Dear Parishioners:
This week we prepare for the return to school at OLM School. On Thursday, the OLM School Faculty will make a retreat at the Christian Brothers Center in Narragansett. Father Brodeur will serve as the Retreat Master this year. Please keep the OLM School administration, faculty, and staff in your prayers as they get ready to begin another academic year.
Next Sunday at the 10:30 am Mass, we will celebrate a Welcome Mass and Reception for the new families who have enrolled at OLM School this year. It’s hard to believe, but the first day of school is quickly approaching. Yes, summer break ends officially for our students on Tuesday, September 1. The Opening Mass of the Holy Spirit will be celebrated on Friday, September 4 at 9:00am.
Where did the summer go? Ralph Waldo Emerson said: “When summer opens, I see how fast it matures and fear it will be short. But after the heats of July and August, I am reconciled, like one who has had his swing, to the cool of autumn.”
With the start of school and the month of September right around the corner, it’s time to get some important events on your calendar. Our Annual Saints and Scholars Golf Tournament is slated for Monday, September 21 at Quidnessett Country Club. You can register your foursome or sponsorship via the ad in the bulletin.
Saints and Scholars Open
The tournament kicks off our Feast Week, which includes a Holy Hour of Mercy on Wednesday, September 23; the Patronal Feast of Our Lady of Mercy Mass on Thursday, September 24; the Act of Mercy, also on September 24; and the week ends with Oktoberfest on Friday, September 25. The See You in September Raffle tickets will soon be sold, and the winners will be drawn at the Oktoberfest. So mark the dates! September is Mercy Month at OLM!
Also, in September we begin preparation for our Parish Assembly on October 1. On the Feast of Corpus Christi, Bishop Lewandowski, after meeting with the priests of the Diocese on numerous occasions, released his pastoral plan entitled: “Three Pathways, One Mission.” It is his plan for renewing our diocese. It is a significant moment for the Church in Rhode Island, and it is an invitation to all of us who serve in parishes and schools.
Bishop Lewandowski stated: “Over the past year, I have visited many parishes, schools, and ministries. It has been a great source of joy and inspiration to meet so many of you. I’ve seen and heard a lot. While much of what I’ve experienced is truly wonderful, I’ve come to understand that the transitions in episcopal leadership over the past three years have left their mark on us and created some challenges. Having three bishops in the course of three years is rare. The extended period of transition can produce administrative stagnation, change fatigue, and loss of personal connection.
Changes in leadership style and priorities can drain the morale of the clergy and diocesan staff. Programs initiated by one bishop may be put on hold or abandoned before they can bear fruit. Each transition requires the new leader to ‘learn’ local history, culture, and traditions, a process that can take more than a year. So much change over three years can leave us feeling that we are in a prolonged state of ‘learning’ rather than ‘doing.’”
Every parish in the Diocese is to hold a Parish Assembly. After the Parish Assemblies have concluded, the representatives from every parish will gather in a Diocesan Assembly in November. The assemblies are meant to bring us together for prayer and guided discussion in order to set pastoral priorities. They are not intended to challenge perennial Church teaching or alter the Sacred Liturgy. Rather, they are a means to listen together for how the Holy Spirit is calling us to live the Church's mission in our time and place and to identify pastoral needs for ministry, evangelization, and renewal.
In the coming weeks, the leadership of our parish assembly will meet to prepare for our Parish Assembly on October 1. A general invitation will follow, and information will be posted on the parish website and in the bulletin. It is good to be back home at OLM after my pilgrimage. It was a very faith-filled time in France guided by Our Lady. Be well. Do good. God Bless. Go Sox!!!