Saying Farewell, Welcome Back and Congratulations! The Comings and Goings at OLM

Dear Parishioners: We said “Farewell” to our Summer Seminarian Billy Burdier last weekend.  He now gets ready to return to his priestly studies in Rome in September.  Billy is entering his third year and has two years left before ordination to the priesthood.  My thanks to all who helped organize the “Farewell Reception” in Mercy Park and the many parishioners who stopped by to offer Billy their thanks.  Vaya con Dios Billy!!

No sooner did we say good-bye to Billy when Sister Lourdes and Sister Emma returned from Nebraska on Sunday night.  The good sisters were on retreat and made their way back travelling across the country in their mini-van.  They arrived safe and sound late Sunday night.  Now rested and ready from their retreat they once again take up their ministry here at OLM.  Welcome home Sisters!!!

I recently received the news that Deacon Brian Morris, a native son of OLM and graduate of OLM School, is to be ordained a priest on Saturday, June 3, 2017.  He is to offer his Mass of Thanksgiving here at OLM on Sunday, June 4, 2017.  Please put those dates on your calendar now as it will be a weekend for our parish family to celebrate with Brian and his family.  Brian is coming to OLM next Sunday, August 21st to preach at all the Masses.  He then returns to his final year of studies at St. John Seminary in Boston and prepares for priestly ordination next June!

This week I learned that another OLM native son, Father Eric Bennett, who is the son of OLM parishioners Dudley and Kathy Bennett was named Pastor of Sacred Heart Parish in East Boston.  Fr. Bennett worked in Boston as a Physical Therapist before entering the seminary and was ordained a priest of the Archdiocese of Boston in June 2012. It is a sure expression of Cardinal O’Malley’s trust and confidence in Fr. Bennett’s tremendous abilities and talents to name him a Pastor of such a large parish as Sacred Heart.

It is a diverse parish that offers Masses in English, Italian and Vietnamese and  has a parish school.  Fr. Bennett studied in Rome so Mass In Italian shouldn’t be a problem and he has the assistance of  a Vietnamese Priest who serves the large Vietnamese population there.  Fr. Bennett begins his first pastorate on August 15th, the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, a  sure sign that Our Lady is to guide his pastorate!  We congratulate Fr. Bennett and his parents on this great milestone in his priestly ministry and extend him our prayerful best wishes!

With all this news of seminarians and young priests, I remind you of that there remains a great need to pray for priestly vocations for the Diocese of Providence.  We have just twenty seminarians studying for the priesthood for our diocese.  Keep them in your prayers but also pray that more young men might answer God’s call to serve the Church of Providence.

The Gospel says that “Jesus went about all the cities and villages... When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, ‘The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; pray therefore the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest’” (Mt 9:35-38). The prayer which Jesus asks of  all of us,  therefore concerns the need to increase the number of those who serve his Kingdom as priests.

The Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary is not a holy day of obligation this year as it falls on a Monday.  There is an explanation provided by  the Office of Worship in the bulletin this week.  There is to be only one Mass offered on this Solemnity at 7:30am on Monday, August 15th and I encourage you to join us on this great feast of Our Lady.  The arrival of the Assumption is always a sign that summer is coming to an end too fast.

Next week we take up the Peter’s Pence Collection for the Holy Father’s many charities.  Thanks for you generous support of Pope Francis’ many good works.  Be well. Do good. Go Sox! God Bless.

Farewell to Our Summer Seminarian Billy Burdier! It's Good to be Home!!!!

Dear Parishioners: We say so-long to our Summer Seminarian, Billy Burdier, this weekend.  He has been here for the last eight weeks.  His time here has been well spent working at OLM School, the Vacation Bible School, assisting at Masses, visits to shut-ins, writing a weekly column and working along side Fr. Barrow and myself.  Billy has a lot of energy and personality but also a lot of talent.  He speaks three languages fluently and can get by in few more.  He displayed his musical talents at the Vacation Bible School with his guitar playing and singing!

Billy was a great help over these weeks and we thank him. Billy can now enjoy some time of rest and relaxation with his family before he returns to Rome for priestly studies. This fall he enters his third year of theological studies  at the Gregorian University and priestly formation at the North American College in Rome.

