Confirmation Day! OLM Rings with Joy!

Dear Parishioners:                                

Bishop Matano at Confirmation at OLM in 2017.

On Sunday evening at the 5:00 PM Mass, Bishop Salvatore R. Matano, the Bishop of Rochester, NY, celebrates the Sacrament of Confirmation for 72 young adults from OLM. It is a grand celebration for our parish family as these young people receive the gifts of the Holy Spirit and confirm their Catholic faith.    We thank Bishop Matano for traveling to OLM for our parish's special celebration of faith and joy. He is a native son of Providence and served as a priest and pastor for many years in Rhode Island. I had the great pleasure of living with him at St. Augustine Church in Providence when I was newly ordained, and he was, at the time, the Vicar –General of the Diocese of Providence. In your name, I welcome him and thank him for celebrating Confirmation at OLM.

We also thank the parents of these young men and women who have guided them and taught them the faith. These candidates for Confirmation have also been preparing for this day as part of our Religious Education Program. We are grateful to Mr. Doug Green, who so ably leads our Confirmation Preparation Program, and the many teachers who helped the candidates learn the faith along the way. In addition, we thank their chosen Confirmation sponsors, who provide such a bold witness of the Catholic Faith for these young adults.

We offer our sincere congratulations to the candidates for deciding to be Confirmed. They receive the gifts of the Holy Spirit sacramentally from Bishop Matano on Sunday night. With the grace of the Sacrament, they are ready to face the world, May they remember the wise words of St. Catherine of Siena, "Be who God meant you to be, and you will set the world on fire," May they continue to grow in faith as they are nourished in the Eucharist at Sunday Mass. They are the future of our parish and our Church. St. Ambrose reminds them:

"Remember, then, that you received a spiritual seal, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of knowledge and reverence, the Spirit of holy fear. Keep safe what you receive. God the Father sealed you, Christ the Lord strengthened you and sent the Spirit into your hearts as the pledge of what is to come."

We celebrate this great event in the lives of these young people, their families, and our parish family with tremendous joy. Unfortunately, we couldn't do so with the glorious sound of our church bells ringing to announce our joy. As you may know, the Carillion bell system stopped working several weeks ago. So the bells have been silenced! The good news is that we are replacing the old bell system with a brand new system. The same manufacturer, Verdin, makes a new, improved, and more modern system.

We have ordered the New Supreme Touch Carillon, which includes a 9" touch color screen, nine different bell sounds, nine different size toll bells, seven different swinging bells, and nine different chimes. It also comes with a new 240-watt amplifier and a 61 note touch-sensitive keyboard. It has a catalog of 10,000 hymns and the ability to add more Catholic hymns. We do not have to replace the bell tower speakers as they are fully functional.

The new bell system, including delivery, installation, and training, costs $20,000. Thankfully your generous financial support helps cover the cost of this unforeseen expense. It takes about six weeks to manufacture and deliver the system. Once installed, Verdin provides training to operate it and program it. So we hope to hear the joyful sound of bells soon! As Henry Wadsworth Longfellow said: "For bells are the voice of the church; They have tones that touch and search the hearts of young and old."

We are finishing up the bid process for the new doors to our church plant. This project is funded by the Grateful for God's Providence Capital Campaign. Thanks to your generous support of the campaign and the continued payment of pledges, we raised $1.9 million to fund various parish projects. $535,000 of the proceeds are earmarked for the Diocese of Providence for their share. We hope to have the final plans for the doors soon.

  We offer our promise of prayers and best wishes to the  Confirmation Class! Join us for the Rosary at 7:00 PM on Monday.  Be well. Stay safe. Do good. God Bless. Go Pats! Go Sox!?

Columbus, The Cause of Celebration or Derision?

Dear Parishioners:                

This Monday, we will observe Columbus Day. In 2021, it is the cause of celebration and pride, especially for Italian Americans. However, it is also the cause of upset and protests for others. Some have even changed the name from Columbus Day to “Indigenous People Day.”                                     

In 1492, when Christopher Columbus sailed the ocean blue, and then landed on these shores, he introduced the Catholic Faith and Western Civilization to America. It was the beginning of the creation of the society in which we now live.  

Many view it as one of history’s great triumphs. But “the woke” who have decided to cancel Columbus insist it was a great tragedy. In fact, in the City of Providence, the statue of  Columbus, vandalized last year, now remains in storage.              

Yet, there are still parades, and Masses celebrated to honor Christopher Columbus. These celebrations go on despite the wrath and protest of politically correct censors of the cancel culture. They seem to have little toleration by those who view Columbus with pride and in historical context.        

