A Prayerful Farewell for Pope Francis

Dear Parishioners:                  

We continue to mourn and pray for the repose of the soul of Pope Francis.  Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, Dean of the College of Cardinals,  was the principal celebrant of the Funeral Mass last Saturday.  In his homily, he said:                 

  "Rich in human warmth and deeply sensitive to today's challenges, Pope Francis truly shared the anxieties, sufferings, and hopes of this time of globalization. He gave of himself by comforting and encouraging us with a message capable of reaching people's hearts in a direct and immediate way. Mercy and the joy of the Gospel are two key words for Pope Francis.  In contrast to what he called ‘the culture of waste,’ he spoke of the culture of encounter and solidarity. The theme of fraternity ran through his entire pontificate with vibrant tones. In his Encyclical Letter Fratelli Tutti, he wanted to revive a worldwide aspiration to fraternity, because we are all children of the same Father who is in heaven. He often forcefully reminded us that we all belong to the same human family. Pope Francis used to conclude his speeches and meetings by saying, 'Do not forget to pray for me.'

Dear Pope Francis, we now ask you to pray for us. May you bless the Church, bless Rome, and bless the whole world from heaven as you did last Sunday from the balcony of this basilica in a final embrace with all the people of God, but also embrace humanity that seeks the truth with a sincere heart and holds high the torch of hope."

Over 400,000 people attended the Funeral Mass last week.  Among them were the President, other Heads of State, and several Monarchs.  I had several priest friends, and some parishioners from Our Lady of Mercy (OLM) were even in attendance. What a special blessing for our parish to be represented at the Holy Father's Funeral Mass. As I said at Mass last weekend, we are in an unusual situation here in the Diocese of Providence, as we now have neither a Bishop nor a Pope.  Bishop Lewandowski was among the last appointments made by the late Pope Francis, and he will be officially installed as Bishop of Providence on May 20.  Please continue to pray for him as he prepares to be our new shepherd. Meanwhile, the Sacred College of Cardinals has gathered in Rome for the Conclave to elect the new Pope. It begins this Wednesday.  Pray for them.  There is a prayer in the bulletin for the Conclave. I ask that you please pray it daily until a new Pontiff is elected.  

Of course, the secular media love to speculate about who the next Pope will be and what happens inside the Sistine Chapel during the Conclave. However, only the Holy Spirit and the Cardinals know what happens. They divulge any information.  They are locked in the Sistine Chapel, without phones or computers, until they elect the Pope.  So ignore the media prognosticators and instead pray for the Sacred College of Cardinals. Hollywood recently made a movie called Conclave, which, sadly, but not surprisingly, was nominated for an Academy Award. It is now attracting a new audience in light of the current Conclave in Rome. I urge you to skip watching it! In his review of the film, Bishop Robert Barron said:

"Conclave is more a piece of anti-Catholic propaganda than a work of art. It might have stunning cinematic sequences and a star-studded cast, but those things do not redeem the underlying ugliness of the project. Namely, it aims to paint the Catholic Church in the most negative light possible."

While the Church in Rome is busy, we are busy here at OLM as well.  We aren't having a Conclave, but we have several important events coming up.  We have the OLM School Spring Fling this Saturday night at the Quidnessett Country Club.  This live and silent auction event is the primary fundraiser for our outstanding parish school.  So please pray for its success!! And next Saturday, we celebrate First Holy Communion for sixty-one of our parish children.  Please pray for them as they prepare and practice this week for this special event in their lives.  They join us on Mother's Day next Sunday at the 10:30 am Mass for the May Crowning! 

It's May, the Month of Mary! Please pick up your Rosary and join us for Marian Devotions every Monday at 7:00 pm.  Be well. Do Good. God Bless. Go Sox!

Pope Francis, Rest in Peace

Dear Parishioners:                    

Our joyful celebration of Easter was dampened on Monday morning as we learned of the death of our beloved Holy Father, Pope Francis. His final message was delivered at the Urbi et Orbi address on Easter Sunday:                                               

"Christ is risen, alleluia! Dear brothers and sisters, Happy Easter! Today at last, the singing of the "alleluia" is heard once more in the Church, passing from mouth to mouth, from heart to heart, and this makes the people of God throughout the world shed tears of joy.  From the empty tomb in Jerusalem, we hear unexpected good news: Jesus, who was crucified, "is not here, he has risen" (Lk 24:5). Jesus is not in the tomb, he is alive!

