It Is Right & Just to Give Thanks to God!

Dear Parishioners:                                   

Freedom from Want by Norman Rockwell

On Thursday, we celebrate Thanksgiving Day. A secular and uniquely American holiday commemorating the good fortune the Puritans found in the New World, a good fortune that we Americans share to this day. However, Thanksgiving Day also has religious and even Catholic overtones.                                                

On October 3, 1789, President George Washington received a message from Congress requesting him "to recommend to the people of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer." His proclamation declared that the day "be devoted by the People of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being, who is the beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be."

The first Thanksgiving feast shared by the Puritans and the Wampanoag tribe was arranged by Squanto, a Native American who the Dominican Friars from Spain had catechized. He had been captured by the English, who planned to sell him into slavery. The Dominicans Friars rescued him, instructed him in the Catholic Faith, baptized him, and helped him to return to his people.  Squanto helped the Puritans survive by teaching them to hunt, fish, and grow corn. He also tried to help the Wampanoag tribe build a peaceful relationship with the Puritans, one that sadly did not survive. 

Squanto

The thanksgiving feast we recall was between the Wampanoag tribe and the Puritans. However, it wasn't the first celebration of Thanksgiving on American shores. Over 50 years before the Puritans established the Plymouth Colony, a group of Spanish colonists celebrated a Mass of Thanksgiving followed by a feast with members of the Timucuan tribe near Saint Augustine, Florida. 

When those Spanish priests celebrated a Mass of Thanksgiving, it was the most Catholic thing to do. It is part of our Faith as Catholics to thank God for the many blessings he has given us. Most importantly, we give thanks for the gift of his son, Jesus Christ, who sacrificed himself for the forgiveness of our sins. In our Catholic view of the world, that gift is the most powerful of all of God's gifts. 

As Catholics, we celebrate Thanksgiving every time we go to Mass. The word eucharist comes from the Greek word for thanksgiving and reminds us that we have so much to be thankful for as followers of Christ. We are thankful for his love and his mercy. We are thankful for the Catholic Faith that has been passed on to us by all those who have gone before us. We find peace and joy in giving thanks and offering our gratitude to God.  

First Catholic Mass of Thanksgiving in St. Augustine, Florida in 1585

We are called to share our gratitude, bounty, and blessings with others, especially those in need and less fortunate. That is the real lesson of the Thanksgiving feast. So, for this Thanksgiving and every day that will follow, we should look beyond our immediate family to share our blessings. Share the mercy and love God has showered upon us. We gather around the dinner table and enjoy a good meal but first, we gather at the altar, where we thank God. Begin the secular holiday of Thanking Day at Mass at 9:00 AM. Make it a true Catholic holiday, and give thanks to God! 

  Holidays can be stressful, whether hosting or traveling, celebrating with family, or spending the day alone. There's no better way to begin than with a  prayer of thanksgiving to God, and that's especially true on Thanksgiving Day! Begin the day with this prayer:

"Good and gracious God, we give You thanks today, as we do all days, first and foremost, for the gift of creation and the gift of life. We ask You to bless this food that it may nourish us and sustain us, and strengthen our ability to do Your will. We pray in thanksgiving for all the hands involved in bringing it to our table. You tell us, Lord, that to whom much is given, much is expected. May this meal and the fellowship we enjoy not only serve as clear reminders of Your love of us but of Your call for us to share Your love and to serve our brothers and sisters, especially those most in need. We ask this as we ask all things through Christ, our Lord. Amen."

As we offer our thanks to God for the blessings of OLM, Fr. Mahoney and I  offer you our best wishes for a Happy Thanksgiving! Be well. Stay safe. Do good. God Bless. Go Pats! 

Who Rules Our Life?

Dear Parishioners:                        

With all the warm weather we have been enjoying, it's hard to believe it's November! Hopefully, it is a harbinger of a warm winter with little snow! Given the price of electricity, oil, and natural gas, we would certainly benefit from warmer temperatures in the winter!   As Daylight Saving Time has begun, our days are shorter with less sunlight. Winter is approaching and officially begins on December 21st. However, our Church year ends next Sunday with the great Solemnity of Christ the King.

Each year the Church celebrates the Feast of Christ the King on the last Sunday before Advent, also known as the last Sunday of the liturgical year. Catholics have recognized Christ as our King for over 2,000 years. Each time we attend Mass, genuflect before the Blessed Sacrament, or receive a sacrament, we honor our King. Pope Pius XI instituted this feast in 1925 with his encyclical Quas Primas ("In the first") to respond to growing secularism and atheism.

His Holiness recognized that attempting to "thrust Jesus Christ and his holy law" out of public life would result in continuing discord among people and nations. This solemnity reminds us that while governments come and go, Christ reigns as King forever.

During the early twentieth century, in Mexico, Russia, and some parts of Europe, militantly secularistic regimes threatened the Catholic Church and its faithful and civilization itself. Pope Pius XI's encyclical gave Catholics hope and—while governments around them crumbled—the assurance that Christ the King shall reign forever. Jesus Christ "is very truth, and it is from him that truth must be obediently received by all mankind" (Quas Primas, 7).

   Today, just as in 1925, our world continues to experience turbulent times. In addition to political unrest and division, there is war in Ukraine and threats of wars across the globe. People are becoming increasingly more secularized and more materialistic. Church attendance worldwide is also on the decline, especially since the pandemic.

Many push Christ aside as they tend to more "important" matters like sports and leisure activities. Some may not even realize they are doing it. We live in a society where many individuals are caught up in their lives, getting their needs met and focusing on wealth and possessions.

The Feast of Christ the King is a wake-up call for all of us to stop and assess our lives. Do we include our faith in all the decisions we make? Do we only remember to pray when we need something? When we attend Holy Mass, do we actively listen to the Scripture readings and reflect on the messages? When at Holy Mass, do we prayerfully participate and worship Christ?

  As we approach the Feast of Christ the King, let the words of Pope Pius XI resonate with us: "He must reign in our minds, which should assent with perfect submission and firm belief to revealed truths and to the doctrines of Christ. He must reign in our wills, which should obey the laws and precepts of God. He must reign in our hearts, which should spurn natural desires and love God above all things, and cleave to him alone. He must reign in our bodies and in our members, which should serve as instruments for the interior sanctification of our souls."

   With Christ the King, we see the end of Ordinary Time in the Church Calendar and begin Advent! Thanksgiving Day is just around the corner! Of course, all the stores have been creating Christmas displays since September!

Speaking of Christmas, the children from OLM are having a Christmas Bazaar with homemade arts and crafts and food next Saturday in Mercy Park. Festive foods and holiday gifts are available from 1:30 pm until 3:30 pm. Be sure to stop by and support the youngsters of our parish family.

The work of installing the new Sacred Heart statue began last week. The statue stands over five feet tall, weighs over 800 pounds, and must be anchored in the ground. We are grateful to OLM Parishioner Aleksus Jagminas for working on this project. It will be a beautiful spot to pray and meditate on the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

  Fr. Mahoney is away this week celebrating his birthday with his parents, who live in Arizona. Be well. Stay safe. Do good. God Bless. Happy Birthday, Fr. Mahoney! Go Pats!

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!!