Celebrating the Eucharist and New Priests!

Dear Parishioners: This weekend we celebrate the great Solemnity of Corpus Christi.  In this celebration we proclaim our belief in the Real presence of Jesus Christ in the Holy Eucharist. We also proclaim that same Jesus lives within each one of us who are baptized into His Body, the Church. In the Holy Eucharist we receive the Divine Host whom we carry in procession. Through our Baptism he has taken up residence within each one of us. We carry Him into the real world just as we carry the monstrance in procession today. When we process we proclaim that the Lord continues to come into the world, through us.

The celebration of this Solemnity goes back to the thirteenth century. Pope Urban IV instituted it in 1264 for the entire Church. He wanted it to be filled with joy and accompanied by hymns and a festive procession. He asked the great Western Church father, St. Thomas Aquinas, to compose two Offices of prayer. St Thomas did so- along with five hymns - and they have nourished the faith of Christians for centuries. In one of them St. Thomas noted: "Material food first of all turns itself into the person who eats it, and as a consequence, restores his losses and increases his vital energies. Spiritual food, on the other hand, turns the person who eats it into Itself, and thus the proper effect of this sacrament is the conversion of man into Christ, so that he may no longer live for himself, but that Christ may live in Him. And as a consequence it has the double effect of restoring the spiritual losses caused by sins and defects and of increasing the power of the virtues."

We will celebrate Corpus Christi with great solemnity at the 10:30AM Mass.  The Mass will include a Eucharistic Procession to Mercy Park and then Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament.  As we celebrate the great gift of the Eucharist this weekend, we might reflect on the words of Blessed Mother of Theresa of Calcutta: “Our lives must be woven around the Eucharist...fix your eyes on Him Who is the light; bring your hearts close to His Divine Heart; ask Him to grant you the grace of knowing Him, the love of loving Him, the courage to serve Him. Seek Him fervently.”

We also celebrate this weekend the ordination of two new priests for the Diocese of Providence.  On Saturday morning Bishop Tobin ordained Scott J. Carpentier and Thomas J. Woodhouse as priests.  Fathers Carpentier and Woodhouse are great young men and we are blessed to have them answer God’s call to serve His Church.  They are to be assigned by Bishop Tobin as assistant pastors and will soon be serving at parishes in the Diocese.  We congratulate them and offer our prayers for them and their priestly ministry. While there were only two ordained priests this year, we had  eight priests retire from parish administration.  This means there are fewer priests to serve the 150 parishes and many other priestly ministries  needed in the Diocese. So it’s clear that we need to pray for vocations to the priesthood.  Do you know a young man who might make a good priest?  Have you told him?  Have you asked your sons, nephews, grandsons or even a neighbor?  “The harvest is plenty but the workers are few,” let’s see if we can change that by our prayers and our invitations. You can get more information at http://catholicpriest.com

Speaking of priests, I hope to find out this week who is to be assigned as our new Assistant Pastor at Our Lady of Mercy. Once I’ve learned who it is from the Bishop, I will announce it to the parish.  Fr. Shemek is back from Poland this week and will be with us until the end of the month.  His new assignment as Pastor of St. Christopher and St. Theresa Parishes in Tiverton is effective on July 1, 2013.  His replacement  assumes his duties here at OLM on July 1, 2013 as well. Also at the end of the month I am retiring from my  duties as the Theological Consultant and Editorial Writer of the RI Catholic.  It has been a great fifteen years working at the weekly diocesan paper but it is clear the time to move on from the paper has arrived.  God Bless.

A Day to Remember and Give Thanks

Dear Parishioners: What a beautiful day we had for last week’s Confirmation Mass.  The sun was shining and on Pentecost Sunday the Holy Spirit was alive and well. Nearly a hundred of our young adults were confirmed in their Catholic Faith by Bishop Tobin.  The Mass was truly a joyful and faithful occasion for the conformandi and their families.  In your name, I offer them our prayers and congratulations. I hope and pray that these young people will stay close to Christ and His Church in the coming years.

