August is Approaching and the Backpack Drive for St. Patrick's Begins

Dear Parishioners:

Last Sunday we had a great “Farewell” send off for our Summer Seminarian Hiep. I thank Doug Green and his dedicated committee for their great work on the reception.  We wish Hiep all the best as he departs OLM. Let us continue to pray for him.

August is coming this week! The summer is rolling right along and as usual too fast.  Our crack Maintenance Staff are working very hard at our parish school.  They are cleaning,  painting, and remodeling some of the classrooms. This workcontinues over the next few weeks.  The first day of school is set for August 30th!!!

Speaking of going back to school, this weekend we launch our Annual Back Pack Drive to benefit the school children of St. Patrick’s Parish in Providence. Fr. James Ruggeri, the Pastor of St. Patrick’s Church and my dear classmate, contacted me earlier this summer to seek our support.  I am grateful to Doug Green, OLM Outreach Director, and his volunteers who are organizing the project. They have the backpacks ready to fill with supplies, they just need the supplies!  And that’s where you come in and help!

There is a list of much needed supplies in the bulletin. Simply purchase the supplies you wish to donate and then drop them off in the collection containers in the Church vestibule. We begin this week and are collecting supplies up until August 13th. We hope to pack the back packs for deliveryto St. Patrick’s the week of August 14th.  Our Confirmation Class is helping us with this project but if you wish to volunteer to help please contact Doug Green. 

If you don’t have the time to purchase school supplies for the needy children then I invite you to consider a donation.  All you have to do is make the check payable to OLM and mark “Backpack Drive” in the memo. Simply put it in an envelope marked OLM Outreach and either mail it to the Parish Office or drop it in thecollection basket at Sunday Mass. I thank you in advance for your generous support of this good work of charity.  Fr. Ruggeri and thegood people of St. Patrick’s are always very grateful to OLM for all that we do for them.  As, Pope Francis, reminds us:  “ We have to state, without mincing words, that there is an inseparable bond between our faith and the poor. May we never abandon them.”

I am traveling to Annapolis, Maryland this week to attend the Annual Meeting of the National Association of State Catholic Conference Directors.  As you know I serve as the Director of the RI Catholic Conference and the lobbyist for the Church at the RI Statehouse.  In Annapolis, I will be meeting with colleagues from nearly 40 other states with Catholic Conferences.  This meeting affords us the opportunity to meet and discuss issues of common concern and share strategies in advocating for Catholic principles in the public square.

On the docket for discussion are   state and federal budgets, poverty, immigration, Catholic education, abortion, physician assisted suicide, healthcare and criminal justice reform.  We will also be updated on national public policy issues by the staff of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.  This includes analysis of the Trump Administration, Congress and Supreme Court by many experts from Washington, DC.

While State Catholic Conference Directors advocate on a state level, we also interact frequently with Federal Officials.  The sharing of insights about our common educationaland advocacy efforts for the Church in the public square is usually a very fruitful and productivetime.  It is alwaysinstructive to learn what helps and what does not help the cause of the common good. Pope Francisreminds us that “a good Catholic meddles in politics, offering the best of themselves, so that those who govern can govern.”

Of course, it’s not all business at this meeting and we have a chance to see the local sights.  We are getting a guided tour of the U.S. Naval Academy, a dinner cruise on the Chesapeake Bay and guided tours of the historical sites of Annapolis.  I have also arranged to take a side trip to Camden Yards to watch the Baltimore Orioles play.  I return this Friday and thank Fr. Barrow for hiscoverage during my absence.

Do good. Be well. God Bless! Go Sox!

Saying Farewell and the Validity of the Sacraments

Dear Parishioners:
We say so long to our Summer Seminarian Hiepthis weekend.  After ten weeks, his time at OLM has come to an end ! He leaves for a visit home to his family in Vietnam this week. He then returns to St. John Seminary in late August to begin his Second Year of Theology.   We are going to miss him here at OLM!  Hiep has been a great help and a joyful presence in our parish.

I thank him for his hard work and willingness to learn new things while he was with us.  He is a fine young man and without a doubt is going to be a terrific priest!  On Sunday following the 10:30am Mass please join us in saying “Farewell and Thank You” at a reception in Mercy Park.  I hope you can stop by andsay thank you and farewell to Hiep. May God bless him in his studies for the priesthood. I ask you to please continue to pray for Hiep and his vocation to the priesthood.

We need more seminarians such as Hiep here in our Diocese of Providence.  So also please pray for an increase of vocations to the priesthood and religious life.  Encourage young men in our parish and in your own family to consider the priesthood. I am convinced that God continues to call men to serve His Church as priests but sometimes His call gets lost in the noise of our culture.

Our OLM Youth Activities Coordinator, Michael LaChimia, is also leaving us.  Michael has also been teaching Religion at OLM School.  He is beginning a Doctoral Program in Philosophy at the Catholic University of America in Washington, DC. I thank him for his time serving our parish youth and teaching in our parish school. We wish him well as he works towards his Ph.D.!

I am happy to announce that Ryan Clearyis to replace Michael as our new OLM Youth Activities Coordinator.  He takes up this role in August and is to work closely with Fr. Barrow in reaching out to the youth of our parish.  Ryan has also been hired as our new OLM Middle School Social Studies Teacher.  He is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame where he also earned a Masters in
Education.  Ryan, his wife and daughter just moved to Rhode Island from Ohio.  He has been teaching at Catholic Schools in Texas and Ohio for the last ten years.  He is to also serve as the Director of OLM Athletics.

