Dear Parishioners:
Father and Son, Michael and Quinn O’Connell, OLM School Alumni, enjoy the Saints and Scholars Open.
I awoke last Monday to a dark sky full of threatening rain clouds. However, our Blessed Mother, through her powerful intercession, helped us have a beautiful, sunny day for our Saints and Scholars Open! Over 130 golfers had a great day of golf, fun, and fellowship supporting our parish school.
We are grateful to our many sponsors, especially our tournament sponsors, Mr. Brian Murphy of Shoreham Bank and the Nelson Family of Palmer Industries. So many helped make it a great and successful day, but especially Mrs. Lee Mita, who chaired the entire event and saw to every detail! We offer her our gratitude and praise for a job well done!
On Tuesday morning, I woke to a forecast of a powerful nor'easter arriving Thursday and Friday, with rain, strong winds, and high seas. Such a prediction led us to cancel the Oktoberfest as we could not have put up the tent and lights safely. With more prayer, we hope our Blessed Mother will provide better weather next year.
On Wednesday, we had the perfect opportunity to pray to our patroness, Our Lady of Mercy, at our Holy Hour of Mercy. It was great to have Father Barrow back at OLM to offer us an excellent reflection on mercy. Beautiful prayer and music filled the hour as we turned to Our Lady to honor her and seek out her powerful intercession.
Our Lady of Mercy
On Thursday, we celebrated our Patronal Feast Day of Our Lady of Mercy. In 1867, our parish was named Our Lady of Mercy and placed under her powerful patronage. Her Feast Day is September 24.
We welcomed Father Jack Unsworth, the retired Pastor of St. Bernard Church in Wickford, who was ordained a priest here at Our Lady of Mercy Church fifty years ago in September 1976. We thank Father for his excellent homily and offer our congratulations and promise of prayers as he celebrates his Golden Jubilee of faithful and fruitful priestly service and ministry.
We are grateful to the many who helped with our Act of Mercy on Thursday evening. We packed the much-needed toiletry items, socks, and Dunkin' Donuts gift cards into backpacks, along with rain parkas and holy cards. This Act of Mercy will support the residents of Emmanuel House, our Diocesan Homeless Shelter. We thank those who volunteered and donated, as well as our OLM Outreach Director, Doug Green.
As we look forward to this coming week and the return of good fall weather, we also look forward to our Parish Assembly. It will be held on this Thursday, October 1, in the OLM School Gym beginning at 6:30 pm. If you would like to attend, please register online by Monday, September 28, so we can prepare for the evening. A registration link is in the bulletin and on the parish website.
I am grateful to the parishioners who volunteered to assist us with our Parish Assembly. They will serve as discussion group leaders during the Assembly and guide the group discussions. These assemblies have been occurring across the Diocese since July.
Bishop Lewandowski is following on Archbishop Henning’s plan to reach out to parishes to both renew and plan for parish and diocesan ministry and life. He stated: “I invite all of the baptized to step forward with courage into this new season of renewal.” We hope for a good turnout for the Assembly, and we pray it is a fruitful time of discernment for both our parish and our diocese.
Our Holy Father, Pope Leo, in speaking about parish life, said: “You are the hope! And you must recognize that in your hearts, in your lives, in your youth, in your parish, there is hope for today and tomorrow. Hope already begins here, because Jesus walks with us.”
The Holy Father’s words serve as a good guide for our discussion and discernment at the Assembly. We must be a people of hope who walk with Jesus as we grow in faith. Please pray for our Parish Assembly and all parishioners who participate.
Pray also for of Our Lady of Mercy Parish, may she continue to be a place of faith, hope, love, and mercy.. Next Sunday, October 4, the 5:00 pm Sunday evening Mass resumes. This Mass continues on Sunday evenings during the year until the last weekend of April. Add it to your calendar as another opportunity to get to Sunday Mass at OLM!
Be well. Do good. God Bless. Go Sox! Go Pats!!