Please keep him in you prayers as he continues to prepare for the priesthood. You can personally thank Billy for his time and service here at Our Lady of Mercy at a “Farewell Reception” on Sunday in Mercy Park following the 10:30am Mass.  We wish him well in his future endeavors and assure him of our continue prayers.  Farewell Billy and God Bless!

Last week I was in San Antonio, Texas for the Annual Summer Meeting of the National Association of State Catholic Conference Directors.  Hosted by the Texas Catholic Conference the meeting is a gathering of the men and women who advocate for the Catholic Church at statehouses across the nation. During the meeting we were updated on public policy issues like immigration reform, gun control, conscience protection, religious freedom, abortion, assisted suicide, refugee resettlement, poverty and educational choice.  These issues effect every state and we were able to hear from the staff of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops about them.  These diverse public policy issues are getting more complicated and more numerous.

We had the great privilege of having Father Paul Murray, O.P. of  the Pontifical  University of St. Thomas Aquinas in Rome offer very insightful theological reflections on our work as Catholic Conference Directors. Fr. Murray is a Dominican Friar who hails from Ireland and is the author of many books. While there we were also able to visit the Alamo.  Of course this Mission was  the site of the  historic battle between Texans and the Mexican Army of General Santa Anna. It’s a lot smaller in person and certainly very different from the classic John Wayne film!

We also celebrated Mass at the  Cathedral of San Fernando with the Archbishop of San Antonio, the Most Reverend Gustavo-García-Siller. The beautiful  Cathedral was founded in March 1731 by a group of 15 families who came from the Canary Islands at the invitation of King Phillip V of Spain. It is now a hub of the City of San Antonio.  Over 5,000 people participate at weekend Masses each week. The Cathedral Parish has over 900 baptisms, 100 weddings, and 100 funerals each year.

Following the meeting I made a trip to Austin, Texas to visit the LBJ Presidential Library. It is quite an impressive place that is full of history and brings to life the presidency of Lyndon B. Johnson.  He is one of the most fascinating U.S. Presidents in history. After Austin I moved on to Houston where I was able to visit  the President George H.W. Bush Presidential Library in College Park. The elder President Bush’s life and presidency is also well worth the visit. His vast service to the nation throughout his life most especially during the Second World War was well worth spending time examining.

I am happy to be back home at OLM!  I thank Fr. Barrow for his able stewardship of our parish during my absence.  Also I am grateful to Bishop Evans for helping cover Masses while I was away. OLM was certainty in good hands while I was in Texas! I’ll remember the Alamo but I won’t miss the Texas temperatures! Pray for peace!  Be well. Do Good. God Bless. Go Sox!

It's Still Summer, Take Some Vacation Time and Bring God Along for the Trip!!!

Dear Parishioners: I thank you for your warm welcome last weekend to the Missionary Sisters of the Holy Rosary.  It is important for us to support the Missions and truly realize that our Catholic Church is so large and universal.  Spreading the Good News of Jesus Christ across the four corners of the earth is the work of every Catholic no matter where they live.   Thanks again for your tremendous spiritual and financial support.

This week is the last week of service for our Summer Seminarian, Billy Burdier.  It’s hard to believe that he’s been with us for eight weeks already.  He has been a true joy to live and work with here at OLM.   I hope you’ve been able to meet him and speak with him.   Without a doubt, he will make a fine priest for our Diocese.  After a couple of weeks of vacation with his family, Billy is headed back to Rome to continue his priestly formation and theological studies.  Billy is to be at all the Masses next weekend so you have a chance to say farewell to him.  I encourage to join us for a “Farewell Reception” for Billy in Mercy Park immediately following the 10:30AM Mass. It is to be a time to thank him for his hard work with us at OLM and also to wish him well as he returns to seminary.   May God continue to bless him in his studies and lead him to priestly ordination!

It’s hard to believe that the summer is moving along so quickly as August arrives this week! How has your summer gone so far? Did you take any time to relax and rest?  If you haven’t made time to enjoy the weather at the beach, by the poor or even in your backyard, you’ve the next few weeks to do so! Believe it or not, simply  taking time to rest is a great way to practice your faith. On the seventh day of Creation, God rested; and as we are made in His image and likeness we too are called to take time to rest. Pope Francis has said:   “Together with a culture of work, there must be a culture of leisure as gratification. To put it another way: people who work must take the time to relax, to be with their families, to enjoy themselves, read, listen to music, play a sport.”