Robert Royal, the author of Columbus and the Crisis of the West, asks: “If the arrival of our civilization and religion on these shores—whatever later evils ensued—can not be calmly discussed, let alone defended, what are we now as a people?”       Indeed, there are tragic chapters in the history of the European conquest of the New World. There are sad chapters in the history of any nation. Acceptance of slavery and racism mars our American history.       

Therefore, we must acknowledge that European discoverers brutally subjugated native Americans. But it was not their Catholic faith that motivated them to do so. On the contrary, many Catholic leaders strongly protested the mistreatment of native tribes, showing how it violated the principles of Catholic teaching and morality.

Columbus Day became a federal holiday in 1937. However, local celebrations by Italo-Americans began many decades earlier. In the late 19th century, those celebrations provoked a backlash from the anti-immigrant and anti-Catholic Know-Nothing movement.   Once again, that same ideological hostility prompts rioters and protesters to vandalize and pull down statues of Christopher Columbus. It also motivates the desecration of Catholic churches in the United States.                                          

At least 95 incidents of vandalism and desecration of Catholic Churches have occurred across 29 states since May 2020. These incidents of violent destruction and senseless vandalism include arson, statues smashed, beheaded and limbs cut.  Many churches, statues, and gravestones were defaced with anti-Catholic graffiti.                      

Timothy Cardinal Dolan, the Archbishop of New York, annually participates in New York’s Columbus Day Parade and celebrates a special Mass on Columbus Day at St. Patrick’s Cathedral. Commenting on the rise of attacks upon churches, he recently observed:

  “When people attack religion, faith, the churches, mosques, synagogues, or, worse, persons, our entire culture, society, and common good are weakened and threatened.   These disturbed people of hate are shrewd. Nihilists and anarchists know that to wreck civilization, it is effective to target those who nobly advocate for the dignity of the human person and the sacredness of all human life—and that means people of faith and their houses of worship. While we pray for these culprits, we condemn their acts.”

So join us on Monday as we celebrate Columbus Day with Mass at 8:30 am. We pray and remember Columbus, an imperfect man who discovered our land and brought the Catholic Faith to the New World. Also, join us for Marian Devotions on Columbus Day at 7:00 pm as we offer a Rosary for increased respect for all human life and religious liberty in our nation.                                                

Finally, we ask for your prayers this week for our Confirmation Candidates. Next Sunday at 5:00 pm, Bishop Matano of Rochester, NY, celebrates the Confirmation Mass at OLM. Pray for these young men and women about to receive the grace of the Sacrament and the gifts of the Holy Spirit. 

Happy Columbus Day! See you at Devotions on Monday Night.  Be well. Stay safe. Do good. God Bless. Go Pats!         

Respect Life & Take Up the Rosary

Our Lady of Mercy, pray for us!

Dear Parishioners:

What a wonderful OLM Feast Week we had last week. From the Saints and Scholars Open on Monday to the Oktoberfest on Friday night, it was a fantastic week of faith and fun! God is good, and we give Him thanks for all the blessings bestowed upon our parish!                       

On Friday, September 24th, the Feast of Our Lady of Mercy, the weather forecast was gloomy at best. Severe thunderstorms, heavy rain, and possible flooding were all predicted. We weren’t sure if anyone would brave the rain and storms to come out to the Oktoberfest.     

At the Feast Day Mass that morning, we turned to our Parish Patroness, Our Lady of Mercy, and asked her to intercede for us and help with the weather! And lo and behold, on Friday evening at the Oktoberfest, it was sunny and warm! No rain, no thunder, no lightning, and no flooding! The power of prayer!!! Thank you, Blessed Mother!!    

OLM Oktoberfest 2021

The Oktoberfest was a great way to end our OLM Feast Week. There was ample German food, beer, and music, along with lots of fun and fellowship! Over 400 parishioners of every age came together to celebrate Our Lady of Mercy and welcome October, a month dedicated to Our Blessed Mother!   

My thanks to the OLM Staff and the volunteers who helped set up, cook, serve, and clean up for this great event. Without their hard work and dedication, such a fun night for our parish would not have happened. If you couldn’t make it, be sure to put the Oktoberfest on your calendar next year.  

As we welcome in October, we now turn to our Blessed Mother and the Rosary. Every Monday night in October at 7:00 pm, we gather to pray the Rosary before the Eucharistic Lord. As St. Padre Pio reminds us, “the Rosary is the weapon of these times!”  How right Padre Pio is! October is also Pro-Life Month, and so we take up the tremendous spiritual weapon of the Rosary. We pray for increased respect for all human life. Sadly praying for the sanctity of human life is truly needed in these times. 

