Giving Thanks for our First Liberty, Freedom of Religion

Dear Parishioners:

I hope you had a great celebration of the Fourth of July!  It’s always a great day to celebrate with family and friends with a cookout. I celebrated with my family at my sister’s home in Saratoga, New York.  It was great time with my brothers, sisters, nieces, nephews, and even the little grand nieces!  Good food and good fun was had by all.

Of course, the Fourth of July is more than the cookouts and fireworks.  It is a celebration of the freedoms we enjoy and sometimes take for granted. It’s a day to remember the blessings we have received in our nation.  It is also a time to give thanks to the many men and women who have sacrificed their lives for our freedoms and those who continue to protect and serve us.

On July 4, 1837, John Adams spoke about the meaning of Independence Day at a celebration in Newburyport, Massachusetts.  He stated: “Why is it that, next to the birthday of the Savior of the world, your most joyous and most venerated festival returns on this day , the Fourth of July? Is it not that, in the chain of human events, the birthday of the nation is indissolubly linked with the birthday of the Savior? That it forms a leading event in the progress of the Gospel dispensation? Is it not that the Declaration of Independence first organized the social compact on the foundation of the Redeemer’s mission upon earth? That it laid the cornerstone of human government upon the first precepts of Christianity?”

His words continue to ring just as true for us as Americans in the 21st Century. We celebrate our nation’s birth under God. Our freedom as citizens of this nation must be tied  to our faith as Catholics.  The two cannot be disconnected if we are truly to be both dutiful citizens and faithful disciples.

Religious freedom is a fundamental right we celebrate as Americans. It means that the government cannot coerce people into acting against their consciences. This is important for all people, not just people of faith. A government that makes one group choose obedience to the state over obedience to faith and conscience can force any group to submit to the state's demands.

Religious freedom underlies all other freedoms for everyone. People of faith need religious freedom to have the space to serve others. Oftentimes, religious liberty disputes arise when religious organizations are expected to sacrifice aspects of their faith in order to continue to serve the surrounding community. But it is our faith that in-spires us to serve.  After the federal and state government, the Catholic Church is the second largest provider of social and charitable services in Rhode Island and in the United States. Challenges to our religious freedom often comes from a mistaken view of religion, a view that sees religion as good only if it conforms to every value that happens to prevail today.

However, the good that religious institutions do is inseparable from the parts that challenge prevailing norms. Religious convictions must stand, in and out of season. When faith groups or people of faith violate their consciences, they undermine the whole mission of their ministry. People of faith and faith-based organizations must be free to make contributions to the common good of our society.

As we continue to enjoy this summer season, let us reflect on what it means to be an American Catholic in the 21st Century.  The U.S. Bishops in their recent Statement on Religious Liberty have provided an excellent reflection for us.  They state: “We are Catholics. We are Americans. We are proud to be both, grateful for the gift of faith which is ours as Christian disciples, and grateful for the gift of liberty which is ours as American citizens. To be Catholic and American should mean not having to choose one over the other. Our allegiances are distinct, but they need not be contradictory, and should instead be complementary. That is the teaching of our Catholic faith, which obliges us to work together with fellow citizens for the common good of all who live in this land. That is the vision of our founding and our Constitution, which guarantees citizens of all religious faiths the right to contribute to our common life together.”

Enjoy the summer!!!   Enjoy your freedom! Do good. Be well. God Bless. Go Sox!!

Supporting the Missions and Celebrating Our Independence, It's July!!

Dear Parishioners:

In your name, I welcome Salesian Father Sean McEwen who is with us at all Masses this weekend.  Father is here to preach about the good works of the Salesian Fathers, Brothers and Sisters in the Missions.  The Second Collection this weekend is dedicated to supporting the Salesian Missions.  Father McEwen is a native of Canada who was called to the religious life during college.  He spent several years working as a Salesian Lay Missioner in the inner-city of Birmingham, Alabama, in Sierra Leone, and in rural Bolivia.  After this experience he decided to pursue studies and formation to become a Salesian Priest. Currently Fr. McEwen serves in Johannesburg, South Africa where he oversees the Don Bosco Educational Project.  This projectserves children living in destitute, informal settlements around the city.  Younger children are educated by the Salesian Sisters while older youths receive vocational training in this project.

