Holy Week 2014 , "Stay with me, remain here with me, watch and pray"

Dear Parishioners:On Palm Sunday, we commemorate Jesus' entrance into Jerusalem before his crucifixion. During Palm Sunday Mass, the Gospel account of the Passion of Christ is proclaimed.  It is truly a solemn beginning to the holiest week of the year.  Holy Week is an opportunity to enter more fully in the sacred mysteries of our faith and celebrate them as a parish family.  I hope you can make the time this week to attend Mass, get to Confession if you need to go, and join us for the solemn liturgies of the Sacred Triduum that are Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday.  Also I encourage to attend the Living Stations of the Cross that our OLM School  children have been working so hard preparing.  They are  offered on Wednesday at 1:00PM and 6:30PM.

On Holy Thursday  we  celebrate the Mass of the Lord's Supper at 7:00PM.  On the night before Jesus Christ was crucified, he changed bread and wine into his own Body and Blood, and he commanded the Apostles  and their successors through the present this sacrifice.  Just as Christ did for his 12 Apostles at the Last Supper and as he commanded them to do likewise, during the Mass of the Lord's Supper, the priests  who represent Christ  ceremoniously wash the feet of 12 people from the parish.  After the Last Supper, Jesus went to pray in the Garden of Gethsemane, accompanied by two of the disciples. So after the Holy Thursday Mass, the remaining sacred hosts are “altar of repose.”  People are asked to stay for a time, adoring the wondrous sacrament that Jesus instituted that day 2,000 years ago.  The Church remains open until Midnight for adoration.

The Mass of the Lord's Supper finished, the church is now truly empty. So the sanctuary lamp is extinguished and the tabernacle door left open, exposing the vacant space inside. The altar is stripped bare of  its linens and candles, Holy water is removed from the church's fonts and the sacraments are not celebrated until the Easter Vigil. Like the first Christians bereft of Jesus and mourning the two days after the crucifixion, the church stands unadorned until the Easter Vigil.

At 3:00PM on Good Friday we offer the Stations of the Cross.  This devotion is centered on the Passion of Christ and recalls the way of Jesus' suffering and death. AT 7:00PM on Good Friday, the church gathers for the Liturgy of the Lord's Passion, which includes a reading of a Gospel account of the Passion, Holy Communion (consecrated at Mass on Thursday night) and veneration of the Cross.  The faithful process to the cross  at the foot of the sanctuary, as if to receive communion. There each person reverences the crucifix with a kiss or a bow.

On Holy Saturday, we will celebrate the Mother of all Vigils, the Easter Vigil at 8:00PM.  There is no 5:00PM Mass as the Church requires the Easter Vigil to be celebrated after sunset in the darkness.  We keep watch for the expectant rising of Our Saviour. This was the day He went down into the netherworld in order to bring back up with Him into heaven those who had died before His coming.  The Easter Vigil Mass is a solemn, glorious and joyful s resurrection from the dead and at the Mass our candidates who have spent months of ve never been to the Easter Vigil, consider attending this year as it is well worth the time and effort. On Easter Sunday we offer three Masses at 7:30AM, 9:00AM and 10:30AM but there will no 5:00PM Evening Mass on Easter Sunday. 

Those who enter into Holy Week wholeheartedly discover that it can change them forever.  It is a time to clear our schedules of unnecessary activities. Our minds and hearts should be fixed on Jesus and His Passion, Death and Resurrection!  If you are traveling for Easter, please know of our prayers for you and your families. A Blessed Holy Week to all. God Bless.

Basketball Season Ending and Holy Week Coming Soon!

Dear Parishioners: This weekend the NCAA is having its Final Four.  We had our own version last weekend at the New England CYO Basketball Championship Tournament.   This year the Diocese of Providence was the host and we had two OLM teams in the tournament.  Our OLM School 6th Grade Girls team who were the RI State Champions this year played through the semi-finals but were eliminated.  Meanwhile our OLM Parish 5th/6th Boys Parish Team advanced to the Championship Game but was defeated by St. Mark’s Team from Stratford, Connecticut.  Congratulations to both teams on a great season!

