Called to a Mission

Dear Parishioners:

All Catholics are called to be missionaries by their baptism, sharing the good news of salvation in Jesus by their actions and words. Pope Francis states: "We must renew the Church's missionary commitment and give fresh evangelical impulse to Her work of preaching and bringing to the world the salvation of Jesus Christ to the world."

Every baptized Catholic has a responsibility to share the Gospel. Baptism and membership in the Church go together and are essential for salvation. And they also can contribute to peace and harmony in the world. The Mission of sharing the Gospel and offering them the gift of baptism "is part of our identity as Christians," Pope Francis has said.

We bear witness to this missionary calling at OLM this weekend. We welcome Father Jose Jacob, who is preaching all the weekend Masses about the work of missionaries in Papua New Guinea. It is a small South Pacific nation of about 7.5 million people, more than one-quarter Catholic. It is the world's most linguistically diverse nation, with more than 800 languages spoken. The Church first arrived by French missionaries in 1847, but the early efforts to evangelize proved problematic. In 1855, an Italian priest and missionary, Giovanni Battista Mazzucconi, was killed by hostile natives. He is now beatified.

By the 1880s, the Church began to make significant inroads, and as the 20th century arrived, there were several centers of missionary activity. Such progress, however, brought risk, and on August 13, 1904, ten missionaries, including five religious sisters, were killed on the island of New Britain. Yet many natives continued to convert to the Catholic Faith. However, missionary work was curtailed by the World Wars, particularly the Second World War, which saw invasion and occupation by the Japanese military. They persecuted, imprisoned, and killed many missionaries of any Christian denomination.

The post-WWII era saw a rise in missionaries, mainly from Australia, Canada, and the US. In 1966, the Catholic hierarchy of archdioceses and dioceses was established in Papua New Guinea. There are now a total of 19 dioceses, including four archdioceses. The Catholic Faith is the nation's largest denomination, with 27 percent of the total population, followed by Evangelical Lutheranism (19.5 percent), the United Church (11.5 percent), and the Seventh Day Adventist Church (10 percent), according to the US State Department. The Diocese of Daru-Kiunga is in the remote section of Papua New Guinea. It is 38,470 Square Miles with a total population of 211,000 people with 51,000 Catholics.

There are just thirteen parishes with only one Diocesan Priest. However, there are fourteen Missionary Priests who serve the Diocese. There are about 50 Religious Sisters and Brothers who also help there. The Missionaries who serve and have served there do incredible work proclaiming the Gospel and converting souls to Christ and the Catholic Faith. In 1970, there were just over 2,000 Catholics! Fifty years later, there are over 50,000!

This weekend we are called to support the Mission Church in Papua New Guinea. Each year we are reminded of our call to be missionaries. And while we cannot physically go to Papua New Guinea, we can support the Mission with our prayers and our financial donations. As we give thanks for the blessings of our faith, our Church, and our parish, let us be mindful of the Missionary Church. The Mission Church is poor but vibrant and needs our help.

The Second Collection this weekend is dedicated to aiding the Diocese of Daru-Kiunga in Papua New Guinea. There is no envelope for this Second Collection. However, you may make a check payable to OLM with "Mission Co-Op" in the memo. If you are unprepared to help at Mass this weekend, you can drop a check off at the Parish Office or in the deposit box in the vestibule this coming week. I thank you for your generous financial support and prayers for the Missions. Welcome, Father Jacob!  

Be well. Stay safe. Do good. God Bless. Go Sox! Happy Feast of the Assumption!

The Sanctity and Dignity of Human Life

Dear Parishioners

US Capitol Building in Washington, DC

Last week the U.S. House of Representatives voted in favor of a package of appropriations bills that currently exclude the Hyde, Weldon, and Helms amendments and other longstanding, pro-life language that have always had bipartisan support in Congress. This legislation could now force foreign countries with strong legal and cultural opposition to abortion to embrace abortion in order to receive desperately needed help for their people. Pope Francis has referred to this type of situation as ideological colonization. Further, this legislation allows for abortions and abortion advocacy to be funded with tax dollars. 

RI Congressman James Langevin with Speaker of the House Pelosi and Majority Leader Hoyer.

