Summer! Let's Celebrate

Dear Parishioners:

School has ended and Friday was the first official day of summer! It’s hard to believe that it’s here already and soon we’ll be celebrating the Fourth of July! But now we can head to the beaches, sit by the pool, play some golf, take ride on the boat or just read a book under the shade of a tree! “What good is the warmth of summer, without the cold of winter to give it sweetness,” said the great American novelist, John Steinbeck. Hopefully we can enjoy some time of refreshment, renewal and relaxation that come with the summer months. And as we do let us remember the blessings bestowed upon us by our loving God, the Creator of all things!

Deacon John Dowd

Next weekend we offer a fond farewell to our Parish Deacon John Dowd. Deacon Dowd and his wife, Cathy, have sold their home in North Kingstown and moved to Wakefield. He has served as our Deacon for the last six years and with his move to South County his time of ministry at OLM is coming to an end. Deacon Dowd is to preach all the Masses next weekend and following the 10:30AM Mass I invite you to the Reception for him and his wife at Mercy Park. They have been an important part of our OLM family these many years, so please stop by to offer best wishes and thanks to them. While serving at OLM, Deacon Dowd has faithfully baptized your children, prayed for your beloved dead, taught Baptism Class, led our Men of St. Joseph, preached the Gospel, led us in devotions and adoration of the Lord, and ministered to the residents of the St. Elizabeth’s Home. In your name, I offer my sincere gratitude for his faithful, zealous and loyal service to our parish and to the Church. We wish both him and his wife, much health and happiness in their new home. Ad multos annos!

Those of you who regularly read the R.I. Catholic saw the new priests assignments. We are grateful that our own Fr. Barrow is not moving to another assignment! Yes, he is to be with us for another year (we hope and pray for a few more!!). I am grateful to Bishop Tobin for allowing Fr. Barrow to continue to serve OLM as the Associate Pastor for another year. Over the years OLM has been truly blessed with fine, zealous and holy young priests to serve as our Associate Pastors. In this age of fewer priests, we must be truly grateful for the blessings of these young priests. I know I give thanks to God everyday and to Bishop Tobin for the blessing of having both Fr. Barrow and Fr. Connors assigned here at OLM.

In his homily at the Ordination Mass a couple of weeks ago, Bishop Tobin reminded the newly ordained priests, Fr. Silva and Fr. Rowley: “Without a doubt you will encounter difficulties and disappointments in your life and ministry. But in good times and in bad there must be something much deeper and much more profound than a superficial happiness. There must be a quiet, confident joy that underlines your life and your ministry as a priest. A joy born of the knowledge that you have been chosen by the Lord and that you are doing his work. And even in the midst of difficulties you have very, very good news to share with others.”

This week we celebrate this priestly joy and ministry at OLM. On Sunday, June 23rd, Fr. Connors marks his seventh anniversary of priesthood, on Monday, June 24th I mark 24 years of priesthood and on Thursday, June 27th, Fr. Barrow celebrates his fourth anniversary of ordination. I humbly ask for your prayers for our priestly ministry. May we priests continue to live the Bishop’s instruction given on the day of ordination: “Know what you are doing, and imitate the mystery you celebrate: model your life on the mystery of the Lord's cross.”

If you see a large group of smiling and happy children around OLM this week, then know you’ve discovered our Vacation Bible School! All week these children gather to pray and have fun while they learn more about their Catholic Faith and our Lord. We are grateful to our Youth Activities Coordinator, Billy Burdier, who has organized this great week for the parish children. VBS is always a great week of fun and faith at OLM! Enjoy the summer but please don’t not forget there is no vacation from going to Sunday Mass! God Bless! Be well. Do Good. Go Sox, please!!

Trinity Sunday, Three in One

Dear Parishioners:

With the celebration of the Solemnity of Pentecost comes the end of the Easter Season. The Easter Candle that has been so prominently displayed by the pulpit and lit for every Mass during the Easter Season is now returned to the baptistery. Now in this Season of Ordinary Time is lit only for baptisms and funerals. The rhythm of the liturgical seasons reflects the rhythm of life — with its celebrations of anniversaries and its seasons of quiet growth and maturing. Ordinary Time, meaning ordered or numbered time, is celebrated in two segments: from the Monday following the Baptism of Our Lord up to Ash Wednesday; and from Pentecost Monday to the First Sunday of Advent. This makes it the largest season of the Liturgical Year.

We wear green vestments , the color of hope and growth. The Church counts the thirty-three or thirty-four Sundays of Ordinary Time, as a time to meditate upon the whole mystery of Christ – his life, miracles and teachings – in the light of his Resurrection.

In a very real sense we must descend the great mountain peak of Easter in order to "pasture" in the vast verdant meadows of tempus per annum, or Ordinary Time. As Sunday by Sunday, the Pilgrim Church marks her journey through ordinary time processing steadily through time toward eternity.

