My mom loved Christmas. Each year it quickened her step and lifted her spirits, creating a lot of activity in the little house in which we lived.
For example, after my dad died, the task of …
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12/15/16
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Well, the reaction to Donald Trump’s surprise election has certainly been interesting, hasn’t it? There have been tirades and tears, dramas and demands, petitions, pickets and protests. While …
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12/1/16
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If you close your eyes and listen carefully, you can hear the sound of doors being closed all over the world. Not in a violent way, as if they’re being slammed shut, but in a quiet, thoughtful and …
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11/17/16
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Let us build a house where love can dwell and all can safely live, a place where saints and children tell how hearts learn to forgive. Built of hopes and
dreams and visions, rock of faith and vault of grace; here the love of Christ shall end divisions. All are welcome, all are welcome,all are welcome in this place.
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11/4/16
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The Scripture readings at Mass this past weekend reminded us of the power of prayer. It’s an important lesson, for after all, without prayer the Christian life is an empty shell; it has no …
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10/20/16
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Dear Brothers and Sisters,
“In this year, the Diocese of Providence will renew its devotion to Mary, the Mother of God. We will strive anew to imitate her virtues, and to seek her grace and …
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10/5/16
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There is an urgent need, especially nowadays, for a more widespread and deeply felt conviction that all the members of the Church, without exception, have the grace and responsibility to look after …
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9/22/16
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Well, dear reader, I hope you’ve had an enjoyable and relaxing summer. But now it’s time to get back to work, and so I reclaim my regular spot here in the Rhode Island Catholic.
During the …
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9/8/16
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Near the end of a recent television interview, the reporter asked me a couple of rather interesting and personal questions. “As a bishop, what is it that you fear the most?” he asked. A tough …
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6/23/16
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Dear High School Graduate:
I’d like to take a couple of minutes to share a few personal reflections and suggestions that you might think about at this important time in your life. I write as …
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6/9/16
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(With Memorial Day upon us, and with it the unofficial beginning of summer, I thought it would be appropriate to reprint this column from last year, edited only slightly for length. It addresses a …
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5/26/16
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The legal status of marijuana: approve for medical use, decriminalize or completely legalize? That’s the question being debated across the country right now, including here in Rhode …
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5/12/16
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“Fragile” refers to something that’s easily broken; “fickle” to something that changes frequently. Both adjectives describe adequately the experience of friendship we sometimes have. If you …
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4/28/16
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• The Pope’s Apostolic Exhortation, Amoris Laetitia, is long, really long – 60,000 words, 325 paragraphs, 256 pages. That’s unfortunate. I’m convinced that the length of a Church document …
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4/14/16
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“Those who have been baptized continue on the path of Christian Initiation through the Sacrament of Confirmation, by which they receive the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, whom the Lord sent upon …
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3/31/16
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For a lot of people, the most important thing about the Feast of St. Joseph are the zeppole. Without a doubt Rhode Island is the zeppole capital of the universe. We really like our zeppole here, …
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3/17/16
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Mercy and forgiveness must not remain as pleasant words but must be manifest in daily life. (Pope Francis)
As Christians we often hear about and speak about forgiveness – God’s forgiveness of …
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3/3/16
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The theme of this year’s Catholic Schools Week identified our Catholic schools as “Communities of Faith, Knowledge and Service,” words that describe very concisely the mission of Catholic …
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2/4/16
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“If we knew how to listen to God, we would hear him
speaking to us. For God does speak. He speaks in his Gospels. He also speaks through life – that new gospel to which we ourselves add a page …
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1/21/16
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Unless you’re a native Pittsburgher, and a senior one at that, the name Wendy King probably doesn’t mean much for you. But since I’m a native Pittsburgher, and a senior one at that, I was …
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1/7/16
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