Love has triumphed over hatred, light over darkness, and truth over falsehood. Forgiveness has triumphed over revenge. Evil has not disappeared from history; it will remain until the end, but it no longer has the upper hand; it no longer has power over those who accept the grace of this day.

Sisters and brothers, especially those of you experiencing pain and sorrow, your silent cry has been heard, and your tears have been counted; not one of them has been lost! In the passion and death of Jesus, God has taken upon himself all the evil in this world and in his infinite mercy has defeated it. He has uprooted the diabolical pride that poisons the human heart and wreaks violence and corruption on every side. The Lamb of God is victorious! That is why, today, we can joyfully cry out: "Christ, my hope, has risen!" (Easter Sequence).

The resurrection of Jesus is indeed the basis of our hope. For in the light of this event, hope is no longer an illusion. Thanks to Christ — crucified and risen from the dead — hope does not disappoint! Spes non confundit! (cf. Rom 5:5). That hope is not an evasion, but a challenge; it does not delude, but empowers us.

All those who put their hope in God place their feeble hands in his strong and mighty hand; they let themselves be raised up and set out on a journey. Together with the risen Jesus, they become pilgrims of hope, witnesses of the victory of love and of the disarmed power of Life.

Christ is risen! These words capture the whole meaning of our existence, for we were not made for death but for life. Easter is the celebration of life! God created us for life and wants the human family to rise again! In his eyes, every life is precious! The life of a child in the mother's womb, as well as the lives of the elderly and the sick, who in more and more countries are looked upon as people to be discarded.

In the Lord's Paschal Mystery, death and life contended in a stupendous struggle, but the Lord now lives forever (cf. Easter Sequence). He fills us with the certainty that we too are called to share in the life that knows no end, when the clash of arms and the rumble of death will be heard no more. Let us entrust ourselves to him, for he alone can make all things new (cf. Rev. 21:5)! Happy Easter to everyone!"

Upon his death, an official period of mourning for nine days began on Monday. The Church now enters a period known as "sede vacante" — a Latin phrase that translates to "empty seat" or "vacant seat" — when the Throne of Saint Peter is unoccupied.

The College of Cardinals will temporarily take over and assume limited powers led by the camerlengo or chamberlain. The American-Irish-born Cardinal Kevin Farrell, the Church's current camerlengo, runs the Holy See's administration and finances, otherwise known as the Catholic Church's government. Under the Vatican's procedures, a "conclave," a meeting where cardinals vote on the next pontiff, must start 15 to 20 days after Pope Francis' death.

Let us pray for Pope Francis: "Lord, we give thanks for the life and ministry of Pope Francis, your faithful servant who guided your Church with wisdom, love, and compassion. We ask for your mercy upon his soul, that he may rest in eternal peace with the saints. As we mourn his passing, we pray for the Church, your Bride, that she may be strengthened and sustained in his absence. Grant us wisdom, unity, and love so that we may continue to build your Kingdom together as one body in Christ."

Alleluia, He has Risen! He has Risen Indeed!

Dear Parishioners:                   

Happy Easter! "Alleluia, He has risen! He has risen indeed, Alleluia!" Today, we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who conquered death and rose from the dead, offering eternal life to those who believe.  As we read in St. Matthew's Gospel: "The angel said to the women, 'Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay."

It must have been a mind-bending experience for the disciples to discover that the tomb was empty and that Jesus had risen from the dead. Nothing could have prepared them for this moment. From the pits of despair they had been in since Good Friday, they faced this awesome event: Jesus was no longer dead but had risen as he had said. And so, as the Gospel tells us, they ran, raced even, to get to the tomb and see for themselves, experience for themselves what Mary had herself experienced. It must have been something awesome.

"O death, where is your victory, O death, where is your sting?" St. Paul writes to the Corinthians. Jesus Christ has conquered death and has been vindicated by God. But so were his disciples vindicated in their fidelity to Jesus, despite the many odds they had faced. The empty tomb eventuality molds out of the early disciples, a community of faith that weathers every storm, persecution, and trial. It does so to bring the Good News of Jesus to others so that they, too, may come to believe and find themselves vindicated as Jesus had been. The rising of the Son of God from the dead is the ultimate proof of the truthfulness of his message.

Easter Sunday is the central point around which the entire Christian faith revolves. It represents, for all of us, the final word spoken by God through his Son, Jesus Christ. And it is a word of promise to all those who follow in the path of Christ, the path of humility and suffering and even death, but a path that ends not in death, but in life eternal. The empty tomb is the real end of the story of Jesus. It is also the point of the story of our own lives; the glory of the resurrection is the promise that awaits us all. On that glorious Easter morning, when the women rush to anoint Jesus' body in the tomb, they discover not a dead Jesus but an angel who tells them that he is no longer there, for he has been raised from the dead. The joy of Easter is what awaits all who remain faithful to God's promise.

