Giving Thanks for the Gift of God's Beauty & Creation

Dear Parishioners:                   

OLM School 2024 Saints and Scholars Open

We celebrated our Parish Feast this past week with much enthusiasm.  I hope you were able to join us for some of the celebrations.  Monday was a sunny and beautiful day.  This news was welcomed as we started our Parish Feast Week with the Saints and Scholars Open Golf Tournament.  Over 100 golfers enjoyed a day at Quidnessett Country Club.    

A beautiful Feast Day Mass on Tuesday, a Holy Hour of Mercy on Wednesday, an Act of Mercy on Thursday, and the Oktoberfest on Friday night highlighted the week.  Such fun, faith, and fellowship bring life and vitality to our parish family. I wish to thank the many volunteers who made the week so successful.   Mrs. Lee Mita, the Chair of the Golf Tournament, is hardworking in making it a great success.  We thank her for her dedication and the  others who volunteered, sponsored, and played the tournament. 

We thank the OLM Staff who work tirelessly behind the scenes, ensuring all the plans are implemented and everything is prepared and ready. Their hard work and dedication to our parish make for an outstanding and successful Feast Week.  We also thank the many parish volunteers who assisted OLM Outreach Director Doug Green with our Work of Mercy on Thursday evening. The backpacks were filled with much-needed supplies and greatly helped people in need.  It is a witness to our parish's mercy and generous charity.

The German food, beer, and music always make our Oktoberfest a fun event for the whole family. The original Oktoberfest in 1810 was a wedding feast for the marriage of the Bavarian crown prince and his bride. The party lasted a few weeks!  

Today in Munich, Germany, the Oktoberfest is a two-week festival celebrating Bavarian culture, beer, food, and music. At OLM, we end our Feast Week dedicated to Our Lady of Mercy with Oktoberfest as we prepare for October, the Month of Mary, our patroness.

In October, we begin our weekly Marian Devotions on the Mondays of the month. Come join us for prayer and adoration of the Eucharistic Lord, Recitation of the Holy Rosary, Meditative Marian Music, and Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament.  Clearly, Ryan Seacrest is no Pat Sajak!  So turn off the Wheel of Fortune and come to Devotions. Join us as we turn in prayer to  Mother Mary.  St. Padre Pio reminds us: "Abandon yourself in the hands of Mary. She will take care of you."   

St. Francis of Assisi by Philip Fruytiers (1610–1666)

On Friday, October 4, we celebrate the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi.  He is the patron saint of Italy, animals, and the environment. He was a spoiled rich kid who gave up his family's riches and chose instead to live a life of radical poverty and simplicity. In the 12th century, he astounded and inspired the Church by taking the Gospel literally. Francis said: "Preach the Gospel at all times. use words if necessary."  Many began to follow him and his way of life, and the Franciscan Order was soon born. In 1209, with the approval of Pope Innocent III, Francis established his order. He also loved animals, and in honor of his feast, we will bless all pets, animals, and livestock at 2:30pm in the school parking lot on Friday.

The Feast of St. Francis is a special day for our Franciscan Apostolic Sisters, as he is their patron.  Please pray for them and their vocations. We wish them a  Happy Feast Day! Sister Lourdes is returning home to the Philippines in October for a visit with family and to the Motherhouse. Sister hasn't been back in many years.  Pray for her safe travel and return in November.

Seminary of Our Lady of Providence Administration, Faculty, and Seminarians.

Next Sunday, October 6, Father Connors, the newly installed Rector of Our Lady of Providence Seminary, will celebrate the 10:30 am Mass. The seminarians at OLP Seminary in Providence will join us at the Mass. Father Connors directs eighteen seminarians from eight different dioceses in the northeast. Fifteen seminarians pursue studies at Providence College, and three others attend Rhode Island College and will transfer to Providence College next year. Please pray for Father Connors and the OLP seminarians. I know you will give them a warm welcome next Sunday. 

Bring your pets, animals, and livestock to the Blessing on Friday. Be well. Do good. God Bless. St. Francis, pray for us!

Celebrating OLM with Faith, Fun, & Fellowship! Feast Week Begins!

   Dear Parishioners:                   

 It's Feast Week! The Parish Feast Day of Our Lady of Mercy is Tuesday, September 24. Thus, this week, we celebrate Mary and turn in faith to Our Lady of Mercy, giving thanks for her patronage and asking for her continued intercession for our parish, school, ourselves, and our families.   

The devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary under the title of "Our Lady of Mercy" originates from the Order of Our Lady of Mercy.  The Order was founded in 1218 for the ministry of redeeming captives, a work of great mercy. It has always attributed to Mary a special role in its foundation.  For this reason, 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 Christopher Columbus's second voyage, which Mercedarian Father John Solorzano accompanied. Thus began a strong missionary apostolate for the Order, which sought to proclaim the freedom of the sons and daughters of God.

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 in her words:  "Behold the handmaid of the Lord." In the Magnificat, we recognize Jesus's liberating mission, reflected in the prayerful song of His Mother:  "His mercy is from age to age…He has lifted up the lowly and the hungry. He has filled with good things."

"Salve Regina, Mater misericordiae" begins an ancient Latin hymn that translates today to "Hail Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy, our life, our sweetness and our hope."  And so we hail the Holy Queen, Our Mother of Mercy, this week as we turn to her as our life, our sweetness, and our hope. Our parish was placed under the patronage of Mary, Queen of Heaven and Mother of Mercy, in 1867.  This is why we revere her and invoke her assistance, using the words of the Salve Regina:  "To you do we cry, poor banished children…in your mercy hear and answer us."

We begin our Feast Week with the Saints and Scholars Open Golf Tournament at Quidnessett Country Club on Monday. Over 100 golfers have signed up to play for the Saints and Scholars at OLM School. Please pray for good weather! Last year, we were rained out!!

Join us on Tuesday for the Solemn Patronal Feast Day Mass at 9:00 am.  Our OLM School Choir will be singing our hymns of praise in honor of Our Lady of Mercy.  Fr. Brian Morris, the Pastor of Christ the King Parish and Chaplain at Bishop Hendricken, is our preacher.  Fr. Morris is a proud graduate of our parish school and a native son of OLM.  Come as we celebrate our Patroness with worship and praise.

We gather for a Holy Hour of Mercy on Wednesday night as we turn to Our Lady for her intercession.  We come to adore her Son, the Eucharistic Lord, pray the Rosary, and meditate with beautiful music from our OLM Choir.   On Thursday at 6:00 pm, join us on the Lynch Field as we perform an Act of Mercy. We gather to assist our OLM Outreach Office in aiding the hungry and homeless as we pack up needed supplies for our brothers and sisters who are less fortunate than us.  All parish families are invited to join us in this Act of Mercy.

We end our Mercy Feast Week with the fun and festive Oktoberfest. German food, beer, and music will be available at Lynch Field at 6:00 p.m. It is always a great celebration for both adults and kids. Oktoberfest anticipates the coming month of October, a special month for our parish as it is a month dedicated to the Blessed Mother Mary, our Patroness. Please put on your lederhosen and dirndls and join us! Prosit!

We congratulate Father Mahoney, who Archbishop Henning will install as the Pastor of St. Pius X Church in Westerly this Saturday.  Pray for him as he is officially installed as Pastor and begins shepherding the souls of the Parish of St. Pius X.  May God bless him, and may his priestly ministry be faithful and fruitful.  Ad multos annos!

Happy Feast Week! Join us as we celebrate with great faith, good fun, and friendly fellowship! Our Lady of Mercy, pray for us! Be well. Do good. God Bless. Go Pats!????

Faithful Service & Getting Ready for the Feast

Dear Parishioners:                    

 One of our altar servers recently asked me if priests retire.  I paraphrased General McArthur: "Old priests never retire; they just fade away!" But the real answer is that priests are allowed to retire. I haven't even considered when I would retire, and I don't get to retire for at least another decade or more!    However, priests do not retire from their priestly life and promises. They continue to celebrate Masses, weddings, and funerals, hear Confessions, preach the Gospel, and perform the Sacraments.

When a priest retires, he retires from parish administration and all the duties associated with being a parish priest. Canon Law has set a priest's retirement age at age 75. However,  a bishop can grant permission for a priest to retire at an earlier age.  In the Diocese of Providence, the Bishop allows priests to retire at age 70 with his permission. Still, many other priests remain working in parish administration beyond 75.  With the growing shortage of priests, many bishops ask priests to delay retirement beyond age 70.  

