Celebrating Our Freedom with Faith

Dear Parishioners:

I wish you and your families a  Happy Independence Day! We rejoice and pray for our nation as we recall the Declaration of Independence and commemorate its ratification by the Second Continental Congress on July 4, 1776. The Second Continental Congress declared that the Thirteen Colonies were no longer subject and subordinate to the monarch of Britain, King George III. We threw off the shackles of British imperialism and declared our independence. 

  The Continental Congress voted to approve independence on July 2 and adopted the Declaration of Independence two days later, on July 4, 1776. The Declaration states: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."

Signing of the Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1776

  Of course, these words take on new meaning in light of the recent U.S. Supreme Court Dobbs' decision on abortion. As the U.S. Catholic Bishops stated after the decision: "For nearly fifty years, America has enforced an unjust law that has permitted some to decide whether others can live or die; this policy has resulted in the deaths of tens of millions of preborn children, generations that were denied the right to even be born.

  America was founded on the truth that all men and women are created equal, with God-given rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. This truth was grievously denied by the U.S. Supreme Court's Roe v. Wade ruling, which legalized and normalized the taking of innocent human life. We thank God today that the Court has now overturned this decision. We pray that our elected officials will now enact laws and policies that promote and protect the most vulnerable among us.”

Pro-lifer celebrating the Dobbs Decision, June 24, 2022.

Regrettably, the Dobbs ruling changes nothing in Rhode Island concerning abortion. In 2019, the General Assembly passed legislation that codified Roe v. Wade in an extreme abortion-on-demand bill that allows abortion up until birth. Now there is a renewed effort to force all Rhode Island taxpayers to pay for the evil of abortion with their tax dollars. While the Supreme Court has recognized that abortion-on-demand was never part of the Constitution and, thus, state legislatures around the country are no longer prohibited by the now-overturned Roe v Wade decision from passing and enforcing laws that protect preborn human life, there is much work to be done in Rhode Island.

A mother and child visiting St. Gabriel’s Call in Providence.

Bishop Tobin's statement on the SCOTUS decision stated: "While rightly insisting that abortion is evil, the Catholic Church also recognizes the particular needs that many women encounter when pregnant. For several years already, the Diocese has responded to this need with important programs such as St. Gabriel's Call, which provides personal and material assistance to pregnant women, new moms, and their infant children; and also the Cabrini Fund, which offers financial scholarships to assist parents with child care expenses. For many years, these programs have supported women and children, Catholic and non-Catholic alike. 

    In light of the ongoing needs of women and their children, I have directed our diocesan staff to increase the support we can offer to women and children through these already existing diocesan programs and be alert to other and new ways of assisting women, children and families in the days to come."

We, too, must renew our commitment to the sanctity of all human life with more prayers for an end to abortion and prayers for all expectant mothers, especially those in crisis pregnancy and those living in poverty. We must also redouble our efforts to support them with greater charity and more good works. Our call to build a culture of life that truly protects the sanctity of life of every human being has not ended with the Supreme Court decision but must be renewed with an even greater determination. Let us "pledge ourselves to continue our service to God's great plan of love for the human person, and to work with our fellow citizens to fulfill America's promise to guarantee the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness for all people," born and unborn. 

 Be well. Stay safe. Do good. God Bless America! Happy Independence Day!

Celebrating the Sesquicentennial of Providence Diocese

Dear Parishioners:                    

Corpus Christi Procession to Mercy Park on Sunday, June 19, 2022.

I thank the many people who made our celebration of Corpus Christi at the 10:30 am Mass so wonderful last Sunday. The Eucharistic Procession to Mercy Park was beautiful, and the sun shined just as we began. Reflecting on the beautiful Mass and procession, I was reminded of the words of St. John Vianney: "If we really understood the Mass, we would die of joy." 

 I thank Bishop Evans for celebrating the Mass and leading the procession. Our altar servers did an outstanding job. Our Music Director, Henri St. Louis, and the Choir sang beautifully. We must also thank our canopy bearers who helped us in the procession. As a tribute to Father's Day, we had two Father and Son teams assist us, Anthony and Lucas Caporaso and Brian and Connor Igoe.  

We have another celebration today at the Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul. Bishop Tobin is offering Mass in honor of the 150th Anniversary of the Diocese of Providence. This Mass marks the conclusion of the sesquicentennial celebrations and activities over the last year.

