Praying for our Dead While Confirming the Future of the Church

Dear Parishioners:                                

November has arrived and with it our commitment and duty as Christians to pray for the dead.  During this All Souls Month of November we especially recall the poor souls in purgatory.          

The Church teaches us that after death there is for some as state of purgation, more commonly called Purgatory.  It is entirely different from Hell.  It is simply a purifying process for those who die in God’s grace but are not yet prepared to enjoy the glory of heaven.

Saint Pope John Paul II described purgatory in these words: “Those who live in this state of purification after death are not separated from God but are immersed in the love of Christ.  Neither are they separated from the saints in heaven or from us on earth. We all remain united in the Mystical Body of Christ, and we can therefore offer up prayers and good works on behalf of our brothers and sisters in purgatory.”

It is good theology, and it is good common sense. Imagine if we got a call when we got home and they told us that the President or the Pope was coming for dinner.  Wouldn’t we want some time to prepare? Wouldn’t we want to get ready to greet them? 

Judas Maccabaeus Praying for the Dead  by Peter Paul Rubens (1577–1640

And so it is when we are called at death to the eternal banquet by God our loving Father.  Jesus tells us in the Gospel of John:  “I go to prepare a place for you.”  So we too prepare to meet our Lord, by our time in purgatory.

This is why the Church has the ancient and venerable tradition of praying for the dead and why we have Masses  for the dearly departed.   It is also why we have the feast of All Souls, for the souls in purgatory.  This tradition can be seen as far back as the Old Testament in the book of Maccabees which tells us:   “it is good to pray for the dead.”  St. Augustine, the  great Doctor of the Church,  once remarked about cemeteries that “monuments are built for the survivors but prayer is the best way to assist the dead.”

We pray for the dead and have Mass offered for the repose of their souls because the dead who are in as they depend upon the aid and charity of our prayers.  For that reason, we have the custom of calling them poor souls. We are urged to always remember the dead daily in our prayers and at Masses.  These beloved souls undergoing purification after death depend completely upon the charitable remembrances of us who are their fellow members in the Mystical Body of Christ, the Church.  At the same time, they continue to love us and can also pray for us.

Today in very special way  we remember our fellow  OLM parishioners who died over the last year.  We remember  them and all souls during this month. Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord.  And may perpetual light shine upon them. May they rest in peace. 

This Sunday night at the 5:00pm Mass, we  celebrate with great joy as a parish with the 88 young adults who are to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation and begin a new chapter in their young lives as Catholic disciples. They receive the gifts of the Holy Spirit and the grace of God to help them live as courageous witnesses of Christ in the world. We are grateful that they have chosen to come forward for the Sacrament and continue to grow in their Catholic Faith. 

We thank their parents and sponsors who have led them to this important occasion in their faith life. We also thank the many teachers who taught them the ways of Christ and the rich teaching of the Catholic Church.  We must also thank Bishop James F. Checchio of Metuchen, NJ for traveling to OLM to celebrate Confirmation with our young adults.  It is a great privilege to have him with us for this special occasion in the life of our parish.

Bishop Checchio’s  episcopal motto is “Be reconciled to God.” This motto  recalls St. Paul’s appeal for us to continue the central mission for which Jesus was sent by the Father. And so let us pray for our newly Confirmed that they may always be reconciled to God in their lives. May they continue to grow in faith, hope and love as go forth sealed with the Holy Spirit and confirmed in their Catholic Faith. We offer a warm welcome to Bishop Checchio and our prayerful congratulations to our Confirmandi!

Do good. Be well. God Bless! Happy Veterans’ Day!

All Saints and All Souls, the Church at Prayer

Dear Parishioners:                                
 

October ends this Tuesday on Halloween!  Of course, All Hallows Eve is truly a night to prepare for the month of November when we celebrate All Saints and All Souls.  So enjoy the costumes and the candy on Tuesday night but make sure to attend the All Saints Holy Day Mass on Wednesday.                 

November 1st is the great Solemnity of All Saints as the Church celebrates all the saints, those canonized or beatified, and the multitude of those who are in Heaven enjoying the beatific vision that are only known to God. During the early centuries the Saints venerated by the Church were all martyrs. Later on the Popes set November 1st as the day for commemorating all the Saints.

  The Forerunners of Christ with Saints and Martyrs.  Painting by Fra Angelico C.1434

 

We all have this "universal call to holiness." What must we to do in order to join the company of the saints in Heaven?  We "must follow in His footsteps and conform ourselves to His image seeking the will of the Father in all things. We must devote
ourselves with all our being to the glory of God and the service of our neighbor. In this way, the holiness of the People of God will grow into an abundant harvest of good, as is admirably shown by the life of so many saints in Church history" (Lumen Gentium, 40).