Last week you may have read some of thenumerous news reports that Pope Francis had just issued a statement restricting the use of gluten-free communion hosts at Mass.  Many headlines werein fact wrong and the stories misleading about what actually happened. A circular letter to all bishops was issued in early June by the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments.  There’s nothing new contained in it.

Pope Francis released the letter as a “reminder.”  Communion wafers and wine are no longer being exclusively made by Catholic religious communities, and so it is vital that bishops pay attention to what the Eucharistic materials are made from that they use. The Letter also reminds bishops that: “Hosts that are completely gluten-free are invalid matter for the celebration of the Eucharist. Low-gluten hosts (partially gluten-free) are valid matter, provided they contain a sufficient amount of gluten to obtain the confection of bread without the addition of foreign materials and without the use of procedures that would alter the nature of bread.”

Sacraments are valid when they are celebrated with valid matter (the things and/or persons central to the particular sacramental sign) and with valid form (the words and gestures particular to celebrating the sacrament). Water, for example, is valid matter for Baptism. Lemonade and Coca-Cola are not. The Church’s Eucharistic discipline requires that the hosts used for communion be made of only wheat. There are a   number of low-gluten options   available. Several of our OLM parishioners already receive these hosts regularly at Mass.

All this may strike the secular press and even many Catholics as a lot of fuss. But matter does matter. Jesus made it so, when “on the night he was betrayed he himself took bread.”  Each element of the Eucharist has a divinely-instituted purpose and meaning that cannot be replaced,  Ignore the erroneous news stories about this issue.

Do good. Be well. God Bless! Go Sox!

Comings and Goings at OLM

Dear Parishioners:

Although its hard to believe our Summer Seminarian Hiep ends his time with us next weekend.  He arrived back inMay and now he has one week left.  The ten weeks have flown by but it has been joy to have Hiep with us here at OLM.   After finishing next weekend, Hiep will be traveling home to Vietnam with two classmates from St. John Seminary. It will be their first visit to Vietnam but Hiep returns home to visit his sister and her family and his older brother who is a Pastor there.

We are grateful for Hiep’s presence and ministry among us this summer.  He is a very capable young man and will make an outstanding priest.  Please pray for him as he continues his studies for the priesthood.  Also join us next Sunday following the 10:30am Mass as we say “Farewell and Thank You Hiep” with a reception in Mercy Park. Heip isn’t the only one leaving this week!

Our good Franciscan Apostolic Sisters, Sister Emma and Sister Lourdes, depart Tuesday for their Annual Retreat in Nebraska.  They are taking the Franciscan Sisters from Scalabrini Villa with them. They make their way there via Peoria, Illinois where a few of their sisters serve the Bishop and Cathedral Parish.

They then drive from Peoria to Seward, Nebraska to begin their retreat at St. Gregory the Great Seminary.  A good number of the Franciscan Apostolic Sisters serve on the seminary staff there.  They host the Annual Retreat and Community meetings every year.I know the Sisters are praying for us during their time of retreat. So please keep the good Sisters in your prayers for their safe travel and also for a fruitful retreat.   They return to OLM on August 7th, renewed, rested and ready!

In late June I attended a meeting of area priests with Bishop Tobin at St. Bernard’s Parish.  It was the first of three regional meetings for the Bishop with his priests. It was a time for the Bishop to discuss new initiatives and share ongoing concerns with his priests and also for the priests to share their thoughts with Bishop Tobin. It was a positive meeting despite some concerning news about the fiscal stress facing the Diocese.

Bishop Tobin alsoannounced that the Diocese of Providence is to launch a capital campaign next year to raise$50 million.  This campaign is to mark the 150th anniversary of the founding of our Diocese in 1872. The two-year campaign, titled “Grateful for God’s Providence,” begins in January 2018 at parishes across the Diocese.  The much needed campaign seeksto increase resources to stabilize and also maintain the viability of parish and diocesan funds. The rising costs of the care for elderly priests, seminary education for future priests, Catholic schools, and increasing social services for the poor are the main part of this effort.

Bishop Tobin announced that “the faith and generosity of Catholics in this diocese
continues to be remarkable. I am very confident that the campaign will be successful, and I hope that every member of our church participates in this historic campaign.” Guidance in Giving, a New York-based company that advises Catholic groups on fundraising, is advising the campaign. They have operated similar campaigns across the country including therecent and very successful campaign for over $90 million in the Archdiocese of Newark, NJ.

Without a doubt this is challenging news for every Catholic in Rhode Island who values their faith and their Church.  But it is also a unique opportunity to ensure a firm foundation for the future of the Church’s ministry and missionfor the next generation of Catholics.

I know that   our forebears in the faith, thoseimmigrant Catholics who helped found the Diocese of Providence in 1872 alsofaced many serious challenges. These included religious discrimination, limited resources and strong resistance to the Church’s mission. Not muchhas changed in 150 years but now its our opportunity to secure a future in faith. I do not know when the campaign beginsat OLM but I will mostcertainly keep you informed.

Please pray for Sister Emma and Sister Lourdes this week and during their upcoming retreat!  Do good. Be well. God Bless. Go Sox!!

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!