Long Live Christ the King! Giving Thanks and Being Prepared for Christ's Coming Again!

Dear Parishioners: We celebrate this Sunday, the Feast of Christ the King.  It was added to the Church Calendar by Pope Pius XI in 1925. He created this feast as a reaction against the prevailing attitudes of his day as a way to refute the growing threats of communism and secularism. These ideologies sought to make man, not God, the most powerful force in the world. Within a few years, of course, the world would have to  also face totalitarianism and the rise of Nazism.

In our contemporary world those threats have been replaced by others that tend to marginalize God with increased secularism, growing materialism and rising moral relativism.  Today this feast still stands in defiance of our culture and also as a challenge to Catholics. This great feast of Christ the King asks each of us: “Who and what really rules our lives?”

Letting Christ the King rule our lives means that we need to have a strong desire to strive for holiness and a strong intention to do God’s will in all things. In everything that we are, and in everything that we do.  Not only God’s will for our individual lives but we are also to dedicate ourselves to carrying out Christ’s intentions for our world.  Are we  bringing to the world, the truth and beauty of God’s Kingdom?  We do this by making Jesus the King of our hearts and homes, the King of our families and our friendships. We do this through the way we choose to live, by sharing our Catholic faith and understanding the teachings of the Gospel and our Church.  Let us ask for the grace to live our faith joyfully and lovingly  each day.

With this Solemnity of Christ the King we end the Liturgical Church Year.  Next Sunday we begin the Season of Advent and a new Church Year.  As we ponder this week how Christ rules our lives, Advent gives us an opportunity to pray, reflect and prepare ourselves.  The Church teaches that: “Advent has a two-fold character, for it is a time of preparation for the Solemnities of Christmas, in which the First Coming of the Son of God to humanity is remembered and likewise a time when, by remembrance of this, minds and hearts are led to look forward to Christ’s Second Coming at the end of time.  For these two reasons, Advent is a period of devout and expectant delight.”

Advent’s arrival means we  begin to wear purple vestments instead of the green vestments worn for ordinary time.  We spend the weeks before Christmas prayerfully preparing a place for Christ in our lives, our hearts and our homes.  Christ the King reminds us not to be taken in by the crass commercialism and swept up in unbridled materialism that has become Christmas in our world today.

Pope Francis in his homily for the Jubilee of Mercy Mass last Sunday reminds us with his timely wisdom: “Let us open our eyes to our neighbor, especially to our brothers and sisters who are forgotten and excluded, to the “Lazarus” at our door. That is where the Church’s magnifying glass is pointed. May the Lord free us from turning it towards ourselves. May he turn us away from the trappings that distract us, from interests and privileges, from attachment to power and glory, from being seduced by the spirit of the world.”

While we celebrate Christ the King today and anticipate the Season of Advent next weekend, we also celebrate the great American Holiday of Thanksgiving. President Lincoln established that the final Thursday of each November should be observed nationally as a “day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens.” He was mindful of the fact that, even in the midst of the tragedy and bloodshed of the Civil War, God had still been generous in bestowing His blessings upon this country. In his proclamation, after recounting several of those blessings he wrote that: “No human counsel hath devised nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things.  They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God.”

Many in our nation are deeply upset with the results of elections.  Protests and riots across the nation are a cause for concern for all.  Unity and peace not rancor and division should be what all people work for in our country.  President Lincoln saw the nation spilt in two  culturally and politically and witnessed the resulting Civil War.  Yet he knew there was much about America to be proud of and also many things for which to give thanks to God.  May we do so on Thanksgiving Day and truly give thanks to God for all the freedom, beauty and bounty we enjoy in the USA.

Join us for Thanksgiving Day Mass at 9:00am on Thursday, it’s a great way to start the day of thanks! Happy Thanksgiving! Safe Travels. Be well. Do good. God Bless. Go Pats!

November is Always a Time to Pray More

Dear Parishioners: On Tuesday  after the 7:30am Mass, Fr. Barrow and I made our way to the Swift Community Center to cast our votes. Little did we know that we would be up until the wee hours of the morning awaiting the results of the Presidential Election.  Like most of America and most likely many of you we watched all night as election results came in slowly.  We learned who the 45th President was to be at around 3:00am! Now we must pray for President-Elect Donald J Trump and the Congress-Elect.  I hope and pray that our nation can accept the election results without rancor  and work for national unity.  Let us pray for the President-Elect that God might guide and protect him and our nation.  May he serve the common good of all people and lead our nation to peace and prosperity.  May God truly bless America!

