Bishop Ruggieri driving the Food Truck that serves hungry and homeless residents in Providence.
Dear Parishioners:
This week, I will joyfully travel north to Maine, for the Ordination of Bishop-Elect James Ruggieri as the 13th Bishop of Portland. The Ordination Mass is on Tuesday, May 7, 2024, at 2:00 p.m. at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception. It will be celebrated by Séan Patrick Cardinal O'Malley of Boston in the presence of Christophe Cardinal Pierre, Apostolic Nuncio (ambassador of the Holy See) to the United States.
Many bishops from the area will attend, as will many priests from Providence and Portland. The Bishop’s family, friends, and parishioners from Rhode Island will also make the trek north for the celebration.
Pope Francis named Bishop Ruggieri, then pastor of St. Michael and St. Patrick Parishes in Providence, as the 13th Bishop of the Diocese of Portland on February 13, 2024. Bishop Ruggieri grew up in Barrington, RI, where he was trained as an altar boy by Bishop Evans, then a young curate at Holy Angels Church.
Bishop Ruggieri and Father Healey pose with Bishop Gelineau after their priestly ordination on June 24, 1995
The Bishop and I were ordained priests together on June 24, 1995, at the Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul by Bishop Gelineau. He is a holy and humble priest and will be an outstanding shepherd of his flock in Maine. It is a bittersweet moment as we lose such a fine priest of Providence, but it is a happy day for the Bishop and a time of great joy for Portland.
Our parish has long supported the many good and charitable works at his parishes in Providence. Over the years, we have had food drives and backpack drives and provided outreach efforts in support of the many poor and needy served by his parishes.
Bishop Ruggieri regularly drove his Food Truck for the poor and hungry throughout Providence. He established St. Patrick's Academy, a Catholic High School for low-income students. Fluent in Spanish, this "Padre," as he is known, is truly a beloved shepherd of his flock in Providence.
Just a few weeks ago, over 1,000 people gathered at a Farewell Mass for Bishop Ruggieri at the Cathedral in Providence. As a pastor, he has never turned a blind eye to anyone but always sought to help the unborn, the immigrant, the refugee, the addict, the homeless, and the poorest of the poor. He will undoubtedly continue to do so in Maine.
Bishop Ruggieri greeting parishioners at his Farewell Mass.
Although ordained a priest, the bishop-elect will celebrate another degree of the sacrament of holy orders of the Catholic Church. Bishops are ordained to "the fullness of the priesthood." He continues the ministry of charity while taking on the responsibility for governance of the local Church.
At the Ordination Mass, the recitation of the Prayer of Ordination, which dates to the 4th century, officially makes the man over whom it is being prayed a bishop. During the prayer, two deacons hold the open Book of the Gospels over the head of the new bishop to symbolize the principal task of proclaiming and living the Gospel. The new bishop is then anointed on the head with Sacred Chrism and receives the signs and symbols of his office: The Book of the Gospels and a ring, signifying his union with this local Church and his lifetime commitment as a servant of the Lord.
He receives a mitre worn by bishops at liturgical functions, a symbol of the wings of the Holy Spirit. He is presented with a crozier (pastoral staff), which looks like a shepherd's crook, symbolizing the bishop as the chief shepherd, protector, and guide of Christ's flock. All the bishops at the Mass then give the new bishop a Sign of Peace, an embrace that marks the newly ordained bishop's membership in the College of Bishops. The newly ordained and installed bishop then presides for the Liturgy of the Eucharist, his first as bishop of Portland.
Bishop Ruggieri chose "Auspice Maria" as his episcopal motto, "Under the protection of Mary." Pray for Bishop Ruggeri. May our Blessed Mother Mary guide and protect him in his ministry of teaching, governing, and sanctifying the People of God as the Bishop of Portland. Ad multos annos! Gloriosque annos, Vivas! Vivas! Vivas!
Be well. Do good. God Bless. Join us for May Devotions on Monday at 7:00 pm. Saint Francis de Sales said: "The greatest method of praying is to pray the Rosary."
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