Enter into the Mysteries of Holy Week

Dear Parishioners:                                  

On Palm Sunday, Christians commence Holy Week, to culminate on Good Friday and Easter Sunday. This year the war in Ukraine overshadows this holiest of weeks as we pray ever more intensely for peace in our world.       

The late Cardinal Augustin Mayer, O.S.B., once wrote that "Nothing great is ever achieved without suffering." How appropriate his words are this year during Holy Week. They remind us that discipleship always has a cost. No Christian ever lives the Gospel without eventually encountering the Cross.

   During the Triduum of Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday, the Church invites us to remember that sin is real and only Christ's blood can redeem it. God loves us so deeply that he sent his only Son to offer himself for our deliverance.

In giving his life for us, Jesus asks us to live our lives for others. He asks us to share in his work of redemption. The Gospel is never merely a call to be "nice" to others. There's nothing sweet about Golgotha. Life in Jesus Christ is a call to heroic virtue and self-sacrificing love. If we want to rise with Jesus on Easter, we also must share his work of salvation on Good Friday.

The great Christian writer C.S. Lewis wrote that "Christianity is a thing of unspeakable joy. But it begins not in joy, but in wretchedness, and it does no good to try to get to the joy by bypassing the wretchedness." We all have routines that dull us into self-absorption at work, at play, in our families, and in our religious faith. Even the broken body of Christ on the Cross can become mere routine piety, an object of devotion that doesn't touch our hearts.

These days of Holy Week, the most sacred time of the year, must help us wake up from our routines and shake off daily life's distractions. With deep devotion, we must concentrate on the One in whom we anchor our hope.

This Holy Week, listen to the word of God and make room for silence and prayer. Read and pray over the Gospel accounts of the crucifixion. Venerate the Cross. Remember the price paid for our redemption. Understand how much God loves us!

Holy Thursday marks the end of Lent and the beginning of the most sacred time in our liturgical year: the Paschal Triduum. On this night, we as a Church gather in the evening. Our attention is directed to the Holy Priesthood and the Holy Eucharist. This night we process with the Eucharist to the Altar of Repose, where we adore Christ and keep watch with him. Join us on Holy Thursday for the Mass of the Lord's Supper at 7:00 PM. Following the Mass, we take up the Lord's call to "stay here and pray with me" as we kneel and adore Him at the Altar of Repose.   

On Good Friday, we fix our gaze on the Cross. Join us as we pray to the Stations of the Cross at 3:00 PM. And then, at 7:00 PM, come celebrate the Liturgy of the Lord's Passion with the adoration and veneration of the Cross. We not only behold the wood of the Cross on Good Friday, but we also unite ourselves and our crosses to our Savior.     

The high point of the Triduum is the Easter Vigil, which St. Augustine calls the "Mother of all Vigils." On Saturday after sundown at 7:30 PM, the Vigil begins in darkness with the Easter fire and the Paschal candle lighting. They recall that Christ banished the darkness of sin by his death and Resurrection. The readings recall the history of God's salvation. And we baptize new members of our Church.   

At the Easter Vigil and the Easter Sunday Masses, we as a Church celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. He conquered death itself and opened the gates of Heaven to all of us, his believers and witnesses. This week change up the routine and enter into the mysteries of our faith. St. Josemaria Escriva reminds us: "The tragedy of the passion brings to fulfillment our own life and the whole of human history. We can't let Holy Week be just a kind of commemoration. It means contemplating the mystery of Jesus Christ as something which continues to work in our souls."

May we pray for each other during this sacred time, and may God grant you and your family, and all of us, a blessed Holy Week and a holy and joy-filled Easter!   Be well. Stay safe. Do good. God Bless!

Prayerful Preparation for Palm Sunday

Dear Parishioners:                                 

Hundreds of people made their way to OLM last Saturday for All-Day Confessions. As the Lord said in the Gospel of Luke: “There will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who have no need of repentance.”    I am grateful to the many volunteers who greeted, aided, and warmly welcomed people to OLM. Also, I thank the many priests from across the Diocese who helped hear Confessions last Saturday. Some of these priests spent two or three hours in the Confessionals as there was a steady flow of people all day.

Last Friday, Pope Francis’ homily at the Ceremony for the Consecration of Russia and Ukraine spoke beautifully about Confession. His words offer a powerful message about Confession during Lent. He preached: 

“All too often, we think that Confession is about going to God with dejected looks. Yet it is not so much that we go to the Lord, but that he comes to us, to fill us with his grace, to fill us with his joy. Our Confession gives the Father the joy of raising us up once more. It is not so much about our sins as about his forgiveness. Our sins are present but the forgiveness of God is always at the heart of our Confession. Think about it: if our sins were at the heart of the sacrament, almost everything would depend on us, on our repentance, our efforts, our resolves. Far from it. The sacrament is about God, who liberates us and puts us back on our feet.”     