We have four Masses for the Solemnity of All Saints so that you might fulfill your obligation. On Tuesday there is a Vigil Mass at 5:00PM and on the Wednesday there are three Holy Day Masses at 7:30am, 9:00am and 7:00pm. 

We also celebrate All  Souls Day on Thursday with three Masses.  There are Masses at 7:30am, 9:00am and 12Noon.  The 9:00am Mass is for the OLM School but all are welcome to join us.  Following this Mass, the Middle School Students are to process to St. Patrick's Cemetery for a brief prayer service for all the souls who rest in that sacred place.  The Noon All Souls Mass features beautiful music fitting the feast.

The Poor Souls in Purgatory.

The Church, after rejoicing on All Saints with those of her children who have entered the glory of Heaven, prays on All Souls Day for all those who, in the purifying  of purgatory await the day when they are to be joined to the company of saints.  By virtue of the consoling doctrine of the communion of saints the merits and prayers of each one of us are able to help all souls. The Church is able to join Her prayer with that of the saints in Heaven and supply what is wanting to the souls in purgatory by means of Holy Mass, and also the alms and sacrifices of Her children.

The Day of the Dead. Painting by William-Adolphe Bouguereau (1879)

We remember all the souls in purgatory on  All Souls Day but in particular we remember the names of your own beloved dead inscribed on the All Souls Envelopes.   They are to be remembered throughout the month of November as they are placed upon the altar.  Let us continue to pray for the poor souls in purgatory. In a special way we also remember the sixty OLM parishioners who have died this past year.  We do this on Sunday, November 5th at the 10:30am Mass. Their families have been invited to join us at the Mass as we remember them.

Let us continue to pray for these grieving families who have experienced the pain and sorrow of  a death of a loved one.  As we pledge our prayers for our own beloved  dead and for all souls this month, we are reminded of the words of Saint John Chrysostom in the 4th Century:  “Let us not hesitate to help those who have died and to offer our prayers for them.” 

Bishop James F. Chechhio of Metuchen, NJ

Next Sunday we welcome Bishop Checchio of Metuchen, NJ for the Conferral of the Sacrament of Confirmation for 88 of our  parish young adults. Confirmation Mass is at the usual parish 5:00pm Sunday evening Mass. Please continue to pray for the candidates and their sponsors as they receive the Sacrament.  

St. Pope John Paul the Great teaches us: “Through the seal of the Spirit conferred by Confirmation, the Christian attains his/her full identity and becomes aware of his/her mission in the Church and the world.”

As the month of October comes to an end and the month of November begins please note the change of time for the Saturday evening Mass from 5:00pm to 4:00pm.  Also Confessions on Saturday afternoons move from 4:00pm to 3:00pm.  This “fall back” in time continues until  Saturday, April 7, 2018 so plan accordingly!

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

Celebrating Mary, Queen of Confessors as We Prepare for Confirmation

Dear Parishioners:                                

We had a great showing for Devotions on Monday night.  Fr. Shemek was very pleased so many old friends and meet some new ones.  His reflection about the Black Madonna of Czestochowa was very well received and informative.  I thank him for traveling all the way from Tiverton to be with us.              

Grille the Priests Panel:  Fr. Nicanor Austriacho,OP; Fr. Brian Morris; Fr. Joshua Barrow; Fr. Adam Young and Fr. David Gaffney.

On this past Wednesday night we gathered for the Grill the Priest Night at 1149 Restaurant with a sell out crowd.  It was a very enjoyable and informative evening exploring the Catholic Faith.  I am grateful for the OLM School PTG members who worked so hard to make the evening such a success. 

Also I thank my brother priests, Fr. Gaffney, Fr. Young, Fr. Morris and Fr. Austriacho who made up the panel along with Fr. Barrow and myself.  We hope to do this again next fall as it is always a terrific event.

This Monday at Devotions we are joined by our Confirmation Class along with their sponsors and families.  We are offering our Rosary for these young men and women as they continue to prepare to receive the Sacrament on November 5th. Fr. Chris Murphy, the Chaplain at Bishop Hendricken High School, is to offer a reflection on Mary, Queen of Confessors.

As always in this month of October there are two priests available for Confession on Monday from 6:00pm until 6:45pm.  Following this Monday’s Devotions our 88 Confirmation Candidates, their sponsors and familieshave the chance to go to Confession.  There are to be six priests available following the Devotions. I hope join us at Monday’s Devotions as we pray for these young people of OLM.  They are the future of our Church and parish and most certainly need our prayers. 

