Dear Parishioners:
The first day of school at OLM School was a joyous mix of emotions, from happy to anxious. Some of our Pre-Kindergarteners were a little anxious to leave their moms and dads for the very first time. Meanwhile, some of our older students were a little sad that summer vacation was over!
However, there was also much joy and great excitement as a new year began with new students, new friends, new teachers, and a new chapter in the lives of these children. Our 270 students at OLM School have begun to take up our school’s mission: "Our Mission at Our Lady of Mercy School is to follow the Lord Jesus Christ and His Church as we pursue excellence in academics, athletics, and the arts. In the midst of a safe and nurturing environment, we seek to develop a good moral character built upon the teachings of the Catholic Church. We strive to be Saints and Scholars who serve the evangelical mission of our parish so that Mercy may flourish."
As they begin this year, I invite you to join us for the Opening School Mass of the Holy Spirit on Friday at 9:00 am. We seek the guidance, wisdom, and inspiration of the Holy Spirit for a new academic year. As the great Irish Poet William Butler Yeats said: "Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire." We pray the fire of the Holy Spirit enkindle the hearts of our students, faculty, staff, and families!
No sooner has school begun than we have the Labor Day Holiday. Some schools continue to schedule the first day of school after Labor Day. It was that way when I was in school as a kid. Whether school began last week or begins this week, it still means the end of summer for students. However, Labor Day is not the official end of summer, but it is widely considered the unofficial end of the summer season in the United States. The official end of summer is marked by the autumnal equinox, which occurs around September 22nd or 23rd. So we have some time left for the sun, the beach, the boat, and the golf course! Enjoy it while it lasts.
Pope Leo XIII
While the Labor Day holiday's origins are rooted in the secular labor union movement, its significance is deeply tied to Catholic social teaching on the dignity of work and the rights of workers. Pope Leo XIII is connected to Labor Day through his 1891 encyclical, Rerum novarum, which is foundational to Catholic Social Teaching and emphasizes the dignity of labor and workers' rights, including the right to fair wages, safe conditions, and forming unions. His teaching advocates for a balance between the rights of capital and labor, rejecting both socialism and unregulated capitalism.
Pope Leo XIII sought to promote solidarity among all people to ensure workers receive fair treatment and are not treated as mere instruments of production. With his teaching, Pope Leo XIII sought to address the social and economic turmoil caused by the Industrial Revolution and the ensuing rise of capitalism and socialism. Our new Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV, chose his papal name in honor of Leo XIII and Rerum novarum, saying in his first address to the College of Cardinals that "Pope Leo XIII, with the historic Encyclical Rerum novarum, addressed the social question in the context of the first great industrial revolution."
Laborers working on the Empire State Building circa 1930.
Pope Leo XIV has also sought to address the "new industrial revolution" of technology, especially Artificial Intelligence. He has warned that AI poses risks to "human dignity, justice, and labor" and likened its development to the transformative changes of the industrial revolution.
This Labor Day, as Catholic Americans, let us recommit ourselves to building together a society that honors the human dignity of all who labor. Through the treasure of Catholic social teaching, we have a long history of proclaiming the essential role labor plays in helping people to live out their human dignity. Our Catholic faith calls us to pray, work, and advocate for protections that allow all laborers to thrive.
Monthly Eucharistic Adoration resumes this Friday, September 5. Exposition of the Eucharist is at Noon, Adoration follows all afternoon, and Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament is at 6 pm on Friday. Please sign up online. Be well. Do good. God Bless. Go Sox! Happy Labor Day!