As Pope Saint John Paul II teaches: "Christ's resurrection is the strength, the secret of Christianity. It is not a question of mythology or of mere symbolism, but of a concrete event. It is confirmed by sure and convincing proofs. The acceptance of this truth, although the fruit of the Holy Spirit's grace, rests at the same time on a solid historical base. The new effort of evangelization can begin only from a renewed experience of this Mystery, accepted in faith and witnessed to in life."

On this Easter Sunday, as we celebrate the Resurrection of Christ, we also celebrate with the ten new Catholics from our parish who were baptized, received communion, confirmed, and received into the Catholic Church at the Easter Vigil.  St. Maximilian Kolbe said, "The soul is regenerated in the sacred waters of baptism and thus becomes God's child." We are overjoyed for these witnesses of faith as they become children of God who now share in our Catholic faith and live within the family of our Catholic Church.  We pray for them that they may continue to grow in faith, hope, and charity. May the blessings of the Risen Christ be theirs this day and always!

As we bask in the glow of the Light of Christ, renewed in the new waters of Easter, and rejoice in our salvation won for us through the death and resurrection of Christ, let us reflect on this ancient Easter Sermon by St. John Damascene:

"Tis the spring of souls today: Christ has burst His prison; And from three days' sleep in death as a Sun has risen. All the winter of our sins, long and dark, is flying from His light, to whom we give undying laud and praise.  Now the queen of seasons, bright with the day of splendor, with the royal feast of feasts comes its joy to render!"

I wish you a very Happy and Holy Easter!

Celebrate the Week that Changed the World

Dear Parishioners:                  

 Lent is nearly over. On Ash Wednesday, we began fasting, almsgiving, and praying fervently. This Palm Sunday, as we proclaim the Lord's Passion, we reflect upon the suffering and death of Jesus Christ. Soon, we will rejoice at Christ's glorious resurrection at Easter.                           

At Easter, the penitential purple vestments are replaced by dazzling gold vestments, and beautiful flowers fill the Church. Our Lenten fasts give way to Easter feasting. But Easter has not yet arrived. First, we must celebrate Holy Week. Today, we begin with Jesus' triumphant entry into Jerusalem.

The Gospel of Palm Sunday tells the story of Jesus' pilgrimage to Jerusalem, where his sacrifice and the promise of the Father's love would be fulfilled. At the Mass of Palm Sunday, we remember his Passion with faith and hope, with our palm branches in hand. Our active participation in  Palm Sunday invites us to be fully present and active during this coming Holy Week. We should celebrate the Sacred Triduum of Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday with devotion.

St. Josemaria Escriva wrote: "The tragedy of the Passion brings to fulfillment our own life and the whole of human history. We can't let Holy Week be just a kind of commemoration. It means contemplating the mystery of Jesus Christ as something which continues to work in our souls."   

I invite you to participate actively and prayerfully in the services of Holy Week. Spend time with your family talking about Jesus' death and resurrection. Pray the sorrowful mysteries of the Rosary with your family. Pray the Stations of the Cross with your family. Remember that God loves us enough to die on the Cross for us.

When we share in Christ's Passion, we can more truly share in his resurrection. We are united to the mystery of Jesus' resurrection for all eternity. But we must be willing to suffer along with Jesus. We must offer our sufferings to the Crucified Christ, who redeems them, for he turns suffering and defeat into victory. The crown of victory cannot be worn without first experiencing the crown of thorns. As the Venerable  Fulton Sheen writes: "Unless there is a Good Friday in your life, there can be no Easter Sunday."

I pray you experience the Israelites' hope and Jesus' suffering this Holy Week. I pray you recognize Christ's gift of selfless love for us. And I pray each of us experiences the fruit of that love, eternal life with God. So, begin this Holy Week with Confession. On Monday at 6:00 pm, two Dominican Friars will hear Confessions for two hours. Attend the Masses on Monday, Tuesday, and Spy Wednesday. 

Join us for the Office of Readings and Morning Prayer each morning of the Triduum. Live this "Week that Changed the World"  with a lively faith. On Holy Thursday at 7:00 pm, celebrate the Most Holy Eucharist and Sacred Priesthood at the Mass of the Lord's Supper.  Then, stay with the Lord at the Altar of Repose and pray with him. 