Rest is a way to be more human, more of who God made us to be. So enjoy your rest – it is a gift from God! If you’re traveling, it can be difficult to find a Catholic Church nearby – but certainly not impossible. Check  MassTimes.org before you leave for a vacation to find Mass times at a nearby church so you can participate in Sunday Mass.  Vacations are a wonderful way to step out of your daily routine to get some rest, have an adventure, and spend quality time with your family. But that doesn’t mean you should take a vacation from your faith.

Beginning your trip with a prayer sets the right tone and starts you off on the right foot. Say a quick prayer for protection and for a fruitful, restful vacation as you start off. Here is a nice quick prayer to say right as you pull out of the driveway:  “O Lady of the Highway, be with us on our journey, for all your ways are beautiful and all your paths are peace. O God, Who with unspeakable provident does rule and govern the world, grant unto us, Your servants, through the intercessions of our watchful mother, to be protected from all danger and brought safely to the end of our journey. Amen.”

I received a phone call from Bishop Tobin last week thanking Our Lady of Mercy Parish for your tremendous generosity to the Catholic Charity Appeal.  For the first time in many years, the CCA went over it’s goal of $8 Million and Bishop Tobin was very grateful for the response from OLM that helped in going over the Diocesan Goal.  We raised over $267,000 here at OLM, well over our goal of $193,000 and even over last year’s total of $244,000 at OLM.  It is a great witness to your love of the poor and your generosity in supporting the good works of the Church of Providence.  Thank you for all your support of the CCA!

I am away this weekend in San Antonio, Texas for the Summer Meeting of the National Association of State Catholic Conference Directors. I’m looking forward to those cool Texas  temperatures! Remember the Alamo!! Be well. Do Good. God Bless. Go Sox!

From the Missions in Kenya to World Youth Day in Krakow

Dear Parishioners:This weekend we welcome to Our Lady of Mercy Sister Josephine and Sister Therese of the Missionary Sisters of the Holy Rosary. The Sisters are speaking at all Masses about the important work they do in the Missions in Africa.   This is our Annual Mission Co-op weekend in which we dedicate one weekend a year to learning about the good works of Missionaries and support them with your prayers as well as our financial contributions. The Sisters are here to share with us the story of  their religious community of  the Holy Rosary and the many good works they do throughout the world.  They are located in Africa, Mexico and Brazil and provide much needed education and healthcare to some of the poorest areas of our world.  They also bring the Good News of Jesus Christ to these areas through their witness of the faith.

The Second Collection today is solely dedicated to supporting the Missionary Sisters of the Holy Rosary.  There is no envelope for the collection but if you do strike a check please make it payable to OLM.  The collection is counted here and sent to the Diocese where it is then sent on to the Missionary Sisters.  All the proceeds go directly to support the good works of these wonderful Missionary Sisters. I thank you in advance for your warm welcome to Sister Josephine and Sister Therese.

Also in their name, I thank you for your prayerful support of their work and for the Missions as well as your generous financial support of the Second Collection.  May God Bless the Missionary Sisters of the Holy Rosary and their good works in the Missions! Let us continue to pray for Missionaries across the globe but also let us recall we too are called to be Missionaries right here in East Greenwich.  In fact in his talk on World Mission Sunday this year, Pope Francis suggests:

“All of us are invited to ‘go out’ as missionary disciples, each generously offering their talents, creativity, wisdom and experience in order to bring the message of God's tenderness and compassion to the entire human family. By virtue of the missionary mandate, the Church cares for those who do not know the Gospel, because she wants everyone to be saved and to experience the Lord's love. She ‘is commissioned to announce the mercy of God, the beating heart of the Gospel’ (Misericordiae Vultus, 12) and to proclaim mercy in every corner of the world, reaching every person, young or old. “

Speaking of Missionaries, this week our OLM Parish Secretary, Sandra Demers and her daughter Simone, join a band of pilgrims from the Diocese of Providence going to World Youth Day in Krakow, Poland.  A large part of the group is from St. Theresa’s Church in Tiverton and so is Fr. Shemek (formerly of OLM!) is leading the group that includes Deacon Brian Morris from OLM too! Over 30 teenagers, young adults and adults are making the pilgrimage to World Youth Day.  Also OLM Parishioner and Senior Altar Server, Jack Kineke, is attending WYD with his school group. Hundreds of thousands of Catholic youth from across the globe are expected to attend the events.  Pope Francis is to address the expected 2.5 million pilgrims in attendance!