On last Saturday night at 4:00PM Mass the OLM Basketball Teams kicked off their new Catholic Athletic League Season .  They  received their uniforms and a also a special blessing at the Mass. We wish all the coaches and players another great season! Last Sunday following the 5:00pm Mass  Fr. Barrow and I attended the OLM School Cross Country Banquet.  The Boys and Girls Teams were made up of fifty-three of our Middle School students, the largest team in the Diocese. The OLM Boys Team were State Champions! We congratulate the coaches and the teams on a great year.

We also remembered the many OLM parishioners who died this past year at Mass last Sunday.  I ask you to continue to pray for the repose of their souls and for the consolation of their grieving families.  Following the Mass we processed to St. Patrick’s Cemetery to pray for the dead who rest in that sacred ground.  Many of the souls there have been there since the 19th century and have no one left to pray for them.  Please pray for their souls. Visiting a cemetery and praying for the dead is an ancient and venerable tradition of our Catholic Faith.

The practice of praying for the dead is rooted first in our Catholic  belief in the everlasting life promised in Jesus’ teachings and  by his disciple’s experience that God had raised him from the dead. After death, even though separated from our earthly body, we yet continue a personal existence. It is as living persons that God invites us into a relationship whose life transcends death. Our prayers for the dead begin at the moment of death. When a friend or family member dies, we immediately pray for them. This prayer continues with Vigil Prayers at the Wake and then the offering of the greatest prayer, the Mass of Christian Burial.  The continued prayer of our beloved dead is also why families have Masses offered for their loved ones on the anniversary of their death.

These prayers express hope that for the dead that God will free the person who has died from any burden of sin and prepare a place for them in Heaven. Thus we  pray for the souls in Purgatory.  In this state of Purgatory, the faithful departed depend on our prayers and sacrifices to aid them in this process, and so we gladly offer our prayers for them in various ways individually and collectively. It is an unfortunate mistake that many people in our culture today dismiss this important practice of our faith.

Many would like to just assume that their loved ones have gone to Heaven and therefore see no need to pray for the repose of their souls. To offer prayers for the dead is in no way a lack of hope on our part, but rather, an expression of true love for them and a firm trust in God’s infinite mercy. Holy Mass, of course, is the absolute best prayer for the dead. It makes the redemptive sacrifice of Christ present again on the altar and, in God’s gracious providence, allows us to ask that this redemptive power be applied to the one for whom we pray.

As we continue this month of November dedicated to the Poor Souls in Purgatory, let us offer many prayers and sacrifices for those who await their entrance into Heaven. May we be especially mindful of the profound assistance offered to those souls each time we come to Mass and every time we have a Mass offered for beloved dead. May the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.

I am away in Baltimore  attending the Annual Winter Meeting of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops.  As a consultant to the Committee on Marriage, I have meetings to attend while there.  Please continue to pray for the dead. Go visit the dead at the cemetery and pray for them.  Book a Mass and have Masses offered for a deceased loved one. Be well. Do good. God Bless. Go Pats!

Praying for the Dead and Voting as a Catholic, Essential Duties of Our Faith

Dear Parishioners: We remember during this All Souls Month of November our beloved dead.  We commend them to God’s mercy in our payers, light candles for them and we have Holy Mass offered for the repose of their souls.  It is the ancient and venerable tradition of our  Church to pray for the dead.     In special way at Sunday’s 10:30am Mass we remember our beloved OLM Parishioners who died this past year and we continue to commend them to God with our prayers. We also pray for the consolation of their grieving families.  We are to process to St. Patrick’s Cemetery to pray for all the many souls at rest in that sacred ground.  Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and may perpetual light shine upon them.

Just three weeks ago, Pope Francis canonized a 14 year old Mexican martyr named Jose Sanchez del Rio a Saint of our Church. In 1927 civil war racked Mexico and the Church was persecuted. Many Catholics began to defend their civil and religious freedom with armed resistance. Jose Sanchez del Rio joined these Catholic fighters, called “Cristeros” for their distinctive battle cry: “Long live Christ the King!”

