Giving Thanks to God for a Great Picnic and more...

Dear Parishioners:I awoke last Sunday morning at 4:00AM to thunder, lightening and a downpour of heavy rain! However, thanks to your prayers and the intercession of our parish patroness, Our Lady of Mercy, the storms and rains subsided by Noon and the sun was shining brightly! It was a beautiful day for our OLM Parish Picnic! Over three hundred parishioners, friends and neighbors gathered for a great afternoon of good food, good fun, and good friends! I am grateful to our crack OLM Maintenance Team and a great group of volunteers from the parish and school PTG everything was ready to go and then quickly cleaned up afterwards. In your name, I thank the Galleshaw Family of Wright’s Chicken Farm for donating their tent for the picnic, the Dunkin Donuts on Main Street for donating all the coffee, the Knights of Columbus for manning the grill and cooking the burgers and dogs all afternoon.  Without the help of so many great parishioners who volunteered and benefactors who were so generous we would not have had such a great day.   It was a great afternoon of pony rides and games for kids, good food and ice cream for all and a wonderful time celebrating our parish family.  We are grateful to Fr. Connors for his truly talented display of juggling including the juggling of flaming batons!  It was one of the highlights of the day.  Also we congratulate Fr. Connors and his team of youth who were victorious over Team Healey in the tug-of-war!  There will be a rematch next year! We give thanks to God for this wonderful parish and for providing our parish family such beautiful weather and good times! On Tuesday of this past week we had a solemn celebration of the Feast Day of Our Lady of Mercy at the 7:30AM Mass.  Our parish soloist Deirdre Donovan provided  beautiful music for the special  feast including a truly beautiful hymn dedicated to patroness. May Our Lady of Mercy continue to intercede for our parish and guide and protect our parishioners.   It’s hard to believe that the month of September is coming to a close and fall has arrived.  Soon the leaves will be changing colors and falling down. October at OLM is full of events and special feast so please take a look in the bulletin.  We will have October Devotions each Monday during the month at 7:00PM with spiritual  reflections. Also we will offer all-day Eucharistic Adoration this Friday following the Frist Friday OLM School Mass.  I hope you can spend some time on Friday in prayer and adoration of Jesus Christ truly present in the Blessed Sacrament.  Adoration will conclude at 7:00PM on Friday night. Also beginning in October there will be an extra hour of Confessions each week.   Beginning on Monday, October 7th, Fr. Connors and I will hear Confessions on Monday nights at  6:00PM.  For those who cannot make it to Confession on Saturday afternoon, you can now stop by on the way home from work on Monday evenings. Frequent Confession is good for the soul! The congregation at our new Sunday 5:00PM Mass has continued to grow each week. We are in need of regular volunteers to help usher and take up the collection.  So if you are interested in helping out at one or two Sunday evening Masses a month, please let me know.  Also remind your friends, neighbors and family members that OLM now has the last Sunday Mass in the area! On Sunday, October 6th at the 5:00PM Mass Bishop Evans is to confirm nearly 100 of the young adults of parish.  I ask that you please commend them to your prayers that as they receive the gifts of the Holy Spirit  they will continue to grow in grace, faith and holiness and stay close to Christ and His Church.  Deacon John Dowd underwent double knee replacement surgery this past week and will be away from the parish for a few weeks to recover.  Keep him in your prayers that the surgery is successful and the he returns soon to his ministry at OLM. God Bless.  Have a great week. Go Sox! Go Pats!!

PIcnic and Patronal Feast!!

Dear Parishioners: Your response to Fr. Nick Smith’s appeal to support the Priests’ Retirement Collection was extremely generous.  Once again this year we collected over $10,000 for the fund.  As you know the Senior Priest Retirement Fund  benefits those priests in our diocese who have reached the retirement age of 70 or older.  Despite ‘retirement’ many priests continue to provide pastoral care to the faithful through celebrating Masses, visiting hospitals and nursing homes, volunteering in schools and fulfilling many other duties in continued service to the Lord and the faithful.  Thank you for your support of this critical effort to provide for senior priests in their retirement years – years many priests continue to spend very active in ministry.  Fr. Smith wrote me a note and shared with me how delighted he was to be here at Our Lady of Mercy.  He met several couples he married years ago and hadn’t seen since their wedding day.  He also reunited with a man from OLM who was an altar boy for him at the  Cathedral back in the 1960s!  I thank you for your generous response to the collection.  I ask you to please pray for Fr. Smith and all the retired priests of our Diocese who continue to labor in the vineyard.

