2014 New England CYO Basketball Tournament
OLM Boys vs. Christ the King of Burlington, VT Saturday, March 29 at 9:00AM St. Anthony, North Providence
OLM Girls vs. Sacred Heart of Norwich, CT Friday, March 28 at 6:30PM St. Mary's Bay View Academy, East Providence
Congratulations to OLM CAL Basketball Teams!
The regular season has ended and we congratulation all our Catholic Athletic League (CAL) teams and coaches on a great season. Last weekend several teams played in CAL Championship Tournament. Our OLM sixth grade boys and girls basketball teams were crowned RI CAL State Champs! Coagulations!!!
Both the boys and girls teams took home Division I titles; the girls finished a perfect 13-0 season with the D1 school girls midget state title and the boys ended their 12-2 campaign with the Division I boys Parish midget title. We wish them all the best for the New England Catholic Youth Organization tournament in Providence coming up March 28 to 30. 
The Stations of the Cross7:00PM on the Fridays of Lent
As early as the 4th c., Christian pilgrims to the Holy Land would walk the route that Our Lord walked as He made His way to Golgotha for our salvation. When Muslims captured Jerusalem and it became too dangerous to make this pilgrimage, Christians replicated the sites back home in Europe, and there developed the "Stations of the Cross" devotion (also known as "Way of the Cross," "Via Dolorosa," or "Via Crucis"). The devotion consists of meditating on 14 events -- that number being fixed in 1731 by Pope Clement XII -- which took place during Christ's Passion, from His being condemned to His burial. Franciscans popularized the devotion, which was originally made outside, often along roads to shrines or churches. The Way of the Cross can still be made outside but is usually made inside nowadays, especially during the Season of Lent and most especially on Good Friday.
If you enter a Catholic Church and look along the walls of the nave (where the parishioners sit), you should see 14 representations on the walls which depict 14 events of Christ's Passion that have been singled out for contemplation. It is at these blessed artistic representations, these "stations" -- which can be painted, carved, engraved, of wood, metal, paint on canvas, etc., topped with a wooden Cross -- that the Way of the Cross is made during public liturgy. The Way of the Cross can also be made privately, even at home, with or without "visual aids."
Dear Parishioners:Happy Advent! We re one week into the solemn season of joyful anticipation of Christ’s coming. How is Advent going for you? Have you taken a little time away from the “mad rush” to Christmas? A little more time for prayer, a little more time for God and a little more time in prayerful preparation is not a bad way to truly prepare for the celebration of Christmas.
In his homily on the first Monday of Advent, Pope Francis recalled that as we proceed
towards Christmas, we embark on a journey of faith and prayer in preparation for our encounter with the Lord. “Because Christmas,” he said, “isn’t just a temporal celebration or the memory of a beautiful event. Christmas is something more, Christmas is an encounter with the Lord. And as we make our way towards Him, we must go with open heart and faith, even though this is not always easy in our times.” Pope Francis noted that the Lord does not always say to us what we want to hear, but: “He will tell me what is meant for me, because the Lord does not look at us all together, en masse. He looks each one of us in the face , in the eyes. His is not an abstract love; it is concrete," the Pope said. And "letting ourselves be encountered by God means just this: letting ourselves be loved by God!”
As we continue this season of Advent, we must continue to prepare spiritually for the coming of Christ. Regular Mass attendance, making a good confession, and making time for daily prayer, can help us prepare the way. Aso in the midst of this very busy and noisy world we can truly “encounter” our loving God with such practices. So this Advent let us watch in hope and wait in faith for the coming of Christ.
Many parishioners have commented on the new landscaping in front of the Church. However, this project is quite complete as we are awaiting the placement of two granite benches on either side of the front doors. Also we hope to soon light up the statue of the Sacred Heart. The benches are available to be memorialized in memory of a loved one. If you are interested, please contact me.
We offer our thanks to the Reynolds Family at the Watson Mulch Company who generously donated the mulch and beautiful cobblestones for this project. They are always very generous in supporting the landscaping projects around the OLM physical plant, in your name I offer my gratitude for their generosity.
A few parishioners have also asked where the large Sacred Heart statue in the vestibule has gone. Well, the statue has been taken out for repair. We are fixing the broken fingers on the statue as well as totally restoring and repainting it to its original
condition. The restoration takes a few weeks and I hope to get it back in the new year. Once it is fully restored and the project completed we hope to find a prominent location for this statue inside the Church.
I hope you enjoyed Dominican Father Michael O’Connor’s talk at Advent Devotions this past Monday. We invite you join us again this Monday as our own, Father Connors is to offer a talk on the Christmas Scriptures at Advent Devotions. These Devotions are a wonderful opportunity for us to gather before the Eucharistic Lord in adoration and reflect prayerfully on his Sacred Word.
