Missionaries, Martyrs & Preaching the Gospel

Dear Parishioners:                   

St. Kateri Tekakwitha, Feast Day on July 14.

While visiting my sister and her family in New York last week, we made a pilgrimage to the Shrine of Our Lady of Martyrs in Auriesville, NY. Once the 17th Century Mohawk Village of Ossernenon, it is now a Roman Catholic shrine dedicated to three Jesuit missionaries who were martyred there and to St. Kateri Tekakwitha, a Mohawk woman who was born there. Her feast was last week on July 14.    

For over 130 years, the Shrine was under the direction of the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) but is now operated by the Friends of Our Lady of Martyrs Shrine. I was privileged to offer Holy Mass at the main shrine chapel for your intentions.

In 1930, a coliseum was built at the Shrine, overlooking the Mohawk Valley, as one of the first circular churches built in the United States. It seats over 6000 worshipers for Holy Mass and has four altars for the three Martyr Saints and St. Kateri.   

The Coliseum Chapel at the Shrine of Our Lady of Martyrs in Auriesville, NY.

The Jesuit Fathers Isaac  Jogues, René Goupil, and a lay Frenchman, Guillaume Coûture, were captured in August of 1642 in an Iroquois raid on the St. Lawrence River. They were brought to Osserenon, survived gruesome torture, and were enslaved.       Just weeks later, on September 29, Father Goupil was killed near the village gates by a tomahawk blow. His blessing a Mohawk child with the sign of the cross had been interpreted as something evil by the Native People.   

After the death of Father Goupil, Father Jogues remained enslaved and performed menial tasks, and endured hard labor, starvation, and exposure, especially during the winter hunts.  He served as the 'beast of burden' to his captors. Whenever he could break free, Father Jogues found a quiet place, stripped the bark off of a tree in the shape of a cross, and knelt and prayed. The crosses remain on the trees of the Shrine in memory of his devotion.    

The North American Martyrs

His docility with the Mohawks earned him the freedom to minister to other Catholic prisoners in the villages of the Mohawk Valley. He ministered to the sick, performed baptisms, and heard confessions. But he could not offer the Holy Mass, his canonical fingers, which the priest uses to handle the consecrated Host, were severed during the torture.

After a year of captivity, Father Jogues escaped with the help of Dutch settlers from the Albany area.    He arrived in his native France on Christmas Day, 1643. There he received special dispensation from the Pope to celebrate Mass without his canonical fingers. After a few short months in France, he returned to Canada in 1644.

In Canada, he met John Lalande, a young lay Jesuit who volunteered to help build the mission. They expected to be welcomed on this second mission. Instead, they were bound, beaten, and taken captive. The Mohawks blamed a crop pestilence on Father Jogues. Killed by tomahawk blows, St Isaac Jogues died on the evening of October 18, and St. John Lalande in the early morning hours of October 19. They were then beheaded, and their bodies dragged into the Mohawk River. Although no relics were recovered, the ground of their blood sacrifice is considered a natural reliquary.

Praying and offering Mass at a holy place where three Saints were martyred, and one was born was truly a distinct privilege for me. It is truly a peaceful place of prayer and holiness. If ever you are in the area of that part of New York State, I recommend a visit.

Missionhurst was founded in Belgium in 1862 by Father Theophile Verbist for the conversion of China.

The North American martyrs were missionaries who brought the Catholic Faith to this land. As we recall their heroic martyrdom in sacrificing their very lives to preach the Gospel, let us remember today the thousands of Missionaries who continue to proclaim the Gospel under difficult conditions including even violence and oppression. This weekend we are asked to support the mission work of the Congregation of the Immaculate Heart of Mary (Missionhurst/CICM),  They preach the Gospel in some of the most remote places of the world including Mongolia, Indonesia, Africa, Asia and Latin America. The  Second Collection this weekend supports the missions of Missionhurst/CICM. In their name, thank you for your generous financial support and continued prayers for missionaries.

