Make the Parish Mission! It Will Make Your Lent!!

Dear Parishioners:                        

 In St. Mark's Gospel, we learn that the apostles gathered with Jesus and reported all they had done and taught to the people. Jesus responds to this report of all this activity with this invitation: "Come away by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while."       The Lord wasn't inviting them on vacation at the Dead Sea or to go to Florida! Jesus called his followers to take time from their busy lives to recollect themselves with prayer and reflection.

This week, the Lord calls us to do the same at our Annual Parish Lenten Mission. It is a venerable tradition of the Catholic Church to have Parish Missions during Lent. It is a way for the parish to come together and listen to the Mission Preacher. A Mission is an occasion of grace as we take time away from our busy schedules and make our relationship with Jesus a priority. 

 Just as Jesus and His Apostles went from town to town preaching the Kingdom of God, a Mission Preacher also comes to our parish. He preaches to strengthen our relationship with Jesus, bolster our Catholic Faith, and refocus our spiritual vision on our Savior. I welcome Father Justin Brophy, OP, in your name, to OLM as our Mission Preacher. I have known him for several years, and he is an outstanding priest and a dynamic preacher.

Father Justin Brophy, OP

A member of the Order of Preachers, also known as the Dominican Friars, he is a Professor of Political Science at Providence College. Fr. Brophy is preaching at all the Masses this weekend and preaching a Mission Talk at 7:00 pm on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday nights. His theme is "Our Relationship with Jesus: the Pearl of Great Price." Before the Mission Talks each night at 6:00 pm, four priests will be available to hear Confessions.

The Parish Mission is a great opportunity to reflect, pray, and regain zeal if our Faith has grown tepid. It helps to support us in our good resolutions to serve God and our neighbor. So put the Mission on your schedule. I know you will warmly welcome Fr. Brophy this weekend and certainly find his Mission fruitful. 

 Invite your spouse, children, grandchildren, friends, neighbors, co-workers, and fellow parishioners to join you in coming to the Mission. You might even invite a fallen-away Catholic or someone who hasn't returned to Mass since Covid to join you at the Mission. It's a great way to get them to return to the practice of the Faith. Make the Mission this week, and you will benefit greatly!

We are celebrating First Confessions for our First Communion Class this Saturday and next. It is an occasion of grace as these children receive God's mercy and forgiveness in the Sacrament of Confession. Please pray for them as they prepare to receive our Lord in Holy Communion in May.

This Lent, we will hear some slightly different words from the priest in the confessional. The Order of Penance has been updated, and a new English translation has been issued. The change in the priest's prayer was allowed to begin on Ash Wednesday but must be used after Divine Mercy Sunday in April. The translation of the prayer of absolution, said by the priest, has changed slightly. Only the words in bold are new: "God, the Father of mercies, through the death and resurrection of his Son, has reconciled the world to himself and poured out the Holy Spirit for the forgiveness of sins; through the ministry of the Church, may God grant you pardon and peace. And I absolve you from your sins in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit." 

Even if a priest says the old version of the prayer of absolution, it is still valid, and your sins are forgiven. This new translation is a more precise translation of the original Latin text. In reality, most people won't notice the change in the words of absolution, but most priests need time to memorize the new words. St. Pope John Paul II said: "Confession is an act of honesty and courage - an act of entrusting ourselves, beyond sin, to the mercy of a loving and forgiving God." 

This week at the Mission and all during Lent at OLM, there are ample opportunities to make a good Confession before Easter.  I hope and pray you will do so!  Pray for Fr. Brophy and the success of our Parish Mission. Then make the Mission and go to Confession. Be well. Stay safe. Do good. God Bless! Pray, Fast, and Give Alms

Lent Has Begun! Take up Your Cross!

Dear Parishioners:                        

Jesus in the desert for forty days.

 Our solemn fast of forty days has begun! The ashes from Ash Wednesday have been washed away. However, the appeal to "Repent and Believe the Gospel!" remains before us. And so we commit ourselves to more prayer, penitential self-denial, and generous almsgiving.   

Lent has its origin in the early days of the Church. Converts seeking to become Christians, mostly adults at that time, spent several years studying and preparing. Under the threat of Roman persecution, becoming a Christian was serious business, so their preparation process was intensive! They went through a final period of "purification and enlightenment" for the 40 days before their baptism at Easter. The rest of the Church began to observe the season of Lent in solidarity with these newest Christians. It became an opportunity for all Christians to recall and renew their commitment to their baptismal promises.