So often we see families disappear from parish life after celebrating a sacrament.  This is certainly true for those who make Confirmation.  In the coming weeks I will be writing each of the newly confirmed to invite them to take up a parish ministry and deepen their faith as well serve their parish  community.  Keep them in your prayers.

My thanks to all those who made Confirmation such a great occasion for our parish.  We thank all the teachers, parents, and sponsors who helped prepare these young men and women for this important day in their faith lives.  We also thank Mickey St. Jean who coordinates the Confirmation Program for a job well done.  My thanks to Doug Green and the Reception Committee for providing a wonderful celebration in Mercy Park for the conformandi and their families.  The rain held off until everyone had finished.  Indeed God is good!

With Confirmation over, we have come to the end of the Religious Education Year.  We thank all of our volunteer teachers and helpers for their commitment to teaching the faith to our young children.  I am happy to announce that Mickey St. Jean is to take over the coordination of the First Communion Program and Religious Education for Grades 1 through 5.  Also Doug Green will now coordinate the Confirmation Program for Grades 6 through 8.  I have been meeting with both Doug and Mickey the last few weeks to discuss how me might reconfigure and revitalize our Religious Education Program at OLM.  We hope to put some final plans together in the coming weeks about the restructure  of the program and the further enhancement of the Sacramental Preparation for First Communion and Confirmation.

Father Shemek left after Confirmation to make a visit to his family in Poland and is to return next weekend.  While his departure from OLM is a big loss to our parish, he is truly very excited about his new position as Pastor in Tiverton and wanted to share it with his family.   The weekend of June 22/23 will be his final weekend here at OLM and we will have a reception where you can wish him a fond farewell.  Also on the weekend of June 30 we will have a Mass of Thanksgiving for Sister Rose and Sister Lucy.  We will offer Mass in thanks for their many years of dedicated service to our parish community.  The Mass will be followed by a reception in Mercy Park where you can personally thank the good sisters.

With the month of May coming to an end, June is soon to arrive.  June brings with it the  graduation of our OLM School 8th Grade on June 13th and the end of our school year on June 14th. It’s hard to believe that the school year is ending so soon and the summer beginning!  Where does the time go??  I ask you to please pray for the 8th Graders graduating from OLM School this year that they may continue to grow in grace and holiness and faith and wisdom.

This weekend we celebrate Memorial Day, a day of remembrance for all those brave men and women who died in service to our nation. On this day we honor their sacrifice in defense of our freedom and  liberty.  Bishop Fulton Sheen once said: “There are certain things in life too beautiful to be forgotten. That is why we revere the sacrifice of our soldiers on Memorial Day. The most beautiful thing about the life of our Lord was His death. Everyone else came into the world to live; He came into it to die; “to give his life as a ransom for many.” Let us remember all those who have given the ultimate  sacrifice for us and for our nation. May God Bless  them and America! Happy Memorial Day.

From First Communion to Confirmation, Happy Pentecost!!!!

Dear Parishioners: It was a joyful and wonderful celebration of First Holy Communion last weekend at Our Lady of Mercy.  Over 100 of our parish children received the Eucharistic Lord in Holy Communion for the very first time Saturday.  Congratulations to them all!

On Sunday they returned to Church for the May Crowing at the 10:30AM Mass and celebrated our patroness, Our Lady of Mercy, in fine fashion.  Of course, the May Crowning is so special on Mother’s Day and this year was no exception.  In your name, I offer our thanks to all who made the celebration possible for these children. Their parents and families who first planted the seed of faith and ensured it is nourished and strengthened with the Sacraments are to be thanked.  We are also grateful to the many teachers and helpers who instructed and prepared the children for this joyous time in their lives.  We thank the musicians, ushers, readers, ministers and all those who worked so hard in making this celebration such a great occasion of faith, hope and love for our parish and for these children.

