Almsgiving! Living Mercy, Justice and Charity!!

Dear Parishioners:                       

I thank Monsignor Kieran Harrington for leading last week's Lenten Mission. His peaching provided much food for thought as we take up the cross of Lent. We are grateful for his time at our parish and promise our prayers for his important ministry on behalf of the Pontifical Mission Societies.      

Lent is a time of prayer and sacrifice. We strive to unite ourselves with the suffering of Jesus, walking with him in the desert, agonizing with him in the garden, dying with him on the cross. We do so with more prayer, greater fasting, and sacrificial almsgiving.  

As one of the three pillars of Lent, almsgiving is as the Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches: "a witness to fraternal charity" and "a work of justice pleasing to God." The foundational call of Christians to charity is a frequent theme of the Gospels. During Lent, we are asked to focus more intently on almsgiving by donating to the poor and performing acts of charity.     

To live out almsgiving in the spirit of Lenten sacrifice and following the clear teaching of Jesus, we do not give simply from our surplus or just what we can spare. Rather, we should give sacrificially. Giving alms to those in need is not just a good idea or a pious practice. It is truly a moral obligation.

Almsgiving also has spiritual benefits as it strengthens our love for others, increases our detachment from material things, and contributes to greater social justice. In the purest sense of charity, almsgiving does not expect repayment but is an act of mercy and justice.       

St. John Chrysostom wrote, "Not to share our riches with the poor is a robbery of the poor, and a depriving them of their livelihood. It is for this that God has permitted you to possess much that you should distribute it to the needy."

This weekend we have a great opportunity to assist the poor and needy in Rhode Island through the Catholic Charity Appeal. Our support of this Appeal funds the numerous ministries and programs of the Diocese of Providence. Your generous donations enable the Church to provide social, educational, and spiritual support to thousands of Rhode Islanders.

The good works supported by the Catholic Charity Appeal include direct assistance to the poor, the hungry, and the homeless. Also, it funds places like the Emmanuel House Homeless Shelter, the St. Martin Porres Center, which serves the elderly and poor, St. Clare and St. Antoine Nursing Homes for the aged and infirm, Catholic School scholarships for economically poor students, and refugee and migrant services.   

Our Church does all of these good works and many more daily. The Catholic Church is the second largest provider of social services for the poor and needy after the government. Thousands of people are assisted by our Church because you support the Catholic Charity Appeal.

Our Catholic Charity Appeal Parish Goal this year is $190,000. OLM has not reached its goal since 2019 due to the pandemic. With the pandemic subsiding, now is the time for every parishioner to support the Appeal.   

I thank our CCA Chairs, Ron and Kate Jelinek, for leading the Appeal at OLM. This weekend is our in-pew pledge solicitation for the Appeal. Historically OLM has always exceeded our parish goal and led the Diocese in supporting the charitable works of the Church.  

So if you've never pledged before, please do so today. If you've donated in the past, please do so again and consider increasing your pledge. We ask every parish family to prayerfully consider a pledge of $300 payable over 10 months. That's just $30 a month to help thousands of our poor and needy brothers and sisters in RI!    

We celebrate St. Patrick's Day and St. Joseph's Day this week. So please join us this Thursday as we welcome Bishop Tobin to OLM for St. Patrick's Day. Bishop Tobin is celebrating our 12:05 pm Mass which includes readings and music in Irish. A reception with Irish Soda Bread and coffee follows the Mass! And then, on Saturday, we welcome Monsignor Raymond Bastia, who is celebrating our St. Joseph's Day Mass in Italian at Noon. A reception of Italian zeppoles and coffee follows the Mass! Let's celebrate our faith with St. Patrick and St. Joseph!

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

Living Lent in Time of War, Make the Parish Mission and Pray for Peace!

Dear Parishioners:                  

We’ve all been watching with horror the violent invasion of Ukraine. World leaders have condemned the war waged by Russia on the sovereign nation of Ukraine. The suffering and killing of innocent men, women, and children we’ve witnessed is pure evil.                                                        

The Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church Major Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk said that priests “will descend to the bomb shelters” of Kyiv to celebrate Masses. The residents of Ukraine’s capital cannot attend Church due to a government-mandated curfew. The Archbishop has called for prayers for Peace, stating: “The Church is with its people! The Church of Christ brings the Eucharistic Savior to those who are experiencing critical moments in their lives, who need the strength and hope of the resurrection.”    