Bishop Thomas F. Hendricken

We remember that the first Bishop of Providence, Thomas Francis Hendricken, was born on May 5, 1827, in Kilkenny, Ireland. He arrived as a newly ordained missionary priest in Rhode Island in 1853. He served at various parishes throughout Rhode Island and Connecticut. And he was appointed by Pius IX as the first Bishop of the newly created Diocese of Providence in 1872. He launched the building of a new cathedral, and on Thanksgiving Day, 1878, a large block of Kilkenny marble was laid as the cornerstone of the present Cathedral. When he died in 1886, the Cathedral, while yet unfinished, was opened for his Funeral Mass. Bishop Hendricken High School is named in his honor.

Much has changed in the Church and the world since Bishop Hendricken led our Church one hundred fifty years ago. However, the mission of the Church has not changed. We continue to proclaim the Gospel, teach the Catholic Faith, and sanctify the People of God in the Sacraments. The Catholic Church in Rhode Island continues to serve Christ in her many charitable works.

Works like Emmanuel House in Providence near R.I. Hospital.  A homeless shelter run by the Diocese of Providence, it serves over 50 homeless men nightly. It is renovating to create a new space for 30 beds for homeless women. 

Bishop Tobin serves Thanksgiving Dinner at Emmanuel House.

  St. Martin de Porres, the inner-city senior center in the West End of Providence, provides meals, health screenings, nutrition assistance, and social events for the low-income elderly of the area. It, too, is undergoing a renovation to expand its food pantry that serves over 300 families weekly.

Our Diocesan Office of Refugee and Immigration Services received 98 Afghani refugees early this year. They successfully found housing and jobs for them. More Afghani refugees are scheduled to arrive in the fall, as are over 50 additional refugees from Ukraine.

The Keep the Heat On Fund distributed nearly $500,000 in assistance to over 1,000 low-income families. This Fund assists with heating costs. It is the greatest amount of assistance granted since the program's inception.

Also, the assistance for low-income families through Gabriel's Call is increasing its amount of assistance. And thanks to many of you  we have donated much-needed baby diapers, wipes, formula, and food.  Thank you for your support.

These charitable works are funded by the Annual Catholic Charity Appeal. As of this date, Our Lady of Mercy has surpassed our parish goal of $190,000, raising over $259,000 from 437 families. Again thanks to your tremendous generosity and support, OLM leads the Diocese in donations for the CCA. 

The tomb of Bishop Hendricken at the Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul, Providence.

Yes, much has changed since 1872 in both the world and the Church, but the faith, hope and charity of Catholics in Rhode Island lives on today.  It remains a living witness to the Light of Christ in the world. So let us celebrate our Anniversary and be grateful for God's Providence! Please remember in prayer the generations of faithful Catholics who helped build and serve the Diocese of Providence over these many years. Happy 150th Anniversary! Be well. Stay safe. Do good. God Bless.

Fatherhood, St. Joseph & the Holy Mass

Dear Parishioners:                    

Today is Father's Day when we honor all Fathers and give thanks for the great gift of Fatherhood. Like all parenthood, Fatherhood is a vocation, a call from God. A vocation in which we recall a father's strength, guiding hands, wisdom, and help.                                                                    

God the Father gave up his only Son, Jesus Christ, so we might be saved through him. He provides an example of the very vocation of Fatherhood. We give thanks today to our Fathers. St. John Paul II reminds us, "As the family goes, so goes the world." I might add: as the Father goes, so, too, goes the family.

  There is a great deal of empirical and sociological evidence that many of the societal problems we face today are rooted in a dissolution of Fatherhood and the lack of good male role models, especially for young men. Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI said: "The crisis of fatherhood we are experiencing today is an element, perhaps the most important element, threatening man in his humanity."

In faith, too, absentee Fatherhood often makes it difficult to believe in God, "the Father," an authority who commands and loves without contradiction. Pope Francis writes in his apostolic letter, "Patris corde,": "Fathers are not born, but made. A man does not become a father simply by bringing a child into the world but by taking up the responsibility to care for that child. Children today often seem orphans, lacking fathers."

St. Joseph provides a sterling example of Catholic Fatherhood and of sacrifice and love. Pope Francis writes: "Joseph knew how to love with extraordinary freedom. He never made himself the center of things. He did not think of himself but focused on the lives of Mary and Jesus. Joseph found happiness not only in self-sacrifice but in self-gift. In him, we never see frustration but only trust. His patient silence was the prelude to concrete expressions of trust. Our world today needs fathers."

