults who are now Confirmed. Ultimately, they decided to receive this wondrous Sacrament and confirm their Catholic Faith before God and His Church. Now filled with the gifts of the Holy Spirit, we hope and pray they continue to choose Christ and serve His Church.
Next Sunday, at the 10:30 am Mass, we celebrate another important and solemn event at OLM. The Mass is offered for the over fifty fellow parishioners who have died over the last year. Their families join us at the Mass as we pray for their consolation and the gentle repose of the soul of their loved ones.
The Church has always taught that it is a Spiritual Work of Mercy to pray for the faithful departed souls. She traditionally sets aside November to remember all the dead in faith, hope, and prayer for this Work of Mercy. St. Augustine said that monuments are built for the living. Prayer, he suggests, is the best way to assist the dead.
So please join the Our Lady of Mercy Parish Family as together we offer the Mass, the highest form of prayer we know, for the beloved dead of our parish family. As we pledge our prayers for the dead, we remember the words of St. John Chrysostom: "Let us not hesitate to help those who have died and to offer our prayers for them." May all our beloved dead rest in eternal peace, and may perpetual light shine upon them.
On Monday two Dominican Friars are hearing confessions beginning at 6:00 pm. This is an excellent opportunity to receive God's mercy in the Sacrament of Confession. Dominican Fr. Michael Weibley, OP, is also joining us for Devotions at 7:00 pm to offer a spiritual reflection entitled "The Providence of Life." So please join us for our final October Devotions on Monday night as we pray the Rosary and reflect on God’s Providence.
Be well. Stay safe. Do good. God Bless. Go Pats! Go Sox!?