On the Friday we call Good pray the Stations of the Cross at 3:00 pm. Attend the Liturgy of the Lord's Passion and venerate the Cross, the means of our salvation, at 7:00 pm.  Joyfully celebrate the Lord's Resurrection and the Sacraments of Initiation on Holy Saturday at the Easter Vigil at 8:00 pm.  On Easter Sunday, rejoice in the Resurrection of Christ at the Easter Masses at 7:30 am, 9:00 am, and 10:30 am.

On Tuesday, our Holy Father Pope Francis appointed a new Bishop of Providence, the Most Reverend Bruce A. Lewandowski, C.Ss.R. Bishop is a native of Ohio and a member of the Redemptorist order founded in 1732 by Saint Alphonsus Liguori.

He served as a Pastor in urban parishes in New York City and Philadelphia and the missions in the West Indies and has been serving as the Auxiliary Bishop of Baltimore. We welcome our new shepherd with our promise of prayers for him and his ministry in Providence. Welcome, Bishop Lewandowski! Ad multos annos!

Bishop Lewandowski's episcopal motto is "Because by Your Holy Cross."  A fitting motto for us to adopt this Holy Week! It's the holiest week of the year, celebrate it with a lively faith and deep devotion.

A Blessed Holy Week!

Time to Make Our Easter Duty

Dear Parishioners:                  

How have the Lenten prayer, fasting, and almsgiving been going? Lent ends soon! It officially ends when the evening Mass of the Lord's Supper on Holy Thursday begins. This is because the Mass of the Lord's Supper ushers in the Sacred Triduum, the liturgical season in its own right and the shortest of the liturgical year.            

Jesus Washing Peter’s Feet by Ford Madox Brownn (1821–1893)

As for the Lenten self-denial, we take up (like giving up cigars or sweets) those are voluntary penances we make as personal sacrifices. As voluntary penances, they can be set aside, and we can take a break from them on Sundays and Solemnities during Lent.

That said, Sundays are indeed part of the Lenten season. Only after the Mass of the Lord's Supper on Holy Thursday should we again enjoy the pleasures and goodies we've been fasting from as acts of penance during Lent. However, Good Friday is the next day, a day of devout prayer, strict fasting, and abstinence from meat. It is not a day to indulge in the pleasures and comforts we sacrificed in Lent!

Next Sunday is Palm Sunday, as we celebrate Jesus' triumphant entrance into Jerusalem astride a colt. It anticipates his coming Passion, suffering, and death. The Passion of Our Lord is solemnly proclaimed at all Palm Sunday Masses.  We gather in Mercy Park before the 10:30 am Mass for the Solemn Procession of Palms.  Palm branches are distributed and blessed at all Masses on Palm Sunday.

Christ Crucified by Diego Velázquez, 1632

The celebration of Palm Sunday begins Holy Week, the most important week of the year. It is a week of great reverence and deep reflection that spans the final days of Jesus's life—from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday. It is the most sacred seven days of the Catholic Church.

On Wednesday of Holy Week, Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve apostles, betrayed Jesus, handing Christ over to the high priests and Temple guards for thirty pieces of silver. Judas sought an opportunity to betray Jesus. Since he acted as their spy, this day has become traditionally known as "Spy Wednesday."

At Holy Thursday's Mass of the Lord's Supper, we mark Jesus' institution of the Eucharist and Priesthood at the Last Supper. On Good Friday, we recall the Lord's Passion and Crucifixion with the Stations of the Cross and the Liturgy of the Lord's Passion and Veneration of the Cross. We celebrate the Easter Vigil, the Mother of All Vigils, on Holy Saturday after sunset at 8:00 p.m.!

At this Vigil, we celebrate the Resurrection of the Lord and the Sacraments of Initiation. Ten candidates are to be baptized,   received into the Catholic Church, and receive the Sacraments of   Communion and Confirmation. We pray for them as they continue to prepare for such an important celebration of faith. 

As we welcome them into the Church, we must take up our Easter Duty. The Easter Duty is the obligation to go to Confession and receive Holy Communion during Easter. If we already have the good practice of regular  Confession and worthy reception of Holy Communion, we can fulfill our Easter Duty without much effort.

Although most Catholics receive  Communion frequently throughout the year, including Eastertime, the Easter Duty sets a minimum obligation of once a year for those who do not. Confession is also part of making our Easter Duty.  Every Catholic should go to Confession regularly, but at a minimum, at least once a year, they must make a Sacramental confession of their sins.

