A Time to Rejoice!

Dear Parishioners:                                  

It's Laetare Sunday, the Fourth Sunday of Lent. The name Laetare comes from the entrance antiphon from Isaiah: "Rejoice, Jerusalem, and all who love her. Be joyful, all who were in mourning; exalt and be satisfied at her consoling breast."  Laetare is the first word meaning "rejoice" in the Latin text. The Church expresses hope and joy amid our Lenten fasts and penances on Laetare Sunday (similarly to the Third Sunday of Advent's Gaudete Sunday). Often called Rose Sunday due to the rose-colored vestments. It indicates a glimpse of the joy that awaits us at Easter, just before we enter the somber days of Passiontide.

The joy of Easter being around the corner is symbolized in a few other interesting liturgical possibilities. During Lent, the General Instruction of the Roman Missal forbids flowers adorning the altar. But on Laetare Sunday (as well as solemnities and feasts within the season), there's a temporary halt to these acts of penance! 

At one time, marriages were generally forbidden during Lent. Still, Laetare Sunday was often associated with a day when marriages could be celebrated during the penitential season. While marriages are now only forbidden on Good Friday and Holy Saturday, Laetare Sunday is still fitting for those wishing to be married before Eastertide.

 Laetare Sunday is the Church's way of giving us a "shot in the arm" as we approach the darkness and horror of the days through Good Friday and Holy Saturday. It's an opportunity to savor and keep in the back of our minds what awaits us on Easter Sunday — the reality that Jesus Christ has risen from the dead and that our hearts will always be filled with joy!

  We are filled with joy this Saturday and next Saturday as our OLM First Communion Class will make their first confessions. They, too, will be filled with joy as they receive the grace of God's mercy and forgiveness in Sacramental Confession for the first time. Please pray for them.

Pope Francis said: "I ask you: have you ever thought that every time we go to the confessional, there is joy and celebration in heaven? Have you ever thought about that? It is beautiful and fills us with great hope because there is no sin to which we have stooped from which, by the grace of God, we cannot rise up again. There is no person who is beyond recovery, no one is beyond recovery. Because God never ceases to want what is good for us, even when we sin!"

Have you had a chance to make a good Confession during this Lent? If not, there are ample opportunities. Confession is offered daily at 11:45 am, every Monday at 6:00 pm with two priests, and every Saturday at 3:00 pm.   On Saturday, March 24, there will be All-Day Confessions from 9:00 am until 3:00 pm with four priests available. During Holy Week, additional times and priests will be available for Confession.   As Pope Francis said: "I ask you: have you ever thought that every time we go to the confessional, there is joy and celebration in heaven?" So make heaven celebrate with joy and make a good Confession.

Of course, there is also another occasion of joy at OLM. Next Sunday is St. Patrick's Day, so we rejoice for such a glorious saint. At the 10:30 am Mass, there will be readings in the Irish language and Irish music. And we are truly blessed to have Monsignor Séamus Horgan. Monsignor is a native son of Ireland and priest of the Diocese of Killaloe, established in the 7th Century. The Diocese comprises parts of the counties of Clare, Tipperary, Offaly, Limerick and Laois.

Monsignor is now the First Counsellor of the Apostolic Nunciature of the Holy See to the United States of America. This means he serves as the Holy Father’s personal representative to the U.S., the Papal Nuncio, His Eminence Christophe Cardinal Pierre. Following the 10:30 am Mass, there will be a reception in the vestibule. Enjoy the Mass with its Irish hymns and readings, and join us in rejoicing with some Irish Soda Bread and Irish Coffee in honor of Glorious St. Patrick. It’s sure to be a grand time for all young and old. Remember, you don’t have to be Irish to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day; all are welcome!

   Be well. Do good. God Bless! Pray. Fast. Give Alms. See you at Stations of the Cross on Friday! 

Finishing Lent with Prayer, Fasting & Almsgiving

Dear Parishioners:                                 

We are at the halfway point of Lent. That means we still have three weeks until the Holy Week and Easter Sunday. Some people say that time passes quickly. But often, I hear people say that Lent seems so long.      Lent seems so long for two reasons. The first is completely objective: Lent is, in fact, the longest season of self-denial during the Church’s year. No other season requires sustained fasting from worldly pleasures like Lent. Many people make truly heroic sacrifices for six full weeks (without cheating on Sundays), such as giving up sugar, alcohol, red meat, curse words, gossip, and even cigars! Lent is not for spiritual wimps. It is for spiritual warriors willing to fight to express their devotion to God.