Sadly yet not surprisingly, our U.S. Representatives, Mr. Langevin and Mr. Cicilline voted in favor of these bills. Mr. Langevin represents the Second Congressional District which includes East Greenwich and Warwick. He is Catholic and has claimed to be pro-life. However, as these votes indicate, Congressman Langevin does not favor protecting the lives of the innocent unborn and believes that tax dollars should pay for abortion. I urge you to contact Mr. Langevin and share your disappointment and dismay at his shameful vote. Contact the Congressman at his Rhode Island Office at (401) 732-9400 Also, contact U.S. Senators Reed and Whitehouse to encourage them to stop the funding of abortion with tax dollars.

The drive to eliminate these pro-life amendments has long been a goal of the radical pro-abortion lobby led by Planned Parenthood. The Biden Administration and Speaker Pelosi are their champions and use the pro-abortion messaging strategy, abandoning the slogan of "choice" to claim that abortion instead is essential healthcare for women. 

  But this claim is contrary to the facts. Abortion is a marginal practice, neither performed nor accepted by most healthcare providers; it does not improve and can even jeopardize women's life and health. Moreover, American law has recognized for decades that it is not "just another medical procedure." Far from being integral to our healthcare system, abortion is something that supporters seek to impose on that system by force of law.

Further, as the Catechism of the Catholic Church states: "Since the first century the Church has affirmed the moral evil of every procured abortion. This teaching has not changed and remains unchangeable. Direct abortion, that is to say, abortion willed either as an end or a means, is gravely contrary to the moral law" (No. 2271). 

President Biden, Speaker Pelosi, Congressman Langevin, and Senator Reed, all of whom profess to be Catholic, would do well to reflect upon the words of Pope Francis. The Holy Father states:

"Among the vulnerable for whom the Church wishes to care with particular love and concern are unborn children, the most defenseless and innocent among us. Nowadays, efforts are made to deny them their human dignity and do with them whatever one pleases, taking their lives and passing laws preventing anyone from standing in this way. Precisely because this involves the internal consistency of our message about the value of the human person, the Church cannot be expected to change Her position on this question. It is not 'progressive' to try to resolve problems by eliminating a human life." 

The Missions in Diocese of Daru-Kiunga in Papua New Guinea

Next weekend is the Annual Mission Cooperative Appeal at OLM. Each year a missionary visits our parish to preach about the work of the Missions. In turn, we generously offer our financial and spiritual support to these missionaries. In this way, we bear witness to the reality that we are a universal Church. Fr. Jose Jacob, SMM, a member of the Montfort Missionaries, is preaching all the Masses next weekend about the Mission Diocese of Daru-Kiunga in Papua New Guinea. Father worked for many years there and understands well the needs of the Mission Church. Our support aids in faith formation programs, offering the Sacraments, and serving the poor and needy. The Diocese of Daru-Kiunga is very poor and needs our prayers and financial support. Next week's Second Collection is our chance to help, so please be generous. Thank you for your support.

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

The Sounds of Divine Worship

Dear Parishioners:

Mr. Henri St. Louis

In last week's bulletin, I mentioned Murphy's Law, the adage that suggests: "Anything that can go wrong will go wrong." And so it goes!   Last week our very gifted Parish Music Director and Organist Henri St. Louis came to me with bad news! Our organ had stopped working! The organ is a complicated instrument. Our parish organ has 1776 pipes! So Henri immediately contacted the Peragallo Pipe Organ Company, the maker of our organ. Working with Henri via the phone, they surmised that a transformer had blown out. The company is in Paterson, New Jersey. The Peragallo Company traveled up this past week to fix it. Henri was able to use the piano at Masses last weekend.

OLM Choir

However, the beauty of the organ adds so much to our divine worship. Music historians believe that the pipe organ was introduced into churches about the tenth century. The Second Vatican Council's Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, the document shaping modern Catholic liturgy, states: "In the Latin Church the pipe organ is to be held in high esteem, for it is the traditional musical instrument which adds a wonderful splendor to the Church's ceremonies and powerfully lifts up man's mind to God and to higher things."

The Council Fathers were correct. We need the pipe organ. For our Catholic Faith, symbols enrich our religious experience and religious life. The Constitution states that "In the earthly Liturgy take part in a foretaste of that Heavenly Liturgy which is celebrated in the holy city of Jerusalem toward which we journey as pilgrims, where Christ is sitting at the right hand of God."

