Praying for the Sick and Suffering

Dear Parishioners:      

As announced last week, Sister Soledad has joined our OLM family and is now working with Sisters Lourdes and Emma. Sister Soledad worked at Scalabrnini Villa over the last few years with three other Franciscan Apostolic Sisters. For decades the Scalabrini Fathers have owned and operated the Scalabrini Villa Nursing Home. They are turning the operation of the nursing facility over to a secular group. Father Peter Polo, C.S., who has served as the Chaplain there, is leaving this week to take up new duties at Holy Rosary Church in Washington, DC. We wish him well and offer our thanks for his years of service. Also, the F.A.S. Sisters have now left the Villa. Sister Soledad has come to OLM, and the three other Sisters have taken up residence at the Convent at St. Philip Church in Greenville. They will work there at the parish and school and also provide pastoral care at Zambarano Hospital. 

We commend and thank the good sisters for their many years of dedication to providing pastoral care to the Scalabrini Villa residents. Over the years, they have provided loving and prayerful support to the elderly, the ill, and the infirm especially accompanying the dying. With their good work in mind, we celebrate the World Day of the Sick on Thursday, February 11th. It is also the Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes, so we turn to her for her powerful intercession. We join the Church across the globe in praying for the many sick of our world. Saint John Paul II instituted the World Day of the Sick in 1992 to recognize the dignity of the sick and suffering and for the Church to pray for them.

In his message for this year's World Day of the Sick, Pope Francis says: "A society is all the more human to the degree that it cares effectively for its most frail and suffering members, in a spirit of fraternal love." This Thursday, let us all take the time to offer prayers for the sick and infirm, especially those suffering from COVID, those in hospitals and nursing homes. We also pray for the sick of our parish and our own families. In our prayers, we must remember doctors, nurses, and healthcare workers who provide care and comfort to the sick.

The State of R.I. announced last week that the COVID Vaccine would be made available to citizens over 75 years of age. Also, Kent Hospital informed the priests who serve as chaplains there, including Fr. Barrow and myself, that the vaccine would be made available. These are good signs in the battle against COVID and a hopeful sign for an end to the pandemic. As the vaccinations roll out across the country, we should be mindful of what the U.S. Bishops teach about them. They state:

"Receiving one of the COVID-19 vaccines ought to be understood as an act of charity toward other members of our community. In this way, being vaccinated safely against COVID-19 should be considered an act of love of our neighbor and part of our moral responsibility for the common good."

There are some ethical concerns with certain vaccines, so I encourage you to read the flyer in this week's bulletin. It is entitled "Answers to Key Ethical Questions About COVID-19 Vaccines" and is an excellent resource and guide. It is also posted on the parish website. Dominican Friar and P.C. Professor Father Nicanor Austricio, OP, recently wrote an article entitled "A Priest-Scientist Responds to Concerns. Raised by the Ramping Up of Vaccination Campaigns." It, too, is an excellent resource and guide. This article in the Church Life Journal is posted on the University of Notre Dame website.

Fr. Nicanor holds both a Ph.D. in Biology from M.I.T. and a Pontifical Doctorate in Sacred Theology (S.T.D.) from the University of Fribourg in Switzerland. His expertise in science and Moral Theology provide for a sound and helpful guide for Catholics.

On World Day of the Sick, we pray for the sick and the suffering. "To Mary, Mother of Mercy and Health of the Infirm, let us entrust the sick, healthcare workers, and all those who generously assist our suffering brothers and sisters. From the Grotto of Lourdes, may she sustain our faith and hope and help us care for one another with fraternal love and charity." Stay safe. Be well. Do good. God Bless.

Celebrate The Difference that Catholic Schools Make

Dear Parishioners:     

During this last week of January, we celebrate the Annual Catholic Schools Week. It is a time to highlight the exceptional work done in our Catholic schools across the country. It also highlights the excellence in academics, athletics, and the arts of our parish school.  OLM School students are speaking at all weekend Masses about their experiences at the school. We thank the many families who have chosen a Catholic Education for their children. We also thank our outstanding Principal, Patrick McNabb, and our dedicated and hardworking faculty at OLM School.                             