Lent calls us to conversion as we acknowledge how we have turned away from God in our lives. We focus on turning our hearts and minds back toward God through the three pillars of Lent: prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. These observances help us turn away from whatever has distracted or derailed us and to turn back to God. Giving up something for Lent is ultimately a form of fasting. We can deprive ourselves of some small pleasure or indulgence and offer that sacrifice to God. Or we might "give up" a bad habit, such as swearing, to positively turn our life back toward what God wants for us.

Satan tempting Jesus.

Lent is a time to accompany Jesus into the desert, imitating his example of prayer and fasting. Jesus' regimen was rigorous in the wilderness. St. Luke explains how he "was led by the Spirit into the desert for forty days, to be tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and when they were over, he was hungry."

Giving up something for Lent is a powerful way to imitate the sacrifices of Jesus in the desert and unite our hearts with his heart in prayer. While Catholics are technically not obliged to make such a sacrifice, the Church has always encouraged the faithful to do something to enter into the penitential Spirit of Lent more deeply. By making such sacrifices, we remind ourselves that we are not made for life on this earth but are called to something greater. It is up to us to make good use of our time and to find ways to refocus our attention on God, choosing the narrow road that leads to eternal life.

One of our high school altar servers told me that last Lent, he gave up "Tik Tok," the Chinese-owned social video-sharing app, and has never returned to using it! Good for him! His Lenten fast from social media produced good fruit! What are you giving up? Let's pray it produces good spiritual fruit for you!

Pope Francis said: "Lent is a fitting time for self-denial; we would do well to ask ourselves what we can give up to help and enrich others by our own poverty. Let us not forget that real poverty hurts: no self-denial is real without this dimension of penance. I distrust a charity that costs nothing and does not hurt."

Since Lent is a time to renew and reinvigorate our relationship with Jesus Christ, I encourage you to make the Parish Lenten Mission. It begins next weekend with Dominican Friar Father Justin Brophy, OP, preaching on "Our Relationship with Jesus: the Pearl of Great Price." Fr. Brophy is preaching at the Masses next weekend and offering a Mission Talk each night on Monday through Wednesday, March 6-8. Also, four priests will be available each night of the Mission for Confession beginning at 6:00 pm. Be sure to put the Parish Lenten Mission on your calendar!

I again wish to thank the 161 parish families who have made their pledge to the Catholic Charity Appeal. We need every parish family to support the CCA if we are to reach our goal of $190,000 this year! If you still need to pledge, please consider pledging $350 over ten months at $35 monthly. The CCA funds the Diocese of Providence's many charitable good works in serving the poor and needy of our state. In the name of the poor and needy, I thank you for your support.           

Be well. Stay safe. Do good. God Bless! Lent has begun, take up your cross. Pray, Fast, and Give Alms!! 

Prayer, Fasting, Almsgiving! Lent is Coming!

Dear Parishioners:                       

 In Her wisdom Holy Mother the Church each year gives us the Holy Season of Lent. And so we "begin with holy fasting this campaign of Christian service, so that, as we take up battle against spiritual evils, we may be armed with weapons of self-restraint."

Lent calls us to be vigilant against "spiritual evils," especially those we struggle with daily. Namely, sin, pride, selfishness, spiritual apathy, indifference, sloth, and laziness. We must be armed with prayer, fasting, and almsgiving, which are our "weapons of self-restraint."

We must be more vigilant in faithfully attending Holy Mass on Sundays as God has commanded us. We must be more vigilant in seeking God's mercy and forgiveness in the Sacrament of Confession. We must be more vigilant in making sacrifices, being more generous and charitable to the poor, and practicing self-denial as we take up the cross and follow Christ. 

Our spiritual campaign of Lent begins on Ash Wednesday, with three Masses, 7:30 am, 12:05 pm, and 7:00 pm. Ashes will be imposed at all three. As our foreheads are smeared with ashes, we take up the clarion call of Lent: "Repent and believe in the Gospel."

Ash Wednesday is a day of fasting and abstinence. So we are expected to eat only one large meal and two small, modest meals and avoid eating between meals. We also are expected to abstain from eating any meat. Fridays of Lent are days of penance and prayer as we loyally keep the sacrificial fast and abstain from meat in honor of our Lord's sacrifice on the cross.