Of course, we also mark special feasts following Pentecost including today’s Solemnity of the Blessed Trinity. The fundamental dogma, on which everything in Christianity is based, is that of the Blessed Trinity in whose name all Christians are baptized. The feast of the Blessed Trinity is understood and celebrated as a prolongation of the mysteries of Christ and as the solemn expression of our faith in this triune life of the Divine Persons, to which we have been given access by Baptism and by the Redemption won for us by Christ. Only in heaven shall we properly understand what it means, in union with Christ, to share as children in the very life of God.

The feast of the Blessed Trinity was introduced in the ninth century and was only inserted in the general calendar of the Church in the fourteenth century by Pope John XXII. Worship of the Trinity is, of course, to be found throughout the liturgy. Constantly the Church causes us to praise and adore the thrice-holy God who has so shown His mercy towards us and has given us to share in His life. Next Sunday we mark the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ (Corpus Christi). Corpus Christi is a Eucharistic solemnity and the solemn commemoration of the institution of that sacrament. It is the Church's official act of homage and gratitude to Christ, who by instituting the Holy Eucharist gave to the Church her greatest treasure. Holy Thursday, marks the anniversary of the institution, but the commemoration of the Lord's passion that very night suppresses the rejoicing proper to the occasion. So our celebration of Corpus Christi really highlights the truly joyous aspect of Holy Thursday.

We shall mark this great feast with a Solemn Procession of the Eucharist following the 10:30AM Mass. As we process from Mass to Mercy Park with the Eucharistic Lord, we gather in adoration and receive the Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament. In the fourteenth century this custom of carrying the Blessed Sacrament in a splendid procession through the town after the Mass on Corpus Christi Day developed.

Also next Sunday at the 10:30AM we acknowledge several of our Senior Altar Servers as they graduate. They have been faithfully serving Holy Mass for as many as ten years or more. We take the time next Sunday to offer our gratitude and thanks for their service to God, Church and OLM. OLM School ended on Friday! Summer for our students and faculty has officially begun! East Greenwich Public Schools finish up this coming Wednesday! It’s hard to believe but schools out for the summer! So keep all our students and teachers in your prayers. May summer be a time to relax, reflect and renew and may God grant them health and happiness this summer! With summer vacations coming, let’s not forget that there is no vacation from Sunday Mass! God Bless! Be well. Do Good. Go Sox. Go Bruins!

The End of May is Here! Remember the Fallen on Memorial Day

Dear Parishioners:

There are a lot of comings and goings at OLM these days! Our Summer Seminarian, Dan Mahoney, arrived this past Wednesday to begin his assignment here at OLM. We look forward to having him with us for the next ten weeks as he works and lives with Fr. Barrow and I. Dan will be helping at Masses, with our OLM Outreach, at OLM School and at our upcoming Vacation Bible School. Please give him a warm welcome after Mass. And be sure to say hello when you see him around town or the parish.

Sister Lourdes, one of our wonderful Franciscan Apostolic Sisters, is home for few weeks on a visitation to the Motherhouse in the Philippines. She arrived safely last week after a 30 hour flight! She will visit with her family and then attend meetings with her religious community. Sister returns to OLM in mid June, please keep her in your prayers. .

Next Sunday, the newly ordained Deacon Hiep Nguyen is visiting OLM. He is to preach the homily at the 10:30am Mass. Following the Mass, there is a Reception in Mercy Park where we can offer our congratulations to Deacon Hiep. I hope you can stop by and wish him well.

Now that classes have ended at St. John’s Seminary in Boston, our own Fr. Connors is coming back to OLM for the summer months. He will be helping us with Masses here at OLM, and also helping out other area parishes while back in Rhode Island. We are always happy to have him back with us at OLM!

Monday is Memorial Day, a day in which we pay tribute and honor to all those men and women who died serving our nation and the cause of liberty. Please remember those who have given the ultimate sacrifice to our nation in your prayers, and at Masses, this weekend. May God grant them eternal rest.

On Memorial Day join us for Mass at 8:30AM as we pray for our nation and offer Mass for all deceased veterans. The Memorial Day Parade also commences on Monday morning. Once again I have the privilege to offer prayers at the Veterans Memorial on Cliff Street as the parade pauses to remember the fallen. I hope you can get to see the parade, it’s a great tradition for our community.

Also, please join us for the final May Devotions on Monday night at 7:00pm as we pray the Rosary and seek the powerful intercession of our Blessed Mother. Praying the Rosary before the Eucharistic Lord, is a great way to strengthen our relationship with the Lord. May Our Lady of Mercy intercede for us, our nation, and all those who protect our liberty and freedom.

With the end of May comes the end of our 5:00PM Sunday Evening Mass for the season. It resumes on the First Sunday of September which happens to be September 1st this year. For those looking for evening Masses on Sundays, there are several at the beach parishes in South County throughout the summer months.

