Celebrating Catholic Schools Week at OLM! Faith, Knowledge and Service!

Dear Parishioners: As the late, great Yogi Berra once said: “It’s déjà vu all over again!” Big snowstorms on the weekend are back again! I was hoping they might not reappear but alas Mother Nature dashed all hope last weekend. Let’s pray it won’t happen as often as it did last year.

This weekend we kick off National Catholic Schools Week! It is the annual celebration of Catholic education in the United States. The theme for the national celebration is: “Catholic Schools: Communities of Faith, Knowledge and Service.” Catholic schools offer academic excellence and faith-filled education for students nationwide.  National test scores, high school graduation rates, college attendance and other data show that Catholic schools frequently outperform schools in both the public and private sectors.

We are celebrating our own parish school this week. Some of our students from OLM School are speaking at Mass this weekend to share their positive experiences attending OLM. There is an Open House at OLM School on Sunday from 10:00AM until Noon. This is a wonderful opportunity to explore what our school offers. Under the dynamic leadership of our Principal, Scott Fuller, lots of new, exciting and innovative things have been happening at OLM School and I encourage you go to the OLM School webpage (olmschool.org) to find more information. Also take a look at the terrific new promotional video about OLM School. 

Our parish school has many events planned for this special week. Of course, we begin this Catholic Schools Week on Monday with an OLM School Mass. I hope you join us for the Mass at 9:00AM as we worship and pray together. We give thanks for Catholic Education especially for OLM School and its excellent faculty and wonderful students. We’ve also updated our school mission which now states:

“Our Mission at Our Lady of Mercy School is to follow the Lord Jesus Christ and His Church as we pursue excellence in academics, athletics and the arts. In the midst of a safe and nurturing environment we seek to develop a good moral character built upon the teachings of the Catholic Church.  We strive to be Saints and Scholars who serve the evangelical mission of our parish so that Mercy may flourish.“

There are many challenges for Catholic Education especially here in Rhode Island. A declining population as Catholic families have less children impacts enrollment in our schools. The expense of running a parish school continues to increase as costs for health insurance, pensions, and utilities rise. Keeping tuition affordable for all and helping those who need aid is also a real challenge for our schools. As we continue the mission of OLM School in making saints and scholars in the future, we have established the Saints and Scholars Fund. It helps with the expense and also builds a stronger endowment for the future. This new fund is the second collection this weekend, I thank you for your generous support.

The former NFL player, Damien Woody, when he was playing for the New York Jets, choose to send his children to a Catholic School even though his family wasn’t Catholic. A fellow school parent asked him why he sent his kids to Catholic School even though he wasn’t Catholic. He answered, “My wife and I believe that a school where they love God will love my children.”

Some say Catholic education, the largest private education system in America, is about many things like excellence and discipline but certainly not about love. I firmly believe that the center of Catholic Education truly must be love. A love that exists here at OLM School every day. It is a deep and abiding love of God and of our neighbor lived out daily. Pray for Catholic Schools, pray for our principal, faculty and students this week. Celebrate and support Catholic Education as together we strive to be Saints and Scholars. Football season is over! Go Sox!!! Be well. Do Good. God Bless. !!!

The Week Ahead, Speaking Out for Life, School Choice and Catholic Schools!

Dear Parishioners: On Friday we prayed for the legal protection of unborn children in our nation. I am grateful for the many parishioners and others who turned out to spend some time in prayer and adoration for this great cause. Also I thank Fr. Joe Upton, the URI Chaplain, for his inspiring words about “Living the Gospel of Life.”

This week at the RI State House the RI Right to Life Committee and other committed pro-lifers are to gather to give voice to the voiceless unborn. The Right to Life Rally is to take place on Wednesday, January 27 from 3:00PM until 4:00PM in the State House Rotunda. It is a tremendous opportunity to call upon the state’s political leaders to work to protect and respect all human life.