This week we celebrate our Patronal Feast, as a Parish as, the Feast of Our Lady of Mercy is Tuesday, September 24th.  We begin our celebration this Sunday with the Annual OLM Parish Picnic.  I hope you can join us for a fun-filled afternoon right here on the grounds of OLM.  We will have games for kids and adults, pony rides for children, plenty of Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream, and a Tug-of-War competition between Team Healey and Team Connors!  Also we look forward to seeing Fr. Connors display his juggling talents! So stop by on Sunday afternoon to spend some time celebrating our OLM Parish Family.  The Knights of Columbus will be cooking hamburgers and hot dogs on the grill.  You can bring your own picnic food, a chair, blanket and beverage of your choice.  There will be a big tent to sit under as well as a dessert table complete with homemade desserts.

On Tuesday we celebrate the Feast Day of Our Lady of Mercy Parish so please try to join us for Mass at 7:30AM.  We will call upon the intercession of our Patroness, Our Lady of Mercy, to guide and protect our parish family and help us continue to grow in faith, hope and love.   This Feast originated when  the Blessed Virgin appeared to Saint Peter Nolassco in Barcelona, Spain. She also appeared  to his confessor,  Saint Raymond of Pennafort, and to the King. These three men established a work of the ransoming of captives. Our Lady indicated to them that she desired the establishment of the Mercedarian religious order. The name is derived from the Spanish word for mercy, merced.  Its members would seek to free Christian captives from the Moors and offer themselves, if necessary, as an exchange. The Order was constituted at Barcelona by King James of Aragon, established in Spain and later approved by Pope Gregory IX under the name of Our Lady of Mercy.

In our times we might pray for the intercession of Our Lady of Mercy as we face the continued threats of terrorism and violence that she might lead us to restore mercy and peace in our world.  Also  we must turn to her to protect the persecuted Christians in places like Syria, Iran, Iraq, Egypt, Pakistan, India and Nigeria. Just last week a Catholic Priest in Zanzibar was burned with acid by Islamic extremists.  May Our Lady of Mercy guide and protect all Christians especially those who face oppression and persecution. You may have noticed the work being done on the Church bathrooms.  After many years these bathrooms are being remodeled and updated with new, modern fixtures. A changing table will also be added to one of the bathrooms.  They both should be fully operational soon. This project was made possible because of your generosity to the Annual Collection.  Thanks for the support.  See you at the Picnic! God Bless!

Give Peace a Chance!

Dear Parishioners: Last Saturday we joined millions across the globe who took up Pope Francis’ call to pray and fast for peace.  Over a hundred thousand people joined the Pope in St. Peter’s Square as he led them in prayer and called upon world leaders to choose a path toward peace not war.  I write this column on Tuesday morning in expectation of President Obama’s Address to the Nation later tonight.  He is to speak directly to the American people about the situation in Syria and the response by our government to the evil attacks with chemical weapons upon the Syrian People.    It appears that the President will have to make a very compelling argument to both the U.S. public and the U.S. Congress that military strikes in Syria are just and necessary.  Most Americans and increasingly many members of Congress are opposed to any type of military action in Syria. I hope you continue to pray for the President and  Congress as they weigh what decision to make in this situation.  Any decision they make and any course of action taken is to have serious diplomatic ramifications as well very serious implications for the young men and women who make up our military and possibly even the safety and  security of our nation. We must also pray for all of our troops that they might be protected from all harm.  And please continue to pray for peace in our world.  May Our Lady, the Queen of Peace intercede and guide our world into the way of peace not war!