Last Friday was a very dark day in our nation as the U.S House voted, 218 to 211, to pass the deceptively named Women’s Health Protection Act. This bill would impose abortion on demand nationwide at any stage of pregnancy by federal law. It would eliminate all pro-life laws at every level of government. It compels all Americans to support abortions here and abroad with their tax dollars. It forces health care providers and professionals to perform, assist in, and refer for abortion against their deeply-held beliefs and forces employers and insurers to cover or pay for abortion.     

Congressman Jim Langevin voted in favor of this destructive legislation. Recently, Mr. Langevin announced publicly and proudly that he was abandoning his previously held commitment to protecting the unborn and now fully supports abortion on demand without limits. He also wants taxpayers to pay for it. Pray for him that he might regain the courage of his convictions and renounce his betrayal of the innocent unborn. 

Each year the Church in the United States celebrates October as Respect Life Month, and today we celebrate Respect Life Sunday. We can use this time to deepen our understanding of why we “Respect Life” as Catholics through prayer and study.

We are also celebrating the Year of St. Joseph. So, this year, we look to the witness of St. Joseph as a defender of life. He didn’t hesitate to follow God’s will of faithfully caring for and protecting Jesus and the Blessed Mother. St. Joseph’s example reminds us that we are to care for, protect, and defend the lives of our brothers and sisters, especially the weak. 

 At times, we may feel like we can’t make a difference or are unequipped for what God asks of us. But St. Joseph “teaches us that faith in God includes believing that he can work even through our fears, our frailties, and our weaknesses.” So, when human life is under threat when our brothers and sisters need support welcoming and embracing life, may we lovingly respond with the faithfulness of St. Joseph.

Join us on Mondays at 7:00 pm as we pray a Pro-Life Rosary. Come take up the “weapon” so needed in these times. Be well. Stay safe. Do good. God Bless. St. Joseph, pray for us!

Giving Thanks for Our Lady of Mercy, Faith, Family & Parish

OLM School Parent Adam Coutu takes a shot a hole in one for a new car!

Dear Parishioners:

What a great day at our Saints and Scholars Open Golf Tournament last Monday!   We saw one hundred thirty-two golfers play on a beautiful day at Quidnessett Country Club.  It was a fun day of golf in support of our parish school. We thank all our golfers and all our volunteers who helped to make it a great day. The weather was beautiful, and the golfers were in fine form. There were school parents, parishioners, and many friends of OLM on the course. Unfortunately, however, Father Mahoney's foursome didn't win the day! Better luck next year!     

We are grateful to Mrs. Lee Mita, the driving force behind this great day of golf, and support for our budding saints and scholars.  We also wish to publicly thank our many generous sponsors of the tournament, most especially Washington Trust Bank, the Murphy Family of RI Home Loan Investment Bank, and the Rutherford Family of Ocean State Signal.  We are looking forward to the Saints and Scholars Open next September!   The golf tournament was a great kickoff to our celebration of Our Lady of Mercy Feast Week. 

As I write this column, we anticipate a week of Faith and fun for our parish family. A Holy Hour of Mercy, an Act of Mercy, a Solemn Feast Day Mass, and then our always fun Oktoberfest on Friday night. I am hoping and praying for fine weather!     

Of course, none of these events takes place without the tremendous help of our parish volunteers and parish staff.  We thank the many people behind the scenes who generously give their time and talent in service to our parish.  Also, I am grateful to our dedicated parish staff, who always provide their all in service to the parish.       

There is much to celebrate this Feast Week despite the trials and tribulations of the world.  First and foremost, the great gift of our Catholic Faith we share as a parish community.  Where would we be now if we didn't have our Faith to turn to during this awful pandemic?   It wasn't that long ago we were locked in our homes in isolation and fear. 

Thankfully we were able to live-stream Masses, including Holy Week!  Now we can gather in our parish church and as a family of Faith at Mass and social gatherings. So while we mustn't let our guard down in the face of the COVID-19 Virus, with more and more getting vaccinated, we seem to be returning to "normal.”

 What that "normal" is  I am a little uncertain.  In light of all the trials of the pandemic, including sadly the death of our fellow  parishioners due to COVID, perhaps we shouldn't just return to the so-called "normal." Instead, we might try to be more dedicated to living our faith, reaching out to those in need, and proclaiming the Gospel in word and deed.     How often during the pandemic did we say to ourselves things like: "I'll never take things for granted again!"

