Dear Parishioners:
Parents are smiling, and students are frowning as summer draws to a close this week. The first day of school at OLM School is this Tuesday, September 1! We are looking forward to another great year of faith and wisdom at our outstanding parish school.
At the 10:30 am Mass, we welcome the 37 new students and 20 new school families and thank them for choosing OLM School for their children. Among the new students, 17 are siblings of current students or alumni. Following today’s Mass of Welcome, there is a Welcome Reception in the OLM School Cafeteria. Please join us in welcoming these new school families to our community.
On Tuesday, we welcome back our students, staff, and faculty. Our faculty had an excellent Retreat last week at the Christian Brothers Center led by Father Brodeur. They are now renewed and ready to teach our students.
We have 266 students registered for this school year with waitlists for most of our grades. This is thanks to the outstanding leadership of our Principal, Patrick McNabb, and the excellent faculty. We thank them for their dedication to Catholic Education and to our students.
Hopefully all of our students are tan, rested, and ready to learn! I’m sure they have finished their summer reading and are eager to discuss it with their teachers. The 14th-century German mystic, theologian, and philosopher Meister Eckhart said: "Trust the magic of new beginnings."
It is the beginning of a new school year, and we invite you to join us as we pray for our school community at the Opening School Mass on Friday, September 4 at 9:00 am. Join us as we call down the Holy Spirit to guide and inspire our faculty, staff, and students. We call upon the Holy Spirit's assistance for wisdom, unity, and a successful school year!
Also, there is a new beginning of our Parish Faith Formation Program this fall. We encourage parents of 1st, 2nd, and 8th Graders to register for our OLM First Communion and Confirmation Programs at the parish website. There you will also find the complete schedule of the upcoming year.
I am happy to announce that Miss Sarah Hardiman, our new OLM Pre-K 4 teacher, will also serve as the Coordinator of our First Communion Program and our Youth Ministry. Sarah has worked at both St. Philip School and Immaculate Conception School and is an active member of Holy Apostles Parish in Cranston. Mr. Jeremy Long, our OLM Middle School Theology Teacher, will continue to serve as our Faith Formation Director and Confirmation Program Director. We are grateful to both Jeremy and Sarah for their willingness to lead our Faith Formation Programs at OLM.
Our Confirmation Mass for this year is scheduled for Sunday, October 25 at 5:00 pm. The Most Reverend J. Mark Spalding, Bishop of Nashville, is our celebrant this year. Bishop Spalding is a dear friend and seminary classmate of mine and has been to OLM several times over the years.
In October, we also welcome Net Ministries to OLM. They have been here in past years and are returning this year to lead both our OLM Middle School Retreat and our Confirmation Retreat. We are happy they were able to return to OLM, as they do an outstanding job.
Net Ministries has led retreats for teens across the country for decades. Catholic young adults serve on these retreat teams and travel around the country, proclaiming the Gospel to young people. They give talks, lead small groups, share their personal testimonies, and pray with thousands of young people each year, all to share the love of Jesus Christ. Father Mahoney served with Net Ministries for a few years before entering the seminary.
In the coming weeks, our OLM Building Committee will also review proposals to enhance security for both our school and church. Sadly, security is a concern for religious schools and houses of worship. Our Jewish brothers and sisters know this very well, but in recent years there has been an increase in violent attacks in Christian and Catholic schools and churches.
After my pilgrimage to Lourdes, France, it’s good to be back home at OLM. Summer is ending, so let’s “trust the magic of new beginnings” this fall! Be well. Do good. God Bless. Go Sox!!!