Celebrating Catholic Schools Week, Faith, Knowledge and Service!

Dear Parishioners: Let’s get it over right now. It was a lousy game last Sunday and the better team won.  Now we root for URI and PC Basketball and get ready for the Red Sox pitchers and catchers to report to Spring Training on February 15th!

This Sunday we kickoff Catholic Schools Week, a national event, at OLM.  Our own Fr. s School, Bishop  Hendricken High School and  Boston College, is preaching at all the Masses on the importance of our Catholic Schools. Also this Sunday our parish school is hosting an Open House from 11:30AM until 2:00PM.  The Open House is for everyone, parishioners and non-parishioners who are interested in sending their children to OLM School and even for those who don’t have school aged children but simply want to see and  support our wonderful school.  Stop by and take a look at all the good things going on across the street from Church! The theme for the Catholic Schools: Communities of Faith, Knowledge and Service.”

It encompasses several concepts that are at the heart of a Catholic Education. First, schools are communities—small families but also members of the larger community of home, church, city and nation. Faith, knowledge and service are three measures by which any Catholic school can and should be judged.  National studies indicate that parents choose Catholic  Education for their children for three important reasons: higher academic achievement of Catholic school students, a safe and  nurturing but disciplined learning environment and a truly  comprehensive education  including Catholic faith and strong moral values.

At  OLM School our  Principal, Sister Jeanne, along with the very committed faculty provide the leadership needed for such academic excellence and strong Catholic values to thrive.  In my short time here at OLM I have observed first hand the great things taking place at OLM School.  Fr. Connors and I work with Sister and the faculty to deepen the Catholicity of our school.   OLM School is not perfect but what school is?

However, OLM School is  a great place for our children to learn, pray, play and develop as future leaders of our world. OLM School has alumni in every walk of life and many who are making a great difference in the community and Church on a daily basis.  There are alumni studying at Harvard and others at Medical School, there are alumni leading successful careers in  business and law, and still others serving as Religious, Priests and some studying for the priesthood.  I am convinced that it was the  excellent academics and strong  Catholic  values at OLM School that provided the foundation of their success in life.

One of the great burdens of Catholic Education today is the cost.  OLM School has an annual budget of about $2.5 million.  Running a school is expensive and the costs of utilities, insurance,  and healthcare can be high.  In fact, we pay over $25,000 a month to cover the cost of healthcare.  Our tuition is affordable for some families but many  others make a tremendous  sacrifice to provide such a quality Catholic Education for their  children.  We have tried to move away from a direct subsidy of the school in an effort to provide  actual tuition assistance for those who need it most.  This year we provided $75,000 in tuition class education, strong Catholic values and a caring community.  Tuition assistance is available for those OLM Parishioners who need  support in making such a loving sacrifice for their children.  Celebrate Catholic Schools Week this week! Pray for the continued success of our school.  Pray for our administration,  faculty, students and families!  Pray for our alumni and  benefactors!  Join us for the Open House and for  Catholic Schools Week Mass on Friday at 9:00AM.  Celebrate faith, knowledgw and service! God Bless. Go OLM!!!

A Prayer for the Protection of Human Life

Prayer for Protection of Human Life at its Beginning

God our Father, you lovingly knit us in our mothers’ womb.  Grant that each human embryo will be respected as a human being, and not dismissed as a product to be manipulated or destroyed. Grant us the courage and conviction to be your voice for our sisters and brothers at the very earliest stages of their development, and for all defenseless unborn children.

Jesus, Divine Healer, foster in those conducting medical research a commitment to finding cures in ways that respect  these little ones and all your vulnerable children.

Holy Spirit, grant us the wisdom to develop morally sound treatments for conditions now thought to be incurable. Help us persevere in defending human life while alleviating suffering.

Show mercy to all who have cooperated in killing our tiniest brothers and sisters. Bring them and all who support destructive embryo research to true conversion. Grant them the ability to see the immeasurable dignity of all human beings even in the first days of life.

Father, we ask this in Jesus’ name, through the Holy Spirit. Amen.

All Are Called to Respect Human Life!!

Dear Parishioners:

Flu season has hit Rhode Island and most of the country.  What should we be doing to stop the spread of influenza?  Last week Bishop Tobin issued  guidelines for Pastors concerning influenza and Mass.   First, if you have the flu or flu symptoms please stay home and get proper treatment from a doctor.  I ask you please not come to Mass if you are seriously ill. Bishop Tobin has dispensed all Catholics suffering from the flu from the obligation to attend Mass..  If you are at Mass and are afraid of contracting the flu or spreading it then at the Sign of Peace simply offer a word or give a nod rather than a handshake.  If someone doesn't offer their hand please know it is not  an insult but a precaution.  Also please wash your hands before and after Mass.   All that is really needed during this flu epidemic is to use common sense both at home and at Mass.   In the meantime,  Bishop Tobin has asked us to pray for all those suffering from the flu that they may soon be restored to full health.