Also this week at the RI Statehouse this week, the RI Families for School Choice are hosting an event to highlight the need for expanded parental choice in education. This group includes families from Catholic and Jewish schools as well as supporters of school choice in education. The event is Thursday, January 28 from 2:00PM to 5:00PM in the State Room of the RI Statehouse. The featured speaker is the national school reform leader Kevin P. Chavous. He is a former Washington, DC City Councilman and was instrumental in helping DC establish a school voucher for economically disadvantaged children.

In RI we have a Tuition Scholarship Tax Credit program that helps economically poor students obtain scholarships for the school of their choice. Tax-credit scholarships allow taxpayers to receive full or partial tax credits for donating to nonprofits that provide K–12 private school scholarships. The amount of tax credits distributed is capped at $1.5 million, which, in turn, affects the availability and size of scholarships. It is a great program for those who own small businesses to obtain valuable tax credits as they aid poor children.

Speaking of choice in education next Sunday we kick-off Catholic Schools Week. There is a great week of events planned at our parish school. Our excellent students are to speak at all Masses next weekend about OLM School and its many benefits. Also on next Sunday we are hosting an Open House at OLM School from 10:00AM until 12:00PM for any families who might be interested in exploring our school. All parishioners are invited to stop by and take a tour of the school to see the many great things that are going there.

When I was growing up (many years before Fr. Connors was born), if people asked where you were from, you never said a town but "St. Paul's" or "OLM" People understood that the success of a parish school was tied to the success of the parish. The same is true today. When our parishes flourish, our schools flourish. When there are more people at Mass, when more families understand the mission of Catholic schools, they succeed.

Here at OLM, our 13th Pastor, the late Fr. Brady, had a tremendous concern for the children of the parish.  With the permission and encouragement of then Bishop Russell J. McVinney, the fifth Bishop of Providence, Fr. Brady purchased a home on First Avenue for use as a convent and invited the Sisters of Mercy to staff the new parish school. In September of 1950, the first parish students enrolled at Our Lady of Mercy School.  The Kindergarten class was in the Convent, and grades one and two in the basement of the Church. Under the direction of the first principal, Sr. Helena McNulty the number of students grew rapidly.  In the summer of 1951, Fr. Brady then purchased three acres of land on Fourth Avenue and began construction of a new school building.  The new school opened in January of 1952 and remains a vital part of our parish today.

I hope you’ll attend one or all of the many important events taking place this coming week. Have a great week! It’s good to be home. We look forward to another Pat’s victory this weekend!  Be well. Do Good. God Bless.

Dreaming of Justice and Equality for All, Born and Unborn!

Dear Parishioners: In his address to the Joint Session of the US Congress last September, Pope Francis praised four Americans: the Trappist Monk Thomas Merton, the Peace and Poverty Activist Dorothy Day, President Abraham Lincoln and the Civil Rights Leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. He called them "four representatives of the American people." Pope Francis lauded Day, King, Lincoln and Merton for using their dreams of justice, equal rights, liberty and peace to make America a better place.

This weekend we celebrate the difference Dr. King made our nation and for the civil rights and equality of African Americans In speaking of Dr. King, Pope Francis said:  "I think of the march which Martin Luther King led from Selma to Montgomery 50 years ago as part of the campaign to fulfill his 'dream' of full civil and political rights for African Americans. That dream continues to inspire us all. I am happy that America continues to be, for many, a land of 'dreams.' Dreams which lead to action, to participation, to commitment. Dreams which awaken what is deepest and truest in the life of a people."

Perhaps on this MLK Holiday we might stop to offer prayers for a renewed commitment for equality and justice for all people in our nation. May the dream of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. continue to inspire harmony and concord among peoples of all races and religions, may it help to remove hatred and bigotry from the hearts of all people.

On Friday, January 22nd, we remember the continued injustice of legal abortion in our nation as we mark 43rd anniversary of the Roe v. Wade US Supreme Court Decision. The great tragedy and injustice continues as millions of unborn children lose their innocent and precious lives to abortion every year.

