Dear Parishioners:

As you learned last weekend, Fr. Mahoney has been appointed by Bishop Henning as the Pastor at St. Pius X Church in Westerly, effective July 1. It is a new and exciting chapter in his priestly life and ministry. We are grateful for his time at Our Lady of Mercy. I am confident that he will continue the good work he does with the people of St. Pius Parish. While we are saddened by his departure, we are also filled with happiness for him as he embarks upon his first pastorate.

Fr. Mahoney will not be replaced as there are insufficient priests in the Diocese and no Associate Pastor to assign to OLM. Only two priests are being ordained this year, and six are retiring. This means OLM will be a one priest parish for the foreseeable future. It also means that we must examine our schedule of Masses, Devotions, and other offerings as we transition from two priests to only one priest. We need to pray much more ardently for vocations to the priesthood in the Diocese of Providence.

Almost every parish had an Associate Pastor when I was ordained twenty-eight years ago. Now, just three parishes have more than one priest, and OLM isn't one of them! As the Lord said: "The harvest is abundant, but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest." Please pray for more priestly vocations.

We are blessed to have Seminarian David Del Bonis from OLM, who is in formation for the priesthood at Our Lady of Providence Seminary and studying philosophy and theology at Providence College. Please pray for him and his vocation that he might persevere! Pray that more young men from OLM might begin to discern a call to the priesthood.

Encourage those young men who are your sons, grandsons, nephews, players, students, and neighbors to discern a vocation to the priesthood. Also, pray for Fr. Connors, who begins the important work of helping form our future priests as the new Rector of Our Lady of Providence Seminary on July 1, 2024.

Last Saturday, we celebrated joyfully and faithfully as over 60 of our young parishioners received their First Holy Communion. The Masses and the May Crowning were beautiful, and the children prepared well. St. Maximilian Kolbe said: "If angels could be jealous of men, they would be so for one reason: Holy Communion."

We thank our Faith Formation Directors, Jeremy Long and Julia Anthon, the First Communion Teachers Peggy Simms and Jean Perretta, and all those who helped prepare the children. We also thank their parents who first brought them to Christ and his Church for baptism and continue to raise them in the faith.

You will see a special announcement for our Vacation Bible School in the bulletin. It is for children aged 4 to 12 and is scheduled for the week of June 24. This year's theme is "Marvelous Mystery: The Mass Comes Alive!" I encourage you to enroll your children and grandchildren soon for this great opportunity of fun, faith and catechetics.

The celebration of First Communion highlights the critical importance of the Eucharist in the lives of these children and their families, as well as in the life of our parish and the entire Church. We have been in a Year of Eucharistic Revival in the U.S., culminating with a Eucharistic Congress in July in Indianapolis. The mission of the Revival is to renew the Church by enkindling a living relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ in the Holy Eucharist. Without priests, this is impossible.

Pope St. John Paul II, in Gift and Mystery: On the Fiftieth Anniversary of My Priestly Ordination, reminds us: "There can be no Eucharist without the priesthood, just as there can be no priesthood without the Eucharist." We have been blessed at OLM to have many fine priests who have served as associates over the years. We must now prepare for the changes and challenges of parish life with just one priest. With your patience, understanding, and, most importantly, your prayers, I am confident we will continue to thrive as a parish. Pray for me and the parish.

Be well. Do good. God Bless. Best Wishes, Fr Mahoney!!! A Holy and Blessed Pentecost! Come, Holy Spirit, Come!

Celebrations, Changes, Challenges, & Prayers!