The long history of the Salesians began in 1815 with the birth of their founder, St. John “Don” Bosco, who influenced his peers even as a child. In 1841 he wasordained a priest and in 1859 he established the Society of St. Francis of Sales now known as the Salesians. Since their founding, the Salesians have always focused on the education of the poor and most vulnerable young people. Today they are located in more than 130 countries and touch the lives of millions of children and families.   They continue the legacyof Don Bosco today as they proclaim the Good News and serve the poor across the globe.  I thank you for your warm welcome of Fr. McEwen and your prayerful and generous financial support of the Salesian Missions this weekend.

We mark Independence Day this Tuesday on the Fourth of July as we celebrate our freedom from the shackles of British tyranny and oppression.  On the Fourth of July across the nation, we celebrate freedom and we recall the basic principles that prompted the Declaration of Independence and our Constitution, namely, our unchanging and unchangeable conviction that we enjoy certain unalienable rights and that the laws of the land – if they be good laws – recognize and protect those rights for all. Each successive generation of Americans has recognized that our Founding Fathers never thought that they had produced a perfect government but each generation of citizens has honored the vision and worked eagerly and tirelessly to make this American experiment a beacon of light, a true success and a helping hand among the family of nations.

As we celebrate our nation's independence on this Tuesday with pride, joy and gratitude we cannot afford to ignore that we should take the time to pray for our nation, pray for those who lead us in government and pray for those who serve and protect our freedom in the military. So join us Tuesday morning for Independence Day Mass at 8:30am. There is no better way to begin the celebration of the Fourth of July then with the prayerful celebration of the Eucharist. If you cannot make it to the Mass, spend some time in silent prayer on July 4th. Take the time to give thanks to God for the many freedoms and blessings we enjoy as citizens of this nation. Ask the Lord to help those who are burdened with poverty, sickness, or ignorance.

Archbishop Charles Chaput of Philadelphia writes: “How much of God do you find in American public life? How many times in a day are the words ‘Jesus Christ’ abused at work, on the street, in our public entertainment? How many malls close, how many people take a break from work, and how many families disconnect from media, sports, and shopping in order to spend time together, without distractions, on an average Sunday? And how much time do any of us make for silence—the kind of silence that allows God to speak, and us to listen?”

Before the cookouts and celebrations, prior to the fireworks and parties on July 4th, take some time to be silent and alone with the Lord.  Give thanks for your blessings andthen share them.  Pray for the nation andthen celebrate her independence. Welcome to OLM Father McEwen! I thank you all in advance for your generous support of the Missions! Happy Fourth of July! Be well.  Do good. God Bless. Go Sox!!

The Summer Wind Came Blowing In...

Dear Parishioners:

Summer has arrived! Hopefully we can begin to enjoy some sunny, warm weather and less rain!  School is out and the summer vacation for all school children has now begun.  The Fourth of July is coming soon! Don’t let the summer go by without taking some time of rest, refreshment and relaxation. Pope Francis reminds us: “Moments of rest are sacred because in them we find God.”

The summer brings with it family vacations and gatherings, respite from the routine and from work, and a chance to renew our lives.  Summer reading is always part of the season for me.  I hope to read a few good books this summer.  For fun I hope to read a novel entitled Conclave by Robert Harris, a fictional story of intrigue at the Vatican! For education I hope to read ArchbishopChaput’s latest, Strangers in a Strange Land: Living the Catholic Faith in a Post-Christian World.  It should provide some great insights into living a authentic Catholic life in the increasingly secular and often hostile world.

And for my spiritual reading I am looking forward St. Thomas More’s The Sadness of Christ.  This classical work was the last that St. Thomas More wrote in the Tower of London before he was executed for standing firm in his Catholic faith. In it, he explores the Gospel passages that depict the agony of Our Lord in the Garden of Gethsemane. St. Thomas depicts Christ as a model of virtue in the face of suffering and persecution. Centuries later it is still timely and all too relevant for Catholics today. What will you be reading at the beach or by the pool this summer?