When government forces captured him, they offered him a pardon and various rewards if he would reject his Catholic faith. But the 14 year old boy responded: “My faith is not for sale.” And so they tortured this faithful fourteen year old boy.  When they reached the place of execution, his captors stabbed him numerous times with bayonets. Jose shouted out: “I will never give in. Viva Cristo Rey!' “Long live Christ the King!”     Moments before his death, the young boy drew a cross in the dirt and kissed it.  St. Jose Sanchez del Rio died refusing to forsake his Lord or his Catholic Faith. May he intercede for us.

On Tuesday our nation elects a new President and Congress, our state a new General Assembly and our Town a new Council.  Contrary to what the media and some in so-called polite society say, there is a deep connection between faith and politics. We must recognize our call and responsibility to be faithful citizens, not just citizens.  This is part of our Catholic identity.

Saint Augustine used the expression “citizens of two cities,” the city of God and the city of Man.  We are citizens of both.  We can’t forget this truth.  Jesus Himself taught us: “We are in the world, but we are not to be of the world.”  We are citizens of two cities, two worlds: earth and heaven, human society and Holy Mother the Church.  When we go into the voting booth on Tuesday, we shouldn’t leave our faith outside.  We must not renounce our citizenship in heaven or our citizenship in the Church when we exercise our American citizenship.   We don’t cease to be citizens of heaven, members of the city of God, when we exercise our right to vote as American citizens, as citizens of the earthly city.

We must bring to the public square what our faith teaches about human dignity, the sacredness of human life, the truth about marriage and the family, the dignity of work, the importance of justice and peace.  These aren’t optional topics of our faith.  We must look at the candidates’ positions on a range of issues, recognizing at the same time, that some issues are more important than others.  In fact, all stem from our teaching on the sanctity of all human life from conception until natural death.

The teachings of our Lord and His Church are not optional for Catholics – they are part of our faith.  Be brave in the public square, do not to be afraid to stand up for the truth of the Gospel and the teachings of the Church.  We are citizens of two worlds, of two cities.  Let’s not lose sight of our responsibilities in either.  We should be active in political life, but not more Republican or Democrat than Catholic.

And so we must think deeply and clearly before we vote.  We also need to fervently pray before we vote. We need to bring God into the voting booth with us on Tuesday and not leave him at our bedside with our morning prayers or back in the pew on Sunday.  We must turn to God after we vote too and pray, perhaps even more fervently, for those who are elected to lead our nation, state and town.

On Tuesday, November 8th as we enter the voting booth may the words of St. Jose Sanchez de Rio be ours:  “My faith is not for sale.”  Our faith should not be for sale to any candidate or any political party.  Viva Christo Rey! Long live Christ the King!

On Friday we celebrate Veterans Day and remember the many  men and women who have served our nation in the armed forces.  Keep them in your prayers and thank them for their service. Happy Veterans Day! God Bless America! Be well. Do good. God Bless. Go Pats!

The Newly Confirmed and All the Saints and Souls!

Dear Parishioners: We had a wonderful celebration of Confirmation last Sunday.  The newly confirmed were well prepared and prayerful, the music was outstanding, the servers were superb, and Bishop Matano offered a great message to the conformandi.   In your name, I thank the many people who helped to make this important day in the life our parish such a great occasion of faith, hope and joy.

We especially thank Mr. Doug Green who so faithfully and ably leads our Confirmation Program and the many good people who help him in this important work.  We also thank OLM Organist and Choir Director, Henri St. Louis, OLM Soloist, Deirdre Donovan and our OLM Choir for their great gift of music.  We must thank the many ushers who helped to see the Mass went so smoothly along with the sacristans, Altar Servers, Reception  and Decorating Committees, and the many other volunteers who helped make it a great occasion.

I would be remiss if we didn’t thank Paul Anderson and the great work by our maintenance staff. They ensured the grounds and the inside of Church was neat and clean.   They also recently finished up the landscaping work around the parish convents.  I hope you notice how nice the new plantings and grass around the Mercy Convent and the Franciscan Convent look.

