Congratulations to the 2023 Winners
Grand Prize of $5,000
Edith Murray
First Prize of $2,500
Michael Laskowski
Second Prize of $1,000
Roland Menard
Third Prize of $1,000
Catherine Rose
Fourth Prize of $500
Peter Crudden
Thanks for supporting our OLM School Saints & Scholars
Friday, September 1st was an exciting day at Our Lady of Mercy School! The day began with the Opening School Mass of the Holy Spirit celebrated by the Most Reverend Robert C. Evans, Former Auxiliary Bishop of Providence. Father Bernard A. Healey, Pastor of Our Lady of Mercy Parish, served as the homilist. Following Mass, the school community processed to the newly renovated school field, which was blessed by Bishop Evans and dedicated as the Stephen P. Lynch, Sr. Memorial Field. Mr. Lynch was a devoted Catholic husband, father, and grandfather who saw five of his grandsons attend Our Lady of Mercy School, and whose family generously donated the funds for the project. Afterwards, all school families in attendance were invited to the school gymnasium for a reception to celebrate the beginning of the new school year.
L to R: Fr. Healey, Daniel Lynch, Mrs. Elizabeth Carrison, Dylan Lynch, Mrs. Trisha Lynch, Declan Lynch, Mrs. Judy Lynch, Mr. David Lynch, Maryna Carrison, Bishop Evans, Mrs. Martha Landry, Fr. Mahoney, Principal McNabb.
Thank & Gratitude for These Senior Servers
On Sunday, June 18 at the 10:30 am Mass, we thanked our OLM Senior Altar Servers. These Servers having been faithfully serving Mass since the 4th Grade and now after graduating high school are off to college. Pictured left to right: Luke Simms, Oceania Lowe, Will Cavanagh, Aidan Hayes, Devin Lynch, Lily Shaughnessy, Jack Ciunci, Guy Sanchez, Father Healey, and Zachary Amelotte.
Catholics Invited to Pray an Act of Reparation on Solemnity of the Sacred Heart
June 12, 2023
WASHINGTON - On June 16, the Catholic Church celebrates the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Most Reverend Timothy P. Broglio of the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA, and president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), and Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan of New York, chairman of the USCCB’s Committee for Religious Liberty, joined by Archbishop José H. Gomez of Los Angeles, have called on Catholics to pray the Litany of the Sacred Heart and make an act of reparation—an act offered to the Lord with the intention of repairing the spiritual damage inflicted by sin.
The bishops’ invitation to the faithful follows:
“Catholic Christians traditionally recognize June as the month of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. During this time, we call to mind Christ’s love for us, which is visible in a special way in the image of His pierced heart, and we pray that our own hearts might be conformed to His, calling us to love and respect all His people.
“This year, on June 16—the day of the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus—a professional baseball team has shockingly chosen to honor a group whose lewdness and vulgarity in mocking our Lord, His Mother, and consecrated women cannot be overstated. This is not just offensive and painful to Christians everywhere; it is blasphemy.
“It has been heartening to see so many faithful Catholics and others of good will stand up to say that what this group does is wrong, and it is wrong to honor them. We call on Catholics to pray the Litany of the Sacred Heart on June 16, offering this prayer as an act of reparation for the blasphemies against our Lord we see in our culture today.”
May 15, 2023
An Invitation to Prayer from Bishop Richard G. Henning
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
As you may already be aware, bills are moving forward in our state on the issue of taxpayer-funded abortion. I invite the Catholics of Rhode Island and all people of goodwill to remember the foundational importance of the God-given right to life and our sacred duty to protect and nurture the young, the most vulnerable among us. Let us pray that our elected representatives will seek to defend all human life and to protect the conscience rights of Rhode Islanders who believe in the sanctity of each and every human person. Let us also pray for God’s mercy upon us; may the Lord Jesus Christ give our hearts an ever-wider sense of compassion.
St. John Paul II, defender of the sanctity and beauty of life, pray for us. Amen
The Sunday Evening 5:00pm will end on Sunday, April 30 and resumes on Sunday, October 1, 2023.
Dear brothers and sisters, Christ is risen!
On this day we proclaim that he, the Lord of our life, is “the resurrection and the life” of the world (cf. Jn 11:25). Today is Easter, the Pasch, a word that means “passage”, for in Jesus the decisive passage of humanity has been made: the passage from death to life, from sin to grace, from fear to confidence, from desolation to communion in him. In him, the Lord of time and history, I would like to say to everyone, with heartfelt joy, Happy Easter to all!
May this Easter be for each of you, dear brothers and sisters, and in particular for the sick and the poor, the elderly and those experiencing moments of trial and weariness, a passage from affliction to consolation. We are not alone: Jesus, the Living One, is with us, forever. Let the Church and the world rejoice, for today our hopes no longer come up against the wall of death, for the Lord has built us a bridge to life. Yes, brothers and sisters, at Easter the destiny of the world was changed, and on this day, which also coincides with the most probable date of Christ’s resurrection, we can rejoice to celebrate, by pure grace, the most important and beautiful day of history.