We must continue to pray and fast for Peace, especially in Ukraine. As Pope Francis said: “We should respond to the diabolic senselessness of violence with the weapons of God, prayer and fasting.”      

Let us pray:

“God of infinite mercy and goodness, with grateful hearts we pray to you today for Peace. You offer us your Peace continually and constantly remind us that peacemakers are blessed. We pray for the people of Ukraine who are experiencing violent conflict and death. Bless all leaders with wisdom, vision, and perseverance needed to build together a world of justice and solidarity, and to break down walls of hostility and division. We pray our brothers and sisters may never yield to discouragement and despair, but become heralds of new hope to one another in this challenging time.

  May you continue to inspire us to unity, to work generously for the common good, to respect the dignity of every person and the fundamental rights which have their origin in the image and likeness of God impressed upon every human being.

  Grant eternal rest to the dead and quick recovery to the wounded, we pray through Christ our Lord, Amen.”  

Lent began on Ash Wednesday as we took up the call to pray, fast, and give alms. St. Francis De Sales reminds us that “Lent is the autumn of the spiritual life during which we gather fruit to keep us going for the rest of the year.”

We can gather the spiritual fruits needed for our lives as disciples in various ways. Certainly, attending Mass faithfully on Sundays and even daily, as well as frequent Confession, is the best way. In addition, we take up extra prayer practices like spiritual reading, spending more time praying in Church, and attending Stations of the Cross.   

We must also fast from those pleasures and comforts we like and desire more than we should. Fasting makes room for our love of Christ to grow. St. Alphonsus Ligouri suggests: “Fasting is wonderful because it tramples our sins like a dirty weed, while it cultivates and raises truth like a flower.”

Our almsgiving, the practice of giving to the poor, is also a fundamental part of Lent. So please consider sacrificing for the poor and give to Operation Rice Bowl, OLM Outreach, and the Catholic Charity Appeal. We can also assist those suffering deprivation from war and disaster, including the 1.000,000 refugees from Ukraine. Caritas Internationalis, a Catholic group of 160 aid organizations and Catholic Relief Services, provides direct aid in Ukraine.

And finally, one of the best ways to have a fruitful Lent is to make the Parish Mission this week. I welcome our Mission Preacher, Monsignor Kieran Harrington, to OLM in your name. He is a native of Brooklyn, NY, where he served as a pastor and held many other important roles for the Diocese. Monsignor and I first met many years ago on the way to a Catholic School Conference at Notre Dame. We were seated next to one another on the plane. He is a good friend, a talented preacher, and a fine priest.

The Mission is a great way to enter more deeply into the Season of Lent. Join us on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday at 7:00 pm for the Mission Talks. Confessions with four priests begin at 6:00 pm before the Mission. Make the Lenten Mission and gather the spiritual fruits needed “to keep us going for the rest of the year.”

Be well. Stay safe. Do good. God Bless! Pray, fast, and give alms! See you at the Mission!   

Lent is Coming! Get Ready to Pray, Fast & Give Alms!

Dear Parishioners:

In Her wisdom Holy Mother the Church each year gives us the Holy Season of Lent. On Ash Wednesday this week we “begin with holy fasting this campaign of Christian service, so that, as we take up battle against spiritual evils, we may be armed with weapons of self-restraint.”                          

Over the last two years, Lent has been observed during the pandemic. During this time of the pandemic, we were vigilant in fighting the virus with social distancing, mask-wearing, hand washing, and other health and safety precautions. This year we begin a Lent with the virus subsided and masks mandates ended. And so we begin the return to a “normal” way of life.

Lent calls us to be vigilant against “spiritual evils” especially those that have spread during the pandemic. Namely, sin and selfishness, spiritual apathy and indifference, sloth, and laziness especially in our faith lives and religious obligations!  Now is the time to be ever more vigilant in faithfully attending Holy Mass on Sundays as God has commanded us. Now is the time to be more vigilant in more frequently seeking out God’s mercy and forgiveness in the Sacrament of Confession. Now is the time to be more vigilant in making sacrifices, being more charitable to the poor, and practicing self-denial as we take up the cross and follow Christ. 