Fr. Connors was at Bishop Hendricken High School this week speaking at their Annual Career Day.  He is a great promoter of vocations to the priesthood and religious life.  This week he also took a group of high school young men to visit with the seminarians at the OLP Seminary in Providence.  A couple of weeks ago he took a group of young women to visit the Dominican Sisters Convent in Connecticut.   I urge you to help him in promoting and praying for vocations to the priesthood and religious life. Speaking of vocations, I was asked by our Diocesan Vocation Director, Father Carl Fisette, to host a seminarian studying for the priesthood at OLM.  We don’t know which seminarian for the Diocese of Providence it will be but he will arrive in late May and be with us through the summer months.  Fr. Connors and I are looking forward to working with him and introducing him to the life of a parish priest. Brian Morris from OLM is currently a seminarian pursing his studies for the priesthood at St. John’s Major Seminary in Boston. Brian will be home for Holy Week assisting us at the Sacred Liturgies.  I ask you to continue to pray for him as he continues his priestly formation.

There is a full schedule for Holy Week in this week’s bulletin.  Next Sunday we begin with the great celebration of Palm Sunday and the proclamation of the Lord’s Passion.  We celebrate this feast with great solemnity especially at the 10:30AM Mass as we begin the procession once again from outside the Church.  On Palm Sunday we commemorate Christ's entry into Jerusalem for the completion of the Paschal Mystery.   It sets the tone as we enter into the celebrations of Holy Week.  As God’s faithful people, we remember Christ's triumphal entrance into Jerusalem on a donkey. In Jesus' time, a huge crowd assembled, put their cloaks on the ground, and waved palm branches, acclaiming Christ as the King of Israel, the Son of David.

We now wave our palm branches and sing as the priest enters the  Church: “Hosanna to the Son of David, the King of Israel. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.  Hosanna in the highest.”  These words of praise are echoed every day at Mass at the Sanctus (Holy, Holy).   In his homily for Palm Sunday last year Pope Francis reflected on the procession stating: “We waved our palms, our olive branches. We too welcomed Jesus; we too expressed our joy at accompanying him, at knowing him to be close, present in us and among us as a friend, a brother, and also as a King: that is, a shining beacon for our lives. We accompany, we follow Jesus, but above all we know that he accompanies us and carries us on his shoulders. This is our joy, this is the hope that we must bring to this world. Please do not let yourselves be robbed of hope! Do not let hope be stolen! The hope that Jesus gives us.”                                         

On Palm Sunday we take up the Rice Bowl Collection.  This important collection helps to support the great work of Catholic Relief Services feeding the hungry around the globe.  Your donations support CRS’ humanitarian relief programs in nearly 100 countries worldwide.  As we have fasted, prayed, and given alms during Lent, we have been following Jesus’ call to live in solidarity with the poorest and most vulnerable.    Please roll your  coins collected in your Rice Bowls during Lent  and make returns by check payable to OLM.  In the name of the hungry of the world, I thank you for your generous support.  God Bless. Go Sox!!

Pope Francis Calls for Mercy in Confession, Goes to Confession Himself

Pope Francis on Friday spoke to participants of a “Course on the Internal Forum,” which deals with the Sacrament of Reconciliation and the ministry of Confessors.In his discourse, Pope Francis spoke about how the annual course helps “the Church and Confessors to better carry out the ministry of mercy, which is so important.” He reminded priests that the Holy Spirit is the “protagonist” of the ministry of reconciliation, calling on them to “always be ‘men of the Holy Spirit.’” As such, priests must welcome penitents not with the attitude of a judge, but with “the charity of God, with the love a father who sees the son returning, the shepherd who has found the lost sheep.” For this reason, the Pope said, priests are called to be generous in making themselves available for Confession. “We must never forget,” he said, “that the faithful often have difficulty approaching the Sacrament of Confession.” And so, priests must work hard to encourage people to draw near to the Sacrament “of mercy and forgiveness.” Here, the Holy Father said, priests must avoid both rigorism and laxity. “Confession is not a court of condemnation, but an experience of mercy and forgiveness!” Finally, recognising the difficulties encountered in Confession, Pope Francis encouraged priests to take particular care in the celebration of the Sacrament of Reconciliation. In particular, he said “it’s good that in every parish, the faithful know when they can find priests” available to hear Confessions.

