Dear Parishioners:
We survived last weekend! Henri hit us, no, not our parish organist but the Hurricane and Tropical Storm. While Mass attendance was light on Sunday as many chose to stay safe at home, some brave and hearty souls made it through the wind and rain! We didn’t lose electricity thanks be to God! There wasn't too much damage to our Church property. However, our planters took a beating and a large tree fell over at St. Patrick’s Cemetery. I am grateful to our crack OLM Maintenance Team who were so vigilant in preparing for the storm and so hardworking in cleaning up afterward.
School starts this Wednesday at Our Lady of Mercy School! As Benedict XVI reminds us: "A good school provides a rounded education for the whole person. And a good Catholic school, over and above this, should help all its students to become saints." Our excellent faculty begin this week with a Retreat on Monday at the Christian Brothers Center in Narragansett. I am grateful to Father Chris Murphy, Rector of Our Lady of Providence Seminary, for leading the Retreat. Our OLM School Principal, Mr. Patrick McNabb, and our faculty and staff do an outstanding job, and we are grateful for their dedication. May God Bless them this year.
The last year was a difficult one for both students and faculty due to the pandemic. So please pray for our OLM School administration, faculty, staff, students, and families! May the school year be fruitful, and may they all grow in faith, hope, charity, and wisdom. We are hopeful for another great year for our budding saints and scholars!
We welcome our many new school families to OLM School at the 10:30 am Mass this Sunday. A Welcome Reception follows the Mass, so please stop by and say hello to our new students and their families. We congratulate and thank them for choosing OLM School and sacrificing to ensure a first-class Catholic education for their children.
We also kick off our Annual "See You in September" Raffle this weekend. We sell just 600 tickets for $100 each and give away $10,000 in prizes, including a $5,000 first prize! Out OLM School PTG is selling them after Mass, and they are also available at the Parish Office. The raffle was a great success last year. I hope it is again this year! In the bulletin is a complete calendar of events for our Annual Parish Patronal Feast Week. The Feast of Our Lady of Mercy is Friday, September 24th. We begin with our Annual Saints and Scholars Open Golf Tournament at Quidnesett Country Club. Fr. Mahoney is ready to take first place and eager to take on any challengers! So book your foursome today! A Holy Hour with meditative music is part of our Feast Week. And an Act of Mercy Night as together we prepare food and materials for the hungry and homeless. So please put these events on your calendar.
On Friday, September 24th, we celebrate the Patronal Feast Day Mass at 9:00 am. Then later on Friday evening we celebrate Oktoberfest. Join us for German beer, food, and music under the tent! We will draw our "See You in September" Raffle winners at the Oktoberfest. Of course, we couldn't have such events last year due to the COVID-19 restrictions on communal activities. We rejoice that can do so this year. It is a perfect opportunity to renew our parish life. The pandemic has caused many to remain isolated from each other and the parish!
Let's strive to make this year's Feast Week a time of renewal of faith and fellowship. Let us strive to reconnect as a parish family with parishioners, friends, and neighbors. In light of Hurricane Henri, I am reminded of a quote by St. Bernard of Clairvaux: "If the hurricanes of temptation rise against you, or you are running upon the rocks of trouble, look to the star – call on Mary!" Indeed let us turn to our patroness, and may Our Lady of Mercy intercede for us and guide our parish!
I offer my prayers and congratulations to Father Barrow as he is officially installed as Pastor of St. Theresa Church at a special Mass this Sunday celebrated by Bishop Tobin. Please pray for Father Barrow as he officially begins his first pastorate. Ad multos annos, Fr. Barrow!
Be well. Stay safe. Do good. God Bless. Go Sox!