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Recently I celebrated Mass with the religious jubilarians of the Diocese – sisters, brothers and priests – who are celebrating special anniversaries of their religious professions this year. …
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6/6/19
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Recently someone asked me if I ever get tired doing Confirmations. The question came up in a conversation about my Confirmation schedule, and the observation that in my 26 years as a bishop I’ve …
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5/30/19
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So, one evening not too long ago, I was driving along the Wampanoag Trail when I noticed the cars ahead of me, rounding a curve, tapping their brakes and slowing down. I soon knew why. There was a …
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5/23/19
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“The eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had ordered them. When they saw him, they worshiped, but they doubted.”
(Mt 28: 16-17)
For a good while now I’ve …
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5/16/19
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Especially before and during Pentecost, but on other special occasions as well, our churches echo with the sound of the beautiful and enchanting hymn, Veni, Creator Spiritus. “Come Holy Spirit, …
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5/9/19
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I saw an interesting survey recently, from the Pew Research Center, that asked respondents to indicate which local news topics they considered to be important for daily life. Topics included things …
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5/2/19
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Dear Bishop Tobin: Ever since I was a child I was a skeptic. I had no hope and didn’t believe anything. But now I am ready to be confirmed. It all changed when I started doing service hours and saw …
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4/25/19
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Anytime we stand at the foot of the Cross of Christ we find that we’re not alone. Among others standing there are the Virgin Mary and the Beloved Disciple John. And if we listen attentively we hear …
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4/18/19
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After a recent diocesan event, a nice young lady approached me and handed me a little cross, a simple wooden cross with smooth, rounded edges, just a few inches long. She explained that her father …
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4/11/19
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One of the traditional practices of Catholics is to “give up” things, to fast and abstain from material comforts and personal attachments. Although it should happen throughout the year, …
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4/4/19
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Perhaps you remember a catchy little song from the 1970s, by the British band 10cc, called “The Things We Do for Love.” The whimsical tune describes some of the crazy, unpredictable things …
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3/28/19
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One of the outstanding communities of religious women serving in the Diocese of Providence is named the “Missionary Sisters, Servants of the Word.” The community, based in Mexico, is committed to …
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3/21/19
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One of the plagues of our modern, technological society is the need to have and remember passwords. The dreaded passwords are required to log on to your computer, smartphone, social media accounts, …
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3/14/19
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Recently I made a quick trip to my hometown of Pittsburgh to visit family and friends. One of the rewarding things about my visit was being surrounded once again by the familiar black and gold of the …
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3/7/19
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If you attended a Catholic school, you probably learned the practice of writing “JMJ” at the top of your paper. It was a lovely little reminder to honor Jesus, Mary and Joseph every day, and to …
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2/28/19
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“Be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect.” (Mt 5: 48) There are lots of challenging passages in the Bible, but this saying of Jesus must surely be among the top ten.
The command to …
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2/21/19
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While in my local drugstore recently, I was looking to buy a new toothbrush. Not as simple as it sounds!
The number of available options made my purchase a daunting, irritating task. There were, …
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2/14/19
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The Associated Press recently carried a story that I found both amusing and instructive.
It seems that in Florida, some folks observing last month’s lunar eclipse from their car, forgot to keep …
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2/7/19
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A long time ago, in a faraway diocese, at a public reception, a woman engaged me in conversation to lodge some complaints about the Church. Her particular grievance was that the religious education …
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1/31/19
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St. Francis de Sales was a bishop and eminent teacher of the faith whose life bridged the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. His most famous work, “The Introduction to the Devout Life” contains …
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1/24/19
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