The second reason follows directly from the first. We are often unwilling to endure even the simplest sufferings over an extended period. We don’t like to go without a whole meal for a whole day. We don’t even like to go without snacks between meals for a whole day. Further, we don’t like the daunting task of forming a new and good spiritual habit.   For these dispositions of mind and heart, we must repent. We must allow Christ to teach us His way instead of our own (see Luke 9:23). We must never forget that our life on this earth is the only chance to prove our love for our Lord.

 It is about this time each year, about halfway through the spiritual boot camp and marathon that is Lent, that we should remind ourselves of the purpose of Lent. Recall that Jesus never promised that life as His disciple would be full of daily pleasurable experiences. Rather, He taught that the way to abundant life is through the ongoing death to self that one learns by detaching oneself from worldly cares and associations like food, money, lust, ego, and laziness. We take up our cross, deny ourselves, and follow him. 

 The Scriptures remind us that the journey toward communion with Our Blessed Lord is arduous and requires great discipline and unending work. In his first letter to the Corinthians, St. Paul writes, “Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we are imperishable. Well, I do not run aimlessly…but I pommel my body and subdue it, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified” (1 Cor. 9:25-27). Here, the Apostle recognizes that the goal dictates the measures one takes to keep progressing. In the case of Christians, the goal of eternal happiness with God causes us to reject habits and vices that might destroy our souls.

  Another Scripture passage is from the letter to the Hebrews. The author writes to exhort his audience: “Let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us” (Heb. 12:1). In this brief moment, the reader understands that heavy things prevent a runner from running quickly and effectively. In our spiritual lives, sin is that weight that keeps us from progressing toward the finish line.

With this heaviness in mind, the author offers encouragement by stating that we run while “looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God” (Heb. 12:2). Indeed, when we see and understand the crown of glory that we will share with Jesus Christ, the sufferings and trials endured along the way seem to vanish. We realize we can endure anything if the reward is so great as heavenly bliss.

Therefore, we should not lose heart during this second half of Lent. Rather, we should encourage one another to continue the effort to gain control over our minds and our bodies for God’s glory. And let’s never forget that this process always and only begins with His divine grace: we can do nothing alone. Any victory over Lent and spiritual death is ultimately His victory. To God belongs the glory, now and forever! Stay the course and continue to run the race of Lent!

I am away this week, preaching the Lenten Mission at St. William’s Parish in Naples, Florida. Please pray for me and the success of the Mission. Be well. Do good. God Bless! 

Make the Lenten Mission!

Dear Parishioners:                                 

We welcome our Lenten Mission Preacher, Father Francis McCarty, OSB, to OLM. He is preaching all the weekend Masses and offering a Mission Talk on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday nights. The title of his Mission is "The Seven Words of the Blessed Virgin Mary: Lessons on Discipleship."             

Fr. Francis McCarty, OSB

Father Francis is a native of Manville, RI, and attended Mt. St. Charles Academy in Woonsocket, where he later taught. He studied at St. Anselm College in New Hampshire and encountered the Benedictine Monks. Father entered the St. Anselm Monastery after teaching high school for a few years. He studied for the priesthood at St. John's Seminary in Boston with Fr. Mahoney and was ordained a priest in 2022. He resides at the St. Anselm Abbey and is the Campus Minister at St. Anselm College.

I first met him when he was 15. He was an Eagle Scout in the Boy Scout Troop in Albion, where I served as pastor at St. Ambrose. Fr. Francis is an outstanding preacher, and I am sure you will enjoy his Mission. Join us for his Mission Talks on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday nights at 7 pm. Preceding the Mission Talks each night, four priests will be available for Confessions beginning at 6:00 pm.

It is customary for every parish to invite a priest to preach a Mission during Lent. The special goal of the Mission is threefold: To help fallen-away Catholics return to their faith, to convert tepid souls to fervor, and to encourage pious souls in their good resolutions to serve God. Just as Jesus and His Apostles went from town to town preaching the Kingdom of God, so the missionary comes to our parish to encourage us to give up sin and to practice your Catholic faith better. So make the Mission; it will enlighten your mind with God's Truth, help to detach your heart from sin, and strengthen your will with the love of God. Please pray for the success of our Lenten Mission

On Tuesday last week, our Holy Father, Pope Francis, appointed Fr. James Ruggeri, Pastor of St. Patrick and St. Michael Churches in Providence, as the thirteenth Bishop of Portland, Maine. He will be ordained a bishop on May 7. Bishop-elect James and I were ordained priests together at the Cathedral on June 24, 1995. I know him to be a wise, holy, and zealous priest who will surely be an outstanding bishop.

