News - August 2023 RSS Feed

By Cole DeSantis, Rhode Island Catholic Correspondent - PROVIDENCE — One unfortunate fact of Church life in contemporary society is the decrease in religious affiliation reported among the youth and young adult population. Affiliation with formal religious institutions and regular church attendance among these age groups is at an all-time low. (PHOTO COURTESY OF HANNAH KLINE)

By Jennifer Barton, Rhode Island Catholic Correspondent - COVENTRY — In Matthew 25, Jesus speaks of feeding the hungry, clothing the naked and visiting those in need – charitable acts now known as the Corporal Works of Mercy. These have always been the mission of the St. Vincent de Paul Society, St. Vincent de Paul Conference in Coventry/West Warwick, but they took on a different form when COVID-19 forced the closure of their soup kitchen in the West Warwick Senior Center. One man’s need to cook transformed the care the conference offered, filling the physical and emotional needs of others, particularly the elderly. (PHOTOS: RICK SNIZEK)

By Cole DeSantis, Rhode Island Catholic Correspondent - EAST GREENWICH — “In giving the world priests, He gives us His own Son’s mediators on earth, earthen vessels that we are, and imperfect and weak as we can be. No priest knows why God has called him, but every priest surely knows that God has called him.” (PHOTO: COLE DESANTIS)

By Tyler Rowley, President, Servants of Christ for Life - I can remember driving through Narragansett in the backseat of my parents’ car and seeing a strange van passing by with peculiar images draped across the sides. Even though I don’t remember the specific conversations, I’m sure I asked my parents about the images, and they delicately explained them to my young ears. (Photo courtesy of family)

At the borders of Rhode Island, there is usually a blue sign that states “Discover Beautiful Rhode Island.” I have been taking that invitation very seriously — using my first months in the Ocean State to get to know the communities and people of the Diocese of Providence and the State of Rhode Island. During the warmer months, I have had a number of opportunities to march in parades, join in processions and feasts, and participate in blessings and civic occasions. You have already heard about some of these occasions in this column...

ROME — On Sunday, August 20, the orientation group of students from the Pontifical North American College, including Providence seminarian Nathan Ledoux, met with the Holy Father before he recited the midday Angelus prayer with an estimated 10,000 people gathered in St. Peter’s Square. Among the crowd were 29 seminarians who had just arrived to begin their studies at the Pontifical North American College, the U.S. seminary in Rome. (PHOTO COURTESY OF SEMINARIAN NATHAN LEDOUX)

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:3) This is one of Jesus’ Beatitudes from His Sermon on the Mount. “Poor in spirit” means to be humble. Well, I am humble enough to admit that there is so much that I am still constantly learning about our rich Catholic faith...

Make an emergency donation to CCUSA today to help provide lifesaving resources, and 100% of your gift will be sent where it's needed most! (Photo: catholiccharitiesusa.org)

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Join Archbishop-elect Henning at this special annual celebration in the Cathedral on Sun., Sept. 22 beginning at 1 p.m. Registration is required - please register in advance with your Pastor or Parish Secretary.

By Father Nathan Ricci - On a cool Roman morning in November of 1998, Bishop Thomas J. Tobin arrived at the Apostolic Palace for his ad limina audience with the pope. John Paul II named the now 50-year-old Tobin a bishop six years ago, but after seeing the youthful man in front of him, the Holy Father exclaimed, “You’re very young to be a bishop!” With a big smile, a brave Tobin responded without pretense, “With all due respect, Holy Father, that’s your fault!” (Photo: Laura Kilgus)

By Cole DeSantis, Rhode Island Catholic Correspondent - It is with the words “Receive the Gospel and preach the Word of God with all patience and sound teaching,” that the consecrating bishop places the book of the Gospels over the head of the bishop-elect, which is then held by two deacons during the prayer of consecration symbolizing his role as supreme teaching authority in the local Church. The bishop then receives the crosier or episcopal staff. The new bishop is reminded of his duty to “keep watch over the whole flock in which the Holy Spirit has placed you as Bishop to govern the Church of God.” (Photos: Laura Kilgus and Rick Snizek)

Laura Kilgus, Associate Editor - Bishop Thomas J. Tobin began the Keep the Heat On challenge on October 31, 2005, to assist those struggling to heat their homes in the frigid New England winters as heating costs reached record highs. Since then, Keep the Heat On has been a vital program in Bishop Tobin’s outreach to the Diocese of Providence and to the state of Rhode Island, providing more than $4 million in heating assistance to 17,174 households through 2023. (Photos: Laura Kilgus and Rick Snizek)

By Jennifer Barton, Rhode Island Catholic Correspondent Bishop Thomas J. Tobin has long been known as a forthright voice against the injustice of abortion in America. During presidential and off-year elections, he has openly stated that Catholics cannot, in good conscience, vote for candidates who actively support abortion. He criticized future-president Joe Biden for his pro-abortion views during his presidential campaign in 2020. In 2021, he released a statement expressing his disappointment and even indignation over 2nd Congressional District Rep. James Langevin’s (and other Catholic politicians’) stance on abortion in the U.S. (Photo: Rick Snizek)