In other words, we do not come to Mass to only experience another meeting of like-minded friends and acquaintances and find support, only to see the things and hear and sing the words and music so similar to what we might hear on radio or television. We go for transcendence, to lift our praise and worship to God, not ourselves. The Mass is our foretaste of the Heavenly Liturgy.

St. Pope John Paul II states: "As a manifestation of the human spirit, music performs a function which is noble, unique, and irreplaceable. When it is truly beautiful and inspired, it speaks to us more than all the other arts of goodness, virtue, peace, of matters holy and divine. For good reason it has always been, and it will always be, an essential part of the liturgy"

So as we come together at Mass to offer praise and worship of God, let the sacred music we hear and sing lift worship up. At the proper time, there is a need for stillness and silence at Mass. Likewise, there is an appropriate time to lift our voices in song. We are called to have "full and active" participation during Mass. Sacred music is a beauty that prepares us to receive the fullness of grace in the Holy Sacrifice of the Altar. For as the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops state in their letter, "Sing to the Lord: Music in Divine Worship," when the church prays and sings, Christ is present.

Christ Surrounded by Singing and Music-making Angels or Santa María la Real de Nájera Altarpiece by Hans Memling (1483-1494)

We may not always be in the mood to sing. Perhaps our hearts are heavily burdened with personal problems or fear and despair, especially in our current world, seemingly torn by strife, sickness, violence, and racism. The bishops speak of our participation and the occasional challenges we face when singing at Mass. They state: "Sometimes, our voices do not correspond to the convictions of our hearts. At other times, we are distracted or preoccupied by the cares of the world. But Christ always invites us to enter into song, to rise above our own preoccupations, and to give our entire selves to the hymn of his Paschal Sacrifice for the honor and glory of the Most Blessed Trinity." 

 Our good Franciscan Apostolic Sisters were on retreat this past week. Unfortunately, due to the pandemic especially on the rise in the Philippines, they couldn't gather together in Nebraska as they usually do. Instead, Sister Lourdes, Sister Emma, and Sister Soledad traveled north to Greenville to join with the local FAS Sisters at St. Philip's Convent. The retreat was held via zoom so all the Franciscan Apostolic Sisters could be united in prayer and worship. They return to OLM this weekend, renewed and ready! Welcome back!!

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

Protecting Life and Liberty for All!

Dear Parishioner

This week I will be away at the Annual Summer Meeting of the National Association of State Catholic Conference Directors in Avon, Colorado. This meeting will be our first in-person gathering in two years, with almost forty states represented.  These meetings provide an excellent opportunity to interact with State Catholic Conference Directors. They advocate on public policy issues on behalf of the Church in nearly every statehouse in the nation. Also, it's a chance to get updated on public policy issues and advocacy strategies from colleagues and experts.  

The meeting agenda includes advocacy strategies in light of the Covid-19 Pandemic. Like our R.I. statehouse, many statehouses have been closed to the public and in-person advocacy. Such closures to the public often present challenges due to the lack of personal interaction with elected officials. In addition, it means testimony is done remotely by phone or Zoom, leading to less effective advocacy.  

Also to be discussed are the threats to religious liberty and the sanctity of human life. The U.S. Congress, with the support of the Rhode Island Congressional Delegation, is advancing an appropriations bill that eliminates the Hyde Amendment and other bipartisan provisions, including the Weldon Amendment. These provisions have ensured for over forty years that tax dollars cannot fund abortions. Eliminating these provisions would force taxpayers to pay for elective abortions and force health care providers and professionals to perform and refer for abortion against their deeply-held beliefs, as well as force employers and insurers to cover and pay for abortion. 

Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan of New York, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) Committee for Religious Liberty, and Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann of Kansas City, chairman of the USCCB’s Pro-Life Committee issued the following statement:

  "This is the most extreme pro-abortion appropriations bill that we have seen, effectively mandating healthcare professionals to participate in abortion, and forcing American citizens to pay for abortion with their tax dollars. By eliminating the Hyde Amendment, and other Hyde-like policies, the financial fruits of Americans' labor would advance the destruction of the smallest, most vulnerable humans. Abortion is not healthcare nor a 'human service' to anyone. Rather, abortion is inhumane. Americans' tax dollars should be used for the common good and welfare of all, not to finance abortion or force Americans to violate deeply-held beliefs.”   