“Christ is risen; he is truly risen!” In this traditional proclamation of the Churches of the East ... the word “truly” reminds us that our hope is not an illusion, but the truth! And that, in the wake of Easter, humanity’s journey, now marked by hope, advances all the more readily. The first witnesses of the resurrection show this by their example. The Gospels speak of the haste with which, on the morning of Easter, the women “ran to tell the disciples” (Mt 28:8). Mary Magdalene then “ran and went to Simon Peter” (Jn 20:2), while John and Peter himself then “ran together” (cf. v. 4) to the place where Jesus had been buried. Later, on the evening of Easter, after meeting the Risen Lord on the road to Emmaus, two disciples “set out without delay” (cf. Lk 24:33) and traveled several miles, uphill and in the dark, spurred on by the irrepressible joy of Easter that burned in their hearts (cf. v. 32). The same joy that led Peter, on the shore of the Lake of Galilee, after catching sight of the risen Jesus, to leave the boat with the others, to throw himself immediately into the water and to swim quickly towards him (cf. Jn 21:7). At Easter, then, the journey quickens and becomes a race, since humanity now sees the goal of its journey, sees the meaning of its destiny, Jesus Christ, and is called to make haste to meet him, who is the hope of the world.
May we too make haste to progress on a journey of reciprocal trust: trust among individuals, peoples and nations. May we allow ourselves to experience amazement at the joyful proclamation of Easter, at the light that illumines the darkness and the gloom in which, all too often, our world finds itself enveloped.
Let us make haste to surmount our conflicts and divisions, and to open our hearts to those in greatest need. Let us hasten to pursue paths of peace and fraternity. Let us rejoice at the concrete signs of hope that reach us from so many countries, beginning with those that offer assistance and welcome to all fleeing from war and poverty.
At the same time, along this journey we also encounter many stumbling stones, which make it more difficult and demanding to hasten towards the Risen Lord. To him, then, let us make our prayer: Lord, help us to run to meet you! Help us to open our hearts!
Help the beloved Ukrainian people on their journey towards peace, and shed the light of Easter upon the people of Russia. Comfort the wounded and all those who have lost loved ones because of the war, and grant that prisoners may return safe and sound to their families. Open the hearts of the entire international community to strive to end this war and all conflict and bloodshed in our world, beginning with Syria, which still awaits peace. Strengthen all those affected by the violent earthquake in Turkey and in Syria itself. Let us pray for all those who have lost family and friends, and for those left homeless. May they receive consolation from God and assistance from the family of nations.
On this day, Lord, we entrust to you the city of Jerusalem, the first witness of your resurrection. May there be a resumption of dialogue, in a climate of trust and reciprocal respect, between Israelis and Palestinians, so that peace may reign in the Holy City and in the entire region.
Lord, aid Lebanon, which still seeks stability and unity, so that divisions may be overcome and all citizens cooperate for the common good of the country.
Be mindful of the beloved people of Tunisia, and in particular the young and those suffering from social and economic hardship, so that they may not lose hope and may work together to build a future of peace and fraternity.
Turn your gaze to Haiti, which has long experienced a grave social, economic and humanitarian crisis, and support the efforts of political actors and the international community to seek a definitive solution to the many problems that afflict that sorely tried people.
Consolidate the processes of peace and reconciliation undertaken in Ethiopia and in South Sudan, and grant an end to violence in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Sustain, Lord, the Christian communities that today celebrate Easter in particular circumstances, as in Nicaragua and Eritrea, and remember all who are prevented from freely and publicly professing their faith. Grant consolation to victims of international terrorism, especially in Burkina Faso, Mali, Mozambique and Nigeria.
Help Myanmar to pursue paths of peace, and enlighten the hearts of leaders, so that the deeply afflicted Rohingya may encounter justice.
Comfort refugees, deportees, political prisoners and migrants, especially those who are most vulnerable, as well as the victims of hunger, poverty and the dire effects of the drug trade, human trafficking and all other forms of slavery. Lord, inspire the leaders of nations to ensure that no man or woman may encounter discrimination and be violated in his or her dignity; that in full respect for human rights and democracy these social wounds may be healed; that the common good of the citizenry may be pursued always and solely; and that security and the conditions needed for dialogue and peaceful coexistence may be guaranteed.
Brothers, sisters, may we rediscover the enjoyment of the journey, quicken the heartbeat of hope and experience a foretaste of the beauty of heaven! Today, let us summon the energy to advance in goodness towards Goodness itself, which never disappoints. If, as one of the ancient Fathers once wrote, “the greatest sin is not to believe in the power of the resurrection” (SAINT ISAAC OF NINEVEH, Sermones Ascetici, I, 5), today let us believe and profess: “Christ is truly risen from the dead!” (Sequence). We believe in you, Lord Jesus. We believe that, with you, hope is reborn and the journey continues. May you, the Lord of life, encourage us on our journey and repeat to us, as you did to the disciples on the evening of Easter: “Peace be with you! Peace be with you! Peace be with you!” (Jn 19:21).
Pope Francis
Newly Baptized, Received and Confirmed in the Catholic Faith at the Easter Vigil at Our Lady of Mercy. Left to Right: Fr. Mahoney, Eric Joseph Broomfield, Pamela Agatha Bibeault, Philp Augustine Palanza and Fr. Healey.
December 31, 2022
The Diocese of Providence mourns the loss of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI and we pray for the peaceful repose of his immortal soul.
Throughout his life and ministry Pope Benedict served God and the Church with humility and generosity. In following Jesus, the Good Shepherd, Pope Benedict was likewise a good and wise shepherd whose impact on the Church and the world will be long-lasting. Pope Benedict was a world-class theologian who loved seeking and speaking the truth, and he taught the faith of the Church with the moral authority and doctrinal clarity so sorely needed today.
Pope Benedict, true to his name, was richly “blessed” by the Lord. He was a great man, but more importantly, he was a good man; a gracious, gentle and kind man whose example of charity and compassion, and gentle leadership, will be his lasting legacy.
May Almighty God open wide the gates of heaven to Pope Benedict and grant him a blessed reward of eternal peace and joy in the company of the Virgin Mary and Saint Joseph, and with all the saints and angels in the kingdom of