Below, please find the complete text of Pope Francis’ to participants in the course offered by the Apostolic Penitentiary: Dear Brothers, I welcome you on the occasion of the annual Course on the Internal Forum. I thank Cardinal Mauro Piacenza for the words with which he introduced our meeting. For a quarter of a century the Apostolic Penitentiary, aware of the importance of this ministry, has offered, especially to new priests and deacons, the opportunity of this course, in order to contribute to the formation of good confessors. I thank you for this valuable service and I encourage you to take it forward with renewed commitment, building on experience gained and with skilful creativity, to always help the Church and confessors to better carry out the ministry of mercy, which is so important! In this regard, I wish to offer a few thoughts. First of all, the protagonist of the ministry of reconciliation is the Holy Spirit. The forgiveness that the Sacrament confers is the new life sent by the Risen Lord by means of His Spirit: “Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain, are retained” (Jn 20:22-23). Therefore, you are called to always be “men of the Holy Spirit,” witnesses and heralds, joyful and strong, of the resurrection of the Lord. This testimony is read on the face, is heard in the voice of the priest who administers with faith and with “unction” the Sacrament of Reconciliation. He welcomes penitents not with the attitude of a judge, not even with that of a simple man, but with the charity of God, with the love of a father who sees the son returning and goes to meet him, [with the love] of the shepherd who has found the lost sheep. The heart of the priest is a heart that knows how to be moved, not by sentimentality or mere emotion, but to the “tender mercy” [viscere di misericordia] of the Lord! If it is true that tradition points out the dual role of doctor and judge for confessors, we must never forget that as a doctor he is called to heal and as a judge, to absolve. The second aspect: if Reconciliation transmits the new life of the Risen Lord and renews baptismal grace, then your task is to give it generously to others. To give this grace. A priest who does not attend to this part of his ministry, both in the amount of time spent and in the spiritual quality, is like a shepherd who does not take care of the sheep that were lost; he is like a father who forgets the lost son and neglects waiting for him. But mercy is the heart of the Gospel! Don’t forget this: mercy is the heart of the Gospel! It is the good news that God loves us, that He always loves the sinner, and with this love draws him to Himself and invites him to conversion. We must not forget that the faithful often have difficulty approaching the sacrament, whether for practical reasons, or because of the natural difficulty of confessing one’s sins to another person. For this reason it is necessary to work hard on ourselves, on our humanity, never to be an obstacle but always to favour drawing near to mercy and forgiveness. But many times it happens that a person comes and says, “I haven’t confessed for many years, I have this problem, I left Confession because I found a priest and he told me this,” and you see the imprudence, the lack of pastoral love, in what that person says. And they draw away, because of a bad experience in Confession. If there is this attitude of a father, that comes from the goodness of God, this would never happen. And we must guard against two extremes: rigorism and laxism. Neither is good, because in reality they don’t take charge of the person of the penitent. Instead, mercy truly listens with the heart of God and wants to accompany the soul on the path of reconciliation. Confession is not a court of condemnation, but an experience of forgiveness and mercy! Finally, we all know the difficulties often encountered in Confession. There are many reasons, both historical and spiritual. However, we know that the Lord wanted to give this immense gift to His Church, offering to the baptized the security of the Father's forgiveness. It is this: it is the security of the Father’s forgiveness. For this reason, it is very important that in every diocese and in the parish communities, particular care is taken of the celebration of this Sacrament of forgiveness and salvation. It’s good that in every parish the faithful know when they can find priests available: when there is fidelity, the fruits are seen. This is particularly true for the churches entrusted to religious Communities, which can ensure a constant presence of confessors. To the Virgin, Mother of Mercy, we entrust the ministry of priests, and every Christian community, that they might always grow in understanding the value of the Sacrament of Penance. I entrust all of you to our Mother and I bless you from the heart

Moving from Mission to Action!

Dear Parishioners: We had a great turnout for last week’s Lenten Mission. It was good to see so many coming to Confession and staying for the Mission talks each night. We are grateful to Father Mark Spalding from Louisville for preaching the Lenten Mission this year.  His powerful and inspiring sermons provided much food for thought for all of us to reflect upon during these final weeks of Lent.  I hope you were able to attend at least one night of the Mission.

Last weekend we also celebrated First Confessions for the OLM School First Communion Class.  It was a joyous occasion for these children as they s mercy and forgiveness for the first time.  Many of their parents also were able to go to Confession and some of them t been able to get to Confession yet this Lent, I encourage you to do so.  Pope Francis recently stated about Confession: "Everyone say to t lose another day! Go, the priest will be good. And Jesus, (will be) there, and Jesus is better than the priests - Jesus receives you. He will receive you with so much love! Be courageous, and go to Confession."   I pray everyone has the “courage” to go to Confession this Lent!