Over the next two Saturdays, the OLM First Communion Class students are making their First Confessions. It is a beautiful celebration as these children receive God’s mercy and forgiveness in the Sacrament of Confession for the very first time. Please pray for them as they continue to prepare for First Holy Communion in May. 

Mark your calendars for two special events on the OLM Schedule this coming week. First, join us on Friday for the Living Stations of the Cross performed by our OLM Middle School students. This prayerful Lenten Devotion of Living Stations occurs at 1:00 pm and 7:00 pm. It’s truly a wonderful way to pray and prepare for Palm Sunday and Holy Week.

Also, next Saturday night at the Quidnessett Country Club, OLM School hosts its Annual Spring Fling Fundraiser. This fun event is the chief fundraiser of our outstanding parish school and includes both a silent and live auction. You may bid in person at the event and also bid online.     There are some great donated auction items to bid on, including Elton John Tickets, a week’s stay in a home on the Bourbon Trail in Woodford, Kentucky, Golfing at Shelter Harbor Golf Course, a week at a ski chalet on Loon Mountain, and a Chef’s Table at La Masseria. We thank our donors and supporters.

The Church celebrates Palm Sunday next week. A time when we stop to reflect upon the events which brought about our redemption and salvation. For Palm Sunday is the great doorway leading into Holy Week. St. Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153) offered a sermon about Christ’s entry into Jerusalem:

“How different the cries, ‘Away with him, away with him, crucify him,’ and then, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, hosanna, in the highest!’ How different the cries are that now are calling him ‘King of Israel’ and then in a few days’ time will be saying, ‘We have no king but Caesar!’ What a contrast between the green branches and the cross, between the flowers and the thorns! Before, they were offering their own clothes for him to walk upon, and so soon afterward, they are stripping him of his and casting lots upon them.”

On Palm Sunday we recall that our Lord made His entrance upon a donkey while the crowds scattered their garments before Him and waved their palm branches. This lively scene is soon followed by betrayal, sorrow, and the agony of the Lord’s Passion.  His entry is as a  triumphant hero but soon Christ is crucified like a criminal.     At OLM on Palm Sunday we bless palm branches at all Masses, and make a Solemn Procession from Mercy Park at the 10:30 am Mass. Let us prayerfully prepare to enter the celebration of Holy Week.

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

Confession & Praying for Peace

Dear Parishioners:

While the nation was watching the NCAA Tournament last Sunday, Fr. Mahoney and I, and many parents and kids, watched the Catholic Athletic League Basketball Tournament at the Bishop Hendricken High School Gym. Three teams from OLM were in Championship games. The Boys 7th/8th Grade and 5th/6th Grade played their hearts out but were the runners-up in their final Championship Games. The OLM Girls 5th/6th Team beat out the Monsignor Clarke ladies squad to win the state title!

We congratulate all our CAL players on a great season of basketball. The kids played well, worked hard, and are all champions in my book! We thank the many coaches and parents who volunteer countless hours to make the OLM basketball program a great success. CAL Basketball is a great way to develop fundamental basketball skills, promote teamwork, and teach Catholic sportsmanship! Thank you to all who make it possible!!

This Saturday, we host All Day Confessions at OLM from 9:00 am until 3:00 pm. I thank the many volunteers and our good Franciscan Sisters who assist us with this event. Also, I am grateful to the many priests from across the Diocese who volunteered to hear Confessions in some cases for two hours or more. 

If you didn't make it to All-Day Confessions on Saturday, don't worry, you've still got plenty of time to get to Confession. We continue to have Confession every Monday at 6:00 pm with two priests, including a guest Confessor. In addition, there is Confession every Saturday afternoon and every day Monday through Friday just before the 12:05 pm Lenten Mass. Also, two Dominican Friars from the PC Priory are scheduled to hear Confessions at OLM on Monday, April 11. Plenty of opportunities to get to Confession before Easter!!  

George Weigel talks with the OLM School Middle School students about St. John Paul the Great.

I hope you were able to attend the 150th Anniversary Lecture on Wednesday night. Mr. George Weigel gave an outstanding talk on the Church in the United States. His lecture is just one of the many events taking place since September to celebrate the 150th Anniversary of the founding of the Diocese of Providence. The celebration concludes on Sunday, June 26, with a Mass at the Cathedral. 

There are other events planned to celebrate the Anniversary taking place this spring. These terrific events include a concert by the Hillbilly Thomists, a band of Dominican Friars who play bluegrass, a talk by Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York at the Cathedral, and a Catholic Schools Arts Festival featuring the OLM School Band. Details about these events are in this week's bulletin.     

Amidst all these events, we continue to pray for peace in Ukraine. On this past Friday, March 25, the Solemnity of the Annunciation, Pope Francis, at St. Peter's Basilica, offered a prayer for peace and consecrated Russia and Ukraine to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. On the same day, the same act was undertaken by all the bishops of the world. Cardinal Krajewski, the papal almoner, performed the act of consecration at Fatima as the envoy of the Holy Father. 