We also must thank Sister Rose who has dedicated herself to forming the young children of our parish in the Catholic Faith. For twenty years, she has committed her time and talent to ensuring that Jesus and His Church are central in the lives of the children of our parish and we are grateful for her tireless and selfless service. Just a few weeks ago after meeting with the Provincial of the Filipini Sisters, Sister Rose informed me of her intention to retire from her role as the Directress of Religious Education. We are certainly most grateful for her many years of service to Our Lady of Mercy Parish.  Also, Sister Lucy who has served here for many years will be retiring as the Pastoral Minister to the Sick, Elderly and Homebound. Mother Provincial has indicated that both Sister Rose and Sister Lucy will be moving from the Filipini Convent at OLM in the coming months to live with larger Filipini Communities.  Sister Lucy is to move to the Filipini Convent at Mt. Carmel Parish in Bristol while Sister Rose is to return to her native New Jersey.  We are planning a Special Mass of Thanksgiving and Celebration for the good sisters in the coming weeks.

This weekend we welcome  the Most Reverend Thomas Tobin, the Bishop of Providence, to Our Lady of Mercy.  He is coming to celebrate the Sacrament of Confirmation for over 100 of our OLM young adults at 1:00PM on Sunday.  We look forward to officially welcoming our Bishop and celebrating with our Confirmation Class and their families. How appropriate that we celebrate Confirmation on the great feast of Pentecost when we celebrate the Holy Spirit.   Pentecost recalls the Holy Spirit coming upon the Apostles and Mary and then, through them came upon all who would choose Jesus Christ. The apostles began the mission of evangelization, of bringing the world to the  Good News of the Gospel by invoking the Holy Spirit, the Power of God. In a very special way we pray for these young adults of our parish as they are confirmed by Bishop Tobin and receive the gifts of the Holy Spirit.  It is a great day for them and their families but also for our parish congratulations as they are confirmed in their Catholic Faith.

In April, Pope Francis celebrated Confirmation in Rome for 44 young adults from around the world including several from the United States.  In a  profound reflection, Pope Francis reminded the young people about the importance of Confirmation. He invited these young people to live their faith fully and courageously. He  stated: “It is an invitation which I make to you, young confirmandi, and to all present. Remain steadfast in the journey of faith, with firm hope in the Lord. This is the secret of our journey! He gives us the courage to swim against the tide. Pay attention, my young friends: to go against the current; this is good for the heart, but we need courage to swim against the tide. Jesus gives us this courage!” Congrats to our OLM newly confirmed in the faith! God Bless.

Happy First Communion and Happy Mothers' Day at OLM!!!!

Dear Parishioners: We are grateful to Bishop Evans for celebrating the Special First Anniversary Mass for Monsignor Lolio this past Monday.  Along with our school children there was a large crowd of parishioners and Monsignor’s sister, Sheila.  It was a wonderful way to remember Monsignor and pray for the repose of his soul.  May he rest in eternal peace.  Bishop also blessed a new statue of St. Joseph that was donated in memory of Monsignor Lolio.  In his homily, Bishop Evans reminded the school children that St. Joseph is the Father of Jesus and the Patron of the Universal Church.  How  appropriate that Monsignor Lolio who was the spiritual father of Our Lady of Mercy for two decades be honored in such a way.   Until we locate a fitting place for St. Joseph he will reside in the candle room where we can call upon his intercession for our parish.

Congratulations to the children of our parish who make their First Holy Communion this weekend.  What a great day for our parish and for their families to celebrate with faith, hope and love the reception of the Eucharistic Lord into their lives for the very first time.  These children have been preparing all year for this big day and practicing all week for this weekend.  It is always such an uplifting experience to see these little ones  come forward to receive Jesus Christ in Holy Communion so prayerfully and reverently.  As we rejoice with them and offer our prayers for them, perhaps we might also reflect on our own reception of Holy Communion.