We have begun the search for a new Principal for OLM School and established a Search Committee to aid us in the s input, we will also survey all of our school parents and faculty about our school and about what they are looking for in a principal.  There are currently six of our Catholic elementary schools looking for a new principal so please pray for the members of our Search Committee that they find the best candidate available.  Also I am pleased to announce that we are planning a celebration for Sister Jeanne on June 18th at the Quidnessett Country Club.  There is a committee overseeing the event and they hope to have tickets available in the coming weeks for any parishioner or school family who wish to join us in celebrating Sister Jeanne and her time at OLM School.  Keep your eye on the bulletin for more information on the event.

Next weekend at the 10:30AM Mass we will bless the new Processional Cross which we will use at Mass.  I discovered the cross in a basement closet in the Rectory.  It was first used on the high altar of the old Our Lady of Mercy Church on Main Street.  I had it refurbished and made into a Processional Cross.  It is not only a great piece of our parish history  but also quite beautiful.  After it is blessed at Mass, it will serve as our Processional Cross at all Masses.  It is available to be memorialized if you would like to donate it in memory of a loved one.  I am happy to announce that a new statue is to be placed in our OLM Candle Room.  Since we moved good St. Joseph into the main Church there is a space available. So Ive ordered a beautiful statue of Blessed Pope John Paul to be placed there.  It is to be blessed on Sunday, April 27th, the very day that Blessed John Paul II is to be canonized a saint.  I was notified that it is arriving from Italy next week  and  soon to be shipped to Rhode Island.  This statue is  available to be memorialized if you would like to donate it in memory of a loved one.

As we enter the final weeks of the Holy Season of Lent I ask  you to please pray for our RCIA candidates who are to be received into the Church at the Easter Vigil.  Their presence in our parish is a great sign of our life and vitality as a faith community and we pray they may continue to grow in the faith and deepen their relationship with Christ. I remind you that next Saturday, April 5th, the evening Mass is moving to 5:00PM and Confessions to 4:00PM on Saturdays.  Pray, fast, and give Alms!  See you at the Stations of the Cross! God Bless.

Making Our Mission During Lent!!

Dear Parishioners: We had two great celebrations this week on St. s Day.  I am grateful to Fr. Nick Smith and Fr. Joe Upton who served as the homilists for the Masses. The music at the Mass was truly terrific and the great food following each Mass added to the festivities.  May St. Patrick and St. Joseph guide and protect each of us and our parish!

We also had a great start to the Catholic Charity Appeal last weekend.  I am grateful to Kevin McDevitt who spoke at all the Masses for his able leadership of the Appeal at OLM.  Nearly two hundred families supported the Appeal last weekend and over $55,000 was pledged.  In the name of the poor and needy who benefit from the Catholic Charity Appeal, I thank you for your tremendous support. We are asking every parish family to prayerfully consider a pledge of $250 to the Catholic Charity Appeal.  If you have not yet pledged, envelopes are still available in Church and can be returned in the collection basket at Mass.  Any gift you can give in support of this very worthwhile charity is greatly appreciated.  I know $259 might be a lot for some parishioners but also there are others who might be able to afford to pledge much more.

s Partners in Charity and are able to pledge support of $1,000 or more.  I am grateful to Steve and Antonia Zubiago who Chair the BPC here at OLM.  If you are able to pledge at his level please know that it is appreciated.   After one Mass last week one parishioner asked me if I pledged to the Catholic Charity Appeal.  In fact, I do and so do all the priests and bishops of the Diocese.   Last year the Priests of Providence personally donated over $270,000 to the Catholic Charity Appeal.  When this t be able to preach the Good News to the poor and needy as effectively as we do.  So please consider pledging your support today!

General of the Archdiocese of Louisville and Pastor of Holy Trinity Church.  Father Spalding and I studied together for the priesthood at the Catholic University of Louvain, Belgium.  He is a great preacher and I am grateful he was able to take time out of his busy schedule of running the Archdiocese and a very large parish to be with us. I hope you can attend all or part of the Mission this week.   It begins this weekend at all Masses with a Mission Talk each night at 7:00PM on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday.  Father Spalding is also preaching at the 12:05PM Mass on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.  Each night there will be four priests available for Confession beginning at 6:00PM.  The Mission concludes on Wednesday night at 7:00PM with Eucharistic Adoration, a Mission Talk and Benediction.

