Church

Dear Brothers and Sisters, St. Michael the Archangel is always pictured skewering Satan with his spear, but the other great warrior in the spiritual battle is the Blessed Virgin. She is pictured trampling the serpent under her feet in fulfillment of the prophecy in Genesis 3:15 where God tells the serpent that there will be enmity between him and the woman and she will trample the serpent underfoot. This is why our image of Our Lady of the Rosary shows her holding her son and trampling the serpent. Popes and …

OLR participates in the CLBBY (Church League Basketball for Youth) program. If you would like your son or daughter to play this fall, please use the sign up link below. We have several spots open for K5-5th grade aged girls and boys.  Teams will practice once a week, usually on Sundays at the OLR gym after the 10:30am Mass and before 5:00pm Mass. Games are scheduled by CLBBY and take place on Saturdays at various gyms in Greenville on November 11, 18, December 2, 9, 16, January 6, 20, 27. For specific …

Dear Brothers and Sisters, As we prepare for spiritual battle, we should remember that we do not fight alone. Time and again the Bible reminds us that there is “war in heaven” (Rev. 12:7) Satan and his demons are in battle with Michael and the angels. This is part of the historic faith down through the ages and the lives of the saints, witness to the reality of the conflict going on in the unseen realm. We join our prayers with those of the saints and angels as they engage …

Dear Brothers and Sisters, In his epistle to the Ephesians St. Paul sets out the need for spiritual warfare. He writes, “Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able …

The Pastor’s Letter this week is from Peg Verranault, President of the OLR St. Vincent de Paul Society. The Society of St. Vincent de Paul at OLR was founded in 1993 in the old white house that was the original OLR Church, and has been serving the needy in the surrounding neighborhoods for the past 30 years. Those who were instrumental in founding the conference and the first Vincentians at OLR were Anne Sokol, Marianne Stoddard, Pat Conrad and Jim Cooper, who was also the first president. The society at …

Dear Brothers and Sisters, I love the great hymn For All the Saints–especially the second verse: O may your soldiers, faithful true and bold Fight as the saints who nobly fought of old And win with them the victor’s crown of gold Alleluia, Alleluia! The lives of all the saints exhibit an awareness of the need for battle. Even the Little Flower–Therese of Lisieux says, “Sanctity! It must be won at the point of a sword!”  Therefore, to make spiritual progress with the saints, we have to engage in battle. The …

Dear Brothers and Sisters, In our society, which emphasizes kindness and gentleness we often forget an aspect of our faith which is summed up in the phrase, “the Church Militant.” Christians today are inclined to turn away from old fashioned hymns like “Onward Christian Soldiers”, “Fight the Good Fight” or “Stand Up, Stand Up for Jesus, You Soldiers of the Cross”. We find it difficult to align a religion of forgiveness and tolerance with a religion that encounters enemies, expects conflict and marches confidently to war. We’re especially reluctant to …

Dear Brothers and Sisters, When I was a kid September meant “Back to School”. After the luxury of the lazy summer days, it was back to work and back to busy schedules. In the years since then the start of school has moved earlier and earlier—eroding the summer vacation for our kids. OLR school got started last week and it has been a joy to see so many boys and girls filling our classrooms. Over 300 are enrolled this year and we are bursting at the seams! Mr. Curtin’s strategy …

Please go HERE for the Confirmation registration form and instructions. Go HERE for Sunday Morning Catechesis forms for K4-5th Grade. …

Dear Brothers and Sisters, In the months to come there will be increasing opportunities to support the work of our parish financially. As the parish and school continue to grow the demands for new ministries and facilities will increase. In the light of this I would like to share a personal story about Christian giving.  My Father was a successful Christian businessman. It was his practice to give 15% of his income to the Lord’s work. While I say he was a success—it was not always so. For some time in …

Dear Brothers and Sisters, The other day someone asked me, “What is your vision for OLR parish?”  I answered, “In the sixth century the great Roman Empire was disintegrating as a result of unlimited power, untold wealth and widespread moral degeneracy. The infrastructures were failing. Politicians were corrupt, the old religions were moribund and indifferent. The barbarians were encroaching and there was widespread fear, despair and collapse of civilization.” St. Benedict of Nursia went out from Rome and began to establish small monastic communities in the hills of Rome. His …

The Summer is ending, and with it comes the sought after stability of the school year with the reminder that we have forgotten much, and have a great deal to learn. Especially when it comes to the Faith, we have the wonderful opportunity to constantly grow further up and further in to our understanding of the Church and our Blessed Lord. St. Jerome is credited with saying that “Ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ”. I would go further to say that ignorance of Christ is ignorance of Christ! It …