Prior to the World Youth Day opening ceremony on Tuesday, the Providence Pilgrims are to visit Warsaw, the Auschwitz Concentration Camp and the birthplace of St. Pope John Paul the Great in Wadowice.  After the conclusion of World Youth Day, the Providence band of pilgrims are to make their way to the Jasna Gora Shrine which houses the Black Madonaa icon so beloved by St. Pope John Paul. Please pray for all the World Youth Day pilgrims especially those from OLM.  It is sure to be a memorable event for all of them and for the entire Church.  Pope Francis told the pilgrims:  “Dear young people, at the Shrine in Krakow dedicated to the merciful Jesus, where he is depicted in the image venerated by the people of God, Jesus is waiting for you. “

I am away this weekend officiating at the wedding of my niece at St. Peter’s Church in Saratoga Springs, New York.  Welcome Sister Josephine and Therese! Thanks for your support for the Missions! Pray for World Youth Day! Be well. Do Good. God Bless. Go Sox!

Prayer and Support Needed in the U.S.A. and in the Missions

Dear Parishioners: The nation continues to deal the aftermath of the terrible tragedy that took place in Dallas last week.  We continue to mourn the loss of live and pray for peace and justice.  Bishop Kevin Farrell of Dallas issued a statement in response.  His words are well worth reflecting upon:

“The magnitude of the violence in downtown Dallas Thursday night is staggering. Five police officers were killed and seven other officers and two civilians were wounded in a deadly spate of gunfire at the conclusion of a peaceful march protesting recent killings of black men in Baton Rouge and Minneapolis. Our first concern is for the families who have lost loved ones in this tragic attack. We pray for consolation and healing for both the families and those killed and wounded. We are reminded of the ever -present danger to those who are dedicated to protecting us. We have been swept up in the escalating cycle of violence that has now touched us intimately as it has others throughout our country and the world. All lives matter: black, white, Muslim, Christian, Hindu. We are all children of God and all human life is precious.

We cannot lose respect for each other and we call upon all of our civic leaders to speak to one another and work together to come to a sensible resolution to this escalating violence. Let us implore God our Heavenly Father to touch the minds and hearts of all people to work together for peace and understanding.  Let us recall the words of Pope Francis, ‘May the God of peace arouse in all an authentic desire for dialogue and reconciliation. Violence cannot be overcome with violence. Violence is overcome with peace.’

Last weekend our Parish Organist, Henri St. Louis, sang a beautiful meditation for the victims of the violence in Dallas, the ancient chant, In Paradisum.  It is an antiphon from the traditional Latin liturgy of the Western Church Requiem Mass. It may be familiar to you as it is often used at Funeral Masses and it reads: "May choirs of angels escort you into paradise: and at your arrival may the martyrs receive and welcome you; may they bring you home into the holy city, Jerusalem.  May the holy angels welcome you, and with Lazarus, who lived in poverty, may you have everlasting rest.”  May the fallen of Dallas’ finest, rest in peace.

Next weekend is our Annual Mission Co-op at Our Lady of Mercy.  This is weekend dedicated to helping those who serve our Church in the missions.  Every year and in every parish a weekend is dedicated to learn more about the work of the Missionaries and commit to supporting them spiritually and financially.   So please note that the Second Collection next weekend is dedicated to this effort and there is no envelope provided for this collection.  This year at OLM, the Missionary Sisters of the Holy Rosary, a community of religious sisters founded in Ireland   in 1924 by Bishop Joseph Shanahan, C.S.Sp. to work in  the Missions in Africa. There is more about them in the bulletin this week.

