Thursday, March 14, 2013
Several said they were happy with the Argentine's habits of simple living and his devotion to the poor.
At age 76, he's older than they thought, but he's devoted to the poor, which they like. In a survey of a few East Greenwich Catholics Wednesday over the choice of Argentine Jorge Mario Bergoglio as the new Pope – Francis I – reaction was generally positive. "We’re all very pleased," said Jeanne Photopoulos, a parishioner of Our Lady of Mercy Church who had arrived at the church Wednesday evening for a Lenten program. "I think he’s a very humble man, a prayerful man. He’s for the poor, for the common man. He’s an intelligent man. That balances him," she said. "The fact that he’s a man of the people, he lives in a small apartment, I think he’s going to be someone to reach out to the real mission of the church: compassion and to reach out …
Monday, February 11, 2013
OLM pastor Fr. Healey urges Catholics to respond with faith not fear.
Pope Benedict’s surprise announcement Monday morning that he would resign Feb. 28 has prompted curiosity, concern, and gratitude from some East Greenwich Catholics. “I think the Pope showed great strengh of character,” Susan McManus wrote on EG Patch’s Facebook page, “a very selfless act.” Another EG Catholic, Michelle Brodeur, said her response was a mix of “a little fear and plenty of curiousity!” She said she was “shocked” when she heard the news that the leader of the world’s more than 1 billion Catholics, Pope Benedict XVI, would step down due to a decline in health. Benedict is 85 years old. “Catholics believe that the Pope is chosen by God to carry out His work here on earth. It is not a post that a worker can retire from. The pope…
Thursday, January 31, 2013
This time of year, Healey spends most afternoons at the State House, lobbying on issues important to the Catholic Church.
Father Bernard Healey took over as pastor at Our Lady of Mercy Catholic Church last September, but he's been the diocese's lobbyist at the State House for the past 12 years. He's the executive director of the R.I. Catholic Conference. During the legislative session (January to June), that makes for busy weekdays, with Healey traveling most afternoons from OLM in East Greenwich to the State House in Providence to meet with lawmakers and testify on bills that matter to the Diocese of Providence. "I advocate and educate on behalf of the Catholic Church," he said, ticking off the important issues: "poverty, sanctity of life, immigration, education, same-sex marriage, abortion." WPRI's Ted Nesi called Healey "an influential State House …
Harborside4Lif
5:27 pm on Saturday, February 2, 2013
What happened to separation of church and state? That's a great question. The Obama Administration's recent decision to require employers—including religiously-affiliated hospitals, charities, and universities—to offer health insurance that includes comprehensive coverage for a variety of contraceptive and other services related to reproduction, including abortion-inducing drugs, is a clear … more ›