It has been a challenging year for our school community due to the COIVID Pandemic. However, they have done an excellent job keeping the school open and safe. Our students have been able to come to all-day in-person classes since September.  This wouldn't have been possible without the tremendous leadership of Mr. McNabb, the steadfast dedication of our faculty, our staff's hard work, and the cooperative support of our OLM school parents and students. We thank them for all they do to ensure our students are learning in a healthy and safe environment.

          After all, knowledge and learning are essential. However, they are not the same as wisdom and moral character. We know that Barbarians come in all shapes and sizes, some wearing expensive suits with good diction and often with outstanding academic and professional credentials. The word "education" itself is derived  from the Latin educare, meaning "to bring up or train." It in turn comes from the Latin e- ("out") and ducare ("to lead or guide"). True education aims to lead people out of ignorance, dishonesty, and brutishness to the refinement of their humanity and intellect in the virtues.

This goal is what chiefly distinguishes Catholic education, if taught correctly, from much of modern learning. Even the finest of minds are incomplete,  blank slates, without a purpose and moral framework for the facts at their command. And, as the saying goes, nature abhors a vacuum. Some purpose, no matter how selfish or perverse, inevitably fills a person's inner void.

History teaches us that all purposes and all moral frameworks are not equal. Some lead to violence and suffering and often worse. Their understanding of the human person is limited from the outset by God's absence and exclusion. The goal of Catholic education, in contrast, is to fill the soul with the presence of its loving Creator.  So theology is not an "add on" subject in a Catholic school. It's the priority of the mission and it needs to inform and guide every other academic subject and element of the school day. It guides OLM every day as we strive to be scholars and saints. 

Our students at OLM and indeed all students are the children of a loving God with an eternal destiny. They must radiate throughout their lives the great words of St. Irenaeus: "The glory of God is man fully alive."        The ultimate purpose of Catholic Schools is not to get students into Harvard or Yale, Notre Dame or Villanova — all of them great universities, but no automatic guarantee of anyone's humanity — but rather to get them into heaven.

Heaven is not some childish imaginary fairyland, but the intensely real and beautiful embrace of the God who made us sustains us and longs for us to become the men and women he intended us to be. Not simply scholars but most importantly to become saints. That's why we're in this world. And it’s important to remember during this Catholic Schools Week.                          

Join us at the Catholic Schools Week Mass. on Friday at 9:00 AM via Livestream.  We offer Holy Mass for all those who have supported and benefited from Catholic Education, especially at OLM School, and pray for our school community.                       

In your name, I welcome Sister Soledad Salgado, FAS, to OLM this week. Sister has been assigned to work with Sisters Lourdes and Emma. She has been working at Scalabrini Villa. Read more about her and her life in this week’s bulletin. Say hello and welcome when you see her around the parish.

Welcome to OLM, Sister Soledad!! Stay safe. Be well. Do good. Celebrate Catholic Schools Week and OLM School!! God Bless. 

Our Faith, Our Future

Dear Parishioners:    

The Rectory Boiler Project was completed this past week.  The entire project included an asbestos study by engineers, asbestos abatement,  the destruction and removal of the old boiler,  a second air quality study by the engineers, and the new boiler and hot water heater installation. It took just about a month. We also managed to paint the boiler room that hasn't seen a coat of paint since the 1960s.                                   

The new boiler cost $40,000 and we are grateful to Steve Rossi of New England Boiler Works for expediting the process. The old boiler died on December 22nd, and due to the Christmas holiday and vacation, a new one wasn't easy to obtain quickly.  New England Boiler Works made the trip to New York to pick up the new boiler to expedite its installation. 

We also thank OLM Parishioner Val Tirocchi, who owns and operates AA Asbestos Abatement, for his quick response to this emergency. His crew spent considerable time removing asbestos and then destroying the old boiler for removal.  The old boiler was about 53 years old and very large, so it was quite a job!   

The total costs for the project are close to $60,000.  The environmental engineering studies mandated by law cost about $2,000.  The asbestos abatement and removal of the old boiler cost about $12,000.  We are waiting for the costs of installing the boiler, the plumping, and electric work. The old boiler was oil burning, while the new boiler is gas. Gas heat should make for more efficient heating in the rectory.                                   

Again I offer my thanks to those parishioners who supported the Grateful for God's Providence Capital Campaign.  The campaign funds this project. We've now installed three much-needed boilers in the rectory and convents, thanks to the capital campaign.