Bishop-elect James Ruggeri

The Diocese of Portland encompasses the entire state of Maine and is very large in geography. In fact, it has an area of 33,215 square miles and a population of 279,159 Catholics. In addition to its 48 parishes, it has nine elementary schools, one private elementary school, one diocesan high school, and one private high school. It also includes one Catholic college, Saint Joseph's College of Maine. Currently, 35 Diocesan priests and 18 religious order priests serve the Diocese. We offer our sincere best wishes and congratulations to Bishop-elect James and our promise of prayers.

I thank the 113 parishioners who generously pledged their gift to the Catholic Charity Appeal. We are off to a good start toward our parish goal of $190,000. Last year, 480 parish families helped us surpass our goal and raise over $277,000. I hope we do better this year and have 500 families support the Appeal. So please return your pledge envelope and help us surpass our goal. Every parish family must pray for and pledge a gift to the Catholic Charity Appeal to be truly successful.

How is your Lent going? Have you spent more time praying, fasting, and giving alms? If not, there is still time to begin with more enthusiasm and devotion. While Lent is forty days in imitation of our Lord's forty days of fasting and praying in the desert, it is a series of mini-Lents for us to pray, fast, and give alms. So if your Lent began a little unsteady, begin again and take up your cross.

One way is to join us on Friday night for Stations of the Cross at 7:00 pm. Take a fast from Wheel of Fortune and come pray together with Jesus as he walks the Way of the Cross. Another way is to make the Mission. Come out and make the Mission even if you can only make it one night. It will make your Lent and inspire you to pray, fast, and give alms with zeal and fervor!

Be well. Do good. God Bless! Pray. Fast. Give Alms. Hope to see you at the Mission Talks this week and Stations on Friday at 7:00 pm!  

Our Duty to Give Alms

Dear Parishioners:                                

Of the three pillars of Lent — prayer, fasting, and almsgiving — almsgiving is often neglected. And yet, the only place in the Old Testament that brings all three together puts the emphasis firmly on the last: "Prayer and fasting are good, but better than either is almsgiving accompanied by righteousness … It is better to give alms than to store up gold; for almsgiving saves one from death and expiates every sin. Those who regularly give alms shall enjoy a full life" (Tob 12:8-9).

Why is almsgiving better than prayer and fasting? Because it is prayer and involves fasting. Almsgiving is a form of prayer because it is "giving to God, " not mere philanthropy. It is a form of fasting because it demands sacrificial giving — not just giving something, but giving up something until it hurts. For many, almsgiving means making a sacrificial gift to the Catholic Charity Appeal or another worthwhile charity like CRS Operation Rice Bowl or OLM Outreach.

Pope Benedict XVI said: "Almsgiving is not mere philanthropy; rather it is a concrete expression of charity, a theological virtue that demands interior conversion to love of God and neighbor, in imitation of Jesus Christ, who, dying on the cross, gave his entire self for us."

Lent allows us to cultivate a sacrificial spirit of generosity and charity. It allows us to share what we have and who we are with other people. It puts us in communion with others and helps us understand that we are all members of the Body of Christ. Keep in mind the words of the Lord Jesus, who himself said, "It is more blessed to give than to receive" (Acts 20:35).

Charity does indeed begin at home, where we daily make a choice to give our time, our attention, and our talent and give generously. But charity does not stop there because, for Catholics, "home" is universal, and our family is as big as the world. St. Pope John Paul II asked us to see and be seen by "the human face of poverty."

Bishop Henning visits residents of Emmanuel House Homeless Shelter with Catholic Charities Director Jim Jahnz. Emmanuel House is funded by the Catholic Charity Appeal.

We have a unique opportunity to see and be seen by "the human face of poverty" this weekend in supporting the Catholic Charity Appeal. This Annual Appeal supports numerous ministries and social programs of the Diocese of Providence, providing charitable, social, educational, and spiritual support to thousands of Rhode Islanders each year. The Catholic Charity Appeal's funded services include social service ministries providing direct support to the poor, the hungry, and the homeless, immigration and refugee services, emergency rent, utilities, prescription, and medical aid and assistance.

