Dear Parishioners:                               

This Wednesday is the First Day of School at OLM School. The summer is ending for our faculty, students, and their families. It’s again back to class, homework, tests, and quizzes! Pray for them all as they begin a new school year. We will pray for them at the Opening Mass of the Holy Spirit this Friday at 9:00 am.            Bishop Evans will celebrate the Mass as we call upon the Holy Spirit to guide and protect our school faculty and students. Following the Mass, we will dedicate the new field at school.   

We are most grateful to David and Trisha Lynch and their family for their generous donation that made the project possible. The beautiful new grass is looking good and ready for recess and gym class! The field will be named in honor of the late Stephen P. Lynch, Sr., the grandfather of five OLM School students.     Mr. Lynch was an outstanding Catholic husband, father, and grandfather who generously supported Catholic Education, especially Our Lady of Mercy School. Bishop Evans will dedicate and bless the field following the Mass. Please join us for this celebration of Catholic Education.   

First Day of School at OLM!

Our faculty will make their Annual Retreat on Monday at the Christian Brothers Center in Narragansett. Our retreat is led by Father Matthew Norwood from the Archdiocese of Boston. He is a graduate of St. John Seminary in Boston. He serves as an Associate Pastor at two parishes in Hingham. Please pray for him and our faculty as they make their retreat.   

The theme of the retreat is “Educating for Eternity.” It is also the title of a book that was the summer reading for our faculty. Written by Dr. Brett Salkeld, Ph.D., a lay theologian for the Archdiocese of Regina, Canada.       In Educating for Eternity: A Teacher’s Companion for Making Every Class Catholic, Dr. Salkeld maintains that providing an authentically Catholic education does not require revolutionary or expensive initiatives in pedagogy or infrastructure. It requires only three things: faith, the ability to see the world—and all academic subjects—through the lens of faith, and a desire to pass the faith onto the next generation. Thus, the mission of all Catholic Education is to prepare every student for eternity. In other words, to get them into heaven!

This is what we strive to do at OLM School every day. Our students do it by striving to be scholars and, more importantly, saints!   So please join us in praying for our outstanding school faculty and students at Mass this Friday. May the Holy Spirit guide and protect all returning students and teachers!    

David DelBonis running track at Bishop Hendricken High School.

It gives me great joy to announce that one of our parishioners has entered Our Lady of Providence Seminary for formation and studies for the priesthood. David DelBonis, a long-time Altar Server, was accepted to the seminary by Bishop Henning.   David graduated from Bishop Hendricken High School as an All-State Track Star. He attended St. Joseph University in Philadelphia and URI. David will now reside at the seminary on Mt. Pleasant Avenue in Providence and attend Providence College to study philosophy.     He is the son of Richard and Mary Ann, and his older brother John serves in the U.S. Army. We congratulate him on his decision to discern a vocation to the priesthood and acceptance into the seminary. Pray for him and his vocation as he begins his seminary formation and philosophical studies.    

Three priests are native sons of OLM and graduates of our parish school. Fr. Luke (Tom Truhan), O.C.S.O., a Cistercian Monk at St. Joseph Abbey in Spencer, MA, Dominican Friar, Fr. Francis Belanger, OP, who serves at St. Vincent Ferrer Church in New York City, and Fr. Brian Morris,  Chaplain at Bishop Hendricken and Pastor of St. Anthony and Christ the King Parishes in West Warwick. Pray for them.

Pope Francis has said: “A priestly vocation, more than our own choice, is a response to the Lord’s unmerited call.” Pray for all our seminarians and priests. May they persevere, and may God bless our Diocese with more priestly vocations.    I thank all those who generously supported the Back to School Drive for St. Patrick Academy with school supplies and financial donations. Your support and generosity is truly appreciated.

Do good. Be well. God Bless.