We've also installed new security cameras across the Church property and updated our school's security cameras.  This security system, too, was funded by the capital campaign.  Sadly such a system is needed in the times we live in today. We will soon post the required signs indicating that video camera surveillance is in operation at OLM. The security system allows us to monitor the property for theft or vandalism and keep the Church open for private prayer throughout the day without too much worry.  The cost of this project was $10,000, and BCI Computers did the work.  It also was financed as a result of the capital campaign. We are grateful for your financial support of these projects.                

BCI Computers came to our rescue back in March when the government imposed lockdown occurred, and we had to close the Church and stop the public celebration of Mass.  We asked for assistance from the Vice-President of BCI, Andrew R. Calore, an OLM Parishioner (soon to be married here!). He quickly responded to our request for a Livestream system at OLM when they were in high demand.  BCI  worked closely with Fr. Barrow, our tech wizard,  to ensure the timely installation.                       

The Livestream system allows us to offer Sunday Mass, funerals, baptisms, weddings, and other essential events online. It has been a great benefit to many during this pandemic.  Many of our elderly and infirm can participate, albeit remotely, in the parish's liturgical life.  Also, families who cannot attend funerals and other events can join from across the country.  It cost $7,500, and an anonymous parishioner generously donated the entire cost.                           

We hope to begin moving forward on the significant capital campaign project of replacing the over 50-year-old doors to the Church.  They are showing their age,  do not work well, and many of them are beginning to rot.      We've had the architects and door design companies working on the project and hope to start in the spring.  We plan to have one of the doors open electronically for those who are disabled or infirm.  We await the estimate for this project's cost, and it is being funded directly by the capital campaign.                

We kick off Catholic Schools Week next Sunday.  OLM Students are speaking at all Masses about their experience at our outstanding parish school.  Keep the students and faculty in your prayers.  May they strive to be the saints and scholars God calls them to be.                         

Stay safe. Be well. Do good. God Bless.

Overcoming Injustice and Evil Begins with Prayer

Dear Parishioners:

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. meets with St. Pope Paul VI at the Vatican on September 18, 1964

In 1983, President Ronald Reagan signed the Dr. Martin Luther King Holiday Act, proclaiming the third Monday in January as Martin Luther King Jr. Day. The next year, he declared the third Sunday in January as National Sanctity of Human Life Day. The two are still connected today.               

Catholic Religious and Clergy march in support of Civil Rights circa 1960s.

On Monday, we celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King Day and reflect upon his life and work. His efforts in fighting for racial justice and equality made significant progress in erasing the stain of racism and injustice against African Americans. However, we know we still have work to do in ending the sin of racism. Continuing social unrest, growing tensions, and senseless violence in our communities remind us that we must continue to build the culture of love, respect, and peace to which the Gospel calls us.

The Church's teaching about the sin of racism is grounded in the scriptural understanding of all people's equal dignity, created in God's image and Christ's redemption of all. The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches us: "Every form of social or cultural discrimination in fundamental personal rights on the grounds of sex, race, color, social conditions, language, or religion must be curbed and eradicated as incompatible with God's design."

In accepting the 1964 Nobel Peace Prize, Dr. King stated, "Civilization and violence are antithetical concepts." So while we celebrate his legacy and work against racial injustice, we must also reflect on the work that still needs to continue to establish a civilization of love. Too often we have witnessed people turning to violence to voice their protest. The senseless violence and mayhem we've seen do nothing to advance the cause of justice or serve the common good. Sadly attacks on human life are all too common and acceptable in our nation.   

Our Catholic Faith teaches that the injustice and harm racism causes are an attack on human life. The Church has spoken out consistently and vigorously against abortion, assisted suicide, euthanasia, the death penalty, and other forms of violence that threaten human life. In the U.S. Bishop's Pastoral Letter on Racism, they state: "It is not a secret that these attacks on human life have severely affected people of color, who are disproportionally affected by poverty, targeted for abortion, have less access to healthcare, have the greatest numbers on death row, and are most likely to feel pressure to end their lives when facing serious illness. As bishops, we unequivocally state that racism is a life issue."