In addition, our Church provides social service ministries that assist the sick and elderly, Chaplaincies at State Hospitals and Prisons, child care programs for low-income families, and financial and scholarship aid to students with financial need to attend Rhode Island Catholic schools.

We can be proud as Catholics in Rhode Island that we are the second largest provider of social services after the state government. Our Catholic Charity Appeal funds this vast network of charitable works. We can also be proud as Our Lady of Mercy parishioners that we lead the state in donating to the Catholic Charity Appeal.

I am most grateful to Jerry and Kim O'Connell and Mike and Lee Mita, who once again have generously agreed to serve as the Chairpersons of the CCA here at OLM. I will preach at all Masses about the critical need for your spiritual and financial support of the CCA.

We ask every parish family to prayerfully consider a pledge of $300 payable over the next year. That is $25 per month to enable the good works of our Church to continue to serve the poorest and neediest among us. For those who can afford more, we ask you to please consider the Bishop's Partnership in Charity with a pledge of $1,000 or more. For those who have already pledged their gift, know of my sincere thanks and gratitude. With your prayers and support,

I am confident we can once again surpass our CCA goal of $190,000. Thank you for your generous support and prayers for the success of the CCA! St. Mother Teresa said: “Charity isn’t about pity; it is about love.” Pray, fast, and give alms. See you at Stations of the Cross on Friday. Get ready for the Lenten Mission next weekend. Be well. Do good. God Bless!

Repent & Believe in the Gospel

Dear Parishioners:                  

Today, the Church celebrates the World Day of the Sick. This annual day of prayer was established in 1992 by St. Pope John Paul II to encourage Catholics to pray for the sick and those who care for them. It is a day to offer hope to the ill and infirm. So, please pray today for the sick and suffering, especially those from Our Lady of Mercy Parish. The World Day for the Sick is February 11, a date chosen because it coincides with the Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes. It commemorates the appearances in 1858 of Our Lady to a young French girl named Bernadette Soubirous in Lourdes, France. Lourdes has been a pilgrimage site renowned for healing ever since. Our Lady of Lourdes, pray for us.

In his message for the World Day of the Sick this year, Pope Francis says: “The sick, the vulnerable, and the poor are at the heart of the Church; they must also be at the heart of our human concern and pastoral attention. May we never forget this! And let us commend ourselves to Mary Most Holy, Health of the Sick, that she may intercede for us.”

Prayer is a pillar of the Season of Lent, which begins this coming Wednesday, February 14. On Ash Wednesday at OLM, there are four Masses at which ashes will be imposed. So please plan on attending at 7:30 am, 9:00 am, 12:05 pm, or 7:00 pm. Ash Wednesday is a day of fasting and abstinence from meat. Confessions will also be available on Ash Wednesday from 11:00 am until Noon and 6:00 pm until 7:00 pm. It is the time for us to “Repent and Believe in the Gospel!”

As you prepare to begin the Solemn Fast of Forty Days in Lent, I encourage you to enter more fully into this holy season of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. There are multiple opportunities for prayer available at OLM, and books for spiritual reading during Lent are available after all Masses this weekend.

During these 40 Days of Lent, consider adding Daily Mass to your schedule. Every day, Monday through Friday, during Lent, Mass is celebrated at 7:30 am and 12:05 pm. The Stations of the Cross will be every Friday during Lent at 7:00 pm. These are wonderful opportunities to practically deepen your spiritual life and commitment to Christ through prayer.

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.” And if we are honest and courageous, we know we should go to Confession this Lent. Confessions at OLM are every Monday through Friday from 11:45 am until Noon, every Monday at 6:00 pm with two priests available during Lent, and every Saturday at 3:00 pm. Additionally, confession times will be scheduled during the Parish Lenten Mission. The annual all-day confessions are scheduled for Saturday, March 23. Certainly, ample opportunity to make a good Confession in Lent and prepare for Easter.

The Parish Lenten Mission is scheduled for February 24-28. Father Francis McCarty, OSB from St. Anselm College, is our Mission Preacher. So please mark your calendar now and be sure to make the Mission!

