Dear Parishioners:
The Ghent Altarpiece - Singing Angels (Jan van Eyc C.1429)
If you were at the 9:00 am Mass last Sunday, that beautiful sound you heard was the OLM Children's Choir singing again. After a long hiatus due to the Covid-19 Pandemic, they have returned. We thank our OLM School Music Teacher and Children's Choir Directress, Mrs. Shirley Medici, for leading this effort. The Children's Choir will sing at OLM School Masses and more regularly on Sundays.
If you like to sing, please know that the OLM Adult Choir always looks for more voices. There is no experience necessary, just a willingness to serve your parish family in the praise and worship of God and add your voice to the tremendous voices in our choir. The Adult Choir sings weekly at the Sunday 10:30 am Mass and practices weekly on Wednesday nights at 7:00 pm. If interested, don't hesitate to contact Mr. Henri St. Louis, our OLM Music Director, or show up to the Choir Loft on Wednesday night! Remember the words of St. Augustine: "When you sing, you pray twice!"
Bishop Byrne with hisdog Zélie -- named after St. Zélie Martin, the mother of St. Therese of Lisieux.
We welcome Bishop William D. Byrne from the Diocese of Springfield, Massachusetts to Our Lady of Mercy. He is confirming the young adults of our parish family at the 5:00 pm Mass on Sunday. Bishop is the youngest of eight children and a native of Washington, D.C., and a priest of the Archdiocese of Washington. He has served as Chaplain at the University of Maryland, the Secretary for Pastoral Ministry Social Concerns, and Pastor of St. Peter’s Parish on Capitol Hill. In 2015 he was named pastor of Our Lady of Mercy Parish in Potomac, Maryland, serving there until he was named the tenth Bishop of Springfield in October 2020.
Bishop Byrne is an excellent preacher, a popular columnist, and a YouTube and Instagram personality. His series "Five Things" highlights five spiritual meditations to help people grow closer to God and appreciate the small — but vital –things in life. The series was so popular that it was developed into a book, Five Things with Fr. Bill, available on Amazon or a good Catholic bookstore. The book certainly makes a good Confirmation gift!!
We are delighted to have Bishop Byrne with us for this important day in the life of our parish family. On Sunday evening fifty-five young adults are to be confirmed in their Catholic Faith by the Bishop. Confirmation Mass is always a joyful celebration of faith and hope for our parish, the Church, the Confirmandi, and their families.
With the Sacrament of Confirmation, these young adults receive the gifts of the Holy Spirit: wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, and fear of the Lord. These spiritual gifts now guide them in their lives as young Catholics and can lead them to a deeper relationship with Christ. We hope and pray that the 2022 Our Lady of Mercy Confirmation Class stays close to Christ and His Church.
This past week Fr. Mahoney and I trained new Altar Servers for service at Our Lady of Mercy. We thank these new Altar Servers and their supportive parents for making the commitment to serve our parish family at God's Holy Altar. They begin serving Masses in the coming weeks. We welcome and congratulate them for they are now among the few, the proud, the OLM Server Corp!
I am most grateful for your generous support of last week’s special Hurricane Ian Relief Collection. It directly supports the good work of Catholic Charities USA and its disaster response teams. They provide direct relief — such as water, food, clothing, and shelter —to meet the immediate needs of the victims of this terrible disaster. In the name of the many suffering from Hurricane Ian, I thank you for your great support.
This week I am away on my Annual Retreat as prescribed by Canon Law. The Retreat begins Monday evening and concludes on Friday morning. This year I am making my Retreat at Arnold Hall located in Pembroke, Massachusetts and the Retreat Master is a priest of Opus Dei. I ask your prayers for me and all the priests with me on Retreat. May these days of Retreat be a fruitful time of prayer, reflection, and renewal.
Join us for Devotions on Monday and pray the Rosary! Be well. Stay safe. Do good. God Bless. Go Pats! Congratulations and Prayerful Best Wishes to our newly Confirmed!