Giving Thanks for Mercy & Picking up the Rosary for Life!

Dear Parishioners:                                 

Bishop Henning blessing new Church Doors on the Feast of Our Lady of Mercy.

Last Sunday's Feast Day Mass with Bishop Henning was a beautiful celebration. The music was magnificent, the altar servers were terrific, and the large crowd of parishioners was enthusiastic! The Bishop preached a powerful message on mercy and blessed our new front doors! We thank Bishop Henning and all those who worked so hard in making our Patronal Feast a glorious occasion.  

All our prayers for fine weather for our golf tournament didn't work! Tropical Storm Ophelia brought rain and more rain on Monday. There was no golfing on Monday for our 144 golfers at the OLM Saints and Scholars Open. Instead, we had a nice luncheon with raffles and a silent sports memorabilia auction. Each of our registered foursomes received a certificate for golf at Quidnessett Country Club, so they get to play golf after all! We thank Lee Mita, the chair of our Golf Tournament, for another great job!

Wednesday's Holy Hour of Mercy was a prayerful time of adoration and reflection. I am grateful for Father James Ruggeri, who presided and preached an outstanding reflection. Celebrating our parish patroness in such a prayerful way is always an inspiring and uplifting occasion. I thank the many people who came to our Act of Mercy on Thursday evening. We filled dozens of backpacks with much-needed supplies for the homeless. I thank Doug Green, our OLM Outreach Director, for his hard work in making this happen. OLM's great mercy and charity affect a great number of our impoverished brothers and sisters across our state and beyond. I thank you for your support of OLM Outreach.

October is a month dedicated to Our Mother Mary and the Holy Rosary. Each Monday night during October, we gather at 7:00 p.m. for Eucharistic Adoration, recitation of the Rosary, and Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament. During this month dedicated to the Holy Rosary, please join us for Devotions on Monday nights and pray the Rosary more frequently. Take those Rosary beads in your pocket or hanging over the bedpost and put them to work! As St. Padre Pio said: "Pray the Rosary frequently. It costs so little, and it's worth so much!" 

October is also Respect Life Month. It is a time for Catholics and all people of goodwill to consider more deeply why every human life is valuable and reflect on how to build a culture that protects life from conception to natural death. Enclosed in the bulletin is a statement by Bishop Michael F. Burbidge of Arlington, the Chairman of the US Bishops' Committee on Pro-Life Activities. It is an excellent reflection on why the Church's entire social doctrine is guided by the fundamental principle that every human life has innate dignity and incomparable value.

In reaction to the overturning of Roe v. Wade, some areas of the country now legally protect the child in the womb. In contrast, other states, including Rhode Island, have expanded access to abortion up and until the birth of the child. At this critical moment, we have new opportunities and responsibilities to build a civilization of authentic love.

Our culture claims to offer women so-called "choice," but ultimately abandons mothers to make tragic and painful decisions alone. St. Teresa of Calcutta said: "Any country that accepts abortion is not teaching its people to love but to use violence to get what they want."  Our Church supports expectant mothers and mothers with infants through St. Gabriel's Call.  Also, Project Rachel provides spiritual support for those mothers suffering after abortion. This month, the proceeds of our OLM Outreach Collection will directly support these charitable Pro-life works of the Diocese of Providence. I

n addition to our charity, I urge you to take up your Rosary and join us for Devotions on Monday nights as we pray for a culture of life. Do good. Be well. God Bless. Go Pats!  

Mercy Feast Week! Celebrating Faith, Family & Fun!!

Dear Parishioners:                                 

Happy Feast of Our Lady of Mercy! We welcome Bishop Henning to OLM this weekend as he celebrates our Patronal Feast Day Mass at 10:30 a.m. and blesses the newly installed Church front doors. Following the Mass, join us in Mercy Park, where you can personally welcome the Bishop to OLM.  

The devotion to Our Lady of Mercy originates from the Order of Our Lady of Mercy. The Order was founded in 1218 for redeeming Christian captives of the Muslims, a work of great mercy. It has always attributed to Mary a special role in its foundation.

Saint Peter Nolasco, the founder, dedicated the first Church in her honor in 1249.    Devotion to Our Lady of Mercy in the Americas can trace its roots to the second voyage of Columbus, accompanied by Mercedarian Father John Solorzano. Thus began a strong missionary apostolate for the Order, which sought to proclaim the freedom of the sons and daughters of God.