There will also be a presentation on how the Church can more effectively support pregnant mothers, especially those who live in poverty. Additionally, the U.S.C.C.B. staff will offer updates on immigration reform and refugee resettlement programs, Catholic Education and school choice initiatives,  and review Supreme Court cases.      

We are lucky enough to have a fine young Dominican Friar, Father Justin Brophy, OP, speaking to the group. He is a Professor of Political Science at Providence College. He will speak on the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on advocacy and politics in light of Fratelli Tutti, ("On Fraternity and Social Responsibility"), the third encyclical of Pope Francis pontificate. In this encyclical, the Holy Father suggests that the world response to the Covid-19 pandemic was a failure in global cooperation and he calls for more human fraternity and greater solidarity. He also pleas for a rejection of war.

Of course, the Rocky Mountains are sure to be quite spectacular. The three-day meeting includes free time to explore the area. It should be a fruitful time of valuable updates and information. It will be great to be with friends in person for the first time in two years! 

Last weekend's heat and humidity didn't present a problem for our Church air conditioning as It seems to be working very well! Thank God! Also, we hope to have the bids for the Church door project funded by the capital campaign in the coming weeks. I will keep you posted as the project progresses.

Be well. Stay safe. Do good. God Bless. Enjoy the summer! Stay Cool! Go Sox!

Summertime! Read, Rest and Recreate with God!

Dear Parishioners:

Just when you think all is going well, remember Murphy’s Law! In last week's heatwave, the pump for our Church air conditioning broke down. It's an easy fix, but the new pump took a week to get here because of supply chain issues. It's now installed and the AC is once again on in Church.    

Despite the lack of AC, I wish a blessed summer to all! Summer seems to go by so quickly. But thankfully, people are traveling again and taking vacations. I received a few church bulletins from the Jersey Shore, Virginia, and South Carolina. So if you are traveling, grab a church bulletin when you attend Mass. I enjoy seeing where people go in their travels and what other parishes are doing. 

When I think about summer, I think of the word recreation as in God re-creating us. We all need time to pray, reflect, rest and spend time with family and friends. We also need to take time off from social media and television news. And turning off our cell phones isn't a bad idea either. 

In other words, everyone needs a break from their routine. Whether it's a complete vacation away from home or just an afternoon off, we need to recreate and rest. This summer, it is easier to do so as we enjoy the end of pandemic restrictions on travel and get-togethers. The things we took for granted, like going to the beach, visiting friends and relatives, having a picnic with family and friends, and traveling out of state or country, we can now do once again. Thank God for that!

So seize the chance to break up the routine, go to the beach, take a walk in the park, catch an outdoor concert, sit on the patio or in the backyard under a tree, rest, reflect and read a good book. Recreate with God! Pope Francis says: "It's important that in the time of rest and detachment from daily concerns, we re-energize the forces of body and spirit, deepening our spiritual path."

It's summertime, so try to re-energize body and spirit! Rest with God in the sun or the shade. And enjoy the blessings of God's creation. September is sure to be here before you know it, so enjoy this season of summer! But wherever you go and whatever you do on Sundays, don't skip  Mass! 

Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI says: "When we have a break from our activities, especially in the summer, we often take up a book we want to read. Each one of us needs time and space for recollection, meditation, and calmness. Thanks be to God that this is so! This need tells us that we are not made for work alone."

 Indeed, he is correct, we are not made for work alone!  I am hoping to get through my summer reading list. It includes Archbishop. Chaput's new book, "Things Worth Dying For: Thoughts on a Life Worth Living." It received excellent reviews and should be a good read for any Catholic. It provides serious reflection on how we choose to live our lives as Catholic Disciples.

Also on the list is a spiritual classic recommended by a priest friend.  It is entitled,  The Family That Overtook Christ, and is written by Fr. Mary Raymond. It is the story of the  family of Saint Bernard of Clairvaux. St. Bernard, my patron saint, was a Cistercian monk and the founder and abbot of the Abbey of Clairvaux. He was one of the most influential theologians and churchmen of his time. Each of his family members also has a remarkable spiritual story.

The author, Father Mary Raymond, was born Joseph Flanagan in 1903. He would become a Jesuit priest and teach at Holy Cross College in the 1920s. In 1936. he would join the Order of the Cistercians of the Strict Observance (Trappists). And at the Abbey of Our Lady of Gethsemane in Kentucky, he received the religious name, Mary Raymond. As a Trappist Monk, he authored over twenty books dealing with monastic and spiritual life. 

