Think, Pray and Vote! Election Day is Coming!!

Dear Parishioners:                    

On All Souls' Day, Ferdinand Georg Waldmüller ( 15 January 1793 – 23 August 1865)

As we begin this All Souls Month, we continue to pray for the souls in Purgatory. We especially remember those members of our parish who were laid to rest this past year and whose names are listed in the bulletin. Over the last year, more than sixty souls have had a Mass of Christian Burial here at OLM. We offer the 10:30 AM Mass for the gentle repose of their souls and the consolation of their grieving families.

As we remember our beloved dead in our prayers and at Masses in this All Souls Month, let us offer this prayer attributed to the great English Dominican Friar, Father Bede Jarrett, OP, who wrote:

“We seem to give them back to You, O God, who gave them first to us. Yet as You did not lose them in giving, so do we not lose them by their return. Not as the world gives, do you give, O Lover of souls. What You give, You take not away, for what is Yours is ours also if we are Yours. And life is eternal, and love is immortal, and death is only a horizon, and a horizon is nothing, save the limit of our sight.

   Lift us up, strong Son of God, that we may see further; cleanse our eyes that we may see more clearly; draw us closer to Yourself that we may know ourselves to be nearer to our loved ones who are with You. And while You prepare a place for us, prepare us also for that happy place, that where You are we may also be for evermore.”

Tuesday is Election Day in our country, state, and town. I urge you to vote but to cast a vote for candidates after praying and reflecting on your conscience. In today’s vitriolic political culture of sound bites and partisanship, it’s not always easy as Catholics to practice our call to faithful citizenship. The public square is filled with partisans, but the Church’s social teaching is consistent and neither “left” nor “right,” “liberal” or “conservative,” Democrat or Republican.

As people of Faith and reason in a world often at odds with our values, our guiding star is Christ’s commandment to “love one another” rather than any alternative ideology. The U.S. Catholic bishops teach us to respond by supporting a consistent ethic of life and by avoiding two temptations in civic life.

The first temptation is to fail to make a moral distinction between different kinds of issues involving human life and dignity. The second temptation is to focus solely on one or two moral issues and ignore other serious threats to human life and dignity. Not all issues have equal moral weight.

Some issues involve intrinsic evil and are therefore incompatible with the love of God and neighbor. Abortion, euthanasia, physician-assisted suicide, and immoral, destructive experimentation on human embryos, are under this category. They are never acceptable and must be rejected. Moreover, these are intrinsically evil acts, those that directly attack life, and are a direct violation of human dignity. The right to life is our first right and must be defended with maximum determination.

While certain issues (such as doing all we can to save 4,000 children from being aborted each day in our country) have a special claim on our consciences, we can’t ignore other issues, such as the death penalty, poverty, immigration, economic injustice, and discrimination. These are not “optional concerns which can be dismissed.” These issues involve using the virtue of prudence to determine the best solution to a particular problem.

  Sadly no political party or candidate can check all the boxes in these areas of Catholic concern. So, how do we vote? First, listen to our Church, which offers us a 2,000-year-tradition of social and moral teaching. Secondly, prayerfully consider first what the Church teaches in matters that involve Catholic social teaching. A well-formed conscience (not what we feel or think but God’s eternal voice resounding in our human hearts) is essential in making sound moral judgments.

   As we enter the voting booth on Tuesday, let our measure of candidates be our Catholic Faith, not our political loyalties or ideologies. Be guided by the common good, not self-interest. It won’t be easy, but we have Faith—and God—on our side. Think, pray and vote! You may have noticed the work being done in Mercy Park. We are preparing to place our new Sacred Heart of Jesus statue there!

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

Celebrating Faith & Praying with Hope

Dear Parishioners:                    

Confirmation was a great celebration and joyous occasion for our parish family last Sunday. Fifty-five young adults are now confirmed in their Catholic Faith and received the gifts of the Holy Spirit. We rejoice with them as they mark this milestone in their faith lives!        We thank Bishop Byrne of Springfield for celebrating the Confirmation Mass. His sermon to our young parishioners was outstanding! We also thank everyone who made this day possible for our Confirmation Class, especially their parents and sponsors. We are grateful to our Confirmation Director, Mr. Doug Green, and our Religious Education Directress, Mrs. Mickey St. Jean, for their hard work in forming our Confirmation Class in the Faith and preparing for Confirmation.