Part of preparing in Advent is marking our calendars for upcoming events. I ask you to add the OLM School Pageant to your calendar. It takes place this coming Friday night at 7:00PM in the Church. It is always a festive season celebration of song and music. Our OLM students and band have been diligently practicing and preparing for this big night so I hope you can join us. I know you will truly enjoy it!
This year the Second Sunday of Advent falls on December 8th and as a result the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception has been moved to Monday, December 9th.
Therefore, the Immaculate Conception is not a Holy Day of Obligation this year. There is a Mass at 7:30AM only for the Immaculate Conception. Have a great week. Enjoy this Advent time of prayer and preparation. Hope to see you at Advent Devotions. God Bless.
Our Lady of Mercy Parish was visited by a some Pilgrims and Indians at the Thanksgiving Day Mass! Thanks to our OLM School and RE children!!
Yesterday's strong winds blew down the Our Lady of Mercy Church sign!!
The OLM School Walkathon, which was held on Thursday, October 10, raised over $11,700, which will 
benefit a variety of enrichment programs during the school year. Students in Grades Pre-K through 2 walked just under a mile around the immediate church/school property while the older students did a two mile walk down Post Road, to Cedar and Kenyon Roads and then back to OLM via First Avenue. Students collected pledges from family and friends, with prizes being awarded to the top pledge-earners in each grade. Those winners included: Harrison Kairnes (PK), Sawyer VanFlatern (K), Jack Colgan (1), Michael Mita (2), Austin Kairnes (3), Madison Abood (4), Allison Lombardi (5), Bradley Lombardi (6), Anna Molnar (7) and Grace Lombardi (8). Mrs. Ryan’s Second Grade Class and Mrs. 
Impagliazzo’s Seventh Grade were the lucky recipients of a pizza party for the classrooms raising the most money in pledges. Providence College’s Friar Mascot was on hand to give the students high fives before they set off on their walk. Upon returning to school, students were treated to an outdoor awards assembly with music and even some impromptu juggling by Associate Pastor Father Ryan Connors. A grand prize raffle drawing was held with two lucky winners: Bradley Lombardi (7th grade) won a Movie Theater Family Pack while Kindergartener Livia Passananti won a brand new Kindle by Amazon. Funds raised each year by the OLM PTG-sponsored events like the Walkathon and the annual Spring Fling Auction, are used for various enrichment opportunities like the Art Masters Program, robotics, CAL sports and more. This past summer, each OLM teacher received laptops for use in the 
classroom, thanks to PTG funds. In addition, teachers in Grades K-5 are now incorporating innovative, hands-on science kits into their curriculums, again, thanks to funds raised by the OLM Parent Teacher Group.
October DevotionsMondays at 7:00PM
Join us for Rosary with Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament and Spiritual Talk.
Monday, October 21st Why the Immaculate Conception Matters—Fr. Joseph Upton, Chaplain, The Prout School & Associate Pastor of St Francis, Wakefield
Monday, October 28th Devotion to Mary and the Assumption—Fr Michael O'Connor, OP Adjunct Professor at Providence College
Feast of Our Lady of MercyTuesday, September 24th Mass at 7:30AM
Join us as we celebrate our Parish Patronal Feast!
The Most Reverend Thomas J. Tobin, Bishop of Providence, has appointed Father Ryan Connors as the new Associate Pastor at Our Lady of Mercy Church effective July 1, 2013. Father Connors will replace Father Shemek who was recently appointed Pastor of St. Christopher and St. Theresa Parishes in 
Tiverton. Father Connors is a native of Riverside who graduated from Bishop Hendricken High School and Boston College. Father Connors was ordained last June by Bishop Tobin and is currently completing his advanced theological studies in Rome. He will begin his new assignment on July 1st! . We give a warm welcome to Father Connors!
First Annivesary Mass in Memory of Monsignor John W. Lolio
Monday, May 6 9:00AM Our Lady of Mercy Church East Greenwich, Rhode Island
The Most Reverend Robert C. Evans Auxiliary Bishop of Providence Celebrant and Homilist
Born into Life: January 28, 1944 Born into Eternal Life: May 6, 2012 Ordained a Priest: May 23, 1970 Pastor of Our Lady of Mercy Church 1992-2012
Dear Parishioners:
While we are disappointed that our own Father Shemek is moving on from Our Lady of Mercy in July, we must also offer our congratulations to him on being named Pastor of St. Christopher and St. Theresa Parishes in Tiverton. I know that Bishop Tobin has expressed his great confidence in Father Shemek in giving him such an assignment. Many parishioners told me how they shall miss Father 
Shemek but that they understand that he is getting a promotion with his appointment as pastor. I too shall miss him as it has been truly enjoyable to live and work with him over the last year. He and I have never had a cross word with one another and have truly enjoyed getting to learn about Our Lady of Mercy together. Father Shemek continues to serve at Our Lady of Mercy until the end of June and we will have an opportunity to officially bid him “Farewell” and offer our thanks before he leaves. Bishop has assured me that Our Lady of Mercy is to receive another Assistant Pastor to replace Fr. Shemek. In the meantime, let’s enjoy our time with Father Shemek!