This weekend, we take up the collection for the  Priests Retirement Fund. Unlike Religious Order priests, who are provided for in every way by their Order,  when diocesan priests retire from parish administration, they lose many benefits such as room & board, housing, car insurance, and a salary. Our retired priests are afforded good health insurance but still pay their Medicare Part B premium and participate in  Social Security.  But salaries were so low years ago ($50 monthly before 1952, then $100 until 1972) that Social Security benefits for our oldest priest retirees are very low.

The principal source of income for retired priests is a modest monthly pension from the Diocesan Priest Pension Fund.   It's a challenge for the Bishop to fund it fully.  Today, more than 90 of our retired priests receive a modest pension.  Approximately two-thirds are still active and helping at parishes. Many keep busy, sometimes assisting at 2 or 3 different parishes.  They often help here at OLM, including Bishop Evans. 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 actively assisting, there are some of our priests who live in nursing homes or assisted living and need much more support. 

This is not to suggest that our retired priests are in dire straits, sleeping in homeless shelters, or looking for their next meal in a soup kitchen.  However, a robust and healthy pension fund for our senior priests is vital for the future. The Second Collection this week goes directly to the Senior Priests Retirement Fund.  This collection is an opportunity for us to say 'thank you'  to those priests who have given many years of dedicated service to our parishes, schools, families, and the Church. I thank you for your generous support of this important collection.

It's hard to believe we are gearing up for Our Lady of Mercy Feast Week, which begins next week. Many people are involved in preparing and working hard to make our parish's celebration of the Feast week special. We kick the week off with the Saints and Scholars Open Golf Tournament at Quidnessett Country Club on Monday, September 23.  

On the Feast of Our Lady of Mercy, Tuesday, September 24, we celebrate our Patronal Feast Day Mass. Father Brian Morris, who grew up in our parish and graduated from OLM School, will preach the Feast Day Mass this year. On  Wednesday the 25th, join us for prayer and adoration in our Holy Hour of Mercy at 7:00 pm.  Thursday, September 26, at 6:00 pm on the Lynch Field, we gather for an Act of Mercy as we help the hungry and homeless.  Parishioners of all ages are invited to help us, so bring the whole family.

We conclude the week with the Oktoberfest on Friday, September 27.  It is a great event for the whole family, with German food, beer, music, and lots of fun! Put on your lederhosen and join us as we celebrate the arrival of October, the month dedicated to Mother Mary.  We also draw the winners of the See You In September Raffle, so be sure to get your tickets today!

Be well. Do good. God Bless. How about the Pats!? Let's hope their winning continues!!! Go Pats!!

Prayerfully Remembering

Dear Parishioners:                    

 The Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary is normally celebrated on September 8 on the Church Calendar. As the date falls on a Sunday this year, we instead celebrate the Twenty-Third Sunday in Ordinary Time. However, since our parish is under the patronage of the Blessed Mother under her title, Our Lady of Mercy, we should celebrate this important Feast somehow.                              

Perhaps we might pray the Rosary in her honor.  The gift of prayer is the best birthday gift we can give.  If you don't know them, learn prayers for Mary, such as the Angelus, Litany of Loreto, Memorare, Hail Mary, and Hail Holy Queen. Have a special dessert with your dinner to celebrate Mary's birthday! 

Mary's birth has been celebrated since at least the sixth century. A September birth was chosen because the Eastern Church begins its Church year with September. The September 8 date helped determine the date for the Feast of the Immaculate Conception on December 8.

Scripture does not give an account of Mary's birth. However, pious tradition offers an account. Anna and Joachim were infertile but prayed for a child. They received the promise of a child who would advance God's plan of salvation for the world. Like many biblical counterparts, such a story stresses God's special presence in Mary's life from the beginning.

Saint Augustine connects Mary's birth with Jesus' saving work. He tells the earth to rejoice and shine forth in the light of her birth: "She is the flower of the field from whom bloomed the precious lily of the valley. Through her birth the nature inherited from our first parents is changed." The opening prayer of the Feast Mass speaks of the birth of Mary's Son as the dawn of our salvation and asks for an increase in peace. If Jesus is the perfect expression of God's love, Mary foreshadows that love. If Jesus has brought the fullness of salvation, Mary is its dawning.