We might ask ourselves a few questions: are we prepared properly to receive Holy Communion?  Do we keep the Communion Fast of not eating or drinking one hour prior to receiving?  Do we go to Confession regularly or when in a  state of serious sin?  How reverently and prayerfully do we receive Communion? Whether we are receiving Holy Communion for the first time or the one thousandth time, we all need to pause and pray about what we are doing.

This weekend we pause to pray for all Mothers as we celebrate Mothers’ Day.  The celebration of Mother’s Day dates back all the way to ancient times, but the idea of the celebration was first kicked around in 1872. Julia Ward Howe, author of the words to the “Battle Hymn of the Republic,” proposed Mother’s Day as a day dedicated to peace. But it was Ann Jarvis of West Virginia, however, who really pushed for a national day to honor mothers. On the second anniversary of her mother’s death, Jarvis asked her mother’s church in Grafton, West Virginia, to celebrate a day to honor  mothers. Thanks to a campaign by Jarvis and her supporters, by 1911 almost every state celebrated Mother’s Day. In 1914, President Woodrow Wilson made it a national holiday.

The late Joseph Cardinal Mindszenty, the Primate of Hungary in the mid-20th Century and a staunch defender of the faith against the Fascists and Communists, once wrote on Motherhood.  His words are a beautiful reflection for our celebration of Mothers’ Day.  He wrote:  “The most important person on earth is a mother. She cannot claim the honor of having built Notre Dame Cathedral. She need not. She has built something more magnificent than any cathedral------a dwelling for an immortal soul, the tiny perfection of her baby's body. The Angels have not been blessed with such a grace. They cannot share in God's Creative miracle to bring new Saints to Heaven. Only a human mother can. Mothers are closer to God the Creator than any other creatures. God joins forces with mothers in performing this act of creation. What on God's good earth is more glorious than this: to be a mother?"

May God Bless all  Mothers. May we always be mindful of their love and dedication.  May we always remember them in our prayers while they are with us and when they’ve gone before us in faith.  Cardinal Mindszenty is correct:  “What on God’s good earth is more glorious than this: to be a mother?”  Happy Mothers’ Day! Remember to join us for May Devotions.

Preparing for First Communion and Mothers' Day with Faith, Hope and Love!

Dear Parishioners: I wish to thank OLM Parishioner Colin Tierney, a Junior at Bishop Hendricken High School for including the parish in his efforts to help the victims of the Boston Terrorist Attacks. He was at the Boston Marathon and inspired to react.  So he created and designed  wristbands with the Holy Father's words to the City of Boston, “Combat evil with good.”  What a great way to react to the tragedy with faith and hope!  I’m happy to report that he raised $750 selling these wristbands  after Mass at OLM  for the One Boston Fund.  The horrific tragedy in Boston continues to play out in the news media and seems to gain more connections to little Rhode Island everyday.  We can only respond with faith, hope and love.  In a world too full of fear, hate, violence and war, perhaps we might pray for the many victims of violence and hatred as well as their families who suffer with them.  Let us not only pray but let us truly work to “combat evil with good!”

We are looking forward to the celebration of First Communion next weekend.  What a happy day for our parish children as they receive the Lord Jesus in the Eucharist for the very first time.  Let us pray for them as they continue to prepare for this great day in their young lives. Several years ago  Benedict, Pope Emeritus, meet with a group of children who recently made their First Holy Communion.  He reflected about his own First Communion and said: “So on that day I was  really filled with great joy, because Jesus came to me and I realized that a new stage in my life was beginning, I was 9 years old, and that it was henceforth important to stay faithful to that encounter, to that communion. I promised the Lord as best I could: ‘I always want to stay with you’, and I prayed to him, ‘but above all, stay with me’. So I went on living my life like that; thanks be to God, the Lord has always taken me by the hand and guided me, even in difficult situations.”

I too remember my First Communion Day at St. Paul’s in Cranston.  My older brothers served the Mass and I received the Eucharist from Father Raymond Rafferty, then the Assistant Pastor.  Afterwards the whole Healey Family went to IHOP!  It was a great day and I hope and pray that our OLM First Communion Class will also always remember their special day when they receive the Eucharistic Lord for the first time.