Summer is here and that means its also time for the OLM Vacation Bible Camp.  It begins this Monday for children aged 4 thru 12 underthe direction of Mr. Michael LaChima, our OLM Youth Activities Coordinator,  OLM Middle School Teacher and Mrs. Mickey St. Jean, OLMDirectress of RE. It is a great week of fun and faith for the children. The theme for thisyear is “A Wilderness Adventure through the Sacraments.”  The children learn aboutthe Sacraments in very fun and faithful ways.  The camp is held everyday this week from 9:00am until Noon.  So when you see happy kids running around OLM having fun and smiling, you’llknow why!

Next weekend we again take up our Annual Missionary Cooperative Collection.  Each year every parish in the Diocese of Providence hosts a particular missionary group as part of our support of the universal mission of the Church. We support the missions with our prayers and with a second collection to financially support their mission work.

This year wewelcome the Salesian Missionaries of Don Bosco.  Fr. Sean McEwen, S.D.B, is coming to tell us about the great missionary work of the Salesian Fathers, Brothers and Sisters.  These religious men and women work across the globe spreading the Gospel and helping the poor at schools, hospitals and parishes.

Fr. McEwen is a native of Canada who currently works in the missions in South Africa.  He spends his summer holidays traveling across the U.S.A. preaching about the missionary work he and so many others do everyday to buildup the kingdom of God. Please give him a warm welcome to OLM and support him with your prayers and generous financial donations in the second collection.

My work at the RI Statehouse as the Director of the RI Catholic Conference is drawing to a close for the year! It is in these final days that we must be most vigilant. With the passage of the state budget and some other pending bills still to consider the General Assembly is wrapping up another session.

A radical pro-abortion bill did not advance this session. I thank those parishioners who reached out to Rep. Shanley of Warwick and Rep. Casimiro of North Kingstown to ask them to opposesuch extreme anti-life legislation. I also thank State Representative Giarrusso for his firmand consistent support of the sanctity of human life and for keeping the convictions of his Catholic faith.

It’s summer!  Enjoy! Relax! Rest! Renew! Go to the beach! Sit outside and read that book! But get to Mass! Be well.  Do good. God Bless. Go Sox!

O Sacrament Divine! Celebrating Corpus Christi

Dear Parishioners:

We offer our congratulations to the OLM School Class of 2017.  These fine young men and women graduated on Monday night.  Their names are in this week’s bulletin.  We wish them well as they prepare to enter high school. We also celebrated “graduation” for our Pre-K and Kindergarten Classes this past week.  These youngsters were overjoyed at their achievement. It is such a happy occasion in our school. Of course school days are now over at OLM School! Sumer vacation has arrived!  The students and faculty now enjoy a time of well deserved rest and relaxation.  We pray for them and look forward to seeing them tan, rested and ready for school in the fall!

Over the summer months our crack OLM Maintenance Crew under the direction of Paul Anderson will clean and upgrade the school plant with painting, stripping of floors and pulling up some old carpets. We also have plans to renovate an unused classroom into a Music/Choir Room.  It will be used for our OLM School Music classes as well as the OLM School Band Program.  Our Church Choirs is to also use the room fortheir regular rehearsals. All this work is made possible thanks to the great success of the Annual OLM School Spring Fling.  Each year this event raises the much needed funds to complete projects and fund programs for our excellent parish school.

Last weekend our OLMSchool put on the musical entitled “Seussical Jr.”  It was a fabulous play with some great performances by our very gifted and talented students. The play brought back to life all the great stories of Dr. Seuss. Bravo to all the cast for a job well done!

Today we celebrate Father’s Day as we honor and give thanks for our Fathers.  We do so today in prayer as we offer Masses for all Fathers.  Please pray for Fathers and for the great gift of Fatherhood.  Our Holy Father Pope Francis on speaking of Fathers offers some good advice.  He suggests:  “The first need is this: that a father be present in a family. That he be close to his wife, sharing everything—joy and sorrow, hope and hardship. And that he be close to his children as they grow—when they are carefree and when they are distressed, when they take a wrong step, and when they find their path again. Fathers must be patient. Often there is nothing else to do but wait; pray, and wait with patience, gentleness, and mercy.”