Yet has the cross of the pandemic produced any spiritual fruits in our lives? Have we changed for the better?   Or have we returned to our "normal" routine? "Normal" with its indifference and apathy, cynicism, and criticisms. Sin and selfishness.   As we reflect on this long Lent of pandemic and see a world that is more divided and hostile than I can remember in my lifetime, perhaps as Catholic disciples, we might try to renew our Faith and live the joy of the Gospel.      

We must not let the world change us into cynical and angry people. After all, there are more than enough of those today. No, let us change the world with joy, hope, and the love of Jesus Christ!  If we do, then this cross of the pandemic can produce fruit aplenty!     

We give thanks to Almighty God for the many blessings bestowed upon our parish and in our lives.  After all, we are free to worship our loving God at Mass! Our church is open for daily prayer and, our parish is alive and full of vitality! Our parish school is thriving, and our young people receive the teachings of Jesus Christ. For all these blessings and many more, we give thanks to God! May he continue to bestow his abundant blessings upon us!

I offer sincere thanks to the many parishioners who so generously and sacrificially share their blessing supporting our Annual  Collection.  This generous support of this critical collection is deeply appreciated.    Be well. Stay safe. Do good. God Bless. Go Pats and  Go Sox!

A Celebration of Faith & Fun!

Dear Parishioners:

First, let me offer my thanks in the name of Fr. Ruggeri and the families of St. Patrick’s Parish in Providence, as well as the families served by the East Greenwich Housing Authority, for your generous response to the Backpack Drive.  Your tremendous support of this work of charity was truly overwhelming!  Thank you!  

This week is a week of celebration for our parish family.   It is our Feast Week at OLM!   We are so grateful that we can once again gather together at Mass and socially in celebration of our Parish Patroness, Our Lady of Mercy.   The Feast of Our Lady of Mercy is Friday, Sept. 24, but we begin celebrating on Monday.  Over 100 golfers join us for the Saints and Scholars Open at Quidnessett Country Club for our annual golf tournament.  It will be a fun day of golf and fellowship.  Father Mahoney assures me that he has assembled a foursome that is sure to win the day!    

On Wednesday night, we gather for a Holy Hour of Mercy at 7:00 pm.   Join us in praying the Rosary before the Eucharistic Lord as we call upon our patroness to intercede for our parish and our intentions.  Father Eric Silva, the Associate Pastor at St. Luke Church in Barrington, joins us to offer a reflection on Mary, the Mother of Mercy.  

On Thursday at 6:00 pm in OLM School Field, we gather for an Act of Mercy.  We are assembly “Sacks of Mercy” for the homeless.  It is an event for all parish families to join in as we assemble bags with socks, hygiene items, food, and drink for the homeless at Emmanuel House, our Diocesan Homeless Shelter.  Parishioners of all ages are welcome to do this Act of Mercy. Just show up at 6 pm at the OLM School Field.

On Friday, our Parish Feast Day, we begin with a Solemn Mass in honor of Our Lady of Mercy at 9:00 am.  Bishop Evans, our Auxiliary Bishop, is our celebrant, and Dominican Father James Sullivan, OP, Pastor of St. Pius V Church in Providence, our homilist.  You may remember Fr. Sullivan from the excellent Lenten Mission at OLM he led last spring.     

Our school children are joining us at the Feast Mass, and we invite all parishioners to join with us as we celebrate Our Lady of Mercy, our patroness, and protectress.  We call upon her intercession to guide and protect our parish family during these turbulent times for our world, nation, and state.  May, Our Lady of Mercy, lead us to be ever more faithful, hopeful, joyful, merciful, and loving disciples of her Son.  

On Friday night, we are celebrating the OLM Oktoberfest from 5:00 pm until 8:00 pm.  Oktoberfest is the annual  two week festival in Munich, Germany, ending on the first Sunday in October. It began as a wedding celebration more than 200 years ago when Bavaria’s Crown Prince Ludwig married Princess Therese of Saxony in 1810. The wedding party lasted for days and then became an annual celebration. We gather to celebrate with German music and food, and beer in the Beer Tent.   It is a fantastic and fun way to celebrate our feast!  So put on your lederhosen and grab a beer stein, and join with fellow parishioners, neighbors, and friends as we celebrate being Our Lady of Mercy Parish!!  