This Fathers' Day, let us be thankful for our fathers. Let us implore God by the intercession of St. Joseph to heal broken families. If you are a father, remember the dignity and divine grace that comes from the duties and obligations of being a father. Fathers have been given a divine mandate to show their children a love they will find perfected in the Almighty Father in heaven. Let us truly celebrate such an important vocation!

Today, we also celebrate the solemn feast of Corpus Christi. It is a doctrinal feast established to give God collective thanks for Christ's abiding presence with us in the Eucharist. This feast also teaches us to appreciate and use the great gift of the Holy Eucharist, both as a Sacrament and a sacrifice.

Although we celebrate the institution of the Holy Eucharist on Holy Thursday, the Church wants to emphasize its central importance in our lives of faith with a special feast, the Holy Body and Blood of Jesus Christ. St. Pio of Pietrelcina said: "It would be easier for the world to survive without the sun than without the Holy Mass."

St. Francis Xavier Church in Nigeria after attack.

Last week on Pentecost Sunday, gunmen threw explosives and fired guns at the congregation gathered at St. Francis Xavier Church in Nigeria, killing 50 people. Nigeria has sadly become all too familiar with such growing violence against Christians. We pray for the victims and their families.

The local Bishop Jude Arogundade expressed his shock at the violent attack and lamented the many people who died in the attack: husbands, wives, children, and entire families, including both parents of a seminarian of the diocese. In the face of the sorrow and pain, he notes that "our people are a people of faith and still call upon God at Mass."

Here in the U.S., we are blessed to practice our faith without the threat of violence. And so, as we give thanks today for the great gift of Holy Mass, let us never take this great gift for granted. Rather let us deepen our love and gratitude, and increase our honor for the Most Holy Body and Blood of Jesus Christ by remaining faithful to Sunday Mass each week.

Sister Emma has left for a visit to the Philippines. She is visiting with her family and the Franciscan Apostolic Sisters Community there. This trip is her first return home in over eight years. Please pray for her and for a safe return to OLM in August. Safe travels!

Be well. Stay safe. Do good. Happy Fathers Day!

Merciful & Mighty! God in Three Persons, Blessed Trinity

Dear Parishioners:                    

OLM School Class of 2022 prepares to enter OLM Church for the Graduation Ceremony.

After praying for them at the Graduation Mass last Sunday, on Monday night, we said farewell to our OLM School Class of 2022 at the Graduation Ceremony. After nine years together, many of these students began OLM in the Pre-K Class. Three of the graduates' Fathers are also OLM School alumni. There is a list of the graduates in this week's bulletin. Please continue to pray for them as they enter high school.

This Friday, we say farewell to the rest of the students at OLM School as Summer vacation begins! The start of summer is always a happy time for students and teachers. We have four of our excellent faculty leaving at the end of the year. Our dynamic young Music Teacher, Mr. Ryan Tremblay, has decided to move to Nashville to pursue his music career. Our outstanding Math teacher, Mrs. Karen Kane, and superb History teacher, Mr. Mike Kennedy, are taking up well deserved retirements.

OLM School First Grade Teacher, Mrs. Denise Palizza, leaves her Final First Friday Mass, June 3, 2022. She is retiring after 19 years of teaching at OLM School.

And after almost twenty years of dedicated teaching, our wonderful First Grade Teacher, Mrs. Denise Palizza, is retiring from OLM. We thank them all for their service to Catholic Education, their devotion to our students, and their pursuit of excellence at our school! As Summer Vacation begins for students and teachers, please keep them in your prayers. May this respite from school days be a time of rest, relaxation, and renewal. We look forward to their return  to school on August 31st, tan, rested, and ready for another year!      

This week we celebrate the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity. In the 4th century, the Church instituted a Mass in honor of the Trinity to reaffirm the belief in the Trinity. This was done in response to the Arian heresy, which disputed the traditional Christian belief of one God in three divine persons. Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI teaches: “Three Persons who are one God because the Father is love, the Son is love, the Spirit is love. God is wholly and only love, the purest, infinite and eternal love. He does not live in splendid solitude but rather is an inexhaustible source of life that is ceaselessly given and communicated.” 

The Holy Trinity, Pietro Novelli (March 2, 1603 – August 27, 1647)

Celebrating Trinity Sunday after Pentecost also allows the Church to further reflect on the mystery of God after receiving the gift of the Holy Spirit. This helps us see the connection that if we truly want to understand the Trinity, we need to have the gift of the Holy Spirit. We can never fully understand who God is on our own and desperately need his guidance and inspiration.