This also includes a new driveway and walkway the Franciscan Convent, the repair of the driveway at the Mercy Convent, the addition of more parking behind Mercy House in the main parking lot and the addition of a curb on the Convent side of Third Street. They worked hard in completing these projects and we are truly grateful for their dedication to our parish.

We also must thank OLM Parishioner David Lynch and the J.H. Lynch & Sons Company for donating the asphalt and paving of these projects.  Mr. Lynch was most generous, helpful and supportive of the project and we are deeply grateful. Sister Jean, Sister Lourdes and Sister Emma are all delighted with their new and beautiful surroundings.

We also finished enhancing the grounds surrounding Mercy House which houses the OLM Religious Education and Outreach Offices.  We thank you for your generous financial support of these projects through the Annual Collection. Only 300 families have thus far contributed to our Annual Collection.  If you have not yet contributed I urge you to please do so today. We need all OLM families to support the Annual Collection to be truly successful.

We celebrate All Saints Day on Tuesday and it is a holy day of obligation for all Catholics.  Please plan on attending one of the four Masses offered for the holy-day as together we celebrate All the Saints.

On Wednesday we mark All Souls Day as we remember all the faithful departed.  There are three Masses so please join us in praying for All Souls.  Next Sunday at the 10:30am Mass we remember our fellow OLM Parishioners who have died this past year.  Their names are listed in this week’s bulletin, please keep them and their families in your prayers. May the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.

I encourage you to please read the bulletin insert on Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship. It helps us to better understand which issues to consider when voting.

In particular, the U.S. bishops stress that “Catholic teaching challenges voters and candidates, citizens and elected officials, to consider the moral and ethical dimensions of public policy issues.” The bishops also remind us that: “Not all issues are equal.”

We must look at various issues of different moral weight and urgency and be mindful that “some involve intrinsically evil acts, which can never be approved,” such as the grave attacks on human life presented by abortion, euthanasia and assisted suicide.

This insert is meant to help guide all of us to better reflect on what we are reading and hearing about issues and candidates. Much of the media  has its  own partisan or secular  agenda.  Being vigilant about the fundamental issues such as the sanctity of all human life is another way we practice fruitful engagement in public life.

On Monday night come pray for the nation at  Devotions. God knows we need it. Be well. Do good. Go Pats! God Bless.

Forming A Catholic Conscience and Being a Faithful Citizen in the Political Season

Dear Parishioners: Over the last few weeks I’ve been asked time and time again: “Who are you voting for?” I would never directly answer such a personal and private question. But the truth be told I don’t make such an important decision about who is to lead our nation, our state, or represent us in Congress, the State House or even Town Hall without a lot of prayer and reflection.

I’ve also heard from many people recently that they intend not to vote at all in November.  This is a very sad commentary on the state of politics in our nation and the tenor and tone of campaigns in 2016.  Pope Francis has said:  "We need to participate for the common good. Sometimes we hear: a good Catholic is not interested in politics. This is not true: good Catholics immerse themselves in politics by offering the best of themselves so that the leader can govern."

The Church teaches us that we must vote.  In fact, the Catechism of the Catholic Church instructs: “It is the duty of citizens to contribute along with the civil authorities to the good of society.”  It goes on to teach that: “Submission to authority and co-responsibility for the common good make it morally obligatory to pay taxes, to exercise the right to vote, and to defend one’s country.”

In their statement on Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship, the U.S. Catholic bishops remind Catholics about the call to participate in political life. "In the Catholic tradition," they write, "responsible citizenship is a virtue, and participation in political life is a moral obligation." Yes, we have a moral obligation as faithful Catholics to vote in elections.   We are called to bring our Catholic principles to our political choices and our Catholic values to our votes.

As we pray and reflect on our upcoming vote, let us be mindful that that we are called to engage in charitable, respectful and civil dialogue during election season. In a culture that is dominated by "partisan attacks, sound bites and media hype," the Church calls for "a different kind of political engagement."  One that is civil and charitable and not mean spirited or nasty as our current politics seems to be.

Over the next few weekends before Election Day on November 8th, there will be bulletin inserts on “Faithful Citizenship.” These are meant to be a guide for you as you pray and reflect about your vote.  I hope it also provides some insight as to what it means to vote with a Catholic conscience.