We celebrate Our Lady of Mercy on the last Friday of September with gatherings of faith and fun.  It won’t last for two weeks, but it will be a fun evening to gather together as a parish family. Join us to see old friends and meet new ones.   It is a fitting way to end our Parish Feast and welcome the month of October, a month dedicated to Our Lady!    We have much to celebrate and give thanks for as a parish.  We are grateful for our Catholic faith, our parish family, and the gentle guidance of Our Lady!  So let’s make the most of this week of faith, mercy, and fun too! Plan to join us in prayer and worship,  acting with mercy, and for a fun-filled evening at Oktoberfest in honor of Our Lady!  

I am grateful for your generous support of the Priest’s Retirement Fun Collection this weekend. With your support and prayers, I look forward to collecting a simple pension in twenty years and Fr. Mahoney looks forward to his in forty years!!  So thank you for helping us in the future, we are very grateful!   Be well. Stay safe. Do good. God Bless. Go Pats and  Go Sox! Come celebrate Mercy this Feast Week!!!

Never Forget September 11th

Dear Parishioners:                                 

President George W. Bush consoles a New York City Firefighter in the aftermath of the September 11th Attack.

This weekend we mark the 20th Anniversary of the September 11th attack upon our nation. We remember the tremendous evil that befell our country and profoundly affected so many people. As we remember the dead, let us also pray for those who continue to experience their loss and who yearn for the peace of Jesus Christ.

When we look back to September 11th, 2001, and bring back the overwhelming feelings of abandonment that day and the days soon after, we may very well wonder: "Where was God?" God is not arbitrary. God is not a puppeteer pulling on the strings of life and arbitrarily altering the fates of our loved ones. No, God is love, and we live in a world at times estranged from God through the power of evil and the possibility of sin.

Where was God on September 11th, 2001? He was weeping with us. Just as Jesus suffered the anguish of Calvary and death on the Cross, Jesus was in suffering and pain on September 11th. He was not outside this world managing events and deciding people's fates. Quite simply, on September 11th, Jesus was with us, and He continues to be with us today.

A New York City Firefighter following rescue attempt.

We recall the heroism and honor of firefighters, police officers, and rescue workers. When people ran out of harm's way, they ran towards the crisis, risking their own lives to help others. Their unyielding hope in looking for survivors amid tons of dusty rubble and steel showed their true character. The generous outpouring of their service is a sign of light in the darkness. People came together on that day. In fact, we remember where we were on  September 11, 2001, because we were all together.

It is often said that there are no atheists in foxholes. In the days following the attacks of twenty years ago, people went to churches to pray. I remember well that on the Sunday after the attacks, Masses overflowed with people. They were yearning for hope and meaning, peace and consolation. They were looking for a sense of comfort and a word of hope as they prayed for the fallen and the grieving.  

In the Gospel of John, Jesus raises His friend, Lazarus, from the dead. When Jesus arrives in Bethany and finds His friend dead, the Gospel tells us: "And Jesus wept." These three words are a profound sermon on the 20th Anniversary of the September 11th attack, for Jesus wept too on that day. 

  Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI wrote this prayer for his visit to the September 11th Memorial in New York:

"O God of love, compassion, and healing, look on us, people of many different faiths and traditions, who gather today at this site, the scene of incredible violence and pain. We ask you in your goodness to give eternal light and peace to all who died here— the heroic first-responders:  our fire fighters, police officers, and emergency workers, along with all the innocent men and women who were victims of this tragedy simply because their work or service brought them here on September 11th, 2001.   We ask you, in your compassion to bring healing to those who, because of their presence here that day,  suffer from injuries and illness.  Heal, too, the pain of still-grieving families and all who lost loved ones in this tragedy.  Give them strength to continue their lives with courage and hope.

The September 11th Memorial, New York

  We are mindful as well of those who suffered death, injury, and loss on the same day at the Pentagon and in Shanksville, Our hearts are one with theirs as our prayer embraces their pain and suffering. God of peace, bring your peace to our violent world: peace in the hearts of all men and women and peace among the nations of the earth. Turn to your way of love those whose hearts and minds are consumed with hatred. God of understanding, overwhelmed by the magnitude of this tragedy, we seek your light and guidance as we confront such terrible events.

Grant that those whose lives were spared may live so that the lives lost here may not have been lost in vain. Comfort and console us,  strengthen us in hope,  and give us the wisdom and courage to work tirelessly for a world where true peace and love reign among nations and in the hearts of all. Amen"

Let us remember this solemn and somber anniversary of September 11th. Let us pray for the fallen, the grieving, and for peace. Be well. Stay safe. Do good. God Bless. God Bless and Protect America!