We also thank our OLM Music Director, Mr. Henri St. Louis, the OLM Choir, and the guest musicians who provided such beautiful music for the Confirmation Mass. We must thank our OLM Altar Servers for their fine job in serving the Mass with reverence. Our ushers are also to be thanked for assisting with welcoming the many guests and family members at the Confirmation Mass. It was a beautiful Mass, and we thank everyone who helped prepare for it.

Let us continue praying for our newly Confirmed that they might grow in their Faith and relationship with the Lord. In speaking to young people last year, Pope Francis said: "I am reminded of the words which God spoke to Abraham: 'Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you.' (Gen 12.1). These words are now also addressed to you. They are words of a Father who invites you to 'go,' to set out towards an unknown future but one which will surely lead to fulfillment, a future towards which He accompanies you. I invite you to hear God's voice resounding in your heart through the breath of the Holy Spirit."

This week the month of November begins! It begins with the All Saints Holy Day on Tuesday, November 1. It is the day dedicated to the saints of the Church, that is, all those who have attained heaven. It should not be confused with All Souls' Day, observed on November 2 and dedicated to those who have died and not yet reached heaven. November is a special month on the Church Calendar as it is All Souls Month. A time for us to remember our beloved dead in our prayers and Masses, especially the souls in Purgatory. St. Padre Pio once said, "We must empty Purgatory with our prayers." He was convinced that prayers worked, as we should, too.

Take a moment and recite this prayer given to us by Jesus through St. Gertrude: "Eternal Father, I offer Thee the Most Precious Blood of Thy Divine Son, Jesus, in union with the Masses said throughout the world today, for all the Holy Souls in Purgatory, for sinners everywhere, for sinners in the universal Church, those in my own home and within my family. Amen."

All Souls Day will have three Masses. Following the 9:00 am School Mass on All Souls, the students will process to St. Patrick Cemetery to pray for all the souls buried in that sacred ground. Please join us on All Souls Day as we pray for all those souls and help empty Purgatory! 

In a very special way, we will remember and pray for all those who have died over the last year. Next Sunday at 10:30 am, we offer Mass for the OLM Parishioners who have died since last November. Their families are invited to join us as we pray for the repose of the souls of their deceased relatives. Please also pray for the healing and consolation of all those who mourn the death of a loved one. St. John Chrysostom said:  “Let us not hesitate to help those who have died and to offer our prayers for them.”

Saturday, November 5, is Daylight Saving Time, and we turn our clocks back one hour. Also, next Saturday, the 5:00 pm Mass will move back to 4:00 pm until April, and Saturday Confessions will move back to 3:00 pm until April. Be sure to set your clock back one hour next Saturday night. You'll get an extra hour of sleep and won't arrive an hour early for Sunday Mass!

Please join us for the Final October Devotions on Monday and pray the Rosary! Be well. Stay safe. Do good. God Bless. Go Pats! Pray for the poor souls in Purgatory!  

Joy and Hope Alive at Our Lady of Mercy!

Dear Parishioners:                    

The Ghent Altarpiece - Singing Angels (Jan van Eyc C.1429)

If you were at the 9:00 am Mass last Sunday, that beautiful sound you heard was the OLM Children's Choir singing again. After a long hiatus due to the Covid-19 Pandemic, they have returned. We thank our OLM School Music Teacher and Children's Choir Directress, Mrs. Shirley Medici, for leading this effort. The Children's Choir will sing at OLM School Masses and more regularly on Sundays.

If you like to sing, please know that the OLM Adult Choir always looks for more voices. There is no experience necessary, just a willingness to serve your parish family in the praise and worship of God and add your voice to the tremendous voices in our choir. The Adult Choir sings weekly at the Sunday 10:30 am Mass and practices weekly on Wednesday nights at 7:00 pm. If interested, don't hesitate to contact Mr. Henri St. Louis, our OLM Music Director, or show up to the Choir Loft on Wednesday night! Remember the words of St. Augustine: "When you sing, you pray twice!"    

Bishop Byrne with hisdog Zélie -- named after St. Zélie Martin, the mother of St. Therese of Lisieux.

We welcome Bishop William D. Byrne from the Diocese of Springfield, Massachusetts to Our Lady of Mercy. He is confirming the young adults of our parish family at the 5:00 pm Mass on Sunday. Bishop is the youngest of eight children and a native of Washington, D.C., and a priest of the Archdiocese of Washington. He has served as Chaplain at the University of Maryland, the  Secretary for Pastoral Ministry Social Concerns, and Pastor of St. Peter’s Parish on Capitol Hill. In 2015 he was named pastor of Our Lady of Mercy Parish in Potomac, Maryland, serving there until he was named the tenth Bishop of Springfield in October 2020.