The campaign of Lent begins this Wednesday with ashes on our foreheads. We take up the clarion call of Lent: “Repent and believe in the Gospel.”     It is a time for more prayer and reflection in our daily lives. We are distributing a small book of Lenten Gospel Reflections by Bishop Robert Barron, one of the leading evangelists of our day. It is a great source of prayer and reflection. Additionally, there are many other books available on the book rack in the Church vestibule. Consider taking a break from the busy daily routine to add some time for spiritual reading, prayer, and reflection.  

Join us daily for one of our Lenten Masses at 7:30 am and 12:05 pm. Also, make this year’s  Parish Lenten Mission with Monsignor Kieran E. Harrington. He is preaching to us on a timely topic, “The Corona19 Virus Pandemic: Curse or Moment of Grace?”  Monsignor is a very talented priest and dynamic preacher. He begins our Annual Lenten Mission next weekend at all Masses. I hope you take the time to make the Mission. A full Mission schedule is in the bulletin this week. 

The Fridays of Lent are a day of penance and prayer as we loyally keep the sacrificial fast and abstain from meat in honor of our Lord’s sacrifice on the cross. Our Lenten fast from food and certain drinks and other comforts and pleasures helps us to conform to God’s will. We take up fasting by giving up some pleasure or comfort in our lives for forty days. In giving up such things as chocolate and sweets, beer or Bourbon, technology like cell phones, internet, Netflix or  even cigars, helps us answer the call to fast, self-denial and sacrifice, as did our Savior in the desert.

On the Fridays of Lent  we pray the Stations of the Cross at 7:00pm.  This venerable devotion draws us closer to the Crucified Christ as we prayerfully follow his footsteps to Cavalry.     Confession is offered daily Monday through Friday at 11:45 am just before the Lenten 12:05 Mass. Each Monday night at 6:00pm during Lent, an extra guest Confessor joins us. All Day Confessions take place on Saturday, March 26th! Also, four priests are hearing Confessions each night before the Mission Talks at 6:00 pm!

We give more alms in Lent through Operation Rice Bowl, so please take a rice bowl home.  The monies collected buy food for the hungry of the world.  We are also asked   to support OLM Outreach and the Catholic Charity Appeal during this sacrificial season.

  Pope Francis’ Message for Lent reminds us: “The call to experience Lent as a journey of conversion, prayer, and sharing of our goods helps us – as communities and as individuals – to revive the faith that comes from the living Christ, the hope inspired by the breath of the Holy Spirit and the love flowing from the merciful heart of the Father.”

  May the self-restraint and spiritual combat  of Lent  be a time of conversion to Christ. Be well. Stay safe. Do good. God Bless! Lent is coming. Get ready! Pray, fast and give alms!

At the Corner of Church & State

Dear Parishioners:                                 
That sound of silence you hear is the Annual February Winter Break! Students and teachers are off this week for a well-deserved winter vacation. We wish them well and pray for their safe travels and return to OLM School. I hope it will be a relaxing time of renewal for them. 

Monday, we celebrate President's Day. It is a federal holiday celebrated on the third Monday in February. It was originally established in 1885 to recognize President George Washington's birthday on February 22. In 1968 the birth of U.S. President Abraham Lincoln on February 12 was added as part of the holiday. The holiday became popularly known as Presidents' Day in 1971 to create more three-day weekends for the nation's workers. Presidents' Day is now popularly viewed as a day to celebrate all U.S. presidents, past and present. 

In an age when statues of past Presidents of our nation are removed and their character questioned by contemporary standards and virtue signaling, it is important to stop and acknowledge all of our Presidents and their service to the nation. We remember and honor them with prayer, gratitude, and thanksgiving.

President George Washington, the Father of the Nation, said: "It is impossible to govern the world without God and the Bible. Of all the dispositions and habits that lead to political prosperity, our religion and morality are the indispensable supporters. Let us with caution indulge the supposition that morality can be maintained without religion. Reason and experience both forbid us to expect that our national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle." 

Sadly, many of our government officials and elected politicians do not accept his words. They wish to remove morality and religion from the debate in public policy. Religion is a quaint social custom, and morality is all relative. Their understanding of political prosperity is far from President Washington's.

Hence, today we live in a nation with abortion on demand up until birth, assisted suicide and euthanasia for the terminally ill and suffering, neglect of the poor and homeless, the false notion of gender, and the continued undermining of family and marriage. Washington was right to be cautious to "indulge the supposition that morality can be maintained without religion." 

