A lot of people know that I’m an avid Steelers fan, but on occasion someone will ask me if I also cheer for the baseball team, the Pittsburgh Pirates. There’s always an awkward pause before I answer that question.
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BY BISHOP THOMAS J. TOBIN
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4/13/12
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At the Cross her station keeping,
Stood the mournful mother weeping,
Close to Jesus to the last.
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BY BISHOP THOMAS J. TOBIN
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3/29/12
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It’s a sure sign of spring, as predictable as the Red Sox at spring training, the swallows returning to Capistrano, and the flowing of green beer on St. Patrick’s Day. I’m referring of course to the public re-appearance of the determined proponents of homosexual marriage.
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BY BISHOP THOMAS J. TOBIN
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3/15/12
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So, if someone were to ask you what you’re doing for Lent this year, you might answer rather quickly, “I’m giving up desserts.”
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BY BISHOP THOMAS J. TOBIN
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3/2/12
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It seems that there’s been a resurgence of atheism recently, across the nation, and certainly here in Rhode Island. The epicenter of this godless movement, at least for the moment, is in Cranston, Rhode Island, where a fierce battle over a public high school prayer banner has pitted believers against non-believers.
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BY BISHOP THOMAS J. TOBIN
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2/15/12
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No question about it, Catholics like blessings. It’s part of our faith and culture. We regularly bless people, places and things – religious things and secular things.
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BY BISHOP THOMAS J. TOBIN
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2/3/12
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Every building needs a strong foundation if it is to stand strong, straight and tall. A strong foundation – that’s the image that often comes to mind whenever I think about Catholic Schools.
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BY BISHOP THOMAS J. TOBIN
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1/20/12
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Every year I get a Christmas card from Darryl in which he encloses a personal little reflection about experiences of the past year or the meaning of Christmas. His comments are always beautifully written and insightful, profound even, and this year was no exception.
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BY BISHOP THOMAS J. TOBIN
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1/8/12
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As I extend my prayers and blessings to you and your loved ones for a very blessed and merry Christmas and a happy and prosperous New Year, allow me to share a few personal memories and reflections of this holy day.
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BY BISHOP THOMAS J. TOBIN
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12/20/11
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The 2012 Presidential election is still a long way off and there will be plenty of opportunities for candidates of both parties to explain their positions on a variety of important issues.
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BY BISHOP THOMAS J. TOBIN
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12/7/11
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By now you know that I, along with the other bishops of New England, recently traveled to Rome to participate in the official Ad Limina Visit to the Vatican, and from previous articles you’re probably familiar with the structure and purpose of our visit. Here I’d like to mention a few personal experiences and reflections from our time there.
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BY BISHOP THOMAS J. TOBIN
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11/27/11
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I have a friend who’s fond of saying that I have a profound grasp of the obvious. You might agree with that observation when I suggest that our nation and our state are sorely divided these days.
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BY BISHOP THOMAS J. TOBIN
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11/13/11
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The homosexual agenda is relentless; almost daily it forces itself into the public discourse. Consider the following, gleaned from headlines in just the last few weeks:
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BY BISHOP THOMAS J. TOBIN
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10/26/11
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So, this past summer I got an iPhone. Not a big deal, you say, but in fact it was a big deal, a huge deal for me. As you know I’ve been and continue to be very wary of all the new technology.
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BY BISHOP THOMAS J. TOBIN
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10/15/11
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Television evangelist Pat Robertson has made some controversial comments in the past, and he’s done it again with his recent discussion about the legitimacy of divorce when a spouse has Alzheimer’s disease.
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BY BISHOP THOMAS J. TOBIN
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9/29/11
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Perhaps you’ve noticed the devotional prayers that appear frequently in the Catholic press, in this newspaper and others, prayers addressed to Jesus, our Blessed Mother or one of the saints. For example, this novena to St. Jude: “May the Sacred Heart of Jesus be adored, glorified, loved and preserved throughout the world, now and forever. Sacred Heart of Jesus, pray for us. St. Jude, help for the hopeless, pray for us.
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BY BISHOP THOMAS J. TOBIN
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9/16/11
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As you know, last weekend I granted a diocesan-wide dispensation from the obligation to attend Holy Mass on Sunday. The dispensation was approved in light of the predicted arrival of Hurricane Irene and the dangers associated with that storm.
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BY BISHOP THOMAS J. TOBIN
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9/5/11
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A few weeks ago, during the acrimonious debate over the debt limit and deficit reduction, a number of religious leaders met with President Obama to ask him not to forget the poor as our nation struggles with its financial crisis.
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BY BISHOP THOMAS J. TOBIN
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8/19/11
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It is into us that the lives of grandparents have gone. It is in us that their history becomes a future. (Charles and Ann Morse)
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BY BISHOP THOMAS J. TOBIN
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8/5/11
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Summer’s a time for slowing down, kicking back, relaxing, and reminiscing. It’s for that reason, perhaps, I’ve been thinking a lot about summers past, and especially one of my favorite pastimes in summers past, golfing with my dad.
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BY BISHOP THOMAS J. TOBIN
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7/22/11
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