We mark a sad legacy of violence against women and children this week. Forty-eight years ago, this Friday, the Supreme Court legalized abortion in the United States. Friday is also a Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children. If we are to rid our society of the moral evil of racism and the violence of abortion, we must first begin with prayer. I invite you to join us on Friday as we mark this tragic anniversary with all-day prayer and adoration for the legal protection of the unborn.  Just as we must continue to pray and work together to overcome the evil of racism, we must be more committed to promoting more profound respect for human life and dignity, especially for the unborn and the most vulnerable.

We hear many politicians and other leaders rightly condemning the violence all too present in our country. Sadly many of them have failed ever to condemn the violence of abortion. As Saint Mother Theresa of Calcutta stated: "Any country that accepts abortion is not teaching its people to love but to use violence to get what they want. That is why the greatest destroyer of love and peace is abortion."

On Monday, we celebrate Dr. King's life and legacy with its significant contribution to our nation for racial justice and equality for African Americans. However, on Friday, we mark the legalization of abortion, a tragic legacy of injustice and violence. More work for overcoming injustice, inequality, and violence is needed. Let's begin with prayers for a culture of life and a civilization of love. Let us take up prayers for peace and love so needed in our world as we voice our petitions for the protection of unborn children.

Stay safe. Be well. Do good. God Bless.

The Unordinary Times of Ordinary Time

Dear Parishioners:

The  Feast of the Lord's Baptism we celebrate this weekend has been celebrated as a separate feast for many centuries. Initially, it was the primary mystery celebrated on January 6 (Feast of Epiphany), but it was separated and assigned a different day over time. Thus it has always been a "Christmas" feast, celebrated within the Christmas cycle. However, it may seem a little strange to have the baby Jesus in the manger still and commemorate a moment during his adult life.

Yet, it is entirely fitting when reflecting on the central mystery of Christ to commemorate his baptism. For both, the feast of the Nativity and Baptism of the Lord highlights the humility of Jesus Christ. In both instances, he displayed his desire to become one with us to raise us up with him.   Jesus not only assumed our flesh at the Nativity but became like us in all things except sin. He was baptized by his cousin, St. John the Baptist, even though he did not need baptism.

  Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI explains this  in his sermon on the Baptism of the Lord:

Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI baptizes a child on the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord at St. Peter’s Basilica, Rome, Italy.

  "Jesus shows his solidarity with us, with our efforts to convert and to be rid of our selfishness, to break away from our sins in order to tell us that if we accept him in our life, he can uplift us and lead us to the heights of God the Father.  And Jesus' solidarity is not, as it were, a mere exercise of mind and will. Jesus truly immersed himself in our human condition, lived it to the end, in all things save sin, and was able to understand our weakness and frailty.     For this reason he was moved to compassion; he chose to 'suffer with' men and women, to become a penitent with us. This is God's work which Jesus wanted to carry out: the divine mission to heal those who are wounded and give medicine to the sick, to take upon himself the sin of the world."

With the celebration of the Baptism of the Lord, the Christmas Season officially ends.  And with it the Christmas trees, wreaths, flowers, lights, and the crèche are all taken down.  They are put away until next year and we return to the Season of Ordinary Time with its green vestments and simpler decorations.      

Many have asked about the annual parish calendar normally distributed during Christmas. Due to the COVID  Pandemic, the calendars were not available this year.  We thank the Caparco Family of Hill Funeral Home, who always sponsor our beautiful parish calendar.  We hope that they return once again next Christmas to hang in our homes and offices.  Important dates to note on the Church Calendar in 2021 are Ash Wednesday on February 17, Palm Sunday on March 28, Easter Sunday on April 4, Ascension Thursday on May 13, and Pentecost on May 23. Be sure to put them on your calendar.    

The OLM School students were back at in-person classes this past week. They return after a long Christmas break that began with the big snowstorm in December.  We welcome them back along with our dedicated faculty and staff, who work hard to make our parish school outstanding.

Boiler room in the Rectory after removal of boiler.

Before Christmas, the Rectory boiler died.  After over fifty years it finally gave out.  We had hoped it would last until the spring, but alas, it didn't. So we began the process of replacing the boiler the week after Christmas.    Thankfully we had a plan in the works, and we could start right away. AA Wrecking and Asbestos Abatement removed all the asbestos from the boiler room. Once done with asbestos, the old boiler and hot water tank, originally installed in the 1960s, had to be demolished and removed.     