Our Catholic faith and our Church's vast social teaching should inform our understanding of public policy issues. Without the truth of Christ and His teaching, we will be doomed to believe anything popular, convenient, and trendy as true. Without the truth of Christ and His Church, children are but a choice to exterminate and not the children of God to be welcomed and cherished. The sick and the suffering are nothing more than an emotional and financial burden to be lifted through assisted suicide or euthanasia. The poor and needy are nothing more than freeloaders who drain the public expenditures rather than brothers and sisters deserving dignity, support, and assistance.    

Catholic social teaching is a central and essential element of our faith. Its roots are in the prophets who announced God's special love for the poor and called God's people to a covenant of love and justice. It is a teaching founded on the life and words of Jesus Christ, who came "to bring glad tidings to the poor, liberty to captives, recovery of sight to the blind." Christ identified himself with "the least of these," the hungry and the stranger. Our social teaching is built on a commitment to the poor, the oppressed, the suffering, and the marginalized.    

Catholic social teaching is inseparable from our understanding of human life and human dignity. Every human being is created in the image of God and redeemed by Jesus Christ and therefore is invaluable and worthy of respect as a member of the human family. From the moment of conception to natural death, every person has inherent dignity and a right to life consistent with that dignity. Human dignity comes from God, not from any human quality or merely human institution. Pray for our President and elected officials. May they, as Washington did, embrace those indispensable supports of religion and morality. Be well. Stay safe. Do good. God Bless! God Bless America!   

Praying & Anointing the Sick, A Work of Mercy

Dear Parishioners:

Last Friday was World Day of the Sick which always falls on the Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes. Pope Francis writes: “The supreme witness of the Father’s merciful love for the sick is his only-begotten Son. How often do the Gospels relate Jesus’ encounters with people suffering from various diseases! We do well to ask ourselves why Jesus showed such great concern for the sick, so much so that he made it paramount in the mission of the apostles, who were sent by the Master to proclaim the Gospel and to heal the sick.”    

This is a good opportunity to pray for the sick and those who care for them. Also, to understand more about the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick. Suffering and illness affect us in body and spirit. If one member suffers in the Body of Christ, the Church, all the members suffer with that member. In times of frailty, sickness, medical treatment, or surgeries, the parish family assures the infirmed of our care and support through our prayer, personal visits, and the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick. 

The Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick is for all who face a serious illness or surgery or are impaired by infirmity. This Sacrament confers a special grace that unites the sick person more intimately to the Passion of Christ. This is for their good and for the good of all the Church. It gives comfort, peace, courage, strength, and even the forgiveness of sins if the sick person cannot make a confession. Sometimes, if it is the will of God, this sacrament even brings about the restoration of physical health. In any case, this Anointing prepares the sick person for the journey to the Father’s House. 

Yet all too often, families and loved ones wait until someone is near death and unconscious to call the priest. They should call while the person is alive and conscious although suffering in sickness. It is a healing Sacrament that brings the power of Christ to the sick. It is distinct from what many call “Last Rites,” or Viaticum. When the Church offers Holy Communion as food for the journey to eternal life. Suppose you know you will be hospitalized for a planned surgery. In that case, you should contact the parish before you enter the hospital to arrange a time to celebrate the Sacrament. Often the Sacrament of Anointing can be celebrated after Mass. Call the Parish Office to make an arrangement for the Sacrament.

  If someone is in the hospital, simply notify the Catholic Chaplain. They will make arrangements for the Sacrament of the Sick to be offered. If someone is in the hospital, please realize the parish priests are no longer notified by the hospital staff as it is against privacy laws. So if you or a loved one is in the hospital, please let the parish know.    

Bishop Evans, Fr. Mahoney, and I and all the area parish priests serve Kent Hospital once or twice a month for a twenty-four-hour period. We continue our regular parish duties, but we make ourselves available for emergencies and for those nearing death who need the sacraments.    

We also continue to offer Mass at the local nursing home facilities monthly. In addition, every Sunday at the 9:00 am Mass, our OLM Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion to the Sick bring Communion to the nursing homes and to all those shut-in at home due to illness or infirmity. Fr. Mahoney and I are available to visit the sick, administer the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick, Confession, or arrange for regular reception of Holy Communion for those shut-in. If you, a member of your family, or a parishioner you know require visits or the Sacraments, please let us know.