Of course, next Sunday is Mothers’ Day, so we will be praying for all mothers, living and deceased.  The First Communion Class will celebrate Mothers’ Day in fine fashion with the May Crowning at next Sunday’s 10:30AM Mass.  What a great way to celebrate Mothers’ Day by crowning Mary ,the Mother of the Church and Queen of the May! Father Shemek and I will remember all  Mothers at the Masses on Mothers’ Day as we call upon the intercession of our Mother, Our Lady of Mercy.

During his reflection at  a recent Wednesday Audience Pope Francis departed from his official text to say, “Mothers, go forth with this witness to the living Christ.” He was referring to the fact that women were the first messengers of the risen Christ when Mary Magdalene took the good news of the resurrection to the disciples.   Pope Francis is urging mothers everywhere to be the messengers of the risen Christ to their families most especially their children.  Let us pray that Mothers continue to bear witness to the living Christ especially to their children!

It’s hard to believe that  year has gone by since  we learned of Monsignor Lolio’s tragic death. Without a doubt  his family, friends and many parishioners continue to grieve the loss of such a fine priest and pastor.   I invite all parishioners to join us for a special First Anniversary Mass in memory of Monsignor Lolio on Monday morning at 9:00AM.  Bishop Evans is to celebrate and preach the Mass that will include the children from our parish school.  As a former Catholic high school teacher Monsignor Lolio was always very dedicated to Catholic Education.  Thanks to his generosity we now have a OLM School Scholarship Fund dedicated to his memory.  Let us continue to pray for the repose of his noble soul.  God Bless.

OLM Wins 6th State Title at Science Olympiad, Congratulations!!!

OLM SCHOOL SCIENCE OLYMPIAD TEAM CAPTURES SIXTH STATE TITLE

WILL REPRESENT R.I. AT NATIONAL COMPETITION IN DAYTON, OHIO ON MAY 18

East Greenwich, RI -- Our Lady of Mercy School’s Science Olympiad Team, made up of twenty 6th, 7th, and 8th graders, won its sixth RI State Science Olympiad Competition at Rhode Island College on Saturday, April 20.  With 8 gold, 3 silver, and 4 bronze medals on the state level, OLM placed fourth or higher in 21 out of 23 events. The team will represent RI in the middle school division at the National competition for the second straight year and the sixth time in eight years, winning four consecutive titles from 2006-2009.  OLM head coach and middle school science teacher Michelle Lewandowski, along with several parent and teacher volunteer coaches, helped prepare the students with weekly meetings and study sessions, beginning in October.  Out of 23 events, which range from building events such as Boomilever and Mission Possible (A Rube Goldberg Device), study events such as Anatomy and Heredity, and Lab events such as Crime Busters and Experimental Design, OLM earned medals in a total of 15 events.

The Gold Medals were earned in Anatomy, Boomilever, Crime Busters,  Helicopters, Mousetrap Vehicle, Road Scholar, Rocks and Minerals and Sounds of Music.   Silver medals were for Forestry, Mission Possible and Invasive Species. OLM’s four bronze medals were earned in Experimental Design, Heredity, Meteorology and Metric Mastery.  Members of the team include the following students: 8th graders: Jake Mueller, Matt Paliotta, Makenna Dacey, Hunter Corbett, Peter Faherty, Michael Cottam, Patrick Petteruti, Daniel Legare, Zach Magiera, Isabelle Lucente, Tim O'Brien.  7th graders: Sean Meehan, Bella Lanna, Alex Lanna, Teddy Hackett, Christina Liberto; 6th grader: Caitlyn Murphy. Support team: Bianca Micolis (8th), Sophia Micolis (7th), Eric Paliotta (6th).  The OLM team will travel to Dayton, Ohio for the National Science Olympiad competition, being held on May 18, at Wright State University.