The Church does not tell you who to vote for and never will.  However, the Church asks that you form a good Catholic conscience and make an informed decision about your vote based on Catholic values like the common good, the sanctity of life and marriage, the option for the poor,  the virtues of justice and peace.

Vote with a conscience that is formed by your faith not as a  political partisan or solely out of  self-interest. But please do vote! President Roosevelt said it best when he said: “Nobody will ever deprive the American people of the right to vote except the American people themselves and the only way they could do this is by not voting.”

We welcome Bishop Matano from Rochester, NY to OLM this weekend.  He is confirming 88 of our young adults on Sunday 5:00PM.  Please pray for these young men and women as they receive the gifts of the Holy Spirt. It is a great milestone for them and great day for our parish. Be well. Do good. Go Pats! God Bless

Of Cardinals, Bishops and Confirmation!!

Dear Parishioners: Last Sunday morning shortly after 6:00am I received a text message from our erstwhile Associate Pastor, Fr. Connors.  It simply said: “Tobin named Cardinal!”    I admit that I was perplexed but soon enough Father clarified it by adding “from Indy!”     So our own Bishop Tobin was not named Cardinal after all!

I guess while Fr. Connors was eating his lunch on some scenic Roman Piazza he heard the news about Pope Francis naming new Cardinals and calling a Papal Consistory in November. The Holy Father has named three new Cardinals from the Untied States:  Archbishop Blasé Cupich of Chicago, Archbishop Kevin Farrell from Dallas, the Prefect of  the Vatican’s Dicastery of Laity, Family and Life, and Archbishop Joseph Tobin of Indianapolis.  These three bishops along with fourteen other bishops from across the globe make up the new members of the College of Cardinals.

Pope Francis commenting  on the diversity of the new Cardinals  said they represent “the universality of the church” and “the mercy of God in every corner of the world.”  These seventeen bishops are to be elevated to the College of Cardinals in Rome on November 19th. The College of Cardinals is a group of bishops who advise the Holy Father on Church matters.  All Cardinals under the age of 80 also participate in the election of a new Pope.  They play an important role in the life and mission of the Church.  Please keep them and our Holy Father in your prayers.

We are to have our own celebration next weekend. We  have a visiting Bishop coming to OLM for the celebration of the Sacrament of Confirmation.  Eighty-eight of our young adults from OLM are to be confirmed by Bishop Salvatore R. Matano of Rochester, NY next Sunday at the 5:00pm Mass.  Please keep them in your prayers as they continue to prepare for the reception of the Sacrament. Bishop Matano is no stranger to OLM as he has visited many times and celebrated Confirmation here on numerous occasions.

Bishop Matano is a native priest of Providence and grew up at St. Ann Church in Providence with our late OLM Pastor, Monsignor Lolio.   The Bishop served as the Vicar-General of our Diocese  and the Pastor of St. Sebastian Church in Providence for many years before being named the Bishop of Burlington, VT.  A few years ago he was named the new Bishop of Rochester, NY. Over twenty years ago when I was a newly ordained priest, I was privileged enough to live with Bishop Matano when he was the resident priest at St. Augustine Church in Providence. I am truly grateful that he accepted the invitation to be with us at OLM and celebrate this special day for our young adults.

But please take heed that next week at the Sunday night 5:00PM Mass the Sacrament of Confirmation is to be celebrated.  This means that the eighty-eight Confirmation Candidates, their sponsors, families and friends are to be in Church!  You are most welcome to attend and celebrate this great occasion with them but if you’d like a guaranteed seat in Church I’d advise you to go to another Sunday Mass next week.

In continuing the preparation for the reception of the Sacrament, our OLM Confirmation Class are attending Monday Devotions this week.  It is a great opportunity for us as a parish family to gather together and pray the Rosary for these young adults.  They are the future of  our Church and deserve our prayers and support.  So please come to October Devotions on this Monday and pray with and for the Confirmation candidates. After October Devotions on Monday, the Confirmation candidates, their  sponsors, parents and family member are invited to continue the preparation by receiving the grace of  a good Confession.  Several area priests along with Fr. Barrow and myself will be available to hear these Confessions. All are welcome to come to Confession  on Monday and experience God’s love, forgiveness and mercy.

Be well. Do good. Join us at Devotions and pray for our Confirmation Class! Go Pats!!!! God Bless.  See you at Devotions!