In his homily for the Vigil for Peace, Pope Francis called upon Catholics and all people of good will to work and pray for peace and reconciliation  in our world. Here is an excerpt from his powerful and prophetic homily:   “Is it possible to change direction? Can we get out of this spiral of sorrow and death? Can we learn once again to walk and live in the ways of peace? Invoking the help of God, under the maternal gaze of the Salus Populi Romani, Queen of Peace, I say: Yes, it is possible for  everyone! From every corner of the world tonight, I would like to hear us cry out: Yes, it is possible for everyone! Or even better, I would like for each one of us, from the least to the greatest, including those called to govern nations, to respond: Yes, we want it! My Christian faith urges me to look to the Cross. How I wish that all men and women of good will would look to the Cross if only for a moment! There, we can see God’s reply: violence is not answered with violence, death is not answered with the  language of death. In the silence of the Cross, the uproar of weapons ceases and the language of reconciliation, forgiveness, dialogue, and peace is spoken.” Yesterday, September 14th, was the Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross.  It is a feast in which we acknowledge the centrality of Christ's cross.  The crucifix is the definitive revelation of the fact that we are loved totally by the one person, God, who knows us through and through, and that's what we most need to know. May the Cross of Christ lead our world to overcome war and violence and follow His way of peace  and reconciliation.

In your name, I thank Fr. Nick Smith for his presence here at OLM last week.  His homily was excellent and he was very pleased with the warm reception given him by so many parishioners.  I also thank you for your generosity to this week’s second collection,  the Priests Retirement Fund Collection.  Your support of this important fund has always been very generous and it is greatly appreciated.  I hope you are as excited as Father Connors and me about next Sunday’s Parish Picnic. We are looking forward to spending a great afternoon gathered as a parish family.  So please join us from 1PM until 4PM as we celebrate our faith with a great spirit of fun and fellowship.  Of course, Fr. Connors great juggling skills will be on display! The Patronal Feast of our Parish is September 24th and so in anticipation of it we  start to celebrate next Sunday with the picnic.   May Our Lady of Mercy guide our parish to  continue to grow in faith, hope and charity.  Pray for Peace! God Bless! Go Sox! Go Pats!!!!!

Prayers, Peace, Picnics and more...

Dear Parishioners: We had a pretty good crowd last Sunday night for our new 5:00PM Mass.  Given that it was a rainy night and also Labor Day Weekend it was great to see so many turn out for it.  I think we might see more as the word gets out and folks return from summer homes and vacations.  In the meantime please tell your neighbors, friends and family members that they now have a fifth chance to get to Mass on Sunday!

Next Sunday is National Catechetical  Sunday in the US. It is a day that we celebrate the religious education and formation of our parish children.  I invite you to join us at the 10:30AM Mass next Sunday as we recognize the men and women who have volunteered to teach the Catholic Faith in our Religious Education Program. This year we begin with changes in our Religious Education Program including moving all our classes to Sunday.  All children in Grades 1-5 will attend classes following the 9:00AM Family Mass (10:00AM-11:00AM) and our students in Grades 6-8 will attend following the 5:00PM Sunday Mass from 6:00PM until 7:00PM.  I thank the volunteer teachers for coming forth to share the faith and teach the children about  Jesus and His Church.  Pray for them as they begin this good work of faith formation and evangelization.  Also pray for the many children and their families of our RE Program, may it be a great year of faith and wisdom for them all! I  ask also for your prayers for our 9th Grade Confirmation Candidates.  They are on Retreat this weekend and on September 22nd.  They are to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation on Sunday, October 6th at the 5:00PM Mass.  As they continue to prepare to receive the gifts of the Holy Spirit, may they also continue to grow in their faith.

On Friday we invoked the Holy Spirit upon the faculty, staff and students of our OLM School.  The Mass for Holy Spirit for the Opening of the School year is traditionally celebrated this time of year.  In fact this coming week Father Connors and I will concelebrate  Masses at the Prout School and Bishop Hendricken with the school chaplains and other local clergy.  May it be a year of growing and learning for all students.

I ask you to mark your calendars for the OLM Parish Picnic on Sunday, September 22nd from 1:00PM until 4:00PM.  Once again  we look forward to gathering and celebrating as a Parish Family in anticipation of the Feast of Our Lady of Mercy on September 24th.  We are hoping for a beautiful day of weather (say some prayers!) and a great turnout once again this year. You are welcome to join us and bring your own picnic food, a chair and a beverage of your choice.  We will provide the tent, condiments, paper-goods,  music, cold water, grills for grilling, games for children and adults, pony rides for kids, and Ben and Jerry’s Ice Cream for all!  We are always in need of volunteers to help with set-up, running things the day of the picnic and clean-up.   If you can help in anyway just contact the Parish Office at 884-4968 or via email at parish@olmparish.org  Hope to see you there!