On Wednesday of this week we will mark the 41st  Anniversary of the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision that  legalized abortion in our nation.   January 22nd is a sad anniversary that calls us to pray for the protection of all unborn children and offer penance for the evil of abortion.  We prayt that our nation and our world might recognize and truly value every human life from natural coneption until natural death.  This past Monday in the annual Papal "State of World" speech delivered to the Vatican diplomatic corps, Pope Francis said the denial of human dignity was a threat to world peace, and spoke of the problems of hunger among the have-nots and food waste among the haves.  The Holy Father went on to say:   “Unfortunately, what is thrown away is not only food and dispensable objects, but often human beings themselves, who are discarded as ‘unnecessary.’ For example, it is frightful even to think there are children, victims of abortion, who will never see the light of day."   

On Wednesday thousands are marching the streets of our nation's capitol in the annual March for Life.  Among them are some of our OLM parishioners including many from the Bishop Hendricken Pro-Life Club.  I've had the great privilege of making the march during my life and it is a powerful and joyful event in support of the dignity of human life.  At OLM we are celebrating a Mass for the Protection of Human Life on Wednesday at 7:00PM.  Bishop Evans is our  celebrant and I invite you to join us as we pray together for an increase of the respect for human dignity and human life.  We may not be able to make the March for Life but we can all join in praying for an end to abortion and for the protection of the innocent unborn.  The Holy Father is right, it is "frightful" to think that these innocents "never see the light of day."  Won' t you join us in praying for their  protection?

The Rhode Island General Assembly has gone back into  session and resumed their  legislative duties.  As the Director of the Rhode Island Catholic  Conference and Chief Lobbyist for the Diocese of Providence, I once again take up my duties during the week lobbying the elected officials.  The recent opening of the legislative session began with a  prayer.  One local atheist  blogger took issue with the prayer and the fact that the Catholic Church dare to speak on behalf of her beliefs at the statehouse.  It was typical of the rants of those who  try to remove God from the public square and  possess a  venomous animosity for the Catholic Church.  History has proven that faith and morality are essential for good public policy.  Churches play an important role in offering a  prophetic voice at the statehouse and actually have the right to speak out in this country!  As we celebrate the late Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and his legacy of fighting for civil rights in our nation it is clear what an essential role religious faith played in the battle for equality for African-Americans.  May the voice of the voiceless offered by the Church never be muffled but continue to be boldly proclaimed at our statehouse and at every seat of government! God Bless.   Go Pats!!!!!

Living Our Baptismal Call Everyday!

Dear Parishioners: Take a good look around the Church this weekend at all the Christmas decorations.  Make sure you make a stop by the beautiful crèche and offer a s baptism in the Jordan River by  John the Baptist, the Precursor, proposes the s birth at Christmas and the Epiphany that we have just  celebrated. At Christmas we s manifestation to all s Baptism in the Jordan Baptism is in fact His definitive manifestation as the Messiah, the Christ to  Israel, and as the Son of the  Father to the entire world. This Feast of the Baptism serves as powerful reminder of our own calling as a Christian  Church. The Baptism of the Lord calls each of us to renew our s family and to ask ourselves how we are living out our baptismal promises to love God and neighbor.  Christmas is all about peace and good will and so many people do wonderful and  generous things for the poor  and needy.  At Christmas we give gifts as signs of love and  gratitude, we sing songs with  joyful hearts, and our Church is full as so many gather to praise and worship the newborn King.

As we end this “most wonderful time of the year” we must ask ourselves a few questions about our faith lives.  Does it take Christmas to make us live like Christians?  Can we be  witnesses of Christ in the ordinary times? Can we help the poor year round? Can we promote peace and good will even in the bleak and cold days of  February? Can we be grateful for those who help us even beyond Christmas? Do we faithfully worship and praise God each week?

t a call to be a Christian once a year   Rather it is a call to be truly Christian in each and every day of our lives, even on the ordinary and hum drum times of our lives.  We do this by loving our God and our neighbor with all our heart, our mind and  our strength. In a recent homily Pope Francis talks of the Sacrament of Baptism. He asks: "Is Baptism, for me, a fact of the past,  relegated to a date, that date which you are going to go look for today, or is it a living reality, that pertains to my present, to every moment? Do you feel strong, with the strength that Christ gave you by his death and his Resurrection? Or do you feel low, without strength? Baptism gives strength and it gives light. Do you feel ”

I offer my thanks and gratitude to the 28 new Lectors and Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion who so willingly volunteered to serve God and their parish in these most important parish ministries.  They are to be officially commissioned for service this weekend and are to begin their ministry in the coming weeks.   I ask you to please keep them in your prayers as they take up their ministry here at Our Lady of Mercy.  Have a great week. God Bless.  Go Pats!!!!

