Dear Parishioners:
I hope you survived Winter Storm Fern last Sunday. This massive, historic storm impacted 34 states and over 220 million people. Here at OLM, we had a very large crowd at the 4:00 pm Mass on Saturday and good crowds at morning Masses, but not one soul other than Father Brodeur at the Sunday 5:00 pm Mass.
Monday morning was a different story altogether. After the big win by the Super Bowl-bound Patriots, we had six hearty parishioners, our three good Franciscan Sisters, and two loyal altar servers at the 7:30 am Mass! All of us offered thanksgiving to God for surviving the storm and for the Pat’s victory!!
Unfortunately, the storm affected our OLM School Open House, which was scheduled for last Sunday. We had to postpone it to Sunday, February 8, Super Bowl Sunday, from 10:00 am until 12:00 pm. We thank the OLM School students who spoke at Masses last week. They did an outstanding job, and I hope they encouraged you to support our school. If so, stop by the Open House next Sunday.
I want to commend Paul Anderson, our OLM Physical Plant Director, and our OLM maintenance staff for the incredible job they did during the storm. All day and night Sunday and Monday, they were out in the cold and snow, working incredibly hard plowing the lots, shoveling the sidewalks, and using snowblowers to clear the snow. They deserve our thanks and praise, so please thank them when you see them.
The cold temperatures and snowstorm should remind us of the many people in our state who lack a warm shelter. We must not only pray for them but also offer our charity. We are blessed that Emmanuel House, our Diocesan Homeless Shelter in Providence, was open all day and night as a warming center.
Emmanuel House is one of the many charitable works of the Church supported by the Catholic Charity Appeal. The Emmanuel House Shelter operates 365 days a year, housing men and women who have no food or shelter. In addition, the Martin de Porres Center in Providence feeds over 800 impoverished families a month. In fact, our local Catholic Social Services recorded well over 200,000 acts of charity last year, an increase of over 10,000! These acts include responding to requests for assistance with housing, food, clothing, prescriptions, rent, and heat.
With budget cuts for social safety nets both at a national and state levels, the Catholic Church continues to be the second largest non-governmental provider of such services in the nation and state. The Catholic Charity Appeal funds these social services along with other important ministries, including Youth Ministry, Seminarian Education, ministries at state and federal prisons and local hospitals, nursing home facilities, and many other vital ministries of our Diocese.
This year, the overall goal of the Catholic Charity Appeal is $7,700,000. Our OLM Parish goal this year is $199,500, an increase of 5% from last year. Thanks to your generous support last year, we raised $276,000 from 449 parish families. This year, we are once again asking every parish family to prayerfully consider a pledge of $300 in support of the CCA. This monthly pledge of just $30 helps our Church feed the hungry, shelter the homeless, clothe the naked, visit the lonely, serve the imprisoned, and heal the sick.
This weekend, we begin with the parish in-pew portion of the CCA. I thank Mike Mita and Jerry O’Connell, the Chairmen of the OLM CCA, for their leadership. They are speaking at all Masses, asking for your support. We are a parish of over 1,200 families, and we hope every parish household will pledge a gift of at least $300. In the name of the poor and needy, I thank you for your support of the 2026 CCA.
I also thank the many parishioners who supported the Baby Shower Collection for St. Gabriel’s Call. We received many donations, and we are grateful. This collection for needed baby items continues in the coming weeks, so please leave donations in the blue bins in the vestibule. We thank OLM parishioner Joe Ferris for spearheading the collection.
Pray for the success of the Catholic Charity Appeal. Be well. Stay safe. Do good. God Bless! Go Pats!!! Let’s stop those Seahawks from flying!