Dear Parishioners:
It's Memorial Day Weekend already! May has been a busy month. We have a new Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV, and a new Bishop too! Pope Leo officially began his Pontificate last Sunday at the Mass of Inauguration for his Petrine Ministry in St. Peter's Square.
The Vatican announced that Pope Leo would retain his motto and coat of arms as bishop of Chiclayo, Peru. The motto is "In Illo uno unum." ("In the One, we are one.”) Pope Leo was a member of the Order of St. Augustine. His motto is derived from a sermon by St. Augustine in which he said: "Although we Christians are many, in the one Christ we are one."
On Tuesday, Bishop Lewandowski was officially installed as the Tenth Bishop of Providence. The Mass was truly joyful and hopeful. His episcopal motto is: "Because by Your Holy Cross." It is a quote from St. Francis of Assisi adopted by St. Alphonsus Liguori in his well-known devotional work, "The Way of the Cross." St. Alphonsus founded the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer, known as the Redemptorists, in 1732. Bishop Lewandowski is a Redemptorist priest.
Please continue to pray for Pope Leo XIV and Bishop Lewandowski. We pray: "O God, shepherd and ruler of all the faithful, look favorably on your servant Leo and our Bishop, Bruce. Grant, we pray, that by word and example they may be of service to those over whom they shepherd so that, together with the flock entrusted to their care, they may come to everlasting life. Amen."
On this Memorial Day, we remember in prayer and recall with gratitude the heroic sacrifice of those who died in service to our nation. Since the days just following the end of the Civil War, Americans have gathered in late May to honor those who died in military service to their country.
Memorial Day is a day to visit cemeteries and pray for those who so nobly died to protect our freedom. Attending the Mass and Memorial Day Parade is also a great way to honor them. At Town Hall on Memorial Day, OLM 8th Grader Callie Smith will recite President Lincoln's Gettysburg Address.
As we remember the fallen, recall the words of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's Poem Decoration Day: "All is repose and peace, untrampled lies the sod; The shouts of battle cease, It is the Truce of God! Rest, comrades, rest and sleep! The thoughts of men shall be as sentinels to keep your rest from danger free. Your silent tents of green we deck with fragrant flowers; Yours has the suffering been, the memory shall be ours."
Last week, I was with our OLM School 8th Grade on their "Soul of America" Graduation Trip to New York, Philadelphia, and Washington, DC. They visited the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall. They visited the Washington Monument, the Lincoln Memorial, the White House, and the National Mall in Washington, DC. We celebrated Mass at the magnificent Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception and had a guided tour.
They also got a chance to see the beautiful Catholic University of America campus, my alma mater! Then it was off for a great guided tour of the U.S. Capitol. They visited Arlington National Cemetery and the U. S. Marine Corps War Memorial, which has the iconic statue of the flag raising on Iwo Jima.
On their way home, they stopped in New York City and visited Liberty State Park, the Statue of Liberty, and Ellis Island. A great educational and fun experience for these young men and women as they prepare to graduate from OLM School. I'm certain the trip gave them a deeper appreciation of the real meaning of Memorial Day.
Next Sunday at 10:30 am Mass, we pray for the 8th Grade as we present each Graduate with an Our Lady of Mercy Medal. Then we acknowledge their academic achievements at a luncheon. The Graduation Ceremony for the Class of 2025 is Friday, June 6. Please pray for these graduates as they prepare to enter high school.
On Memorial Day, we celebrate the Final Monday night of May Devotions at 7:00 pm with the Rosary, Eucharistic Adoration, and Benediction. We offer our Rosary for the noble souls of all those who sacrificed their lives for our nation and our freedoms.
Be well. Do Good. God Bless. Go Sox! Happy Memorial Day! God Bless America!
L