We have Lenten Masses at 7:30 am and 12:05 pm Monday through Friday. Put Daily Mass on your schedule this Lent! Confession in Lent is daily, Monday through Friday, at 11:45 am, just before the Lenten 12:05 Mass. On Monday nights at 6:00 pm during Lent, an extra guest Confessor joins us weekly. All Day Confessions are scheduled for Saturday, March 25!

Dominican Friar Father Justin Brophy, OP, leads the Lenten Mission this year. He is preaching: "Our Relationship with Jesus: the Pearl of Great Price!" Fr. Brophy is a Professor of Political Theory at Providence College. He is a brilliant young priest and an outstanding and dynamic preacher. The Lenten Mission is scheduled to begin on Saturday, March 4. Save the date and make the Mission!

  Lent is a time for more sacrifice, prayer, and reflection in our daily lives. Many Lenten books, booklets, and pamphlets are available in the vestibule and the bookrack to help strengthen your spiritual life. Take a break from your daily routine for spiritual reading, prayer, Mass, and reflection during Lent. Our Lenten fast from certain foods, drinks, and other comforts and pleasures helps us conform to God's will.

For forty days, we take up fasting by giving up some selfish pleasure or creature comforts like chocolates, ice cream or sweets, perhaps beer or Bourbon, or even smoking cigars! We should moderate our use of technology like cell phones, the internet, and social media. Such sacrificial fasting and self-denial are done during Lent in imitation of our Savior's forty days in the desert.

The late Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen said: "Lenten practices of giving up pleasures are good reminders that the purpose of life is not pleasure. The purpose of life is to attain to perfect life, all truth, and undying ecstatic love, which is the definition of God. In pursuing that goal, we find happiness."  

 On Fridays during Lent, we pray the Stations of the Cross at 7:00 pm. This venerable devotion draws us closer to the Crucified Christ. Join us as we prayerfully follow his footsteps to Cavalry. We give more alms to the poor during Lent. We can do this through Operation Rice Bowl, OLM Outreach, and the Catholic Charity Appeal. Please take a rice bowl home today. The monies collected buy food for the hungry of the world.  

Pope Francis states: "Lent reminds us that we can always start again, with the help of God's mercy, we can always get up and resume following the Master." If we've fallen away, let us resume following the Master this Lent with prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. In the name of the poor, I thank those who generously pledged their gift to the CCA. Please pray for the health and happiness of all students and teachers on vacation this week. Be well. Stay safe. Do good. God Bless! 

Where Charity & Love Prevail! Supporting the Neediest in our State!

Dear Parishioners:                        

This weekend we launch the Catholic Charity Appeal (CCA) at OLM. Our parish goal this year is $190,000. Your sacrificial gift to the CCA multiplies God's love in our community. A gift to the Appeal immediately helps individuals and families struggling with food insecurity, homelessness, heating assistance, and more.

Your financial support also builds up key ministries and programs of the Church in the areas of Evangelization, Faith Formation, Youth Ministry, Seminarian Education, Catholic School Tuition Assistance, and Life and Family Ministry, to name a few.

The CCA supports numerous ministries and programs of the Diocese of Providence. Some examples are St. Martin de Porres Senior Center, Project Hope, St. Gabriel's Call for mothers in need, Emergency Services Network through Catholic Social Services, Campus Ministry at Brown, RISD and URI, Mother of Hope Youth Camp in Chepachet, Keep the Heat On, Vocations, Special Religious Education for those with disabilities (SPRED), St. Clare Nursing Home, Care Breaks (Respite Care), Emmanuel House Homeless Shelter, Cabrini Fund and much more.

This weekend we are having our in-pew solicitation for the CCA. We ask every parish family to consider a pledge of $350, made payable over ten months at $35 per month. There are several ways to contribute to the Annual Catholic Charity Appeal. You may make your gift quickly and securely by pledging your donation online at givecentral.org/2023CCA.   As a donor, you can make a one-time gift, recurring gift, or a pledge by using your MasterCard, Visa, American Express, or Discover card online. The "pledge" option has a start and end date. In contrast, the "ongoing" giving option provides ongoing monthly support until you end payments.

