Dear Parishioners:
I hope you enjoyed last week’s Mission with Dominican Father Henry Stephan, OP. He was an outstanding, entertaining, and insightful preacher. In your name, I thank him for preaching the Mission and sacrificing his Spring Break to be with us. Please continue to pray for him as he completes his doctoral studies at Notre Dame. I hope the Mission was fruitful for you and the parish.
This week, we celebrate the two great feasts of St. Patrick and St. Joseph. On Monday, March 17, Bishop Evans will celebrate the St. Patrick’s Day Mass at 12:05 pm. Our St. Patrick’s Day preacher is Dominican Friar Father Justin Brophy, OP, an Assistant Professor of Political Science at Providence College. Father Brophy often helps us on weekends. We are delighted to welcome him as our St. Patrick’s Day preacher.
Join us on Monday as we honor the Apostle of Ireland, glorious St. Patrick. Our Mass features hymns and readings in the Irish language. Following the Mass, we gather for Irish Soda Bread, Irish Cookies, and “Irish” Coffee!
On Wednesday, we honor the Patron of the Universal Church and the Foster-Father of our Lord, Saint Joseph. Father Nathan Ricci, the Vice-Chancellor of the Diocese of Providence, is our celebrant and homilist for the Mass. The Mass is celebrated in Italian with the readings and hymns also in Italian. Don’t worry, the homily is in English!!
Father Ricci is a native of Warwick and attended Bishop Hendricken High School and Providence College. He pursued his priestly studies at the Pontifical North American College in Rome where he earned degrees at the Gregorian University in Theology and Canon Law. He is fluent in Italian, and we are happy to have him at OLM to celebrate St. Joseph’s Day with us.
Following the St. Joseph Day Mass on Wednesday, we gather in the Church vestibule for those delicious St. Joseph Day treats, zeppoles, and “Italian” Coffee. So, please plan on joining us as we celebrate St. Joseph! These special feasts come to us in the middle of Lent and are occasions of great joy. So, I hope you can join us in celebrating Saint Patrick and Saint Joseph. The Masses and the receptions are always a grand time! Happy St. Patrick’s Day! Bouna Festa di San Giuseppe!
It’s only two weeks into the Season of Lent. How is your Lent going? How is the prayer, fasting, and almsgiving going? Often, people begin Lent full of fervor only to fall off. They begin to neglect their Lenten promises to pray, fast, and give alms. If that’s happened in your life, begin Lent again! The forty days of Lent are a series of mini Lents.
If you’re not praying as fervently as you pledged, begin again. Start again if you’re not keeping your promises to fast from vices and pleasures. If you’ve not yet given alms sacrificially, now is the time to do so! St. Francis de Sales says: “Have patience with all things, but first of all with yourself.”
The Most Reverend Thomas J. Tobin, Bishop Emeritus of Providence, visits with resident of the Emmanuel House Homeless Shelter funded by the Annual Catholic Charity Appeal. Please donate today.
Speaking of almsgiving, we are getting close to reaching our parish goal of $190,000 for the 2025 Catholic Charity Appeal. Thus far, $126,000 has been donated by only 202 parishioners. I am grateful for their generous support. It is a great start, but we need every parish family to contribute to the appeal to be truly successful.
If you have not yet made your gift to the CCA, please do so today. We ask every family to prayerfully consider a minimum gift of $300, payable over ten months. Pledge envelopes are available in the pews and can be returned in the collection basket, or you can pledge online.
In 2024, a record high of 465 OLM families contributed over $263,000. OLM has 2,200 registered parish families, so we have a long way to go this year! Please pledge your gift and help continue the great legacy of charity and compassion that has served the poor and needy in Rhode Island for 100 years! I thank you for your support.
Catherine Doherty, the Servant of God, dedicated her life to serving the poor and needy, said: “Lent is a time of going very deeply into ourselves. What is it that stands between us and God? Between us and our brothers and sisters? Between us and life, the life of the Spirit? Whatever it is, let us relentlessly tear it out without a moment’s hesitation.” This Lent, tear out what stands between you and God. Be well. Do good. God Bless. See you at Stations on Friday!