Fasting is a pillar of Lent as well. This fasting isn’t meant only for Ash Wednesday and Good Friday but should be the entire Season of Lent. In addition to food, what else should we fast from this Lent? Consider fasting from some pleasures, comforts, and bad habits keeping you from Christ. It may be alcohol, tobacco, or sweets for some. Perhaps it is swearing, missing Mass, lying, or wasting time for others. Certainly, any fast in our contemporary culture must include fasting from technology, such as time on our cell phones, computers, social media, and the internet. What are you giving up for Christ this Lent?

Almsgiving is central to our Lenten Fast. We are called to give to the poor and needy not simply from our surplus but sacrificially. Christ compels us to help our those living in poverty and hunger. Please consider the charities in the bulletin for your almsgiving. Lent is coming. Prepare! St. Francis de Sales said: “Lent is the autumn of the spiritual life during which we gather fruit to keep us going for the rest of the year.” Pray, fast, and give alms. They bear spiritual fruit for the rest of the year! Be well. Do good. God Bless! 

New Arrivals to OLM! Lent Coming Soon!!

Dear Parishioners:                                 

We had a great celebration of Catholic Schools Week. Our student speakers at last weekend's Masses were outstanding. I commend them all on a job well done. They demonstrate the good work of OLM School every day in developing our future saints and scholars. We had many people stop and visit the school during the Open House. We have 240 students presently enrolled for this year. Next year's enrollment looks strong as interest in our outstanding school grows. If you want to enroll your child or grandchild at OLM School, contact the school soon.

We thank all our students, faculty, parents, and principal who helped make Catholic Schools Week fun and faith-filled. We also thank all those who generously supported the Annual Saints and Scholars Fund for OLM School last weekend. Pope Benedict XVI once 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." We do this daily at OLM School: provide a good education and strive to help all our students become saints! Pray for the OLM School faculty and students!

It's hard to believe, but the Season of Lenten will soon be here. It's time to prepare ourselves to once again take up the solemn fast of forty days. Prayer, fasting, and almsgiving are the pillars of Lent. There is a complete Lenten Schedule in the bulletin this weekend. Also, the bulletin lists Catholic Charities that can use your almsgiving to aid the poor and needy in the world, the state, and our town. Please consider supporting the Catholic Relief Services Operation Rice Bowl, the Annual Catholic Charity Appeal, and OLM Outreach.

If you have any old blessed palm branches collecting dust in your home, bring them to Mass next weekend. We are collecting them, and baskets will be available in church. Drop your palm branches in the baskets, and we will burn them. The palm ashes are used on Ash Wednesday as we take up the Lenten call to "Repent and Believe in the Gospel!" Ash Wednesday is February 14, and it is also Valentine's Day this year. However, it remains an obligatory day of fasting and abstinence.

Fasting is required for Catholics aged 18 until age 59. When fasting, a person is permitted to eat one full meal and two smaller meals that are not equal to a full meal. The norms concerning abstinence from meat are binding upon members of the Catholic Church from age 14 onwards. So remember it's Ash Wednesday when planning for your Valentine!

I am happy to announce that Mrs. Christiana Caprarelli will serve as our new Cantor at weekend Masses, funerals, and weddings. She has been the music director and Cantor at St. Ambrose Parish in Albion for the past eleven years and previously served as the Cantor at St. Martha's Church in East Providence. Christiana holds degrees in music and theater. She also directs the theatre program at Immaculate Conception Catholic Regional School and teaches voice privately. She lives in Cranston with her husband and children. Christiana begins here at OLM on Ash Wednesday, so please give her a warm welcome.

I am also pleased to announce that Miss Julia Anthon will be our new Directress of Faith Formation. She is a native of Portsmouth, RI, and an honors graduate in Theology from Magdalen College. She has worked in the educational field for the last couple of years. We look forward to Julia helping us strengthen and renew our Faith Formation Program at OLM. This includes the RCIA, Adult Education, Family and Youth Ministry, Spiritual Life Programs, and the Sacramental Preparation Programs for  Marriage, Baptism, Communion, and Confirmation. Julia will work closely with Fr. Mahoney, me, and Mr. Jeremey Long, who now directs our First Communion and Confirmation Program. She will also aid us in enhancing our parish communications and social media presence. Please give Julia a warm welcome.

Be sure to get your throat blessed this weekend, as it is cold and flu season. May St. Blaise, bishop, and martyr, intercede for us and protect us from all ailments of the throat and every other disease. Be well. Do good. God Bless!