A Church Interior with Women at the Confessional by Ludwig Passini 1863; Rome, Italy

When considering these sacramental duties, we must recognize that the Church proposes the Easter Duty to help us grow in grace and gain us Heaven. The Easter Duty stems from two related Church laws: to receive the Eucharist at least once a year during the Easter season and to receive absolution in Sacramental Confession for our mortal sins at least once a year.                 

Saint 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."

We have two guest confessors available for confession this Monday at 6:00 p.m. On the Monday of Holy Week, two Dominican Friars will hear Confessions for two hours beginning at 6:00 p.m. These are great opportunities to fulfill our Easter Duty.

Do good. Be well. God Bless. Remember, Fridays are for Stations of the Cross and Fish and Chips!

.

Living the Liturgical Calendar

Dear Parishioners:                    

Pope Gregory XIII

 Spring has arrived, and March is ending. April arrives on Tuesday as we welcome April Fools’ Day! According to tradition, one of the most likely origins of April Fools' Day is the Western world's switching from the Julian calendar to the Christian Gregorian calendar in the 1500s.   The Gregorian calendar was named after Pope Gregory XIII, who instituted it in 1582. The Julian calendar, introduced by Julius Caesar in 46 BC, is a solar calendar with 365 days in a normal year and 366 leap days every four years.

For centuries, scientists have been grappling with how to address problems created by the Julian calendar. One concern is that, due to imperfect calculations, there is a ten-day difference between the calendar and the perceived reality of seasons and lunar cycles. Why did the Catholic Church get involved? A primary reason is that the Church was among the parties most affected by this discrepancy, especially regarding calculating when Easter would fall each year.

Many people don't realize that the date of Easter isn't chosen at random. Instead, it's decided using a systematic, scientific calculation based on the Spring Equinox and lunar cycles. Every year.  Easter falls on the Sunday after the first full moon on or after March 21. That works well for us with the Gregorian calendar but not when the Julian calendar was used. Because of the ten-day discrepancy that has existed for hundreds of years, the date that the Church chose for Easter no longer matched actual lunar realities.

Pope Francis and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew

The Roman Catholic Church follows the Gregorian Calendar, and the Orthodox Church follows the Julian Calendar. Therefore, Easter is often celebrated on different dates by each Church. However, Bartholomew, the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, has stated that ongoing conversations between Catholic and Orthodox Churches are about a possible agreement on the common date for Easter. Pope Francis has also expressed his support for a unified Easter celebration between Eastern and Western Churches.

Easter Sunday is April 20 in 2025, almost as late as it can be. This year, both the Eastern and Western Churches will celebrate it on the same date. However, Holy Week coincides with the school's Spring Vacation. The OLM Holy Week Schedule is in the bulletin for those not on vacation. If you are traveling during Holy Week, you can find Holy Week Mass times at masstimes.org online. Holy Week is celebrated in nearly every country in the world!

Join us at the Living Stations of the Cross this Friday.  Our OLM Middle School students perform this powerful meditation on the Stations of the Cross at 1:00 pm and 7:00 pm.  All parishioners are most welcome to come pray, reflect, and meditate at the Living Stations of the Cross. 

Mark your calendars as next weekend, the Saturday Evening Mass moves to a 5:00 pm start time, and Saturday Confession time moves to a 4:00 pm start time. Please note this schedule change and tell your family, friends, neighbors, and fellow parishioners. This schedule remains in place until November 1.

Operation Rice Bowl, a practical act of almsgiving during Lent.

St. Jerome said: "Fasting without almsgiving is entirely without benefit; fasting with almsgiving is twice as good; but fasting without almsgiving is no good at all." How's your almsgiving going this Lent? There are many worthwhile charities to support with your Lenten Almsgiving. The Catholic Charity Appeal helps our Church serve the poor and needy of Rhode Island. Please make a gift today.  The Catholic Relief Services Operation Rice Bowl helps feed the hungriest of the world. Fill those Rice Bowls picked up on Ash Wednesday. OLM Outreach helps serve the poor and needy of our community with food. Your support is appreciated. Pray, fast, and give alms!!

Pope Francis made his first public appearance in over a month last Sunday, offering a brief greeting and apostolic blessing from a window of Gemelli Hospital. He looks weak and tired, so please pray for our Holy Father. He has now returned home to the Vatican for two months of necessary rest and convalescence. He will likely be unable to celebrate Holy Week Services in public.

Do good. Be well. God Bless. See you at the Living Stations of the Cross on Friday! Pray for Pope Francis.