Last Sunday after the Sunday Angelus, Pope Francis recalled that the faithful had just prayed to the Virgin Mary and noted that the city that bears her name, Mariupol, has "become a city of martyrs in the terrible war ravaging Ukraine."  The Holy Father expressed his horror over the barbarity of killing children, innocents, and unarmed civilians. He called for an end to armed aggression before it reduced cities to cemeteries. He stated:

"In the name of God, let the cries of those who suffer be heard and let the bombings and attacks cease! Let there be a real and decisive focus on negotiation, and let the humanitarian corridors be effective and safe. In the name of God, I ask you: stop this massacre!"

As we take up more prayer in this Lenten Season, may we continue to pray for peace in Ukraine and an end to war and violence. Perhaps you might pray a Rosary for peace in Ukraine or come to Adoration this Friday, make the Stations of the Cross  and spend more time in prayer for peace. Pope Francis reminds us:  “Prayer, fasting and charity are weapons of the spirit.”

So pray, fast and give alms for Ukraine! Be well. Stay safe. Do good. God Bless!

God is a Father of Mercy and Love

Dear Parishioners:

Bishop Tobin serving meals at Emmanuel House Homeless Shelter in Providence. A Catholic Charity Appeal funded work of the Diocese of Providence.

I thank those parishioners who have so generously supported the Catholic Charity Appeal. With the support of every parish family, we can make our parish goal of $190,000. So far, just 220 parish families in a parish of over 2,000 families have pledged, and we have raised just over $116,000.         We ask every parish family to pledge a gift of $300 over ten months. Your monthly pledge of $30 helps fund the many ministries and charitable services of the Diocese of Providence. Each day thousands of our brothers and sisters in need are served thanks to the good works funded by the CCA. With the support of all our parish, we can achieve our goal. May God bless your generosity to the poor and needy!   

  We had two grand celebrations of faith and heritage this past week. The annual celebrations of St. Patrick, the Apostle of Ireland, and St. Joseph, the Patron of the Universal Church. It was wonderful to have our festive receptions following the joyful Masses after a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic. My thanks to all those who made these days so special.

George Weigel to speak at OLM.

We have a special event this week as the noted Catholic writer, George Weigel, speaks at OLM. He is the Distinguished Senior Fellow of the Ethics and Public Policy Center and the author of the much-acclaimed two-volume biography of Pope St. John Paul II, Witness to Hope. Mr. Weigel's essays,      op-ed columns, and reviews appear regularly in major opinion journals and newspapers across the United States. He is also Senior Vatican Analyst for NBC News. His weekly column, "The Catholic Difference," appears in the Rhode Island Catholic. 

Mr. Weigel is speaking as part of a series of events marking the Diocese of Providence's 150th Anniversary. He has titled his talk for Wednesday "The Catholic Moment: The Church in the United States and the Redemption of American Democracy." There are no tickets or reservations necessary to attend the event, so please join us.

Lent is the time of year when God obligates us to prepare our hearts and purify our souls so that we are ready to receive Our Lord in His glorious coming at Easter. There's no time to delay. Scripture says, "Behold, now is the acceptable time; behold, now is the day of salvation." 

Pope Francis goes to Confession at St. Peter’s Basilica.

  Yet, for many Catholics going to Confession is a daunting thought. However, Confession is the Sacrament in which God's Mercy manifests itself most dramatically. It reminds us that no matter how great our sins, God's Mercy abounds; no sin is too great for God.    In approaching the Confessional, no matter how uncomfortable, ashamed, or afraid we might feel, we place our trust in God, and our joy is complete at the end of the experience. Jesus demonstrates the depth of His mercy in the parable of the prodigal son. There is much rejoicing in heaven when just one sinner repents. So although we may be ashamed or afraid, we are called to have courage and humbly approach this great Sacrament of Mercy. God's mercy knows no limits and understands our human limitations. 

In this Sacrament, Christ transforms our lives. If we are open to his mercy, have true sorrow for our sins, and the desire to turn from sin into a life of grace, then the Sacrament is a rich source of grace. It calms the conscience and consoles the spirit. Next Saturday is a great opportunity to come to OLM, make a good confession, and truly prepare for Easter. All-Day Confessions at OLM with four confessors are from 9:00am until 3:00pm. I am grateful to the many priests from across the Diocese of Providence coming to OLM to hear Confessions.   

  St. Augustine says: "In failing to confess, Lord, I would only hide You from myself, not myself from You." So don't hide from God but come to him in humility and with repentance in the Sacrament of Confession. He is waiting patiently to forgive your sins and impart the grace needed to follow him with faith, hope, and love. Indeed there will be much rejoicing in heaven next Saturday for just one repenting sinner! 

Be well. Stay safe. Do good. God Bless! Prepare for Easter, humbly seek God’s mercy and make a good Confession next Saturday!

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!