Over the last few weeks Fr. Barrow and I have met personally with each candidate and their parents. These meetings are always instructive and helpful for us as priests and also for the Confirmation families.  I know that this is a terrific group of young Catholic adults who are to be confirmed next month.

Bishop James Checchio of Metuchen at Confirmation Mass in New Jersey.

I am very grateful to my friend, Bishop James Checchio of Metuchen, New Jersey, who is travelling up to RI to celebrate the OLM Confirmation Mass on November 5th.  Before becoming a bishop, Bishop Checchio served as the Rector of the North American College in Rome where both Fr. Connors and Fr. Barrow were his students. He was ordained the Bishop of Metuchen in May 2016.  We look forward to his presence atour Confirmation this year.

Pope Francis reminds us about Confirmation when he stated:  “Confirmation unites us more firmly to Christ. It strengthens our relationship with the Church, and it gives us a special strength from the Holy Spirit to defend the faith and confess the name of Christ.” Let us continue to pray the Sacrament unites our young adults “more firmly to Christ” and may they always confess His sacred name in their lives!

This Friday from 5:30pm until 8:00pm the OLM School students are gathering in the School Parking Lot for the Annual Trunk or Treat Celebration. Fr. Barrow and I are decorating my car once again for the event. My trunk is to be filled with full sized, old fashion, American candy bars!  It is always a great night with some interesting and creative decorating of cars and costumes.  It’s hard to believe but Halloween is nearly here! 

Recently a new state law went into effect that mandates that an automated external defibrillator (AED) must be placed in public view at any public gathering space that can hold 300 or more people We presently have an AED in our school building and one in the Church Sacristy. However, they are old and in need of updating.

We hope to replace them with more modern versions and mount the new AEDS in a more public location both in Church and in School.  They are very expensive items that cost as much as $1,500 a piece and we need four AEDs for our parish.  If anyone would like to help us purchase these life saving devices, please contact me. Once the new AEDs are in place weplan to offer a training session in their use for our ushers, faculty and anyone else interested in learning how to use them. 

Come to Monday Devotions and join us as we pray for our Confirmation Class. It’s worth the 30 minutes!! Do good. Be well. God Bless! Go Pats!

The Seasons Change, The Truth Cannot

Dear Parishioners:                                

October is upon us and the leaves are changing color and falling! Its autumn in New England and that means apple picking, football, MLB playoffs and sweaters!  I think the fall season is one of the most beautiful especially in this area!  So enjoy the season because winter is not far away!               

October is also Respect Life Month. The Respect Life Program is under the direction of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and highlights the value and dignity of every human life.  The theme for the coming year is “Be Not Afraid”.

In early September, Professor Amy Barrett,  a distinguished law professor at the University of Notre Dame, appeared before the U.S Senate Judiciary Committee for her confirmation hearing as the nominee to the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals. Professor Barrett is an outstanding lawyer and academician. She is also a committed Catholic and the mother of seven children.

Senator Richard Durbin (D-Illinois) and Senator Nancy Feinstien (D-California)  at U.S. Senate Judiciary Hearing for the confirmation of Professor Barrett.

At the confirmation hearings several Democratic Senators repeatedly raised questions about her suitability to serve because of her Catholic faith. The most offensive and I believe deeply bigoted comments came from Senator Dianne Feinstein from California. She expressed her great concern about Professor Barrett as a judge because “dogma lives loudly in you.” 

Of course, the Senator is an also ardent and vocal supporter of abortion on demand. Her dogma that abortion should be unlimited and paid for by taxpayers seems to live quite “loudly” within her!

Amy Coney Barrett, The Diane and M.O. Miller, II Research Chair in Law and Professor of Law at the University of Notre Dame School of Law.

Professor Barrett, as every Catholic should, believes in the Church’s teaching. She understands that all human life is sacred from natural conception until natural death. And human dignity and human life should be respected in law.

It might be news to Senator Feinstein and her cohorts in the U.S. Senate but a great many faithful Catholics do let their convictions “live loudly” in their hearts and also in their actions.  It’s called being a witness and it takes tremendous courage in our contemporary culture.  It is a courage and conviction sadly missing in many of our Catholic elected officials.

In this Respect Life Month let us stand up with pride and with courage for our convictions.  Pray for an increase of respect of human life in our nation and in our world.  Don’t give in to Senator Feinstein’s anti-Catholic bigotry. Do not be afraid as Catholics to proclaim with enthusiasm “the dogma that lives loudly in you!” 