Saint Peter Nolasco, founder of the Royal and Military Order of Our Lady of Mercy of the Redemption of the Captives (the Mercedarians

Mercedarians through the centuries have seen in Mary the prototype of that freedom and truth accomplished for us by Jesus in the merciful work of our Redemption. By looking upon Mary as the true follower of her son, we understand more fully the freedom found in her words: "Behold I am the handmaid of the Lord."

And in the words of the Magnificat, we recognize the liberating mission of Jesus, reflected in the prayerful song of His Mother: "His mercy is from age to age…He has lifted up the lowly, the hungry He has filled with good things." Our Lady of Mercy, pray for us!

We begin our Parish Feast Week as we celebrate the Feast of Our Lady of Mercy on September 24! On Monday, we have over 140 golfers playing in our Annual OLM Saints and Scholars Open at Quidnessett! Pray for good weather! Fr. Mahoney is again promising a victory for his foursome! Let's see how that shakes out!

We gather for prayer and adoration on Wednesday night as we celebrate a Holy Hour of Mercy. Join us for Eucharistic Adoration, prayer, meditative music, and a reflection on Mercy by Fr. James Ruggeri. He is an outstanding preacher and one of the finest priests in the Diocese. Come and pray for Our Lady of Mercy's intercession.

Thursday night at 6:00 p.m., we gather on Lynch Field for our Act of Mercy. Everyone is welcome to come and help us prepare backpacks for the homeless. Adults and children are welcome to join us in this Act of Mercy.

The OLM Oktoberfest ends our Feast Week Festivities on Friday night. We end the feast by celebrating the coming month of October dedicated to our patroness, the Blessed Mother. We gather as a parish family from 6:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m. to enjoy fantastic German food, beer, and music. It is always an enjoyable evening. There is no admission, but plenty of fun for the whole family!

We will also draw our winners of the See You in September Raffle at the Oktoberfest! $10,000 in prize money will be awarded to our winners. There are still tickets available. You've got to be in it to win it!

Autumn has begun, and with it, the change in the temperature. Soon, the leaves change color and fall from the trees. Football is back, too. Pray for the Patriots. It's going to be a long season. But autumn is beautiful, especially in New England with its colorful foliage. As the English poet Emily Brontë wrote: "Every leaf speaks bliss to me, fluttering from the autumn tree."   

Over the last week, Fr. Mahoney and I have carefully interviewed our 50 Confirmation candidates. They seem well-prepared, ready, and enthusiastic about this milestone in their faith lives. We thank their parents and teachers for helping to prepare them properly through faith, education, prayer, good works, and worship of God at Sunday Mass. Please pray for them and their chosen sponsors as they prepare for Confirmation on October 29.

Fr. Mahoney departs for Rome on Tuesday to attend the Ordination Mass of Transitional Deacons at Saints Peter and Paul Basilica. On  Thursday, two Providence seminarians, Noah DaSilva and Joseph Brodeur, are being ordained. Please pray for them and their entire class. On his return home, Father stops in England for soccer matches and perhaps visits a pub or two! Please pray for his safe travel. Happy Feast of Our Lady of Mercy! Welcome to OLM, Bishop Henning! Do good. Be well. God Bless. Go Pats! 

Celebrating Faith & Mercy as a Parish Family

Dear Parishioners:                                 

I am happy to announce that Mr. Jeremy Long will serve as OLM's new Faith Formation Director. He is the Theology Teacher at OLM Middle School and will continue in that role while leading our Faith Formation. His education includes a Bachelor of Arts degree with a double major in Philosophy and English and a Master of Arts degree in Philosophy, both of which were awarded summa cum laude by Holy Apostles College. Mr. Long is pursuing an additional Master of Arts in Theology.    

We are grateful to Mr. Long for accepting this important position in forming the youth of our parish in the faith. We also thank Mrs. Mickey St. Jean and Mr. Doug Green, who led our faith formation for many years and retired this past June. They are helping Mr. Long in the transition to this new role.         

Our Faith Formation Program begins in October, and registrations will begin soon. Please keep an eye on the bulletin for updates about the program. Our program will particularly focus on the Preparation for the Sacrament of Communion and Confirmation.    

Fr. Mahoney led our 2023 Confirmation Class on retreat last Saturday. Their study and preparation for the celebration of Confirmation on Sunday, October 29, continues with a final class and a Penance Service in early October. Please keep them in your prayers as they prepare to receive the gifts of the Holy Spirit.      

Next Sunday, we celebrate the Feast of Our Lady of Mercy. Our new bishop, Bishop Henning, will celebrate and preach at 10:30 a.m. Please plan on joining us as we honor our Parish Patroness.   Bishop Henning is also scheduled to bless the new front doors! Please pray they are fully installed!   Following the Mass and blessing, join us for a reception in Mercy Park, where you can welcome Bishop Henning to OLM.     