The Trinity is one of the most fundamental beliefs of the Catholic Church. So we should dedicate a particular Sunday to such a profound mystery of our faith. The Church proclaims that in the unity of the Godhead, there are Three Persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. These Three Persons are truly distinct from one another yet are undivided in unity and perfect in charity.

Next week, we celebrate Corpus Christi Sunday. We will celebrate this Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Jesus Christ with a Eucharistic Procession following the 10:30am Mass. The procession will end in Mercy Park, where Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament will be offered.

Next Sunday is also Father's Day, and we will offer Masses for all Fathers, living and deceased. Kindly return your Father's Day Memorial Envelopes with the names of your beloved Fathers and Grandfathers before next Sunday.

We have begun our OLM Father's Day Baby Drive for diapers, wipes, baby food, and infant formula. These much-needed items go to Gabriel's Call, our diocesan ministry to low-income mothers and infants. If you are able to find infant formula please deliver it to the Parish Office or the Outreach Office for safekeeping.  In the name of the mothers and infants who benefit from this charity, I thank you for your support.

June is the month dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. We are called to celebrate the Sacred Heart with greater humility and more love in imitation of Jesus who is  “meek and humble of heart.”   As we  entrust our hearts to His, let us pray: Jesus, may Your Sacred Heart, meek and humble, make my  heart more like yours!

We offer our promise of prayers and best wishes to the OLM School Class of 2022! Be well. Stay safe. Do good. God Bless. 

Turning to the Sacred Heart in Times of Trouble

Dear Parishioners:                    

We continue to grieve the killing of 19 children and two teachers at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas. There have been many reactions to this horrific tragedy. But clearly, one thing is still needed, and that is prayer. As people of faith, praying for the victims and their families is an action we can all act and agree upon without debate.                               

Last week in the New York Times, Reverend Tish Harrison Warren, an Anglican Minister, wrote an op-ed entitled, "Uvalde Needs Our Prayers." She writes: "Uvalde is grieving and heartbroken. Some want a revival. Some want mental health services. Some want gun control. But every single person I talked to agreed on one thing: They could use your thoughts and prayers."

Archbishop Gustavo García-Siller of San Antonio prays with parishioners at Sacred Heart Church.

This small town in Texas has many churches. One of the centers of prayer and support for the grieving townspeople is Sacred Heart Catholic Church. San Antonio Archbishop García-Siller visited the parish and said:  “People want to pray.  People want to help. All the community beyond the parish is so connected.”

While the Sacred Heart Church in Uvalde is the center of consolation, prayer, and support for a grieving community, we also remember that June is a month dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Perhaps we can turn to the Sacred Heart of Jesus with devotion and prayer for the people of  Uvalde. The Sacred Heart Devotion began when St. Margaret Mary Alacoque received private revelations from Jesus Christ. Jesus spoke to her on June 16, 1675, and asked her specifically to promote a feast that honored his Sacred Heart.

Sacred Heart Statue, Saint-Sulpice, Paris.

St. Margaret Mary described her experience with the Lord: "My divine Heart is so passionately fond of the human race and you, particularly that it cannot keep back the pent-up flames of its burning charity any longer. They must burst out through you and reveal my Heart to the world to enrich humanity with my treasures." Following this revelation, Jesus united His heart with hers in a fusion of mystical love and joy.

Devotion to the Sacred Heart is devotion to Jesus and his love. It is a sign and a symbol of both the divine and human love that Jesus has for his Father and us. It also symbolizes the interior life of Jesus, which led to his willingness to lay down his life for us. Pope Leo XIII stated: "There is in the Sacred Heart the symbol and express image of the infinite love of Jesus Christ which moves us to love in return." 

We continue to mourn the victims of mass shootings in Texas, Buffalo, and elsewhere. Let us be moved by love to pray for the dead killed so tragically, the consolation of their grieving families, an end to senseless gun violence, and the healing of communities divided. Let us turn in June to the Sacred Heart of Jesus to guide us with his divine love and help us discover the love so desperately needed in our nation today. 

June is also the month of Father's Day. In light of the coming celebration of Father's Day on June 19, we are having a Father's Day Drive for Baby Goods. There is a great need for infant diapers and wipes and a critical need for baby food and formula. Gabriel's Call, a charitable work of the Diocese of Providence, has asked parishes to help collect the much-needed baby items.