This week the RI Catholic listed the seventeen new pastor assignments made by Bishop Tobin including Father Shemek’s appointment to Tiverton. We have had many pastors retire in the Diocese and so new pastors are needed to replace them. Only two young men are to be ordained to the priesthood this year for our Diocese. Father Bert Theroux the Pastor at our neighboring parish of St. Francis de Sales in North Kingstown is retiring this June. Last month their Assistant Pastor, Father Andrew Messina, was named Pastor of St. Timothy in Warwick and was not replaced. So St. Francis is to become a one priest parish. So please pray for an increase of vocations to the priesthood!
In your name I offer congratulations to the OLM School Science Olympiad Team who captured their 6th State Title last weekend defeating Barrington Middle School. Full details about the event are in the school news section of the bulletin. We can all help support the team next weekend as they host a Bake Sale to help defray the cost of traveling to Ohio for the National Competition. I hope you are able to help them by buying some tasty homemade treats next weekend. The Bake Sale is to take place after all Masses, so please be prepared to help support this outstanding team. We are certainly very proud of our OLM School Science Olympiad Team for such a great job by the students and coaches. Next weekend we can wish them good luck in the Nationals and help ensure they can make the trip all the way to Ohio to represent Rhode Island!
Like many of you, I continue to follow the news surrounding the Patriots’ Day Attack in Boston last week. This horrific evil resulted in the deaths of four people with many more severely injured some losing their limbs. Of course, we were all left asking why? Why would people commit such an evil act? It is difficult to comprehend any answer and even more difficult if we fail to search for such without our Catholic Faith. Cardinal Sean O’Malley of Boston offered a fine reflection on this horrific evil in his Good Shepherd Sunday homily last weekend (I’ve posted it on the parish website). He states in his powerful homily that “it is very difficult to understand what was going on in the young men’s minds, what demons were operative, what ideologies or politics or the perversion of their religion. It was amazing to witness, however, how much goodness and generosity were evidenced in our community as a result of the tragic events they perpetrated.”
One of our OLM Families presented me with a wristband last week after Mass. It is yellow and blue, the Boston Marathon colors and reads: “Combat evil with good”—Pope Francis, Boston 2013. Their son ran the Marathon and was inspired by the Pope’s words to the people of Boston. May we too be inspired to combat evil with good! God Bless.
We welcome with great joy newly ordained Deacon John Dowd to Our Lady of Mercy Parish. Bishop Tobin has assigned Deacon Dowd to serve our parish. Welcome Deacon John Dowd! Pictured below is Deacon John and his wife of 37 years, Cathleen with Bishop Tobin on Ordination Day.
BY SEAN CONTI
(EAST GREENWICH)-Saturday, November 10, the Our Lady of Mercy Youth Group and Confirmation class took the daunting task of raking leaves in the community. Our homebound parishioners were the focus of our efforts and the entire group was excited to participate and offer a helping hand. Those who partook in Saturday’s event gave up their Saturday morning knowing it was for a great cause. The OLM Youth Group and Confirmation class were not the only ones who helped the home bound parishioners.
A few Knights of Columbus, teachers, and parents, under the guide of Father Shemek, also helped in Saturday’s event. The parishioners seemed overjoyed with the amount of support that the OLM Church provided. Overall, it was a rewarding experience for all of those who partook in the activity, made new friends, and helped the community.
[fsg_gallery id="1"]
Dear Parishioners: It was a great first week of school as children across the state returned to classes. Here at OLM we began the week with a Mass for our OLM School Faculty and then Wednesday morning the children made their way back to school. This coming Friday at 9:00AM we celebrate a Mass of the Holy Spirit as we officially open the academic year for OLM School. This is a parish celebration so I hope you might consider joining our OLM students, faculty, staff and parents as we call upon the Holy Spirit to guide us during this year. If you cannot attend, then please offer a prayer for all students and teachers and ask the Holy Spirit to guide them to grow in wisdom, faith, hope and love.