The Mission is a great way of renewing our faith and refocusing our lives upon Christ.  During this Lenten Season, we are called to reject sin and believe in the Gospel.  It is a great way to refresh our devotion to the Gospel.  So I urge you to take part in the Mission this week and  pray for its success. May it renew our faith, deepen our commitment to Christ and strengthen our resolve to lead lives of holiness.  Our own Fr. Connors is leading a Lenten Mission this week at St. Joseph’s Church in Woonsocket, so please pray for him and the people of that parish.  How is your Lent going? Have you kept your fast? Have you prayed more? Have you gone to Confession? Have been more generous to the poor? Keep Lent going, don’t give up!  Remember Fridays are for fish and Stations of the Cross.  See you at the Mission

"Hardships for the Gospel", Living Our Faith in Lent

Dear Parishioners: We officially kick off the Annual Catholic Charity Appeal at Our Lady of Mercy this weekend. I am grateful to Mr. Kevin McDevitt for his leadership of this part of the Appeal.  Many of you may have already received a mailing with a pledge card, if you have already made your pledge it will be credited to OLM. Our Charity Appeal goal this year is $193,684, one of the highest in the Diocese.  Last year we raised $227,860 with 632 parish families pledging their support. It is notable that there were over 100 first time contributors last year.  I am confident that we can again surpass our goal and hopeful that more of our 2,200 parish families might support the good works of the Church.

The Catholic Charity Drive funds the works of the Catholic Church here in Rhode Island and the many social service agencies that provide assistance to the poor, the needy, the sick, the elderly, immigrants, and refugees. Your donations help feed and house the homeless at Emmanuel House, provide assistance for the elderly and poor at the St. Martin de Porres Center, provide and the sacraments to prisoners at the ACI, aid the poor in affording heat in the cold winter months, and help refugee families find a place of freedom and welcome here in Rhode Island. We are asking every parish family to prayerfully consider a pledge of $250 this year.  Also if you have never contributed to the Catholic Charity Drive, we encourage you to please to do so this year.  The Catholic Charity Appeal is the main source of support for our diocesan agencies providing for the physical, educational, and spiritual needs of Rhode Islanders each year.  It is our responsibility to ensure that these agencies and programs have the resources available to help our brothers and sisters in need.  Thank you for your generosity in supporting the good works of our Church.

It’s hard to believe but this week we celebrate the  feasts of St. Patrick and St. Joseph.  On Monday we mark St. Patrick’s Feast at the 12:05PM Mass.  There will be Irish hymns, readings in Irish and Irish soda bread and coffee following the Mass.  Our guest homilist is Fr. Nick Smith, one of our great Senior Priests and a native of Ireland.  Please join us! On Wednesday we mark the Solemnity of St. Joseph at the 12:05PM Mass.  The Mass is to be celebrated by Bishop Evans in s a solemnity it doesn’t technically count as Lent!) Our guest homilist this year is Fr. Joseph “Giuseppe” Upton, the Prout Chaplain. So please join us for this celebration!

Soon the NCAA begins the “March Madness” as its basketball tournament is called. last weekend as our OLM Basketball teams played in the CAL Tournament.  Two of our teams, sixth grade boys and girls, were crowned State Champions and several others were runners up.  Congratulations to them all on a great season!   These celebrations in Lent might be a distraction for some.  But not to worry, next weekend we begin our Annual Parish Mission with Fr. Mark Spalding serving as our Mission Preacher.

This is our annual “retreat” as a parish where we can refocus, renew and refresh our faith.  So mark your calendars now for the Mission.  All the details are in this week’s bulletin. On Saturday afternoon we celebrated  Confession for the RE Frist Communion Class and next Saturday we do the same for the OLM School Class.  I ask your prayers for these children as they receive God’s merciful forgiveness and grace for the first time in Confession. When did you last make a good Confession? Last Sunday Pope Francis reminded us:  “Lent is a favorable opportunity for all of us to make a journey of conversion, renew the promises of our Baptism, and renounce Satan and all his works and seductions in order to walk the paths of God and ‘to arrive at Easter in the joy of the Holy  Spirit.’”  So pray, fast and give alms! Remember Fridays are for fish and the Stations of the Cross