We are often the last to find out someone was in the hospital or sick for a while. Sometimes it’s a matter of privacy, but sometimes it’s because a family member neglects to tell us. Some parishioners move away to nursing facilities far from the parish, and we are not informed. Sadly we don’t find out until they’ve died and a funeral has to be arranged.      

The Sacrament of the Sick is for both the living and the dying. Please do not hesitate to call for the Catholic Hospital Chaplain, a local priest, or your own parish priest when you or your loved ones need the Sacraments. Pray for the sick and caregivers.

Be well. Stay safe. Do good. God Bless 

Snowstorms and Sunday Masses!

Dear Parishioners:
Kenan, the Blizzard of 2022, has come and gone! What a snowstorm! Last Saturday, it shut down the state with its high winds, never-ending snow, and cold temperatures! In light of the severe winter weather, Bishop Tobin granted a dispensation from the obligation to attend Sunday Mass for the Diocese.

However, Mass at OLM went on as scheduled! After all, Fr. Mahoney and I only have to walk down the hall to get to Mass!! In fact, besides Father Mahony, myself, and our good Franciscan Sisters, three brave souls trudged through the wicked weather to be at the 4:00 pm Mass on Saturday. It was certainly nice to have a Lector, an Altar Server, and one lone parishioner in the pews at Mass! Kudos to them for braving the Blizzard to worship God and attend Mass!

Sunday Masses saw few parishioners in attendance as many were snowed in from the storm. Sunday evening, the 5:00 pm Mass attendance was also very light. Either people were snowed in or perhaps at home watching NFL Football in the warmth of their homes!  

In any case, please know that Masses at OLM are never canceled, and we offer Masses during blizzards, hurricanes, and beautiful weather! In addition, our Sunday Masses are typically intentioned for deceased loved ones of parishioners, so we ensure that those souls are prayed for during Holy Mass. After all, as Padre Pio said: "It would be easier for the world to survive without the sun than to do without Holy Mass!"  

I want to commend our excellent OLM Maintenance Staff for the great work during the Blizzard of '22! They plowed, shoveled, and sanded for almost thirty hours! They worked all night and day with occasional breaks for naps and nourishment. The storm was never-ending as the wind caused snowdrifts. They kept covering over what had been already shoveled and plowed. So if you see them around OLM, please be sure to say thank you.   

The walkways and parking lots were clear for Sunday Masses, and the School was ready for Monday classes! But, of course, the maintenance problems only seem to increase with such a large amount of snow and frigid temperatures. The School had some leaks due to snow build-up, and the flat roof above the Church Boiler Room had to be shoveled too!    

Maintenance is a daily endeavor at OLM, whether it's shoveling snow, fixing leaks, or keeping the buildings and property neat and clean. We are lucky to have such a talented and hard-working staff who take great pride in their work.    

Of course, such maintenance is also a costly endeavor, and we are grateful for your generous support of the Monthly Building and Grounds Collection that helps defray maintenance costs. This vital second collection is taken up on the first weekend of every month, and I thank you for your support. 

We postponed our Catholic Schools Week Open House at OLM School last week with the bad weather. It takes place this Sunday from 10:00 am until Noon. I encourage you to stop by for a visit and meet our budding saints and scholars.

Have you read the new monthly bulletin column by Fr.  Mahoney? Each month, he profiles a Saint and offers a recipe to celebrate the Saint's feast day. As you may know, Fr. Mahoney was a Professional Chef for several years before entering the seminary to pursue his priestly vocation.     

It is a very new experience in the OLM Rectory to have an Associate  Pastor who can cook! While Fr. Connors and Fr. Barrow have many talents, cooking is certainly not one of them. And I confess I can barely boil an egg!

So during the Blizzard, it was especially nice to have Fr. Mahoney here! On the cold and snowy Saturday, he made a delicious pot of Chili complete with homemade cornbread. It was a great source of comfort during the cold and snowy weather! So be sure to read his column and follow his recipes. He knows what he's doing!   

On Friday, the Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes, the Church marks World Day of the Sick. In a special way, we pray for all the sick especially the ill and infirm of our parish.  We also pray for all healthcare workers and caretakers. We turn to Our Lady of Lourdes and Our Lady of Mercy, to intercede for them. May they experience the Lord’s healing, consolation, and compassion.

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