The response to the upcoming Parish Picnic on September 23 has been truly overwhelming! Father Shemek and his Committee continue to grow as does the number of people who say they are coming. We hope to get a big tent and ask you to bring your own picnic food, drinks and supplies along with some beach chairs and small tables! A table of homemade baked goods, some arts and crafts and 
games for kids and even Pony Rides are all part of the day! A few parish pessimists have asked what happens in case of rain! Well, start praying there is no rain at all and we won’t have to cancel! Here’s a prayer I picked up in New Orleans last year to avert hurricanes and it works! Let us pray it over the next couple of weeks: “Father, all the elements of nature obey your command. Calm the storms and hurricanes that threaten us and our parish picnic. Turn our fear of your power into praise of your goodness. Grant this through Christ our Lord. ”
Father Shemek is looking for some high school students to help him with the Parish Picnic. He needs help canvassing the neighborhood to invite our neighbors to the Picnic as our guests and also with some activities on the day of the Picnic. If you are in high school, and are willing to smile and lend a helping hand then call Father Shemek at the Parish Office. He hopes to soon get a Youth Group up and running so we can plan some exciting activities. Also he is planning for an OLM Youth Mission Trip. Let him know if you are interested!
Next week Father John Kiley joins us at OLM to preach on the Senior Priest Retirement Fund Collection. The collection is scheduled for September 15/16 and is an important source of funding the retirement of our Senior Priests. Father Kiley, a retired Pastor and distinguished Senior Priest, will preach at all the Masses and share more information about this very critical collection for the priests of the Diocese. In full disclosure, Father Shemek and I would also benefit from this fund in a few decades!
In their Labor Day Statement the U.S. Bishops reaffirm the Church’s beautiful teaching on the dignity of work and the rights of workers and remind us: “This Labor Day, our country continues to struggle with a broken economy. As people of faith, we are called to stand with those left behind, offer our solidarity, and join forces with "the least of these" to help meet their basic needs.” Let us pray for all workers especially the unemployed. God Bless. Happy Labor Day!
Dear Parishioners: In your name, I welcome Father Eric Bennett to Our Lady of Mercy this weekend. Father joins us at the 5:00PM Vigil to offer a Mass of Thanksgiving with his home parish. A newly ordained priest of the Archdiocese of Boston, Father Bennett’s priestly vocation was nourished and guided by his parents, family and the parish of OLM over the years and so he returns to give thanks to God for the great gift of the priesthood. What a great occasion for our parish family to celebrate and give thanks to God! Welcome Father Bennett, ad multos annos!
Last Sunday I attended the Feast Day Mass at St. Rocco Parish in Johnston at which my good friend, Father Angelo Carusi, was installed by Bishop Evans as the new Pastor. After over a hundred years of pastoral leadership by the Scalabrinian Fathers, Father Carusi is the first Diocesan Priest to serve as Pastor at St. Rocco . Sunday was the culmination of the Feast Week complete with a Procession with the statue of St. Rocco around the village of Thornton. There were carnival rides, tents with lots of delicious Italian delicacies like tripe, sausage and peppers, meatballs, pasta, eggplant, gelato, and some great dough boys. It was a true festival of faith and parish family. We too have a parish feast coming up on September 24th, the Feast of Our Lady of Mercy. In honor of our Patroness we will have our own mini-festival on Sunday, September 23rd with a Family Picnic. Make sure you mark your calendar and come to this great event for our parish family!
Wednesday is the first day of school! It’s hard to believe but this week we welcome back our students and faculty to OLM School! Where did the summer go? We begin the week with a Mass and luncheon for our teachers and staff on Monday and then look forward to seeing the school children return to school midweek. I’m sure some of our students are also wondering where summer went but without a doubt they are soon enough going to get into the swing of things . We welcome back all of our OLM students, teachers and staff and pledge to keep them in our prayers for a great year of learning and growing in wisdom, faith and love. May God bless, guide and protect them throughout the year! The renovations of the Rectory living quarters continue but Father Shemek and I hope to very soon unpack our boxes completely and move into our rooms. A new phone system has been installed in the Rectory which makes communication with the office staff and your parish priests much easier and more efficient. The parish webpage launches this week too! Have a great week. Welcome back to the school year! God Bless. Forget the Sox, Go Pats!
You’re invited to the 1st Annual
OLM FAMILY PARISH PICNIC
On the Grounds of Our Lady of Mercy
Sunday, September 23rd
Noon-5:00p.m.
Fun for the whole family!
Your help is needed! Are you interested in being part of the planning team for this special parish event? If you are ready and willing to help, please contact Fr. Shemek at frshemek@gmail.com or call the Parish Office at 884-4968. Join Father Healey and Father Shemek as we get to know our parish family! First Planning meeting will be Sunday, August 12th at Noon in the Rectory Meeting Room. Hope to see you there!
WE NEED YOUR HELP!!!