On Thursday we celebrate the Solemnity of the Ascension. The Ascension of Our Lord Jesus Christ occurred 40 days after His Resurrection on Easter Sunday. At His Ascension, the Lord Jesus ascended, Body and Soul, into heaven in the presence of His Apostles and disciples. The 40 day period between the Resurrection of Our Lord and His Ascension into heaven is described by the Catechism of the Catholic Church as a time “when He eats and drinks familiarly with His disciples and teaches them about the Kingdom”

This feast contains two elements as Pope Francis teaches us: “On one hand, it directs our look to Heaven, where Jesus, glorified, is seated at the right hand of God On the other, it recalls the beginning of the Church’s mission.” The Ascension is a Holy Day of Obligation and thus Catholics are obligated to attend Mass.

At OLM, there are four Masses for the Feast: a Vigil Mass on Wednesday at 5:00PM and three Masses on the Holy Day itself at 7:30AM, 9:00AM and 7:00PM. The 9:00AM Mass on Ascension Thursday will include the many grandparents who will be with us for the OLM School Grandparents Day. This Mass is likely to be very crowded.

See you at Mass on the Holy Day. Be well. Do Good. Go Sox and Bruins! Have a Happy Memorial Day! God Bless America!

Supporting OLM School and Saying Hello and Goodbye

Dear Parishioners:

Mr. Fuller with Fr. Healey and Fr. Barrow on the First Day of School 2019!

Dear Parishioners:

Our OLM Principal, Mr. Scott W. Fuller is retiring at the end of the school year. I am grateful for his tremendous leadership of our parish school and wish him well in his much deserved retirement. As Mr. Fuller’s replacement I am happy to tell you that I have appointed Mr. Patrick H. McNabb as the new Principal of Our Lady of Mercy School.

Mr. McNabb holds a B.A. in History from Haverford College and a M.Ed. in Administration and Supervision from National Louis University. With experience in teaching and administration, he has served as a coach, classroom teacher, and Vice-Principal.

Since 2016, he has served as Middle School Religion Teacher and Director of Faith Formation at Holy Name Church and School in Fall River, MA. Previous to working at Holy Name School, McNabb began his career in education at the Shelby Middle School in Shelby, Mississippi for Teach for America.

He went on to serve as Middle School Teacher and then Vice-Principal at KIPP DC: KEY Academy in Washington, DC and as Vice-Principal of KIPP DC: College Preparatory in Washington, DC. Principal McNabb and his wife are parishioners of St. Barnabas Church in Portsmouth, RI and are the parents of two young children.

With Mr. McNabb’s appointment we begin another great chapter in the history of our parish school. I am confident that his skillful and faith-filled leadership of Our Lady of Mercy School with build on the tradition of strong faith and academic excellence.

He brings a wealth of educational experience, an abundance of energy and talent and most importantly a strong commitment to his Catholic Faith. In your name, I welcome him to our parish family and look forward to his leadership of our wonderful parish school.

I wish to thank Mr. Greg Paolino, Chair of the OLM School Board, who led our Principal Search Committee. He and the committee members did an outstanding job finding great candidates for the position. I am grateful for their insight and guidance in the search for a new principal for OLM School.

Two of our longtime OLM School Teachers, Miss Paula Noll and Mrs. Donna Beaulieu, are to retire at the end of the school year. They have taught at OLM for many years and both are excellent educators who are dedicated to their students and committed to Catholic Education. In your name, I offer our deep gratitude for their years of service to the students of OLM School. Ad multos annos!

On Saturday night we had our Annual Spring Fling in support of OLM School. This great night of fun includes both a live and silent auction. All the proceeds go to support our mission of teaching the future saints and scholars of our world and Church. I am grateful to Spring Fling Committee for organizing another great night.

There are always some great auction items like front row tickets to Hamilton on Broadway, Red Sox and Patriots tickets, a day cruise to Newport on a luxury yacht, at stay at Block Island’s premier hotel, the Spring House, Hi-Lo Jack Night at the Regency Cigar Emporium with Fr. Healey and Fr. Barrow and of course, dinner in the OLM Rectory with the Fathers!

I thank the many generous supporters of OLM School for their generous donations and their generous support of our mission. This event raises much needed and critical funds to keep that mission going for our parish, school and Church. Thanks for all those who make this event fun and also a great success!

Our Parish Deacon John Dowd is moving! He and his wife, Cathy, have sold their home in North Kingstown and are headed south to retired life in Wakefield. Unfortunately this means he is leaving OLM. Deacon Dowd has been a important part of our parish family and we thank him for his ministry here at OLM. He will be with us until the end of June and we will offer him our public thanks in the coming weeks.

This week another celebration is coming to OLM. One of our parish priests is turning the “Big Three O” and it’s not me! Thirty was a long time ago for me! Yes, Fr. Barrow turns 30 on Tuesday! So be sure to wish him a Happy Birthday! Join us on Monday for May Devotions! Be well. Do Good. Go Sox and Bruins! Happy Birthday Fr. Barrow!!!