One great way to take up such prayer for respect life is to join us at October Devotions on Mondays at 7:00pm.   This week we welcome back to OLM, Fr. Shemek who served here just a few years ago.  He is to speak to us about Mary, Our Lady of Częstochowa.

The Black Madonna of Częstochowa is a revered icon of the Virgin Mary housed at the Jasna Góra Monastery in Częstochowa, Poland. Come learn more about her and her powerful intercession on Monday. There are also Confessions with two priests beginning at 6:00pm on Monday.

I want to thank you for your generous response to the recent hurricane relief efforts.  The OLM Outreach Collection raised almost $8,000 in the month of September.  As a result we were able to send $4,000 to the relief efforts here in the US led by Catholic Charities USA.  Also an additonal $4,000 to the relief efforts in the Caribbean led by Catholic Relief Services.  Your prayers and generosity are appreciated. 

I also thank the many parishioners who have responded so generously to our Annual Parish Collection.  This important collection taken up in late September is critical to the fiscal stability and well being of the parish.  I am truly grateful for those who dug so deep to help us in this effort.  If you have not yet returned your gift to the Annual Parish Collection, I urge you do so soon and I thank you for your support.

We are recruiting new Altar Severs at OLM and the training camp commences soon. If you son or daughter is interested, please contact Fr. Barrow.  Yes, it’s a low paying job but the spiritual benefits are priceless! So join the few, the proud, the OLM Servers Corps! 

Come to Devotions on Monday,  Fr. Shemek will be happy to see you! Do good. Be well. God Bless! Go Pats! Go Sox! Our Lady of Częstochowa, pray for us!

United in Prayer for Las Vegas

Dear Parishioners:                             

Our hearts ache for all those suffering in Las Vegas after the horror of last Sunday's shooting. Please join me in continued prayer for the victims, their families and loved ones, and also our nation. We pray for the first responders and medical personnel who continue to aid and assist the scores of people who are injured or are grieving a loved one’s death.              

Bishop Tobin issued the following statement following the Las Vegas Tragedy:
“I extend my profound sorrow, sympathy, and prayers to all the victims of the horrendous
shooting in Las Vegas. What a terrible, violent and senseless act! May God help us bring an end to all the violence of our world.”

The Bishop asked us to pray this prayer: "God our Father, our strength in adversity, our health in weakness, our comfort in sorrow, be merciful to your people. Give us new life and hope as we rest in your kindness. This we ask through Christ our Lord. Amen. Mary, Our Mother of Sorrows, pray for us."                                                   

Also Bishop Joseph Pepe of Las Vegas invited all "our sisters and brothers around the world to join us in prayer for healing and for an end to violence.” And Pope Francis in a message to Bishop Pepe offered his prayers and support for this senseless tragedy. 

Cardinal Dolan of New York along with other religious leaders stated: “Today as we of different faith traditions mourn the tragic violence in Las Vegas, we echo the words of the Psalmist, ‘Hear my prayer O Lord; Listen to my cry for help.’  (Psalm 39:12) We cannot remain silent as innocent lives are taken from us and thus refuse to accept what some call ‘the new normal’ in our society. Too often following mass shootings, we express our words of condolence and return to ‘business as usual.’”                                  

On Saturday we marked the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary.  In light of the need for prayer, perhaps we might all pray the rosary once a week this month for peace and an end to violence in our world.  There are rosaries and books on how to recite the rosary at every door of our Church.  Take them home, find a quiet place and good time and kneel down and pray.  Don’t’ let this tragedy go by without some prayer to Our Lady of Peace.                                            

Also you might join us on Monday night at 7:00pm for October Devotions.  We gather before the Eucharistic Lord, recite the rosary, listen to beautiful music, hear a meaningful reflection and pray.  It might be the best thirty minutes you spend on Monday and it certainly wouldn’t be “business as usual” for most parishioners.                                

This week at Devotions, Father Steven Battey, one of our newly ordained priests reflects on Mary, the Mother of God.  He is a very talented young priest and I think you will enjoy his reflection.  So turn off the Wheel of Fortune, leave the kids’ soccer game early, and bring your family to devotions.  Pray to Our Lady of Sorrows and ask for her peace and consolation for the many victims in Las Vegas.                  