Bishop Byrne is an excellent preacher, a popular columnist, and a YouTube and Instagram personality. His series "Five Things" highlights five spiritual meditations to help people grow closer to God and appreciate the small — but vital –things in life. The series was so popular that it was developed into a book, Five Things with Fr. Bill, available on Amazon or a good Catholic bookstore. The book certainly makes a good Confirmation gift!!

We are delighted to have Bishop Byrne with us for this important day in the life of our parish family. On Sunday evening fifty-five young adults are to be confirmed in their Catholic Faith by the Bishop. Confirmation Mass is always a joyful celebration of faith and hope for our parish, the Church, the Confirmandi, and their families.

With the Sacrament of Confirmation, these young adults receive the gifts of the Holy Spirit: wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, and fear of the Lord. These spiritual gifts now guide them in their lives as young Catholics and can lead them to a deeper relationship with Christ. We hope and pray that the 2022 Our Lady of Mercy Confirmation Class stays close to Christ and His Church.

This past week Fr. Mahoney and I trained new Altar Servers for service at Our Lady of Mercy. We thank these new Altar Servers and their supportive parents for making the commitment to serve our parish family at God's Holy Altar. They begin serving Masses in the coming weeks. We welcome and congratulate them for they are now among the few, the proud, the OLM Server Corp!

I am most grateful for your generous support of last week’s special Hurricane Ian Relief Collection. It directly supports the good work of Catholic Charities USA and its disaster response teams. They provide direct relief — such as water, food, clothing, and shelter —to meet the immediate needs of the victims of this terrible disaster. In the name of the many suffering from Hurricane Ian, I thank you for your great support. 

This week I am away on my Annual Retreat as prescribed by Canon Law. The Retreat begins Monday evening and concludes on Friday morning. This year I am making my Retreat at Arnold Hall located in Pembroke, Massachusetts and the Retreat Master is a priest of Opus Dei. I ask your prayers for me and all the priests with me on Retreat. May these days of Retreat be a fruitful time of prayer, reflection, and renewal.

  Join us for Devotions on Monday and pray the Rosary! Be well. Stay safe. Do good. God Bless. Go Pats! Congratulations and Prayerful Best Wishes to our newly Confirmed!

In This Political Season, Who Will Stand Up for the Unborn?

Dear Parishioners:                   

October is a time to pray the Rosary and also Respect Life Month. Despite the recent U.S. Supreme Court Dobbs Decision on Abortion, nothing has changed in Rhode Island. In 2019 the R.I. General Assembly codified Roe v. Wade in R.I. law, and now Abortion in our state is allowed until the birth of the preborn child. Pray a Rosary for life!

From the political ads I've seen on T.V. and political mailers in my mailbox, Abortion seems to be the major issue for many candidates for public office. Sadly many of these candidates are Catholic and fully support extreme Abortion. 

 One of the proposals of the pro-abortion movement is the public funding of Abortion on demand with federal and state tax dollars. Governor McKee and several candidates proudly accepted the endorsement of the abortionists from Planned Parenthood last week.

Following Planned Parenthood's wishes, the Governor has now included medical insurance coverage for abortion-related services for state workers and those on Medicaid in his proposed state budget. Every taxpayer in Rhode Island, including those opposed to Abortion, will now be forced to pay for the destruction of preborn babies up until birth! 

 The Governor has suggested that the public funding of the destruction of innocent unborn children through Abortion produces savings in the state budget. Such was the finding of the R.I. State Budget Office analysis commissioned by the Governor last March. It suggests that "Rhode Island could save $5.4 million a year in taxpayer dollars if it removed the current legal barrier to abortion coverage for state workers and others who depend upon the state for the health insurance plans."

 Yet the reality is that for women who live in poverty, Abortion is a desperate act, not an act of choice. Advocating for destroying human life to save funds in the state budget is a cold and calculating policy that seems to imitate the coercive abortion policies of China and North Korea. It is truly devoid of any sense of decency and morality and must be rejected.

Governor McKee should offer a choice and alternative to enable the expectant mother and their unborn child to live and prosper. Elected officials should seek to pass laws and enact policies that treat expectant mothers and their unborn children with respect and dignity due to all human beings, not as an economic burden to be disposed of simply because they live in poverty.   

  The Catholic Church firmly believes in the dignity of human life from conception to natural death, including that of all unborn children. This Governor's budget proposal would be a step in the wrong direction for protecting unborn children and their mothers from the violence of Abortion. Pope Francis states: "Abortion is not the lesser of two evils. It is a crime. It is to throw someone out to save another. That's what the Mafia does. It is a crime, an absolute evil."