Be well. Stay safe. Do good. God Bless. Go Sox!!!!! St. Kateri and the North American Martyrs, pray for us! 

Summer Means Reading and the Missions

Dear Parishioners:                    

              I hope you had an enjoyable Independence Day celebration with family and friends.  However, it is still hard to believe the Fourth of July has already passed. The summer is moving too quickly for me!     Pope Francis has said: "During summer time, let us learn how to take a break, turn off the mobile phone to gaze into the eyes of others, cultivate silence, contemplate nature, regenerate ourselves in dialogue with God." Very good advice for  us during these summer days. 

“During summertime, let us learn how to take a break, turn off the mobile phone to gaze into the eyes of others, cultivate silence, contemplate nature, and regenerate ourselves in dialogue with God.”

— Pope Francis

Last week I was lucky enough to visit New York and spend some time with my sister and her family, even my N.Y. Yankee loving brother-in-law! It was a relaxing time with family, and I was able to read a couple of books. What are you reading this summer?  

  I finished reading a new book entitled "We Don't Know Ourselves" by Fintan O'Toole. It is a memoir-style look at the history of Modern Ireland. O'Toole is a writer for the Irish Times. His recollections of Ireland from his childhood to the present day, are an absorbing and entertaining read. I think even those without Irish roots would enjoy it!   

Of course, my summer reading always includes a Bruno the Detective novel by Martin Walker. If you're unfamiliar with Bruno the Detective, it is a mystery series set in France's Périgord region. Bruno is a small village Chief of Police and former soldier who solves murders. He is also a passionate cook who manages to solve crimes in between cooking fabulous French meals! The books are quick and easy to read, but usually make me hungry! 

Robert Cardinal Sarah

I am finishing up "At the Service of the Truth" by Robert Cardinal Sarah for spiritual summer reading. The Cardinal is a native of Guinea, a former French colony, who converted to the Catholic Faith as a child. He served as a bishop in his native land, was named a Cardinal by Pope emeritus Benedict XVI, and served in the Vatican as the Prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship.

The book is drawn from a retreat he led for priests. He writes with his trademark clarity and directness  confronting some of the most burning issues facing the priesthood and Catholic Church today. His writings  always provide a challenging reflection. I also hope to read the new edition of the biography of St. Charles de Foucauld by the French journalist, Jean-Jacques Antier. St. Charles was canonized by Pope Francis this past May. The Pope said the French Saint's spirituality "did me so much good when I was studying theology and helped me so much to overcome crises." 

St. Charles de Foucault

  When local bandits killed him in Algeria in 1916, the French aristocrat who became a monk was virtually unknown to the world. Over a century later, however, the spirituality of St. Charles Foucauld's hidden life has spread wide and far across the globe.   

  Born in 1858 into a French aristocratic family and  educated in Paris. He would serve as a Cavalry Officer in the French Army, become an explorer, and a noted geographer during his adventurous life. After a conversion at  age twenty-eight, this future Saint was filled with a desire to surrender himself completely to God. In his journal, he wrote, "My Father, I put myself in your hands. Whatever you make of me, I thank you, I am ready for everything, I accept everything, I thank you for everything."

This desire to surrender to God would lead him to become a priest and eventually to a life of prayer and simplicity as a monk. He would live as a hermit in the Algerian desert, devoting himself to prayer and adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. His later work and writings as a monk led to the founding of the Congregation of the Little Brothers of Jesus. St. Charles de Foucault, pray for us!

Next weekend we take up our Annual Mission Co-op Collection to support the work of Catholic missionaries. Once a year, every parish in the Diocese of Providence is called to assist the work of  our Catholic missionaries with  prayer and financial support. This year we welcome the Missionhurst Missionary Fathers who are preaching at all the Masses next weekend. And the Second Collection next weekend is in direct support of their missionary work. There is no envelope for this collection.  Thank you for your generous support of Missionhurst!

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

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.