Next weekend we are to be  joined by two of their good sisters from Kenya,  Sister Therese and Sister Josephine.  They are to speak at all the Masses about their good works and the works of the Missions in Africa.  Sister Therese administers their House of Studies for young sisters outside Nairobi and Sister Josephine is a nurse-midwife-administrator of a new health care center that serves the poor of the area. I  know you will give them your usual warm welcome and generous support.

Our own Franciscan Sisters, Sister Emma and Sister Lourdes, leave this week for Nebraska for two weeks.  There they join all the Franciscan Apostolic Sisters serving in the U.S. They have community meetings and also have a community retreat at the Seminary of St. Gregory in Seward, Nebraska. Please keep our good Sisters in your prayers for  their safe travel and  safe return home to OLM!  I know while they take this time of prayer and reflection they are praying for us.

Pray for Dallas! Pray for peace! Be well. Do Good. God Bless. Go Sox!

Old Glory anew and Moving Forward In Faith!!

Dear Parishioners: I hope you had a great Fourth of July celebration.  There were fireworks all over the nation and families and friends gathered for good fun and good food.  This most American of holidays is a great day to remember and celebrate our nation and our freedom.

You may have noticed that the U.S. Flag flies high at OLM School.  Thanks to Paul Anderson, our Maintenance Director, the flag is illuminated with light at night and so we are able to fly “Old Glory” twenty-four hours a day. When you look at our flag flying be sure to look at the top of the flagpole. On top of the flagpole you will see the newly refinished   "ball-style" finial. In your name I thank long-time OLM Parishioner, Steve Kane, who not only  donated the gold leafing that now adorns the finial but also spent hours gently applying the gold leaf on the finial.  We are truly grateful for his generosity and for sharing his time and talent on behalf of the parish.

The history of our flag is as fascinating as that of the American Republic itself. It has survived battles, inspired songs and evolved in response to the growth of the country it represents.  On June 14, 1777, the Continental Congress passed an act establishing an official flag for the new nation. The resolution stated: “Resolved, that the flag of the United States be thirteen stripes, alternate red and white; that the union be thirteen stars, white in a blue field, representing a new constellation." On Aug. 3, 1949, President Harry S. Truman officially declared June 14 as Flag Day.

The name Old Glory was given to a large, 10-by-17-foot flag by its owner, William Driver, a sea captain from Massachusetts. Inspiring the common nickname for all American flags, Driver’s flag is said to have survived multiple attempts to deface it during the Civil War. Driver was able to fly the flag over the Tennessee Statehouse once the war ended. It’s a “Grand Old Flag” indeed!

Our new Associate Pastor, Fr. Barrow, is finding his way around the parish and the town.  He has been busy getting to know the lay of the land as well as unpacking his trunk and boxes recently arrived from Rome.  I hope you got a chance to welcome him and say “Hello” last weekend.  If you have not yet greeted our new priest, please do so as I know he is anxious to meet you.

Our OLM Vacation Bible School was a great success.  It ended on July 1st and the over fifty children, many parent and teenaged volunteers, our Summer Seminarian Billy Burdier, RE Directors Doug Green and Mickey St. Jean and our OLM Youth Activities Coordinator Michael LaChimia are all to be commended for planning and running such a great faith event for the parish.  The children not only had a week of fun and activities but also learned many valuable things about their Catholic Faith. This is a wonderful event for our young parish families and I offer my thanks to all those who helped to make it possible and all those families who participated in the OLM VBS!

Last week we celebrated Independence Day on the Fourth of July. But just before that civic celebration, the Church marked the Feast of St. Junipero Serra, the great Missionary of the Western United States. The Franciscan Friar built the Mission Churches that span the California Coast and his statue stands tall in the U.S. Capitol. Fr.  Serra was just canonized in September 2015 by Pope Francis at a Mass in Washington, DC.  In his homily the Holy Father stated:

“Father Serra had a motto which inspired his life and work, a saying he lived his life by: siempre adelante! Keep moving forward! For him, this was the way to continue experiencing the joy of the Gospel, to keep his heart from growing numb. He kept moving forward, because the Lord was waiting. He kept going, because his brothers and sisters were waiting. He kept going forward to the end of his life.  Today, like him, may we be able to say: Forward! Let’s keep moving forward! “ Let us keep moving forward in faith! Be well. Do Good. God Bless. Go Sox!