At OLM it is to be a Day for Prayer for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children on this Friday. All-Day Eucharistic Adoration begins at 9:00aM and at 6:00PM it concludes with Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament. Also at 6:00PM we are to offer Prayers of the Protection of the Unborn, and URI Chaplain Father Joe Upton is to offer a reflection on “Living the Gospel of Life.”

I hope on Friday you are able spend some time in prayer and adoration as we pray for the protection of the innocent unborn. Please stop by Church if you can or please stop during the day wherever you are and offer a prayer for the unborn. On Friday, may we all stop to pray for the victims of abortion both the children and their mothers.

May we pray for all expectant mothers and those in a crisis pregnancy and for all unborn children. May we pray for our political leaders that they may have the courage and conviction to work to protect all human life. And may we pray for the legal protection of unborn children in our nation and across the globe. Prayer is a powerful instrument in helping to end abortion so please join us on Friday as we commit to defending life and praying for the protection of the unborn.

In his address to Congress Pope Francis urged them to work to defend life including the unborn. He stated: ““The Golden Rule also reminds us of our responsibility to protect and defend human life at every stage of its development. I am convinced that this way is the best, since every life is sacred, every human person is endowed with an inalienable dignity.”

Just as the battle for civil rights for African Americans was born of religious faith so too is the battle for the right to life of the unborn. In an age when many falsely contend that faith has no place in the public square, our history and experience teach us differently. The voice of religious leaders and people of faith is needed today as much as it was when Dr. King spoke out so passionately for justice and equality. Let us give voice to the voiceless as we call out for justice and equality for the unborn child threatened by abortion.

I am away this week visiting with my seminary classmates who now teach in the college seminary in Miami. Be well. Do good. God Bless. Go Pats, Go!!!!!

Christmas Draws to a Close as We Celebrate Baptism

Dear Parishioners:Wow! Winter arrived with a vengeance this week! Snow on Monday and below zero wind chills on Tuesday! It’s hard to believe that it was just 70 degrees on Christmas Day and we had the air conditioning on in Church! Looks like our old friend winter is here for awhile so put away the shorts and get out the snow shovels!

This week a friend called me from sunny Florida to tell me he was on the beach. He took great delight in telling me it was 75, sunny and warm! I quoted the great Russian writer Anton Chekhov who once said, "People don’t notice whether it’s winter or summer when they’re happy!” It was a good try! Can you really be as happy freezing in Rhode Island as you can be laying in the sun in Florida? Not so sure! Quite a few of our parishioners have flown south to sunny Florida for the winter, I don’t think they bought what Chekhov was saying! At least the days are getting a little longer in Rhode Island now!!

Sister Lourdes is returning from the Philippines next week after a month of meetings and conferences with her congregation at the Franciscan Apostolic Sisters Motherhouse. While she was away, Sister Emma was joined by the Franciscan Sisters who serve at the nearby Scalabrini Villa Home. So please be sure to welcome Sister Emma home when you see her next! We are happy to have her back and I know Sister Emma is too. The Sisters are truly a great addition to our parish family. They  often express to me how happy they are here at OLM and how welcomed the parishioners have made them feel. They certainly are a joyful and faithful presence at OLM especially in their work at the parish school, the food pantry, teaching Religious Ed Class and visiting our parish shut-ins.

This weekend we celebrate the Solemnity of the Baptism of Our Lord. It brings to an end the season of Christmas. On this feast the Church recalls Our Lord's second manifestation or epiphany which occurred on His baptism in the Jordan River. Jesus descended into the River to sanctify its waters and to give them the power to beget children of God. Many of the things which accompanied Christ's Baptism are symbolical of what happened at our own Baptism. At Christ's Baptism the Holy Spirit descended upon Him; at our Baptism the Trinity found its home in our soul. At His Baptism Christ was proclaimed the "Beloved Son" of the Father; at our Baptism we become the adopted sons and daughters of God. At Christ's Baptism the heavens were opened; at our Baptism heaven was opened to us. At His Baptism Jesus prayed; after our Baptism we must pray to avoid temptation and sin.