We Three Kings Bear Gifts for the Newborn King!!!

Dear Parishioners:                                     

We continue to bask in the light of Christmas as we celebrate the great feast of the Epiphany this weekend.  The arrival of the Magi to adore and worship the Newborn King, Jesus Christ is a great solemnity in the Church. They brought expensive gifts to give the baby Jesus.   And so Epiphany is an occasion of gift giving and gift receiving. It is called “Little Christmas” in many cultures where it is on Epiphany Day not Christmas Day that the gifts are exchanged.  Epiphany is an occasion for us to reflect upon the many gifts we have been given in life and how well we share those gifts with others.                  

In a book entitled Forty– Two Gifts I’d Like To Give To You the author mentions many gifts we might give each other in life. They include:  the gift of good advice, the gift of being optimistic, the gift of being patient with the problems of life; the gift of doing what’s right and knowing what’s wrong; the gift of believing in your abilities and the gift of spreading joy around.

On Epiphany we might consider joyfully offering the Christian version of  such gifts including offering a kind word to someone who is feeling down;  a helping hand to someone in need; the assurance of prayers for someone who is ill or unemployed; the constancy of companionship for someone who is lonely or isolated; the gift of our time to both our family and our God; the gift of listening with undivided attention to those we love; the gift of our silence in the face of gossip; the gift of forgiveness for someone who has hurt us and even the gift of forgetfulness of others past faults and transgressions.  These gifts along with the gift of our Catholic faith are lived out through our loving service and support for one another both the neighbor and the stranger.  They flow from the ultimate gift of God’s saving grace. 

Today we celebrate not only the Epiphany of the Three Kings but also the gift and grace made manifest among us and within us in God made Man, Jesus Christ.  Like the Three Kings I too have been travelling around searching for the star.  Well, not really the star but rather the crèche below it.  One night during this Christmas Season I spent a bit of time driving around the streets and neighborhoods of our parish.  I was admiring the beautiful Christmas lights and decorations on houses both big and small.  Some displays are quite spectacular!  However, in searching for the star over the stable like the Three Kings I soon discovered that noticeably absent from many houses was a crèche on the front lawn.  I did see Santa and his reindeer including several versions of Rudolph but not too many Holy Families!                                  

I know that in most homes the crèche has a place of honor near the tree or in a prominent place in the house but not so outside the home.  Why is that?  Shouldn’t it be front and center when we decorate our homes both inside and outside?  While pondering all this it occurred to me that we don’t have a crèche outside at Our Lady of Mercy!!  So I quickly ordered an outdoor nativity set from Tally’s the day after Christmas!  Next year it will adorn our Church property as a focal point of the season we celebrate.  Perhaps you might consider the same for your own front lawn.  Wouldn’t it be a beautiful sight to behold on lawns all over East Greenwich the Holy Family!  Instead of Santa and reindeer we would see the sheep and shepherds, the Three Kings and even perhaps the star shining brightly above the crèche!                      

I am away in Rochester this weekend for the Installation of Bishop Matano as the new diocesan bishop.  The bishop is a native of Providence and I had the great pleasure of living and working with him at St. Augustine Parish as a newly ordained priest.  Bishop Matano had been serving as Bishop of Burlington, Vermont until this transfer.  I along with many priests from Providence including Bishop Evans are making the trek to northern New York for this great celebration for Bishop Matano.  I ask that you please pray for him as he begins his new episcopal ministry in the Diocese of Rochester, NY.  Happy Epiphany Day!  God Bless!

In Praise of Mary, the Holy Mother of God

Mary, Virgin and Mother,you who, moved by the Holy Spirit, welcomed the word of life in the depths of your humble faith: as you gave yourself completely to the Eternal One, help us to say our own “yes” to the urgent call, as pressing as ever, to proclaim the good news of Jesus.

Filled with Christ’s presence, you brought joy to John the Baptist, making him exult in the womb of his mother. Brimming over with joy, you sang of the great things done by God.

Standing at the foot of the cross with unyielding faith, you received the joyful comfort of the resurrection, and joined the disciples in awaiting the Spirit  so that the evangelizing Church might be born.

Obtain for us now a new ardour born of the resurrection, that we may bring to all the Gospel of life which triumphs over death. Give us a holy courage to seek new paths, that the gift of unfading beauty may reach every man and woman.

Virgin of listening and contemplation, Mother of love, Bride of the eternal wedding feast, pray for the Church, whose pure icon you are, that she may never be closed in on herself or lose her passion for establishing God’s kingdom.

Star of the new evangelization, help us to bear radiant witness to communion, service, ardent and generous faith, justice and love of the poor, that the joy of the Gospel may reach to the ends of the earth, illuminating even the fringes of our world.

Mother of the living Gospel, wellspring of happiness for God’s little ones, pray for us. Amen. Alleluia!

–Pope Francis Evangelii Gaudium, 288