The Church: Triumphant, Suffering & Militant

Dear Parishioners:                                 

We had a festive celebration of All Saints Day on Monday. Our school students and families gathered for Mass as we celebrated the saints. Following the Mass, Bishop Evans blessed the new statue of St. Joseph with the Christ Child.  This beautiful new statue was a gift from the OLM School Class of 2021. We thank them for such a fitting gift for our school and parish, especially as we continue to celebrate the Year of St. Joseph. We are also grateful to Paul Anderson, who ensured the statue was erected quickly and had lights!

Finally, with the Apostolic Letter "Patris corde" ("With a Father's Heart"), Pope Francis recalls the 150th anniversary of the declaration of Saint Joseph as Patron of the Universal Church. The Holy Father has proclaimed a "Year of Saint Joseph" to mark the occasion, which concludes on December 8, 2021. At the conclusion of his Letter, he invokes a prayer to St Joseph:

 "Hail, Guardian of the Redeemer, Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary. To you God entrusted his only Son; in you Mary placed her trust; with you Christ became man. Blessed Joseph, to us too, show yourself a father and guide us in the path of life. Obtain for us grace, mercy, and courage, and defend us from every evil. Amen."

  Perhaps we might all offer this prayer as we gaze upon the beautiful statue of St. Joseph night and day. May he guide and protect our parish and school community. St. Joseph, pray for us!

On All Saints Day, we celebrate the Church Triumphant, which is the Church in Heaven. In the kingdom of God we find the Holy Trinity, the angels and saints, and all those who have reached the fullness of salvation in Christ.  

  The term "Church Triumphant" underlines the truth that in the glory of Heaven, all human sin will have been transformed, death and suffering will be no more, and the glory of God will have triumphed over all the imperfections of human history.

  When the Church canonizes a saint, She confirms they are in Heaven. The Pope does this based on the supplied evidence of a holy Catholic life and the evidence of miracles credibly attributed to the prayers of the saint. Canonization says they are in Heaven now and that any purification they might have needed is complete. The Church is not thereby indicating that the saint required no time in Purgatory, only that their purgation is now complete and they are in Heaven, as seen by the evidence of the miracles wrought by God through their prayers.

Though we cannot know if or for how long a canonized saint might have needed purification in Purgatory, it seems likely that even most canonized saints would need some purgation after death. Even very holy people probably need some final cleansing for the Lord to finish and perfect this awesome promise in us. 

  The Church Suffering refers to the Church in Purgatory. Purgatory is not a kind of temporary Hell but rather the threshold, the antechamber of Heaven. In Purgatory, all those, whether Christian or not who have entered the gates of death without reaching the full perfection of life. This perfection is represented in Christ, and so they are cleansed in a kind of ongoing baptism and purified by the Holy Spirit's enlightening fire. The suffering of Purgatory is not one of destruction but the suffering that comes from leaving the old self behind and taking on the new. In November, we pray especially for the Poor or Suffering  Souls in Purgatory.

The Church Militant refers to the Church on earth. The term "militant" can suggest an antagonistic relationship between the Church and the world. However, it refers to an authentic reality: that the Church on earth works to overcome the imperfect and sinful dimensions of human existence. The Church's mission is not to oppose the world and society. Rather it is to work for the transformation of the world by the effective preaching of the Gospel, by the instructive power of good works, and the bold witness of the baptized into Christ.  Thus, in faith, we ask the Church Triumphant to intercede for us, in hope we pray for the Church Suffering, and in charity, we are the Church Militant!    

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

Praying for All Saints, All Souls

Dear Parishioners:

The month of November begins Monday, and our thoughts turn toward Purgatory and the holy souls who dwell there for a time, expiating their faults. As is our custom, we keep by our Altar of Sacrifice in Church the names of deceased family members and other loved ones inscribed on All Souls Day envelopes. These souls are faithfully remembered at each Mass offered during the month of November. Therefore, we invite you to return, before November 1, your All Souls envelopes with the names of your loved ones who are deceased. We happily include these souls in this great benefit of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass for their speedy release and eternal peace.

Our Catholic faith teaches us that death is not the end of our story. From the moment that He created humanity, God desired that we should be with Him for eternity. Even after Adam and Eve turned away from God in the garden, thus introducing death into the world, the Lord did not abandon that desire.     To make this eternal union with Him possible once again, He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, into the world to restore that link that had been lost.   Through His death and resurrection, He has reconciled us to Him and has allowed us to share that destiny of eternal glory that He intended from the beginning.

If our relationship with Jesus is meant to continue after earthly death, the same is true of our relationship with all other members of the Body of Christ. As Catholics, our relationship with Jesus is not purely individual. It is corporate.  We encounter Him in our membership in the Church, united with one another in the bond of our common faith. The bond that unites us is more powerful than death, and it continues after we die, which requires that we have faith to see beyond what seems to be the end. Our praying for the dead expresses our belief in the power of that bond and unites us with the faithful, both living and dead.  

All Saints Day, Monday, November 1, is a day on which we call to mind those souls who, after dying, have received their reward in Heaven. They remain united to us by interceding for us before the throne of God as we make our way through this life.