New England  Boiler Works, who did such a superb job installing the new boilers in the convents this past fall, is installing the new rectory boiler.  We hope to complete the entire project very soon.  In the meantime, we keep warm with electric heaters in the Rectory.  Thankfully we have hot water, so we're a bit chilly but very clean! The project is costly and funded by your generous support of the capital campaign.  We thank you for this support and we are most grateful as it truly warms us and our hearts!

Stay safe. Be well. Do good. Welcome back and New Year Blessings for the  OLM School students and faculty! God Bless.

Hope and Holiness in 2021!

Dear Parishioners:

A very Happy New Year! The 19th Century English Poet Alfred Lord Tennyson wrote: "Hope smiles from the threshold of the year to come, whispering, 'It will be happier.'" Tennyson's words express our hope that 2021 might be a happier and better year than in 2020.    We say so long to 2020, the Annus Horribilis, and we hope and pray that 2021 might be a year that brings more health, less sickness, more stability, less insecurity, more community, less isolation, more joy, less sorrow.

We begin the new year with the celebration of the great Solemnity of the Epiphany. The word epiphany comes from the Greek epiphaneia, meaning "manifestation." An epiphany is a time when something is shown, displayed, or manifested to an audience. It has come to refer to the feast celebrating the adoration of Jesus by the wise men (Magi) from the East. In the Magi, representatives of the neighboring pagan religions, the Gospel sees the first-fruits of the nations, who welcome the good news of salvation through the Incarnation.

  The Feast of Epiphany calls us to contemplate our creation and orientation to our new creation in Christ Jesus. While at first, we are drawn to thoughts of the three gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh, Epiphany's true gift is Christ's gift of Himself for our salvation. Therefore, the three gifts offered by the Magi should only be representations of our gift of self to the Lord. The mystery that the Epiphany of God — his manifestation — is hidden behind the tiny body of a newborn infant. 

Saints and scholars have considered the richness of this mystery. Saint Bernard of Clairvaux, reflecting on this great mystery, in a sermon on the Epiphany, states: "What are you doing, O Magi? Do you adore a little Babe, in a wretched hovel, wrapped in miserable rags? Can this Child be truly God? Are you foolish, O Wise Men? Yes, these Wise Men have become fools that they may be wise." 

The universal call to holiness means that the mystery of Christ must become the center of our existence. Our attitude must first and foremost be that of openness to the gift of Christ, an attitude that recognizes the transcendent reality beyond us and sees the world with the eyes of faith. Let us pray for this disposition so that Jesus Christ might become an Epiphany in our own lives.

Perhaps in our prayer and reflection, we might consider what gifts we bring to Christ this coming year? Is it the gift of our time, our devotion, our talent, our treasure? Is it a renewal of faith, a more profound conversion to Christ in daily life, a steadfast commitment to our family, marriage, church, or perhaps merely more acts of charity and mercy? May the Magi inspire us to give our gifts without counting the cost as we worship and adore Christ in word and deed. 

In his annual Message for the 54th World Day of Peace on January 1, 2020, His Holiness Pope Francis reminds us: "At a time like this, when the barque of humanity, tossed by the storm of the current crisis, struggles to advance towards a calmer and more serene horizon, the 'rudder' of human dignity and the 'compass' of fundamental social principles can enable us together to steer a sure course. As Christians, we should always look to Our Lady, Star of the Sea, and Mother of Hope. May we work together to advance towards a new horizon of love and peace, fraternity and solidarity, of mutual support and acceptance. May we never yield to the temptation to disregard others, especially those in greatest need, and to look the other way; instead, may we strive daily, in concrete and practical ways, 'to form a community composed of brothers and sisters who accept and care for one another.'"

As we begin another new year, let us pray and reflect upon the Holy Father's message. May it inspire us to be people and a parish of love and peace, solidarity and fraternity, charity and mercy. May our patroness, Our Lady of Mercy, guide and protect us in 2021! In the name of Fr. Barrow and Fr. Connors, I assure you of our prayers for a Healthy, Happy, and Holy New Year in 2021 for you and your family. We hope and pray for the end of the pandemic and the peace, health, well-being, security, and prosperity of the world.

Stay safe. Be well. Do good. God Bless 2021!