Pray that, as a Catholic, our Governor might listen to the Holy Father's wise words and reconsider his proposal. May St Thomas More, the patron of politicians, intercede for the Governor and all elected public officials and those who seek public office and lead them to embrace the truth about the sanctity of human life! 

 Next Sunday, fifty-five of our young Our Lady of Mercy parishioners are to be Confirmed in their Catholic Faith. Bishop William Byrne of Springfield, Massachusetts, will celebrate the Confirmation Mass next Sunday at 5:00 pm. Please pray for our Confirmation Class as they make the final preparation to receive the Gifts of the Holy Spirit.

The Confirmation Class will join us on Monday for October Devotions. We invite you to join them on Monday at 7:00 pm and pray for them before our Eucharistic Lord. We pray for them as they prepare for the Sacrament of Confirmation and for the Holy Spirit to enter their lives. We pray as St. Catherine of Siena said: "Be who God meant you to be, and you will set the world on fire." 

 We thank you for supporting Hurricane Ian Relief in this weekend's Second Collection. Catholic Charities is now on the ground, assisting those affected and in need of food, water, shelter, and clothing. Pray for them. Also, please pray for our Confirmation Class. Be well. Stay safe. Do good. God Bless. Go Pats! Don't worry, be Zappe!!

Giving Thanks for Mercy, Aiding Those In Need

Dear Parishioners:                    

I'm sure you noticed that the new drapes for the Confessionals arrived and are now installed. However, we are still waiting for our new doors to arrive! Our new statue of the Sacred Heart, which was generously donated, has finally arrived. It is larger than the old one and carved out of stone. We hope to place it in Mercy Park.            

Kevin and Nancy McDevitt and Marybeth and John Morris, OLM School Alumni Parents enjoy the Saints and Scholars Open at Quidnessett Country Club.

The Mercy Feast Week was a great success. The Saints and Scholars Open Golf Tournament was a terrific event. The weather was beautiful, and we had 136 golfers play! Alas, Fr. Mahoney and his team did not win!

We thank our Golf Tournament Chairwoman, Mrs. Lee Mita, for her incredible hard work and dedication to making this event a success. The generous sponsors of our tournament are listed in this week's bulletin, and we are truly grateful for their support.

We thank the many folks who helped us fill backpacks for the homeless at the Act of Mercy. These backpacks and the supplies are a great help to those who are homeless in our state. Also, we thank those parishioners who couldn't be at the event but donated supplies and financial support for this Work of Mercy.

OLM Outreach Director Doug Green enjoys the Oktoberfest in his lederhosen!

Oktoberfest was a great night of fun and fellowship. The German beer and food were Wunderbar, as was the crowd of about 600! We thank the OLM staff and the volunteers for their hard work in making this an enjoyable time for our parish family. We also thank the Lynch Family for their construction site lights that lit up our time together!

The Feast Week is a wonderful week of Faith, fun, and fellowship, and we thank God for this time of celebration and the good weather He provided. Let us continue to call upon Our Lady of Mercy for her powerful intercession.

On Monday, we celebrate Columbus Day, which did not become a federal holiday until 1937. Local celebrations among Italian immigrants began in the late 19th century. The Know Nothings, a nativist anti-Catholic immigration movement, fought against these Columbus Day celebrations. Their violent anti-Catholic bigotry included great prejudice against the Italian immigrants who celebrated Columbus Day. It is no coincidence that today similar bigoted anger and hatred often prompts rioters to destroy and desecrate statues of Christopher Columbus.

The First Landing of Christopher Columbus in America, by Dióscoro Teófilo Puebla Tolín, 1862.

When Columbus landed 530 years ago, he introduced the Catholic Faith to America. With his discovery, the creation of our society began. His achievement is one of history's great triumphs, so we rightly celebrate him and his Catholic Faith. Mass is at 8:30 am on the holiday. Also, Dominican Father Jordan Zajac, OP, from Providence College, is hearing Confessions at 6:00 pm and leading our October Devotions at 7:00 pm. on Columbus Day. Father Zajac will offer a reflection entitled: "The 'Jorrowful' Mysteries: Our Lady's Life of Joys and Sorrows."   

Hurricane Ian left a path of destruction, especially in southwest Florida, trapping people in homes, flooding streets and buildings, and knocking out power across the region. The storm is one of the strongest hurricanes ever to hit the United States.