And finally, for a light and easy beach read, I was given a copy of former Speaker of the U.S. House John Boehner's new book, "On the House." He recounts his many years serving in the U.S. Congress with some amusing stories about the characters and charlatans in the world of politics. I've heard it goes well with a good cigar on the beach! So what's on your reading list this summer?

Be well. Stay safe. Do good. God Bless. Enjoy the summer! Go Sox! 

Building & Grounds in the Hot Summer!

  Dear Parishioners:                              

Fr. Mahoney offers his First Priestly Blessing to Bishop Tobin at the Ordination Mass.

I hope you had a joyful celebration on the Fourth of July.  I was able to get up to visit with my sister and her family in Saratoga, NY.  It was the first time in over a year I’ve seen my sister and her family.  It’s hard to believe that so much time passed during the COVID Pandemic   

Fr. Mahoney is settling in very nicely to life as a priest and life at OLM. He is getting very familiar with the schedule and the surroundings.  His new golf clubs arrived this past week, and he’s itching to try them out on the course soon. Many parishioners have welcomed him and received a First Priestly Blessing from him.

There exists a long and venerable tradition of seeking out the first blessing of a newly ordained priest. A special grace ma is gained from receiving a “first blessing” of a newly ordained priest. First blessings are customarily offered when first Masses are celebrated, but they may be given up to a full year after ordination.  So be sure to say “Hello” and “Welcome” to Father Mahoney and ask for his blessing.  

 Just before the Fourth of July, we had a few building emergencies in the Rectory.  A few days before the heatwave, the air condition split units in the kitchen and Fr. Connors’ suite stopped working.  They were the two oldest units in the Rectory and were over twenty years old.  The two new units were installed in just one day by Gem Plumbing.  The new units are much more efficient and also much quieter.  There was some rewiring also done.  The cost of this project was $10,000.   

On the same day, we had the fence on the OLM School Field installed.  A considerable portion of the fence was damaged during the winter by the snowplow.  It took many months to find a fence company that could supply a matching fence and install it.  I am grateful to an OLM Parishioner who got Joe DiBenedetto of First Choice Fence Company to do the job.  They finished the job in a matter of hours, and the cost of this project was $5,000.      

Leaky pipe in OLM Garage

Just when we thought we had finished up these building and grounds projects, a plumbing leak sprung!  The sixty-year-old plumping pipe for the two suites above the garage was leaking in the garage ceiling.  Thankfully Paul Anderson, our hard-working Director of Facilities, was able to find the leak and remove the cracked part of the pipe.  It was an enormous crack that probably has been there for years but just now began to leak.  

In one day, Paul Anderson, with our excellent  OLM maintenance staff, removed the old pipe, installed a new pipe, and sanitized the garage!  We are truly blessed to have such a talented and hard-working maintenance crew.  Now Fr. Connors can rest in the cool of his suite and brush his teeth without worry!!   

Let’s hope that this is the end of emergency maintenance problems for a while.  I am grateful for your generous support of the monthly Building and Grounds Collection.  This collection helps fund these types of projects and the hard work that goes into keeping our Church properties and grounds neat and beautiful.   

We have just begun the bid process for the replacement of the Church doors.  As you know, this parish improvement project is funded by our capital campaign, Grateful for God’s Providence. Our Church doors are old, difficult to open, close, and lock and some are rotting severely.  As we move forward with this critical project, I will keep you apprised of its developments.   

Last week we celebrated a Funeral Mass for one of our oldest OLM Parishioners, Rosalie Ferruccio.  She turned 100 years old on April 24, and many of us, including Bishop Evans, Fr. Connors, and I, were blessed to attend the birthday celebration.   Sadly a few weeks later, Rosalie’s health began to decline, and she entered into eternal life on June 24. A beautiful and solemn Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated for her.  In the sermon, I mentioned how much has changed in the 100 years since her birth.  Yet so much stayed the same with Rosalie, especially her devotion to praying for the souls in Purgatory and having Masses offered for the dead as well as her love of the Mass and Priests.  We would all do well to be as dedicated to our faith as Rosalie.  May She rest in eternal peace and may the perpetual light shine upon her.

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