On Sunday on the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord we are to baptize six children into the Catholic Faith. It is a great day to celebrate the Sacrament of Baptism and a joyous day for these children, their families and our parish family of OLM.

Last year on the Feast, Pope Francis baptized several people. In his homily for the celebration , he stated: “Baptism integrates us into the body of the Church, into the holy People of God. And in this body, in this people journeying on, faith is passed down from generation to generation: it is the faith of the Church. This is really beautiful! It is a passing of the flame of faith from hand to hand: You, families, take the light of faith from Him in order to pass it on to your children. You receive this light in the Church, in the Body of Christ, in the People of God who are journeying through every time and in every place. Teach your children that one cannot be a Christian outside of the Church, one cannot follow Jesus Christ without the Church, for the Church is Mother, who makes us grow in the love of Jesus Christ.”

Let us all celebrate our own Baptism today. Let us also resolve to faithfully and joyfully live our Baptismal Promises! We congratulate our newly Baptized and welcome them into the Church, their Mother, and into our OLM Parish Family! Have a Happy and Joyful Feast of the Baptism of the Lord! Be well. Do Good. God Bless. Pray for the Pats, please!!!

Ringing in the New Year and Calling for God's Blessing!

Dear Parishioners: A Happy New Year to all! It’s 2016 has arrived and we begin a New Year full of new beginnings and new opportunities. We ask God , Our Merciful Father, to bestow His abundant blessings upon us, our families, our homes and our parish. May 2016 truly be year of Gospel Joy and Mercy for OLM!

Of the course the new year brings with it a new legislative session for the RI General Assembly this week. On Tuesday the Assembly begins its new session and I resume my duties as the Director of the RI Catholic Conference and lobbyist for the Diocese of Providence. Since 2016 is an election year I don’t think that many controversial matters will arise during the session. However, there is still a well financed and organized nationwide campaign to legalize physician assisted-suicide. Last year several bills were introduced and committee hearings held on the issue. So we must be vigilant about this issue especially since California recently legalized physician assisted suicide this fall.

We also continue to fight for the de-funding of Planned Parenthood, the nations largest provider of abortions. Nationally we’ve seen this fight in the US Congress and I expect similar efforts to begin once the RI State Budget makes its way through Smith Hill. These issues along with issues that concern education for Catholic school students, helping the poor and elderly, immigration reform, criminal justice reform and a host of other issues are undoubtedly to be raised at the RI Statehouses.

However, introducing legislation and even getting a hearing are not necessarily indicators that something is likely to become law. This means that for the next six months I am at the RI Statehouse most afternoons on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. Those are the days the General Assembly is in session and the session generally begins around 4:00PM. So I ask for your understanding if I am not readily available some afternoons for the next few months. I also ask for your prayers as I resume my lobbying duties at the RI Statehouse. The voice of the Catholic Church in the public square is truly needed to secure justice, protect human life and dignity and serve the common good of our state. I like to say that I lobby for the “virtues” while the highly paid lobbyists lobby for the many legal “vices” like gambling, alcohol and tobacco!

As the new legislative session begins, perhaps we and our elected officials might reflect upon the wisdom of Pope Francis once again. In his address to the Joint Session of the US Congress this past September, he said: “Each son or daughter of a given country has a mission, a personal and social responsibility. Your own responsibility as members of Congress is to enable this country, by your legislative activity, to grow as a nation. You are the face of its people, their representatives. You are called to defend and preserve the dignity of your fellow citizens in the tireless and demanding pursuit of the common good, for this is the chief aim of all politics. A political society endures when it seeks, as a vocation, to satisfy common needs by stimulating the growth of all its members, especially those in situations of greater vulnerability or risk. Legislative activity is always based on care for the people. To this you have been invited, called and convened by those who elected you.”