Of course, the Feast Day Mass kicks off our Feast Week! On Monday, September 25, we have our Annual OLM Saints and Scholars Open Golf Tournament at Quidnessett Country Club. We still have room left, so get your foursome signed up soon!    Fr. Mahoney is once again predicting a win for his foursome! See if you can beat his team and sign up today! If you don't golf or can't make the tournament, consider sponsoring a tee sign or a priest to play golf. Sign up for golf or sponsorships online at the parish website.        

Join us for a Holy Hour of Mercy on Wednesday, September 27, with prayer, adoration, and beautiful, meditative music by our OLM Music Director, Henri St. Louis, and the parish and children's choirs. Our preacher for the Holy Hour is Fr. James Ruggeri, the Pastor of St. Patrick and St. Michael Parishes in Providence. He is an outstanding priest and preacher, and we are blessed he is coming to OLM.

On Thursday, September 28, we will have our Work of Mercy, and you are invited to join us as we assist the homeless. We will be packing backpacks with much-needed items. This event is great for the whole family, so join us as we perform this  Act of Mercy.  

We end our Feast Week by celebrating our Annual Oktoberfest on Friday, September 29! Oktoberfest is a German tradition celebrated over two weeks in Munich and ends on the first Sunday in October. The festival originated on October 12, 1810, to celebrate the marriage of the crown prince of Bavaria.     

 Our Oktoberfest lasts one night but is full of authentic German food, beer, music, and fun for the whole family. Join us in the beer tent as we celebrate the coming of Mary's Month of October!   We will hold our See You In September Raffle drawing that night, so get your winning tickets soon!   We are giving away $10,000 in prize money! Better odds than the lottery or the casino!       

Today, our OLM Family Group hosts coffee and donuts after the 9:00 a.m. Mass. This group of young families meets monthly for various spiritual, educational, and social events. So please stop by and enjoy a donut and learn more about them.         

 I am away on vacation in Ireland this weekend, celebrating a friend's 70th birthday and returning on Sunday night. I thank Bishop Evans for helping cover Masses and Fr. Mahoney for ably running the parish in my absence this past week. See you next Sunday! Do good. Be well. God Bless. Go Pats!!!!!!

Renewing Our Belief in the Real Presence

Dear Parishioners:                                

The Dedication Ceremony for the newly refurbished Stephen P. Lynch, Sr Field.

The Peragallo Organ Company was here for three days last week. They installed the seven newly refurbished and restored reservoir bellows and winker bellows. The organ is fully operational, and its majestic sound lifts our worship of God. The total cost for this project was $53,360.                                     

Our school had a beautiful Opening Mass of the Holy Spirit last Friday. Coming together as a school family at Mass is the best way to start the school year. I thank Bishop Evans for celebrating the Mass and blessing the Stephen P. Lynch, Sr. Field.

OLM School has weekly Mass on Tuesday mornings and First Friday and Holy Day Masses throughout the year. It is a true blessing of a Catholic School that the Eucharistic Lord is the center of our day and week. The centrality of Holy Mass in the life of our school is the best way we can educate our young saints and scholars for eternity.        

A recent Pew Forum survey revealed that 69% of Catholics do not believe in the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist. For most Catholics today, the Eucharist is merely a symbol of Christ, and the Mass is merely a group of like-minded individuals gathering together to remember his life.   This is a spiritual disaster, for the Eucharist is "the source and summit of the Christian life." The United States Bishops began the National Eucharistic Revival to renew the faith and revive the proper understanding of the Eucharist.       

Opening OLM School Mass, September 1, 2023.

We are blessed to have Daily Mass six days a week, four Sunday Masses weekly, Eucharistic Adoration monthly, and two priests at OLM. Many parishes do not enjoy such blessings due to the shortage of priests.       

 Jesus gives himself to us in the Eucharist as spiritual nourishment because he loves us. By eating the Body and drinking the Blood of Christ in the Eucharist, we become united to the person of Christ through his humanity. In being united to Christ's humanity, we are simultaneously united to his divinity. The transformed bread and wine are truly the Body and Blood of Christ and are not merely symbols. When Christ said, "This is my body" and "This is my blood," the bread and wine are transubstantiated. Though the bread and wine appear the same to our human faculties, they are actually the real Body and blood of Jesus.