Following on Pope Francis’s call to pray for peace this weekend, I ask you to please pray for peace and for a resolution to the conflicts in the Middle East especially in Syria.  Pope Francis stated: “All men and women of good will are bound by the task of pursuing peace. I make a forceful and urgent call to the entire Catholic Church, and also to every Christian of other confessions, as well as to followers of every religion and to those brothers and sisters who do not believe: peace is a good which overcomes every barrier, because it belongs to all of humanity!”  May the Queen of Peace, the Blessed Virgin Mary, whose birth we celebrate today, truly guide our world into the ways of peace.   We thank Senior Priest, Fr. Nick Smith for preaching to us this weekend about the Priests Retirement Fund Collection.  This important collection is to be taken up next weekend.  Your generosity is always appreciated as is your prayers for our Senior Priests.  Have a great week!  God Bless! Go Sox!  Go Pats!

A Prayer for the People of Syria

A Prayer for the People of Syria Almighty eternal God, source of all compassion, the promise of your mercy and saving help fills our hearts with hope. Hear the cries of the people of Syria; bring healing to those suffering from the violence, and comfort to those mourning the dead. Empower and encourage Syria’s neighbors in their care and welcome for refugees. Convert the hearts of those who have taken up arms, and strengthen the resolve of those committed to peace.

O God of hope and Father of mercy, your Holy Spirit inspires us to look beyond ourselves and our own needs. Inspire leaders to choose peace over violence and to seek reconciliation with enemies. Inspire the Church around the world with compassion for the people of Syria, and fill us with hope for a future of peace built on justice for all. We ask this through Jesus Christ, Prince of Peace and Light of the World, who lives and reigns for ever and ever.

Amen.

Praying for Peace on Saturday, Please Join Us!

Our Lady of Mercy Responds to Pope’s Call of Global Prayer Vigil for Peace

       “There are so many conflicts in this world which cause me great suffering and worry, but in these days my heart is deeply wounded in particular by what is happening in Syria and anguished by the dramatic developments which are looming. For this reason, brothers and sisters, I have decided to call for a vigil for the whole Church…a day of fasting and prayer for peace in Syria, in the Middle East, and throughout the world.  Humanity needs to see these gestures of peace and to hear the words of hope and peace. All men and women of good will are bound by the task of pursuing peace.”—Pope Francis

The Holy Father has asked for Catholics and all people of good will to pray for peace on Saturday, September 7^th, which is the Vigil of the Birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Queen of Peace.  Please join us at Our Lady of Mercy Church on Saturday, September 7, 2013 for a Mass for Peace at 8:30AM followed by Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament and Rosary with a Litany of Peace

We can pray to other Mother in Heaven, Mary, Queen of Peace as our Holy Father said on Sunday: “Let us ask Mary to help us to respond to violence, to conflict and to war, with the power of dialogue, reconciliation and love. She is our mother: may she help us to find peace; all of us are her children! Help us, Mary, to overcome this most difficult moment and to dedicate ourselves each day to building in every situation an authentic culture of encounter and peace.”

Here is a prayer to Mary, Immaculate Queen of Peace, you can use on Saturday:

Most holy and immaculate Virgin, Mother of Jesus and our loving Mother, being his Mother, you shared in his universal kingship. The prophets and angels proclaimed him King of peace. With loving fervor in our hearts we salute and honor you as Queen of peace.

We pray that your intercession may protect us and all people from hated and discord, and direct our hearts into the ways of peace and justice which your Son taught and exemplified. We ask your maternal care for our Holy Father who works to reconcile the nations in peace. We seek your guidance for our President and other leaders as they strive for world peace.

Glorious Queen of peace, grant us peace in our hearts, harmony in our families and concord throughout the world. Immaculate Mother, as patroness of our beloved country, watch over us and protect us with your motherly love. Amen.