I ask you to please pray for all our elected officials, those you like and voted for and even those you dislike and voted against! May all elected officials especially the members of the RI General Assembly, our Governor and our General Officers, and our Congressional delegation serve with honor, honesty and integrity and may they always serve the common good of our nation and state. It’s also back to class, back to studies and back to learning this week for school students! We wish them a great new year and a renewed effort to strive to be both saints and scholars. I hope there aren’t as many snow days for them this year!  Welcome back! Happy New Year! Be well. Do good. Go Pats! God Bless.

Merry Christmas! The Season of Joy Has Begun! Rejoice and Give Thanks!

Dear Parishioners: “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light,” as the reading from Isaiah announced at Christmas. We live in the joy of the Christmas season, and it has very little to do with holiday sales. Jesus Christ is Emmanuel – “God with us.”

Exchanging gifts and good times with friends and family is a tradition that springs forth from our Christmas joy. But the noise of these things should never drown out the quiet voice of God’s love made flesh in the birth of Jesus. Bethlehem, for each of us individually and the world as a whole, is the beginning of something entirely new and utterly beautiful if we ask God for the purity of heart to possess it. Christians celebrate the 25th of December not as just another secular holiday, but much more deeply as the day of birth of the messiah that is the birthday, in the words of St. Leo the Great, of life itself.

God loved us so much that He sent us His only Son. He loved us enough to take on our poverty, our indignities and fears, our hopes and joys, our sufferings and failures — and to speak to us as one of us. He became man to show men and women how much God loves them. He was born for that purpose. He lived for that purpose. He died and rose again for that purpose. It’s never too late to invite the Christ Child into our hearts. Surely this weary and war-torn world needs “the great light” born on Christmas Day. May God grant each of us, and those we love, the gift of welcoming Jesus Christ into our hearts this Christmas Season and all throughout the coming year.

We give thanks for so many people who make our celebration of Christmas so very joyous at OLM. The Church is beautifully decorated, the Christmas music was superb, our altar servers are outstanding and the crowds were overflowing! It was truly a joyful and faithful Christmas at OLM. We thank Celia Franzone and her loyal band of decorators for their tremendous work in making OLM so beautiful at Christmas. We thank Paul Anderson and his maintenance crew for ensuring the Church is clean, for hanging the wreaths and stringing the lights on the trees and so many other things. We thank our dedicated sacristans and all those who help clean the Church for ensuring the sacred vessels were polished, the linens cleaned and starched, the vestments wrinkle free and for taking care of all the little details for our worship of God. We also thank our wonderful Altar Servers for their reverent and solemn service at Christmas Masses.

We thank our ushers for their warm welcome and hospitality. We are grateful for our Lectors and the Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion for their good service to the parish. We must also truly thank our musicians, Henri St. Louis, Deirdre Donovan, the OLM Adult Choir and Children’s Choir for providing such beautiful music for the Feast of Christmas! We are truly blessed to have such good people dedicate themselves to our parish! So please take a moment to offer a prayer of thanksgiving for all these dedicated people who work so hard for our parish! In your name, I offer our deep gratitude and continued appreciation for all they do!

Finally, on behalf of Fr. Connors, Deacon Dowd and myself, I offer our thanks to the parishioners of Our Lady of Mercy Parish for your faithful witness and joyful spirit in celebrating Christmas. We thank the many parishioners who are so supportive of our priestly and parish ministry here at OLM. Your well wishes, greeting cards and the many generous and thoughtful gifts at Christmas are truly appreciated and we are so very grateful. May God bless you and your families and our parish with continued joy and happiness of this season.

I hope you join us for the holyday on New Year’s Day, the Solemnity of Mary, the Mother of God. There is a Vigil Mass at 4pm on New Year’s Eve and Mass at 7:30am and 10:30am on New Year’s Day. Attending Mass on New Year’s is a great start to the New Year. So please join us as we honor Mary, the Mother of God! Happy Christmas and a Holy and Happy New Year.