There is a line in Evelyn Waugh's great novel, Brideshead Revisited, which speaks to the very truth of who we must be as a parish. The Matriarch, Lady Marchmain, had just been laid to rest in the family cemetery, and the grand house was being closed. The local parish priest took the Blessed Sacrament away from the house chapel to bring it to the parish church. Lady Marchmain's daughter, watching the Blessed Sacrament being taken from the small chapel, commented, "I stayed there till he was gone, and then, suddenly, there wasn't any chapel anymore, just an oddly decorated room."

 No truer words communicate that Christ, the Eucharistic Lord, is truly present in the Tabernacle. Thus, the Eucharistic Lord must be the center of our life as a parish. Without the worship of God at Holy Mass and the presence of Christ in the Tabernacle, the Church itself would indeed be an odd place.   

Next weekend, we can express our gratitude and support for the many priests who served faithfully at OLM and other parishes across the Diocese. The Second Collection is for the Senior Priests Retirement Fund. Today, 89 of our retired priests receive a modest pension. Unlike Religious Order priests, who are provided for in every way by their Order, diocesan priests lose benefits such as room and board, car insurance, and salary. Many retired priests are busy, sometimes assisting at multiple parishes.    

 Our retired priests are an integral part of the ongoing work of our parishes in the Diocese, especially with the increasing shortage of priests. While many remain active by helping at two or more parishes, some priests in nursing homes and assisted living need even more support and assistance. In their name, thank you for supporting next week's Senior Priests' Retirement Fund Collection. Full disclosure: I am not eligible for the pension until 2040, and Fr. Mahoney until 2063!      

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

Summer's End on Labor Day! Offering Thanks & Prayer

Dear Parishioners:                                 

We celebrate Labor Day this weekend. It provides an opportunity to thank God for the gift of work, which ‘anoints’ us with dignity, and to ask for God’s assistance in providing our nation and world with work for all that is decent and fair. It is also an opportunity to pray for those who must work in jobs that ignore their dignity and those who’ve lost their jobs and are seeking work now.

So, let us thank God for our work and the dignity it provides. St. Mother Teresa said: “There is always the danger that we may just do the work for the sake of the work. This is where the respect, love, and devotion come in – that we do it to God and Christ, and that’s why we try to do it as beautifully as possible.”     

Fall officially begins on September 23, so it is still summer. However, Labor Day traditionally marks the unofficial end of the summer! Children are back in school, college students have returned to university, beach homes are closed up, and the lazy, hazy summer days come to a close. As Shakespeare wrote: “Summer’s lease hath all too short a date.”

Last Monday, Fr. Mahoney, Fr. Connors, and I attended the Annual Summer Gathering for Priests at the Aldrich Mansion in Warwick Neck. There was a large turnout of priests from the Diocese gathered together to pray and socialize. Bishop Henning led us in prayer, and the newly ordained Father Patrick Ryan offered a reflection. He did an outstanding job. Preaching to priests is difficult, especially if you’ve only been one for two months!

It was a wonderful opportunity for us priests to get together and socialize with one another. Even though we all live near, considering the size of our state, the reality is that we often don’t get to see each other on social occasions. Usually, it’s wakes and funerals!

Our culture has become more isolationist, and priests are not immune from its effects. The pandemic did not help the situation. As a society, we seem to be growing apart and becoming more polarized — this is evident in our Church and national politics. This is true for priests as well. 

 These occasions of priestly fraternity create natural bonds and provide opportunities for discussion and support. Priestly fraternity provides time for friendly conversation as we share our common goal, the salvation of souls. Certainly, we all need this, but priests especially need to frequently engage in constructive, friendly, and supportive conversation and priestly fraternity.

Here at Our Lady of Mercy, we try to provide such opportunities. Once a month, we have a Recollection for Priests led by Father David Cavanagh, a Priest of Opus Dei. It is a time for priests in the area to come together for prayer, Eucharistic Adoration, Confession, and Spiritual Reflection. Afterward, we gather for conversation and lunch in the Rectory.

Please pray for priests. All priests need your prayers and support so that they may be the holy men of strength, character, and wisdom that God has called for them to be. This beautiful Prayer for Priests is by St. Therese of Lisieux. Please offer it for priests.

  “O Jesus, eternal Priest, keep your priests within the shelter of Your Sacred Heart, where none may touch them. Keep unstained their anointed hands, which daily touch Your Sacred Body. Keep unsullied their lips, daily purpled with your Precious Blood. Keep pure and unearthly their hearts sealed with the sublime mark of the priesthood.