There are bins in the church's vestibule where you may place any donated items. Also, we are accepting donations to our OLM Outreach on behalf of Gabriel's Call. Make a check payable to OLM and mark "Baby Drive" in the memo. More information is available in the bulletin. Thank you for being so supportive of this charity.    

June also brings with it graduations. On Monday, June 6, the OLM School Graduation is celebrated at 6:00 pm. Please pray for the graduating 8th Grade of our outstanding parish school. May Our Lady of Mercy guide and protect them as they enter high school.    

We congratulate them and all OLM parishioners who graduate from college and high school this year. St. Pope John Paul II once said to young people: "The future is in your hearts and hands. God is entrusting to you the task, at once difficult and uplifting, of working with Him to build the civilization of love."

Prayerful best wishes and congratulations to the Class of 2022! Be well. Stay safe. Do good. God Bless our graduates. Pray for Uvalde. 

O Come Holy Spirit, Remembering the Fallen & Praying for Graduates

Happy Memorial Day! This weekend is often described as the unofficial kickoff of summer. There are many activities like parades and picnics. Many people head to the beach or the golf course. It is the end of May, and June brings warmer weather, the end of the school year, and summer!                     

Yet Memorial Day is more than an excuse to golf, sail, go to the beach, or cook on the grill. It is a day to commemorate all the men and women who died in service to our nation and for the cause of freedom. It is a day to place flags and flowers beside the graves of those who have fallen in military uniform. And a day to honor and remember in prayer the fallen and recall their sacrifice with gratitude.  

Memorial Day first began as Decoration Day. The Grand Army of the Republic, the group of Union veterans that survived the American Civil War, first established the day in May 1868 to decorate the graves of the war dead with flowers. The focus for that day, and the activities that had come to define it, expanded after World War I. All service personnel from all wars who lost their lives in service to the United States are now included. So please enjoy the Memorial Day weekend and its many activities with family and friends. But also spend some time praying for those who sacrificed their lives for our nation. Honor the dead and pay tribute to the memory of those who gave their lives for the USA.

On Memorial Day, join us as we pray for the fallen at Holy Mass at 8:30 am. And then, on Memorial Day night at 7:00 pm, join us to pray the Rosary before the Eucharistic Lord. In a particular way, we remember those who have died in the time of war serving our nation as we pray for peace in our world today.

On Friday this coming week, we celebrate our Final First Friday School Mass at 9:00 am! It is the last time our 8th Grade Class will be in attendance at First Friday Mass. Their time at our excellent parish school is drawing to an end as they head for high school.

OLM Class of 2022

Next Sunday, we pray for our 8th Grade Graduates, especially at the 10:30 am Mass. At this Graduation Mass, we call upon Our Lady of Mercy, our parish patroness, to lay her mantle of love and protection on the OLM Class of 2022. Each graduate receives an OLM School Medal with a beautiful image of Our Lady. Following the Mass, the graduating class, their families, and the school faculty gather for a Graduation Luncheon. At this celebration, we pay tribute to the outstanding scholars in the class who have exhibited the excellence and hard work for which OLM School is so well known.    

On Monday, June 6 at 6:00 pm, we celebrate the OLM School Graduation in Church. As we prepare to say goodbye to our 8th Graders and wish them much success in high school, I ask you to please pray for the Class of 2022! May they continue to grow to be the saints and scholars God calls them to be!  

Also, next Sunday, we celebrate the great Solemnity of Pentecost. With this feast, the Church celebrates one of the most important feast days of her liturgical year. It always occurs 50 days after the death and resurrection of Jesus and ten days after his ascension into heaven. Pentecost concludes the Easter season and celebrates the beginning of the Church. 

On Pentecost, we recall the Holy Spirit coming upon the Apostles, Mary, and the first followers of Jesus, who were gathered together in the Upper Room. We will celebrate it with Adult Confirmations at the Saturday 5:00 pm Mass. Please pray for these candidates.

This week’s bulletin contains information about the drive to fund abortion in R.I. with tax dollars. The legislation pending in the General Assembly would force all taxpayers to pay for the abortions of state employees and those on Medicaid.   I urge you to contact our local State Senator Valverde and let her know your opposition to her bill.   For women who live in poverty, abortion is a desperate act, not an act of choice. Advocating for the destruction of human life to save funds in the state budget is a cold and calculating policy that seeks to imitate the coercive abortion policies of China and North Korea. It is truly devoid of any sense of morality and must be rejected.

Be well. Stay safe. Do good. Happy Memorial Day! God Bless the USA!