Dear Parishioners:
I'm sure you noticed that the new drapes for the Confessionals arrived and are now installed. However, we are still waiting for our new doors to arrive! Our new statue of the Sacred Heart, which was generously donated, has finally arrived. It is larger than the old one and carved out of stone. We hope to place it in Mercy Park.
Kevin and Nancy McDevitt and Marybeth and John Morris, OLM School Alumni Parents enjoy the Saints and Scholars Open at Quidnessett Country Club.
The Mercy Feast Week was a great success. The Saints and Scholars Open Golf Tournament was a terrific event. The weather was beautiful, and we had 136 golfers play! Alas, Fr. Mahoney and his team did not win!
We thank our Golf Tournament Chairwoman, Mrs. Lee Mita, for her incredible hard work and dedication to making this event a success. The generous sponsors of our tournament are listed in this week's bulletin, and we are truly grateful for their support.
We thank the many folks who helped us fill backpacks for the homeless at the Act of Mercy. These backpacks and the supplies are a great help to those who are homeless in our state. Also, we thank those parishioners who couldn't be at the event but donated supplies and financial support for this Work of Mercy.
OLM Outreach Director Doug Green enjoys the Oktoberfest in his lederhosen!
Oktoberfest was a great night of fun and fellowship. The German beer and food were Wunderbar, as was the crowd of about 600! We thank the OLM staff and the volunteers for their hard work in making this an enjoyable time for our parish family. We also thank the Lynch Family for their construction site lights that lit up our time together!
The Feast Week is a wonderful week of Faith, fun, and fellowship, and we thank God for this time of celebration and the good weather He provided. Let us continue to call upon Our Lady of Mercy for her powerful intercession.
On Monday, we celebrate Columbus Day, which did not become a federal holiday until 1937. Local celebrations among Italian immigrants began in the late 19th century. The Know Nothings, a nativist anti-Catholic immigration movement, fought against these Columbus Day celebrations. Their violent anti-Catholic bigotry included great prejudice against the Italian immigrants who celebrated Columbus Day. It is no coincidence that today similar bigoted anger and hatred often prompts rioters to destroy and desecrate statues of Christopher Columbus.
The First Landing of Christopher Columbus in America, by Dióscoro Teófilo Puebla Tolín, 1862.
When Columbus landed 530 years ago, he introduced the Catholic Faith to America. With his discovery, the creation of our society began. His achievement is one of history's great triumphs, so we rightly celebrate him and his Catholic Faith. Mass is at 8:30 am on the holiday. Also, Dominican Father Jordan Zajac, OP, from Providence College, is hearing Confessions at 6:00 pm and leading our October Devotions at 7:00 pm. on Columbus Day. Father Zajac will offer a reflection entitled: "The 'Jorrowful' Mysteries: Our Lady's Life of Joys and Sorrows."
Hurricane Ian left a path of destruction, especially in southwest Florida, trapping people in homes, flooding streets and buildings, and knocking out power across the region. The storm is one of the strongest hurricanes ever to hit the United States.
As Bishop Tobin requested, our parish will take up a special collection for Hurricane Ian Disaster Relief next weekend, October 16. It is a Special Second Collection, and there is no envelope. Donations may be mailed or dropped off at the parish office. Make checks payable to OLM with "Hurricane Ian Relief" in the memo line.
The damage from Hurricane Ian in Florida.
Your generous support directly aids the response efforts of Catholic Charities agencies on the ground providing emergency aid, including water, food, shelter, medical care, and long-term recovery and humanitarian needs. Catholic Charities USA will direct 100 percent of the funds raised through this effort to its agencies working with residents impacted by Hurricane Ian. I thank you in advance for your support of this special collection. Please pray for the victims of Hurricane Ian.
We also thank the many parishioners who generously donated to the Annual Collection. If you have not yet made your gift, please drop it in the collection basket or the mail. We are grateful for your support of this important collection.
Be well. Stay safe. Do good. God Bless. Go Pats! Happy Columbus Day!