There are three giving society levels for the CCA: Bishop's Partner in Faith: $1,000 - $4,999; Bishop's Partner in Hope: $5,000-$9,999; Bishop's Partner in Charity: $10,000 or more. We are blessed at OLM to have many parishioners who donate at these levels. Participation at this level is an inspiring example of Christian Stewardship for others to follow. We invite you to become a Partner this year. By doing so, you will join many other good stewards in our journey of faith together. Your charitable gift to the CCA qualifies for tax benefits as allowed by law. But please know that any gift or pledge to the CCA is greatly appreciated and helps us to reach our parish goal. 

Please note that both civil and Canonical laws dictate that all funds received by this charity can only be used for the designated programs and ministries. No gift or pledge can be diverted to fund lawsuits, settlements, or any other agencies of the Diocese.  The CCA is an annual fund, meaning monies must be raised, collected, and spent every year by the charity. It supports the day-to-day ministries and services essential to our sisters' and brothers' spiritual, pastoral, educational, and human needs throughout Rhode Island.   Donor-designated gifts to the CCA can be made by utilizing the United Way Philanthropy Fund and designating your gift to "Catholic Charities of Rhode Island."

We thank Mr. and Mrs. Jerry O'Connell, the General Chairs of the CCA at OLM, and Mr. and Mrs. Michael Mita for Chairing the Bishop's Partners in Charity portion of the CCA. I am grateful for their leadership in helping us reach and surpass our parish goal this year. Last year we exceeded our parish goal by nearly $70,000. It is a great witness to the generosity and charitable spirit of the parishioners of Our Lady of Mercy.

Bishop Tobin serving meals at Emmanuel House Homeless Shelter.

We can do the same again this year, but only if every parish family makes a donation or pledge. In a parish of over 2,000 families, just 440 supported the CCA last year. We can do better this year, and I ask you to prayerfully consider financially supporting this vital charity that funds the good works of our Church in aiding the poor, the needy, and the downtrodden.

As the Gospel of Luke reminds us: "Much will be required of the person entrusted with much, and still more will be demanded of the person entrusted with more." Be well. Stay safe. Do good. God Bless! Make your CCA pledge this weekend!

Celebrating Catholic Education, Praying for the Sick & Supporting Catholic Charities

Dear Parishioners:                        

OLM Class of 2022 celebrates Graduation Day!

Catholic Schools Week was a great celebration at Our Lady of Mercy. I hope you enjoyed our outstanding OLM School students who spoke at Masses last weekend. It is clear from listening to them that they are happy and enjoy going to their school.

We had many new and prospective families tour the school last Sunday during the Open House. It is a great sign of hope for the future but also a result of our principal and faculty's great work and dedication in making OLM School one of the best in the state. One parent told me after Mass that her decision to send her son to OLM School was the best decision she made about her children's education! This is why we have a waitlist for admission!

A few parishioners have asked about the installation of the new doors. Thus far, we have installed two doors. One is the exit door from the Choir loft on Mercy Park, and the other is the exit door from the Sacristy. Each door takes a while to install and adjust, and we are moving slowly but steadily with the project. We plan to install two doors to the Rectory basement and the front door to the Rectory in the next weeks. Once the weather is warmer, we will begin to put the new doors at each entrance of the Church. Two will be electric doors to help the handicapped gain entry easier. And we will also replace the interior door to the Candle Room.

Next Saturday, February 11, is the Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes and World Day of the Sick. Saint Pope John Paul II first introduced it as a way for believers to offer prayers for those suffering from illnesses. Our Lady of Lourdes is a powerful intercession for the sick, as the many miraculous cures in Lourdes have attested to throughout the years. In his message for the World Day of the Sick,

Pope Francis states: "On February 11, 2023, let us turn our thoughts to the Shrine of Lourdes, a prophetic lesson entrusted to the Church for our modern times. It is not only what functions well or those who are productive that matters. Sick people, in fact, are at the center of God's people, and the Church advances together with them as a sign of a humanity in which everyone is precious, and no one should be discarded or left behind." 

 I ask you to please pray for the sick, especially those OLM parishioners suffering from sickness. Fr. Mahoney and I are routinely called to local nursing homes or parishioners' homes to administer the Sacrament of the Sick. We also cover Kent Hospital for all emergencies twice a month, along with the other priests in the area. We are not always informed that parishioners are in the hospital or even sometimes that they have moved into a nursing home.

If you know of someone or you need to receive the Anointing of the Sick due to illness, surgery, or because someone is near death, please call the Rectory and let us know. We are happy to bring the Sacraments to those who need them. If someone you know is dying and in need of the Sacraments, please do not wait; call us immediately. May Our Lady of Lourdes intercede for the sick!