On All Souls Day, Tuesday, November 2, we remember all the faithful departed especially those in Purgatory. They spend eternity with Christ and are united in a bond of love with  Him at the time of their death. However, they still bear some of the remnants of their previous sins. In His rich mercy and  great desire to extend His victory to those who die in this way, God has made possible a state whereby one is purified of these traces of sin. Thus they may be worthy of joining the company of saints cleansed of any residue that may have been clinging to them from their journey of life.

In this state of Purgatory, the faithful departed depend on our prayers, Masses and sacrifices to aid them in this process. So we gladly offer our prayers for them in various ways, individually and collectively. But, unfortunately, many people in our culture today dismiss this important practice of our faith. Many would like to assume that their loved ones have gone to Heaven and therefore see no need to pray for the repose of their souls.  Yet to offer prayers for the dead is in no way a lack of hope on our part, but rather an expression of true love for them and a firm trust in God's infinite mercy.

 November is dedicated to the Poor Souls in Purgatory, let us offer many prayers, Rosaries, Masses and sacrifices for those who await their entrance into Heaven. May we be especially mindful of the profound assistance provided to those souls each time we come to Mass.    

All Saints Day is not a holy day of obligation this year as it falls on a Monday. However, there are two Masses, 7:30 am, and a 9:00 am School Mass. Following the school Mass, we will bless the new statue of St. Joseph on the school's front lawn. 

On All Souls Day, we have three Masses scheduled: 7:30 am, 9:00 am, and Noon.  The OLM Middle School students will process to St. Patrick's Cemetery after the 9:00am Mass on All Souls Day as we pray for, and remember, our beloved dead who rest in that sacred ground.  

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

Gratitude & Joy, Faith & Prayer

Dear Parishioners:                                 

It was indeed a tremendous celebration of Confirmation last Sunday. We thank Almighty God for such a grand day for this important event in the life of our parish family. We are grateful to Bishop Matano, the Bishop of Rochester, NY, for traveling to OLM to Confirm our 72 young adults. His sermon was profound and inspiring. We are deeply grateful for his presence at OLM.

We also thank the many people who made our celebration so solemn and joyful. In particular, we thank Doug Green and Mickey St. Jean, our Religious Education Program coordinators, who prepared the candidates for Confirmation. Their hard work and dedication to the youth of our parish are genuinely appreciated.

We thank Henri St. Louis, our talented and dedicated Music Director, the OLM Choir, and our guest musicians. The music was truly magnificent and uplifting and added much joy to our celebration. The Choir sang beautifully, and the brass quartet and timpani made the music even more festive! We thank them all for sharing the gift of sacred music that lifts our worship to God!

We also thank Cecilia Franzone and the OLM Decorating Committee for their dedication and hard work in ensuring our Church is truly beautiful for Confirmation. The flowers and altar linens were beautiful. We must also thank Sister Lourdes and those who work so hard in the Sacristy to ensure the vestments, sacred vessels, and the many details for the Confirmation Mass.

We are always grateful to the OLM Altar Servers, the many siblings of the newly Confirmed, who so dutifully served the Confirmation Mass with tremendous reverence. And we also thank our OLM Ushers, who welcomed the many guests and provided a warm welcome and hospitality for the Confirmation Mass.

And we especially thank the parents of the newly Confirmed. Their sons and daughters have reached this important milestone in their faith lives by fulfilling the promises their parents made for them at baptism. We thank the chosen sponsors of the newly Confirmed. They have borne witness to the Catholic Faith and inspired the Confirmed. We pray they continue to inspire and bear witness as they offer a good example of faith, hope, and charity to the newly Confirmed.

And finally, we thank the 72 young adults who are now Confirmed. Ultimately, they decided to receive this wondrous Sacrament and confirm their Catholic Faith before God and His Church. Now filled with the gifts of the Holy Spirit, we hope and pray they continue to choose Christ and serve His Church.

Next Sunday, at the 10:30 am Mass, we celebrate another important and solemn event at OLM. The Mass is offered for the over fifty fellow parishioners who have died over the last year. Their families join us at the Mass as we pray for their consolation and the gentle repose of the soul of their loved ones.

The Church has always taught that it is a Spiritual Work of Mercy to pray for the faithful departed souls. She traditionally sets aside November to remember all the dead in faith, hope, and prayer for this Work of Mercy. St. Augustine said that monuments are built for the living. Prayer, he suggests, is the best way to assist the dead.

So please join the Our Lady of Mercy Parish Family as together we offer the Mass, the highest form of prayer we know, for the beloved dead of our parish family.  As we pledge our prayers for the dead, we remember the words of St. John Chrysostom: "Let us not hesitate to help those who have died and to offer our prayers for them." May all our beloved dead rest in eternal peace, and may perpetual light shine upon them.

   On Monday two Dominican Friars are hearing confessions beginning at 6:00 pm. This is an excellent opportunity to receive God's mercy in the Sacrament of Confession. Dominican Fr. Michael Weibley, OP, is also joining us for Devotions at 7:00 pm to offer a spiritual reflection entitled "The Providence of Life." So please join us for our final October Devotions on Monday night as we pray the Rosary and reflect on God’s Providence.

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

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!