  Let Your holy love surround them and shield them from the world’s contagion. Bless their labors with abundant fruit, and may the souls to whom they minister be their joy and consolation here and in heaven, their beautiful and everlasting crown. Amen.”

At a recent summer gathering, Pope Francis spoke with the priests of Rome. He said:  

“At the heart of our life is not the frenzy of activity, but remaining in the Lord to bear fruit. He is our refreshment. His grace allows us to go ahead in our apostolic work, to bear failures and setbacks, to rejoice with simplicity of heart, to always start again and begin again. Indeed, our necessary ‘recharging moments’ occur not only when we rest physically and spiritually but also when we open ourselves to the fraternal encounters that  prevent us from feeling alone in the face of the challenges of the ministry.”   

Pray for priests! Do good. Be well. God Bless.

Educating Saints and Scholars for Eternity

Dear Parishioners:                               

This Wednesday is the First Day of School at OLM School. The summer is ending for our faculty, students, and their families. It’s again back to class, homework, tests, and quizzes! Pray for them all as they begin a new school year. We will pray for them at the Opening Mass of the Holy Spirit this Friday at 9:00 am.            Bishop Evans will celebrate the Mass as we call upon the Holy Spirit to guide and protect our school faculty and students. Following the Mass, we will dedicate the new field at school.   

We are most grateful to David and Trisha Lynch and their family for their generous donation that made the project possible. The beautiful new grass is looking good and ready for recess and gym class! The field will be named in honor of the late Stephen P. Lynch, Sr., the grandfather of five OLM School students.     Mr. Lynch was an outstanding Catholic husband, father, and grandfather who generously supported Catholic Education, especially Our Lady of Mercy School. Bishop Evans will dedicate and bless the field following the Mass. Please join us for this celebration of Catholic Education.   

First Day of School at OLM!

Our faculty will make their Annual Retreat on Monday at the Christian Brothers Center in Narragansett. Our retreat is led by Father Matthew Norwood from the Archdiocese of Boston. He is a graduate of St. John Seminary in Boston. He serves as an Associate Pastor at two parishes in Hingham. Please pray for him and our faculty as they make their retreat.   

The theme of the retreat is “Educating for Eternity.” It is also the title of a book that was the summer reading for our faculty. Written by Dr. Brett Salkeld, Ph.D., a lay theologian for the Archdiocese of Regina, Canada.       In Educating for Eternity: A Teacher’s Companion for Making Every Class Catholic, Dr. Salkeld maintains that providing an authentically Catholic education does not require revolutionary or expensive initiatives in pedagogy or infrastructure. It requires only three things: faith, the ability to see the world—and all academic subjects—through the lens of faith, and a desire to pass the faith onto the next generation. Thus, the mission of all Catholic Education is to prepare every student for eternity. In other words, to get them into heaven!

This is what we strive to do at OLM School every day. Our students do it by striving to be scholars and, more importantly, saints!   So please join us in praying for our outstanding school faculty and students at Mass this Friday. May the Holy Spirit guide and protect all returning students and teachers!    

David DelBonis running track at Bishop Hendricken High School.

It gives me great joy to announce that one of our parishioners has entered Our Lady of Providence Seminary for formation and studies for the priesthood. David DelBonis, a long-time Altar Server, was accepted to the seminary by Bishop Henning.   David graduated from Bishop Hendricken High School as an All-State Track Star. He attended St. Joseph University in Philadelphia and URI. David will now reside at the seminary on Mt. Pleasant Avenue in Providence and attend Providence College to study philosophy.     He is the son of Richard and Mary Ann, and his older brother John serves in the U.S. Army. We congratulate him on his decision to discern a vocation to the priesthood and acceptance into the seminary. Pray for him and his vocation as he begins his seminary formation and philosophical studies.    

Three priests are native sons of OLM and graduates of our parish school. Fr. Luke (Tom Truhan), O.C.S.O., a Cistercian Monk at St. Joseph Abbey in Spencer, MA, Dominican Friar, Fr. Francis Belanger, OP, who serves at St. Vincent Ferrer Church in New York City, and Fr. Brian Morris,  Chaplain at Bishop Hendricken and Pastor of St. Anthony and Christ the King Parishes in West Warwick. Pray for them.

Pope Francis has said: “A priestly vocation, more than our own choice, is a response to the Lord’s unmerited call.” Pray for all our seminarians and priests. May they persevere, and may God bless our Diocese with more priestly vocations.    I thank all those who generously supported the Back to School Drive for St. Patrick Academy with school supplies and financial donations. Your support and generosity is truly appreciated.

Do good. Be well. God Bless.