Birthday parties can bring happiness to the celebrant and family and friends. Next to the birth of Jesus, Mary's birth offers the greatest possible happiness to the world. Each time we celebrate her birth, we can confidently hope for more peace in our hearts and the world. The Divine Office has a beautiful prayer for the Feast. Let us offer it in Mary's honor today: 

"Thy birth, O Virgin Mother of God, heralded joy to all the world. For from thou hast risen the Sun of justice, Christ our God. Destroying the curse, He gave blessing; and damning death, He bestowed on us life everlasting.  Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb. For from thou hast risen of Sun of justice, Christ our God."

On Wednesday, we mark the 23rd Anniversary of the September 11th Attack. Mass on Wednesday is to be offered for the many victims.  Please join us as we pray on the anniversary of this tragic day in our nation's history.  We pray for all those who died and for ongoing strength and consolation for their grieving loved ones. Pray that God will protect us and our country and fill all the world with the peace that only he can give.

As we mark this sad anniversary, we anticipate Saturday's Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. It celebrates two historical events: the discovery of the True Cross by Saint Helena, the mother of Emperor Constantine, in 320 in Jerusalem.

Also, it recalls the dedication in 335 of the basilica and shrine built on Calvary by Constantine, which mark the site of the Crucifixion.   The Persians destroyed the basilica, named the Martyrium, and the shrine, named the Calvarium, in 614. The Church of the Holy Sepulcher, which now stands on the site, was built by the Crusaders in 1149.

  However, the Feast, more than anything else, is a celebration and commemoration of God's greatest work: his salvific death on the Cross and His Resurrection, through which death was defeated and the doors to Heaven opened.    The entrance antiphon for the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross  reminds us why we celebrate this feast:

"We should glory in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, for he is our salvation, our life, and our resurrection: through him we are saved and made free."   

May we solemnly and prayerfully remember those important days! Be well. Do good. God Bless. Go Pats!

Labor Day Brings Summer's End

Dear Parishioners:                    

Officially, summer ends on September 22, when the fall season begins. But school has begun, and Labor Day is here! Thus, the summer is over for students, teachers, and almost everyone else. On Friday, we celebrate the Opening Mass of the Holy Spirit for the new school year. Please join us.                                          

Thank you for your generous support of the Back to School Supply Drive for St Patrick's Academy.  The good folks at St. Patrick's Academy are most grateful for the tremendous amount of supplies and financial support.  The first delivery of supplies was met with gratitude and joy.  I also thank Doug Green, OLM Outreach Director, for his hard work on this good work of mercy.

Labor Day is the first Monday of September in the United States. It is often seen as the unofficial end of summer—a time for family gatherings, cookouts, and rest before the busy fall season. However, its deeper significance lies in celebrating the dignity of work and the contributions of laborers to society. For Catholics, this day offers a profound opportunity to reflect on the Church's teachings about the sanctity of work, human dignity, and our role in building a just society.

Catholic teaching has long upheld the dignity of work as central to the human experience. Work is not simply a means to earn a livelihood but a vital part of our vocation as God's children. Through work, we participate in God's creation, cooperating with His divine plan and contributing to the common good. The Church Fathers, the saints, and countless Church documents affirm this truth.

In his encyclical Rerum Novarum (On the Condition of Labor), Pope Leo XIII articulated the Church's teaching on the dignity of work in response to the challenges of the Industrial Revolution. He emphasized that work is an inherent part of human dignity, stating: "It is only by the labor of working men that States grow rich. Justice, therefore, demands that the interests of the working classes should be carefully watched over by the administration so that they who contribute so largely to the advantage of the community may themselves share in the benefits which they create."

This teaching is rooted in the understanding that man, created in God's image and likeness, fulfills his vocation through honest and diligent work. Work is not merely a burden but a means of sanctification, a way to imitate Christ, who Himself labored as a carpenter.

Labor Day reminds us of the Church's consistent defense of workers' rights. The right to just wages, safe working conditions, reasonable hours, and rest are not simply privileges but essential to respecting the dignity of the human person. These rights are closely linked to our duties—to work honestly, respect the common good, and use our talents in service to others.  The Church has always called for a balance between labor and capital, emphasizing that economic systems must serve the human person, not the other way around.

Labor Day is also an occasion to recognize the importance of rest, which the Church teaches is essential for our well-being. The rhythm of work and rest, as ordained by God, is a pattern for human life. The Lord's Day, in particular, is a time set aside for rest, worship, and the renewal of our spirits.