While the nation celebrates Father’s Day, Holy Mother Church celebrates the great Solemnity of Corpus
Christi.  The full name of this feast is Corpus et Sanguis Christi or The Body and Blood of Christ. This feast of the Blessed Sacrament was established in 1246 by Bishop Robert de Thorte of Liege, Belgium at the suggestion of St. Juliana of Mont Carvillon. It is annually celebrated the first Sunday after the feast of the Trinity.  The feast of Corpus Christi is one time when our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament is exposed not just to faithful Catholics but to all the world. Catholicsshow their love for Christ in the Real Presence of the Eucharist by honoring Him in a very public way. We do so today at the 10:30am Mass as we process with the Blessed Sacrament to Mercy Park for Benediction.

Pope Emeritus Benedict states: “What is the precise significance of today's Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ? The answer is given to us in the fundamental actions of this celebration we are carrying out: first of all we gather around the altar of the Lord, to be together in his presence; secondly, there will be the procession, that is walking with the Lord; and lastly,  kneeling before the Lord, in adoration, which already begins in the Mass and accompanies the entire procession but culminates in the final moment of the Eucharistic Blessing when we all prostrate ourselves before the One who stooped down to us and gave his life for us. Let us reflect briefly on these three attitudes, so that they may truly be an expression of our faith and our life.”

A very Happy Father's Day to all Fathers! May God Bless our Fathers and may we express our respect, love and gratitude today. Be well.  Do good. God Bless. Go Sox!

Congratulations Father Morris and Class of 2017!

Dear Parishioners:

What a glorious time we had last weekend in the Diocese of Providence, and here at Our Lady of Mercy.  Three fine young men were ordained priests for our diocese and our native son, Father Brian Morris, celebrated his First Mass of Thanksgiving here at OLM. Thankfully the weather cooperated and helped make for a beautiful two days.  The Ordination Mass was solemn and majestic and many parishioners from OLM were in attendance.  The newly ordained Fr. Morris did a fabulous job celebrating his First Mass.

Fr. Morris is to begin his priestly ministry as the Associate Pastor at St. Luke Church in Barrington and his classmates, Fr. Joseph Brice has been assigned to St. Augustine Church in Providence and Fr. Stephen Battey to Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church in Bristol.  Please pray for these new priests as they begin their service to the People of God. Fr. Morris was back at OLM on Monday to help with our OLM School Confessions and also on Friday to celebrate the Final OLM School Mass.  It was a tremendous witness for our school children to see a young priest who studied at OLM School, served Mass at OLM and came to Mass at OLM return as a holy priest of God.

This Sunday we welcomeour OLM School 8th Grade to the 10:30am Mass.  At the Mass we pray for them as they leave our parish school and enter the next chapter of life.  Each one of the graduates receives the OLM School Medal at the Mass. After Mass the 8th Graders and their families join together with the OLM School Faculty for a Graduation Luncheon.  At the luncheon the graduates receive their academic awards and honors.

The 8th Grade returns on Monday night at 6pm for their Graduation Ceremony. These twenty-four young men and women celebrate with their families, friends and faculty members, the end of their time at OLM School.  All parishioners are invited to join us on Monday night for graduation. We congratulate the OLM 8th Grade and all those who graduate from school this year.  We wish the Class of 2017 well as they end an important chapter in their young lives.  May God bless them and may they continue to grow in faith, love and wisdom.

We offer this prayer for all those graduating this year:   “Merciful Father, bless thisspecial day in the life of the graduates. As they embark on the next chapter in their lives we pray that Your hand that has kept them thus farcontinues to guide and lead them.  May Your Almighty hand of protection be about them, and may Your Word continue to be a light unto their path. Help them to make wise decisions and to always keep You first in everything that they do.”

School ends at OLM on Friday, June 16th!  It’s hard to believe that summer vacation is here already.  The OLM School childrenput away their books and iPads, their pens and pencils, and their school uniforms. No doubt there will be many smiling faces in the OLM School Parking Lot on Friday afternoon! May God guide and protect the children and faculty of OLM School during the summer months.  May it be a time of rest and relaxation and may they return in September healthy and happy. Schools out for the summer!  Enjoy!

