Dear Parishioners, At the beginning of the month of November we celebrate two major events: All Saints and All Souls. All Souls reminds the faithful to pray for all the deceased. As the Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches us: "All who die in God's grace and friendship, but still imperfectly purified, are indeed assured of their eternal salvation; but after death they undergo purification, so as to achieve the holiness necessary to enter the joy of heaven. The Church gives the name Purgatory to this final purification of the elect, which is entirely different from the punishment of the damned" (CCC 1030-1031). A person who dies “in God’s grace and friendship” is someone who at death is free of mortal sin. We remove mortal sin through the Sacrament of Confession, a perfect act of contrition, or the Sacrament of Anointing given to someone unconscious who would have wanted to go to Confession. But what exactly happens to a soul in purgatory? Click the title to read more.
Dear Parishioners, Fall has finally arrived. Colder nights, falling leaves, and shorter days are now here. It reminds me of my time with my classmates in seminary. As a way to bring New England Fall to our seminary in Rome one night in October we would make cider, mulled wine, squash and butternut soups, assorted pies, and other autumnal foods. After enjoying a meal together, we would listen to the audio recording of Washington Irving’s The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. The exhaustive description of foods at the harvest party at the Van Tassels’ homestead was part of the inspiration for our meal. Fortunately, New England Fall is all around us here in Rhode Island. Please click the title to read more.
There is nothing better in the spiritual life than the Mass. With the Mass, Jesus Christ left us a concrete link to himself as well as spiritual nourishment. There is the need for ministers at each Mass to help with the worship of God. One such minister is the altar server. This is an important ministry at St. Teresa Church. I come asking that you, and your child(ren), consider volunteering to serve in this essential role. It is open to children in grades three and above, and you can choose which Mass times are most convenient to serve. It is never too late to start serving. Training Schedule: Monday, November 15: 4:00pm-5:00pm Tuesday, November 16: 4:00pm-5:00pm Wednesday, November 17: 4:00pm-5:00pm Thursday, November 18: 4:00pm-5:00pm. Please email the sign up form to Mrs. Sue Levesque at [email protected]. Simply click the title for the Form.
Dear Parishioners, This week I’d like to take the time to explain an important distinction in the spiritual life. In theology we distinguish between faith which is formed by charity and faith which is unformed by charity. When a person receives Baptism, they are infused by the three supernatural virtues of faith, hope and charity. “Virtue” in a theological sense does not mean a moral norm or rule. We can understand virtues as habits, perfections, new dispositions, or changes of a particular part of a human being. This change enables a person to act in a certain way. The theological virtues enable a person to act in a Christ-like way for the sake of salvation. They also transform a person into a child of God. Without the infusion of faith, hope and charity, a person cannot act in a Christ-like way, but they can still possess acquired virtues. Please click the title to read more.
Dear Parishioners, Last weekend the 8th grade class from our parish school auctioned homemade scarecrows. They are quite the talented and hardworking class judging by the variety and quality of their work. It was a big success. Thank you to those who donated, the students, their parents, and to our teachers and staff who helped organize the event. The donations go to support 8th grade activities like their class trip. Click the title to read more.
Dear Parishioners, Our parish feast day is here! On October 1st the Church celebrates the memorial of St. Teresa of the Child Jesus, also known as St. Thérèse of Lisieux. Even though October 1st falls on a weekday this year, the Church allows us to celebrate St. Teresa during the weekend Masses as a solemnity. We distinguish three different types of celebrations: Memorials, feasts, and solemnities. Each have different liturgical elements (for instance, we pray the Gloria and Creed on a solemnity, but only the Gloria on a feast day). As our patroness, we celebrate St. Teresa as a solemnity, decorate her statue, and ask for her intercession this weekend. Click the title to read more.