As Catholics, Labor Day is a time to reflect on the deeper significance of work in our lives. It is a day to thank God for the gift of labor, to honor those who contribute to society through their work, and to remember the Church's teachings on the dignity and rights of workers. In the spirit of the saints who saw work as a path to holiness, let us pray that our labors may always be pleasing to God, that we may find joy and purpose in our work, and that we may contribute to building a more just and charitable society.

There has been a change in our Devotion Schedule. Monthly Eucharistic Adoration will now occur on the First Wednesday of the Month, not the First Friday. Please join us this Wednesday for Eucharistic Adoration beginning after 7:30 a.m. Mass with Benediction at 5:00 p.m.

Have a Happy Labor Day! Be well. Do good. God Bless. Go, Pats!

Mother McAuley Where Have You Gone!?

Dear Parishioners:                                 

Ochre Court at Salve Regina University.

Like many Catholics, including Archbishop Henning, I, too, was dismayed and disappointed that Salve Regina University recently hosted a political fundraiser for a presidential candidate.  Sadly, it was held on the Solemnity of the Assumption of our Blessed Mother, the university's patroness.   I wrote in this bulletin a few weeks ago: 

"The Catholic Church does not support or oppose political candidates or parties. In fact, it is against federal law for the Church to take a position on a candidate or political party. The Church is not interested in partisan politics. Instead, She seeks to bring attention and clarity to the moral and human dimensions of the issues."      

Partisan political events and party fundraisers at Catholic institutions undermine the non-partisan nature of the Church.  Short of endorsing a candidate, giving a forum to a candidate and allowing funds to be raised for a campaign is a highly partisan act.    Our country has a long history of the separation of Church and state. If they are sincere, our individual and collective beliefs and informed consciences must impact our personal and collective politics. However, when any Catholic institution or leader enters the political fray with such partisan activities, it is contrary to the message of the Gospel.     

Governor Tim Walz and Vice-President Kamala Harris appearing at a Planned Parenthood Abortion Clinic in support of radical abortion policies.

The outrage at the event was further compounded by the fact that the candidate supports the most extreme abortion-on-demand position in our nation's history. He enthusiastically supports abortion on demand up until the moment of birth. He advocates not saving unborn children after botched abortions. To say such a position is extreme is an understatement.   

The university stated that it allows the rental of their posh Gilded Age mansion, Ochre Court, to any group.  They claim it was a case of an interested party renting an available space on short notice. But also making a quick $10,000.   It is, in fact, a weak excuse to promote partisan politics. Their decision to rent for a political event substantially undermines the Catholic identity of the university.     

Recently, the university suggested it was simply a matter of academic freedom.  This, too, is a disingenuous attempt to justify the unjustifiable.  There was nothing academic about a partisan fundraising rally that raised over $500,000 for a presidential candidate who holds extremist views on the sanctity of human life contrary to clear Catholic teaching.

Some suggest the public outrage is overblown.  However, I reject such suggestions because the Church and her Mission, even at a university, are undermined when She becomes a partisan pawn of any political party or particular candidate. The Church is not Democrat, Republican, Libertarian, or Green. She supports no particular candidate. She must never give the appearance evenly tacitly to do so.

This event clearly wasn't an academic exercise. After all, it wasn't a debate, an issues forum, or a major policy speech. Rather, it was a political rally raising money for a candidate who espouses gravely immoral policies! Thus, Catholics are right to be disappointed, even outraged, and scandalized.

Statue of the Venerable Mother Catherine McAuley, foundress of the Religious Sisters of Mercy, educating a young woman.

The Sisters of Mercy, who operate Salve Regina, were founded by the Venerable Mother Catherine McAuley in 1831. They have admirably served the poor and as educators for nearly two centuries. Mother McAuley told her Sisters: "We should be shining lamps, giving light to all around us." This recent event was not a shining lamp moment. It shed no light upon the truth of the Gospel.  Rather, it tarnished the Sisters of Mercy, Salve Regina, and the Church with the darkness of partisan politics and scandalous extremism.

The Venerable Fulton J. Sheen once wrote about Jesus:   "Because He was too religious, He was not political enough.  The religious judges said that He had no concern for the fact that the Romans were their masters and that they might take away their country. By talking about a spiritual kingdom, a higher moral law, and His divinity, and by becoming the leader of a spiritual crusade, He was accused of being indifferent to the needs of the people and nation's well-being."   

Thursday is the First Day of School at OLM. Please pray for students and faculty. Be well. Do good. God Bless. Go Sox!