In the bulletin today you will find a copy of the Annual Parish Financial Report for the Fiscal Year of July 1, 2016 through June 30, 2017.  It reports that we’ve had a decline in our parish budget revenue of $23,000.  This is due to the death or moving away of twelve very generous OLM parishioners.  It also reports that we’ve reduced our expenses and have a net cash surplus of about $20,000.                                          

We have also reduced the loss at our school from $170,000 to just $6,000.  The prior year loss was due to the departure of students from our parish school. Sadly we’ve had to lay off some faculty and make some cuts at the school to ensure such a large loss does not continue. This year we have 295 students and our future and our fiscal viability is very positive.                      

The report highlights the reality that there are less people practicing the faith and thus less people financially supporting parishes and enrolling in parish schools. Meanwhile our healthcare costs along with insurance, utilities and other fixed costs continue to rise.  Therefore I am deeply grateful for your commitment to the faith and your continued support of the parish. 

I am away this week visiting a priest classmate who serves in Southern California. Do good. Be well. God Bless! Happy Columbus Day!  Pray the rosary for Las Vegas!

Seeking Our Lady's Powerful Intercession, Our Lady of the Rosary Pray for us!

Dear Parishioners:     

             Yes it is October already! The month of October is dedicated to the Holy Rosary. October 7th is the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary and the Church celebrates the month of October to honor Our Lady of the Rosary.

             The Feast is in honor of a great victory that took place on October 7, 1571. The Muslim Turks had already conquered the Middle East forcing all to convert to Islam. They then moved across the Mediterranean Sea and set their sights on the Christian kingdoms of Europe.

Pope Pius V called on the Christian princes of Europe to rally to defeat the Islamic threat. In addition, he called on Rosary Confraternities in Rome and all over Europe to undertake special processions and public recitation of the Rosary, asking the intercession of the Blessed Mother. What ensued was the historic Battle of Lepanto. The Christian fleet was outnumbered and appeared to have no human hope of winning. On the first Sunday of October 1571, the Christian fleet met the invading Muslims off the coast of Greece in the Gulf of Lepanto.

As Christians all across Europe prayed for Our Lady’s intercession, the Turks soon surrounded the Christian ships. But the European fleet broke through. By days’ end, almost all of the Turks were driven to shore or drowned. Europe was saved. Pope Pius established an annual commemoration to honor Our Lady of Victory, and his successor, Pope Gregory XIII, decreed that the first Sunday in October would be the feast of the Holy Rosary.

We are to continue this tradition of honoring our Blessed Mother in this month with Devotions on Mondays at 7:00PM.  As we continue to celebrate this Diocesan Year of Mary, we once again celebrate her titles with a guest preacher.  A complete schedule is in the bulletin and I invite you to join us in praying the Rosary each Monday.

We had a grand and glorious celebration of Mercy last week in honor of our Patronal Feast.  The solemn Mass last Sunday was a fitting start to celebrate our Parish Patroness, Our Lady of Mercy.  Of course, God gave us beautiful weather for our OLM Annual Picnic on Sunday. It was an afternoon of good food and great fun for our parish family! I am grateful to all who joined us and helped us celebrate our Parish Feast Day.

Also as part of our Mercy celebration, on Monday we had two hours of Confessions and a Holy Hour dedicated to Our Lady of Mercy.  Fr. Joseph Brice, one of our new and talented young priests of the Diocese, did an outstanding job as our guest preacher.   It was a trulyterrific way to prayerfully celebrate Mercy as a parish family.

On Tuesday our wonderful parish choirs along with our talented OLM musicians,  Henri St. Louis and Deirdre Donovan, performed a concert in honor of Our Lady of Mercy. Listening to the beautiful sacred music in honor of Our Lady was truly inspirational. We thank them for the joyful and prayerful concert.

On Wednesday night we gathered as a parish family once again.  This time to help those who are so less fortunate than ourselves.  In this Act of Mercy, we prepared meals for the hungry and homeless of our state.  It was a modest Act of Mercy in light of the great problem of homelessness, hunger and poverty that exists in our state.  Nonetheless, it was a powerful witness to the charity and mercy that exist in our parish.  I offer my deep gratitude to those who took the time to join us to help feed the hungry and homeless.

On Thursday, Fr. Barrow and hundreds of priests, friends and family members gathered at St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome to celebrate the Ordination Mass of 42 young men as Transitional Deacons.  Among these new Deacons was Philip Dufour, a young man from Bristol who studied with Fr. Barrow.  He is to be ordained a priest by Bishop Tobin next June.  We offer our congratulations to Deacon Dufour and his classmates. Let us pray for them as they continue the path toward priesthood.

It’s October so take up your beads and pray the Rosary!  Come to Marian Devotions on Mondays and honor the Mother of God! Do good. Be well. God Bless! Go Sox! Go Pats!