As we consider the sick in our prayers, I remind you of the good work done daily by our hospital chaplains. These dedicated priests and their hospital ministry are funded by the Catholic Charity Appeal (CCA). The Appeal also funds the many good works of our local Church in assisting the poor, the elderly, immigrants, refugees, Catholic school students in need, and women in crisis pregnancies. All these charitable works funded by the CCA serve thousands of disadvantaged and often marginalized people in our state.

Each year we are asked to prayerfully and financially support the CCA. I am grateful to Jerry and Kim O'Connell for serving as our General Chairpersons of the Appeal at OLM. Also, we thank Mike and Lee Mita, who are serving as the Chairs of the Bishop's Partnership in Charity for those who donate $1,000 or more to the CCA. Next weekend we begin the CCA here at OLM with the in-pew solicitation at all Masses. We ask every parish family to prayerfully consider pledging a gift of $350 made payable over ten months for $35 per month. Whatever the size of your gift, please know it is appreciated. Please pray for the success of the CCA! 

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

Celebrate Catholic Schools Week with OLM!!!

Dear Parishioners:                       

We begin Catholic School Week this weekend. It is an annual celebration of Catholic education in the United States. Students from our outstanding Parish School are speaking at all Masses this weekend. There are events planned throughout the week at the school.  

On Sunday, we begin with the OLM School Open House from 10:00 am until Noon. Everyone is invited to stop by the school and meet the students and faculty. Come and look around at all the great things happening in the school. On Friday, we end the celebration of Catholic Schools Week with Holy Mass at 9:00 am. 

  I recently read an article examining why parents choose Catholic schools for their children. Here are 5 common reasons parents choose a Catholic school education for their children. And why so many families choose OLM School and why we have a waitlist for admission. 

First, parents believe their child's teachers should serve as role models of Faith and morals. A study by the CARA Institute at Georgetown University confirmed that "strong moral values" are why parents send their children to a Catholic school. Many parents who choose a Catholic school education want their child's education at school to be an extension of what they are taught at home. They seek positive influences on their child that mirror their religious beliefs and moral choices.

Daily exposure to the Catholic Faith is also an important factor for parents. Developing a solid Catholic faith foundation is fundamental to a good Catholic School. Daily prayer and Catholic faith lessons build a strong foundation for children who hopefully will become saints! Graduates of Catholic high schools are statistically more likely to continue attending Mass and remain involved in Church life as an adult.

In fact, a recent study by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops states: "Catholic school students are more likely to pray daily, attend church more often, retain a Catholic identify as an adult, and donate more to the Church."

A parish and school create a community for the family. Families with children in a parish school have an easier time developing a sense of community with their fellow parishioners through the many opportunities for prayer, worship, study, charitable works, and fellowship. This can be especially important for those without family in the area as their church and school become an important hub.

  Catholic education is a relatively affordable private school education. Private school tuition can be expensive, but many Catholic schools and dioceses offer tuition-assistance programs for parish families needing help.  Catholic schools offer high-quality academics. In fact, a recent study suggests that ninety-nine percent (99%) of Catholic secondary school students graduate, and eighty-eight percent (88%) go on to college. In general, on national and standardized tests, Catholic schools consistently outperform public and other private schools by as much as 20 percentage points. This is a great testimony to the importance and achievements of our nation's many Catholic schools.

At OLM School, we offer a first-class quality education based on our Catholic Faith. The truth of Christ and his Church is taught and lived out daily. Our excellent faculty teach every subject very well but also teach the Catholic Faith with integrity. Our Principal, Patrick McNabb, is our school's outstanding leader, and we are blessed to have him. The 248 students at OLM School are happy to be part of a community that offers academic excellence and arts, music, extracurricular, and athletics opportunities.

Our students thrive and excel in a disciplined yet loving and nurturing environment based upon the Faith and moral teaching of the Catholic Church. They do indeed strive to be saints and scholars every day! As the late Pope Benedict XVI said: "A good school provides a rounded education for the whole person. And a good Catholic school, over and above this, should help all its students to become saints."  

Enjoy our student speakers this weekend, and please stop by the school for the Open House and join us for Catholic Schools Week! If you want more information, go to the school website at olmschool.org. Be well. Stay safe. Do good. God Bless!