Our Lady of Mercy, pray for us!
Dear Parishioners:
What a wonderful OLM Feast Week we had last week. From the Saints and Scholars Open on Monday to the Oktoberfest on Friday night, it was a fantastic week of faith and fun! God is good, and we give Him thanks for all the blessings bestowed upon our parish!
On Friday, September 24th, the Feast of Our Lady of Mercy, the weather forecast was gloomy at best. Severe thunderstorms, heavy rain, and possible flooding were all predicted. We weren’t sure if anyone would brave the rain and storms to come out to the Oktoberfest.
At the Feast Day Mass that morning, we turned to our Parish Patroness, Our Lady of Mercy, and asked her to intercede for us and help with the weather! And lo and behold, on Friday evening at the Oktoberfest, it was sunny and warm! No rain, no thunder, no lightning, and no flooding! The power of prayer!!! Thank you, Blessed Mother!!
OLM Oktoberfest 2021
The Oktoberfest was a great way to end our OLM Feast Week. There was ample German food, beer, and music, along with lots of fun and fellowship! Over 400 parishioners of every age came together to celebrate Our Lady of Mercy and welcome October, a month dedicated to Our Blessed Mother!
My thanks to the OLM Staff and the volunteers who helped set up, cook, serve, and clean up for this great event. Without their hard work and dedication, such a fun night for our parish would not have happened. If you couldn’t make it, be sure to put the Oktoberfest on your calendar next year.
As we welcome in October, we now turn to our Blessed Mother and the Rosary. Every Monday night in October at 7:00 pm, we gather to pray the Rosary before the Eucharistic Lord. As St. Padre Pio reminds us, “the Rosary is the weapon of these times!” How right Padre Pio is! October is also Pro-Life Month, and so we take up the tremendous spiritual weapon of the Rosary. We pray for increased respect for all human life. Sadly praying for the sanctity of human life is truly needed in these times.
Last Friday was a very dark day in our nation as the U.S House voted, 218 to 211, to pass the deceptively named Women’s Health Protection Act. This bill would impose abortion on demand nationwide at any stage of pregnancy by federal law. It would eliminate all pro-life laws at every level of government. It compels all Americans to support abortions here and abroad with their tax dollars. It forces health care providers and professionals to perform, assist in, and refer for abortion against their deeply-held beliefs and forces employers and insurers to cover or pay for abortion.
Congressman Jim Langevin voted in favor of this destructive legislation. Recently, Mr. Langevin announced publicly and proudly that he was abandoning his previously held commitment to protecting the unborn and now fully supports abortion on demand without limits. He also wants taxpayers to pay for it. Pray for him that he might regain the courage of his convictions and renounce his betrayal of the innocent unborn.
Each year the Church in the United States celebrates October as Respect Life Month, and today we celebrate Respect Life Sunday. We can use this time to deepen our understanding of why we “Respect Life” as Catholics through prayer and study.
We are also celebrating the Year of St. Joseph. So, this year, we look to the witness of St. Joseph as a defender of life. He didn’t hesitate to follow God’s will of faithfully caring for and protecting Jesus and the Blessed Mother. St. Joseph’s example reminds us that we are to care for, protect, and defend the lives of our brothers and sisters, especially the weak.
At times, we may feel like we can’t make a difference or are unequipped for what God asks of us. But St. Joseph “teaches us that faith in God includes believing that he can work even through our fears, our frailties, and our weaknesses.” So, when human life is under threat when our brothers and sisters need support welcoming and embracing life, may we lovingly respond with the faithfulness of St. Joseph.
Join us on Mondays at 7:00 pm as we pray a Pro-Life Rosary. Come take up the “weapon” so needed in these times. Be well. Stay safe. Do good. God Bless. St. Joseph, pray for us!