  As Bishop Tobin requested, our parish will take up a special collection for Hurricane Ian Disaster Relief next weekend, October 16. It is a Special Second Collection, and there is no envelope. Donations may  be mailed or dropped off at the parish office. Make checks payable to OLM with "Hurricane Ian Relief" in the memo line. 

The damage from Hurricane Ian in Florida.

Your generous support directly aids the response efforts of Catholic Charities agencies on the ground providing emergency aid, including water, food, shelter, medical care, and long-term recovery and humanitarian needs. Catholic Charities USA will direct 100 percent of the funds raised through this effort to its agencies working with residents impacted by Hurricane Ian. I thank you in advance for your support of this special collection. Please pray for the victims of Hurricane Ian.

  We also thank the many parishioners who generously donated to the Annual Collection. If you have not yet made your gift, please drop it in the collection basket or the mail. We are grateful for your support of this important collection.

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

It's October, A Time to Pray the Rosary

Dear Parishioners:

I offer my thanks and gratitude to all who made our Parish Feast Week of Mercy a grand success. Our parish staff and many volunteers were great help with all the events. We began with a beautiful Solemn Feast Day Mass and ended up with a great celebration of Oktoberfest!                                                       

During the week, we gathered in prayer to Our Lady of Mercy and heard a great reflection on mercy from Dominican Fr. James Mary Sullivan, OP. They are called the Order of Preachers for a reason! And we also filled 150 backpacks for the homeless with our parish work of mercy! As we reflect upon Mercy Week, let us continue to turn to our patroness, Our Lady of Mercy. Let us now echo the lyrics to the Hymn of Our Lady of Mercy as our prayer: "O Dearest Mother of Mercy, gentle and serene, our life, our sweetness, and our hope. Most Gracious Queen, O Dearest Mother of Mercy, let Angels and Men sing thy praise, and we thy loving children will sing to thee our sweetest songs."

We continue to turn to our Blessed Mother in October, a month dedicated to her and the Holy Rosary. The Feast of the Holy Rosary is on October 7 because, on October 7, 1571, the Catholic naval fleet at Lepanto won a great victory over the mighty Turkish fleet. It was the last battle at sea between "oared" ships, with the most powerful navy in the world, a Muslim force with some 15,000 enslaved Christians as rowers.

Battle of Lepanto Painted by Tony Stafki http://tonystafki.imagekind.com/

Knowing that the Christian forces were at a great disadvantage, St. Pope Pius V called for all of Europe to pray the Rosary for victory. The victory was significant as it prevented the Islamic invasion of Europe and evidenced the Hand of God working through Our Lady. At the hour of victory, St. Pope Pius V, who was hundreds of miles away at the Vatican, is said to have gotten up from a meeting, went over to a window, and exclaimed with supernatural radiance: "The Christian fleet is victorious!" 

So every October, we take up the Rosary. As St Pope John Paul II teaches: "With the Rosary, the Christian people sits at the school of Mary and is led to contemplate the beauty on the face of Christ and to experience the depths of his love. Through the Rosary, the faithful receive abundant grace, as though from the very hands of the Mother of the Redeemer."

Join us every Monday at 7:00 pm for October Devotion as we gather for adoration, pray the Rosary, and receive Benediction. It is a wonderful way to mark this special month dedicated to our Blessed Mother. Won't you join us for a half hour of prayer and reflection?

October is also Respect Life Month. As Catholics, we are called to cherish, defend, and protect those most vulnerable, from the beginning of life to its end and at every point in between. During October, the Church asks us to reflect more deeply on the dignity of every human life.

This year, Archbishop William E. Lori of Baltimore, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' (USCCB) Committee on Pro-Life Activities, invites Catholics to "practice radical solidarity and unconditional love" for pregnant and parenting mothers.

  The U.S. Supreme Court decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health this past June returned the responsibility of limiting abortion from the judiciary to the legislature. For those of us who have prayed for this moment to arrive, says Archbishop Lori, "it is the time for a renewal and rededication of our efforts to build a culture of life and civilization of love." He explains that "justice requires that the basic protections of the law against violence be extended to the preborn child" while explaining that building "a world in which all are welcome requires not only justice, but compassion, healing, and above all, unconditional love."

October is the time to turn with a renewed dedication to praying the Rosary and seeking Our Lady’s intercession for the protection of human life and an increased respect for human dignity. We must continue to pray for a culture of life in our state, nation, and world. We must also pray for all expectant mothers, especially those in crisis pregnancies. Let us turn to Our Lady of Mercy to hear and help us. Be well. Stay safe. Do good. God Bless. Go Pats beat Fr. Mahoney’s Packers???!