We are grateful to Mrs. Jill Hackett and her 3rd Grade OLM School Class who have just finished planting the OLM School Garden.  It is located between the Mercy Convent and the Franciscan Convent.  It is now full of tomatoes, peppers, sunflowers and chives!  The OLM School 3rd Grade families have generously volunteered to water the garden throughout the summer. Of course, Sister Emma and Sister Lourdes have their own garden next to their convent. It is loaded with tomatoes, strawberries, peppers and cucumbers. I’ve asked the good sisters to try and grow tobacco and roll some cigars but they aren’t having any of it! May St. Francis guide and protect all our gardeners this summer. We look forward to the fruits of the harvest in the fall!

Next Sunday we celebrate the great feast of Corpus Christi, the Body and Blood of Christ. There is a Eucharistic Procession following the 10:30am so please join us as we mark this important Feast with great solemnity.  Be well.  Do good. God Bless. Go Sox!!

O Come Holy Spirit! Celebating Pentecost and Our New Priest, Father Brian Morris

Dear Parishioners:

What a joyous occasion the Ordination to the Priesthood was for our Church.  On Saturday morning, Bishop Tobin ordained three young men, Father Stephen Battey, Father Joseph Briceand OLM Native Son, Father Brian Morris, as priests for service in the Diocese of Providence.    Their priestly vocations were nurtured by their parents, family, friends and at their Parish Churches.

In the case of Father Morris, his vocation was first discovered here at OLM where he worshiped and servedGod at Mass. Also as a graduate of our parish school, his priestly vocation was nurtured in the classroom by our OLM School Faculty. So we rejoice at the gift of Father Brian Morris’ priestly vocation. He celebrates this joyous occasion with his parish family at his First Mass of Thanksgiving on Sunday at 1:00pm.  Please join us in celebrating with Father Morris, his family and friends on Sunday.  A Reception and First Priestly Blessings follow the Mass of Thanksgiving in Mercy Park.

In speaking about the priesthood, our Holy Father, Pope Francis has said:  “Dear lay faithful, be close to your priests with affection and with your prayers, that they may be always be shepherds according to God’s heart. And pray for those whom God is calling to be priests that they may respond to this call with humility and joy. Dear priests, may God the Father renew in us the Spirit of holiness with whom we have been anointed. May he renew his spirit in our hearts so that this anointing may spread to everyone, especially to those “outskirts” where our lay faithful people most look for it and most appreciate it. May our people sense that we are the Lord’s disciples; and may they receive through our words and deeds the oil of gladness which Jesus, the Anointed One, came to bring us.”

Fr. Morris is a proud alumnus of OLM School and will celebrate the Final School Mass on this Friday, June 9th at 9:00am.  The OLM School community is delighted to have him back and welcome him with great joy and pride.   Please join us at the Mass as we pray for the health and well-being of our OLM faculty and students during the upcoming Summer Break. Next Sunday at the 10:30am Mass we celebrate with our graduating OLM School Eighth Grade.  At the Mass, they are to receive their OLM School Medals.  The Mass is followed by a Graduation Luncheon and Awards Ceremony with the graduates and their families

We offer our deepest sympathy to the family and friends of Mercy Sister Edna Lynch and to theCommunity of the Sisters of Mercy.  Sister Edna was a part of our OLM Family for many years.  She taught in our school and lived in Mercy Convent during her time at OLM. Sister Edna had been in ill health for a few years and was living at the Mt. St. Rita Home in Cumberland.  She died on Ascension Thursday and her Funeral Mass was celebrated this past week.  May this faithful bride of Christ and loving daughter of Mother McAuley, rest in peace.

This week Fr. Connors arrived home for Rome.  He is to be at OLM throughout the summer and you will see him around the parish.  While home from the Eternal City, Father is doing research and study on his doctoral dissertation here and in Boston at St. John Seminary. Welcome home Fr. Connors!

We celebrate Pentecost this Sunday, it is fifty days since Easter.  On the day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit descended with power upon the Apostles; thus began the mission of the Church in the world. On this Pentecost Sunday, recall the words of Pope Emeritus Benedict: “The Church must always become anew what She already is; She must open the borders between peoples and break down the barriers between class and race. In Her, there cannot be those who are forgotten or looked down upon. The wind and fire of the Holy Spirit must continually break down those barriers that we men and women continue to build between us; we must continually pass from Babel - being closed in on ourselves - to Pentecost.”

On Pentecost let us pray: "Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in them the fire of your love!" Happy Pentecost!! Prayerful congratulations to Father Morris! Be well.  Do good. God Bless.