On behalf of the faithful of the Diocese of Portland, I share with you the great joy of our Church at the election of Pope Leo XIV as our new Holy Father. As the successor of St. Peter, he now carries the sacred responsibility of shepherding the Church and leading us in the mission of proclaiming the Gospel and building up the Body of Christ. I invite all of us to pray for our new pope as he begins this important ministry, that the Holy Spirit may guide and strengthen him in his service to the Church and the world. -Bishop James T. Ruggieri

My Dear Brothers and Sisters, The news of our Holy Father Francis’ sudden death has saddened me. Following the reports of his recent hospitalization and slow recovery, I saw his resilience in making the great effort to be present to the Church both in Rome and the world during Holy Week. Just yesterday, Easter Sunday, he was riding in the popemobile and blessing the crowds outside of St. Peter’s Basilica. Therefore, the news of his death on Easter Monday, affectionately known in places as "Little Easter," is startling. However, how providential that our Holy Father would go to the Lord on this second day of the great Octave of Easter, a time when our Church is still joyfully celebrating Jesus’ triumphant Resurrection. We rightfully called him Holy Father because he was our spiritual father while he served the Universal Church as pope. We prayed for him by name at every Mass celebrated throughout the world. He reminded us of the importance of mercy and encouraged us to image God as a merciful father. He encouraged us to be mindful of the poor and marginalized. He called us to greater responsibility in our stewardship of our “common home,” the earth. He taught and modeled the importance of listening, dialogue, and fraternity. I’ll never forget watching the livestream of him alone in the drizzling rain outside of St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome at the height of COVID praying before the crucifix and interceding for a world that was filled with fear and uncertainty. Our spiritual father has died. The Church mourns. Please, one thing that we call all do collectively in the moment is to pray for the repose of his soul. I would recommend to all in our local Church to offer a spiritual bouquet for his soul by praying the Our Father, Hail Mary, and Glory Be whenever possible, today and in these coming days in preparation for his funeral. Also, it is very appropriate to offer the Rosary for the repose of his soul. As we celebrated yesterday, Jesus has triumphed over sin and death. This great hope, especially in this Jubilee Year of Hope, gives us consolation with the news of our Holy Father’s death. Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him. May he rest in peace. -Bishop James T. Ruggieri

Join us this Sunday, April 6th for a Penitential Service at Notre Dame Church. There will be several priests available to hear confessions.

Due to impending freezing rain, there will be no 8AM Mass this morning and the Parish/Cemetery Offices will open at 10AM. Please stay safe!

There will be no Confessions on Fri., Sept. 6 at St. John.

In 2021, Pope Fracis established World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly, to be celebrated each year on the fourth Sunday of July. This year we commemorate the day on July 28. I certainly have very fond memories of growing up with my own grandparents in Rhode Island. My grandmother, Mary, besides being one of the kindest people I have met in my life, was a great cook. Long before converting to a vegan diet and being an omnivorous eater, I indulged with delight in my Naunie’s meatballs and homemade pasta. What a treat! My grandfather, John, Mary’s husband, was one of the most intelligent people that I have met. He possessed an incredible ‘practical’ knowledge of many things. Pop could fix almost anything. I remember spending hours in his workshop located in the basement of his house making things out of wood, fixing things with him, and watching him create inventions. I loved spending time with him. It was a joy to spend time with both. My grandparents were big contributors to the person I am today. I can’t imagine my life without them involved in my personal story. So, I am a tremendous fan of grandparents. Unfortunately, this type of fondness and respect for grandparents and the elderly is not universal. “Do not cast me off in my old age” (cf. Ps. 71:9) is the theme chosen by Pope Francis for 2024. The reminders of Pope Francis in his address that in many places throughout the world the elderly are abandoned or deemed a burden are extremely sad. In one paragraph of the address, Pope Francis states, “The Psalm cited above – with its plea not to be abandoned in old age – speaks to a conspiracy surrounding the life of the elderly. This may seem an exaggeration, but not if we consider that the loneliness and abandonment of the elderly is not by chance or inevitable, but the fruit of decisions – political, economic, social and personal decisions – that fail to acknowledge the infinite dignity of each person, “beyond every circumstance, state or situation the person may ever encounter” (Declaration Dignitas Infinita, 1). This happens once we lose sight of the value of each individual and people are then judged in terms of their cost, which is in some cases considered too high to pay. Even worse, often the elderly themselves fall victim to this mindset; they are made to consider themselves a burden and to feel that they should be the first to step aside.” When grandma and grandpa are considered a burden or never have visitors, this is all the “fruit of decisions,” decisions that others are making based on convenience, utility, pragmatism, or egoism. How sad! In keeping with this erroneous belief that the human person’s dignity is relative, then physician-assisted suicide, once legalized, becomes a legitimized way to potentially rid a society of some or many of its elderly. The law will actually justify this! In a January 22, 2015 Wall Street Journal article, “Dr. Death Makes a Comeback,” Dr. Paul McHugh, former psychiatrist-in-chief at Johns Hopkins Hospital, stated, “…with physician-assisted suicide, many people – some not terminally ill, but instead demoralized, depressed and bewildered – die before their time.” (See also, Ryan Anderson’s March 24, 2015, article “Always Care, Never Kill…” Published by The Heritage Foundation). The loneliness, isolation, and solitary existence lived by many elderly are all potential agents of a “demoralized, depressed, and bewildered” existence. When a society says that life is justifiably disposable, then all lives are vulnerable, not just the elderly. The genius of Christianity is that Jesus, by becoming human and redeeming humanity, teaches us that all human life has value and matters. All human beings have an inviolable value from the moment of conception that is not diminished by age, productivity, education, race, economics, or creed. What a bold statement about the dignity of the person. Christianity is refreshingly bold, embodying a boldness that goes beyond politics or public opinion. It’s beautiful! The human person is beautiful! The elderly are beautiful! Thank you, grandparents and elderly! Perhaps, in honor of this special day, we can be intentional and let our grandparents and the elderly in our lives know that we are grateful for them.

Receiving congratulatory hugs and offering blessings, Father Matthew Valles struggled to find the words to describe what it is like to be a newly ordained priest of the Diocese of Portland. “It feels good, so good. I can’t believe it. I am very happy. I am very, very happy,” he said. “Priests have meant a lot to me. I love the priesthood. I love priests, and the fact that I can be one for someone else means a lot.” With more than 600 people in attendance, Deacon Valles was ordained to the priesthood by Bishop James Ruggieri on Saturday, June 29, at St. John Church in Bangor. Click here for the full story and photos of the special day.

Corpus Christi Parish is seeking a part-time Catholic Campus Minister to serve the students and faculty at Colby College. The ideal candidate is a dynamic, energetic person who will work to foster the personal and spiritual growth of young adults. For more information, click here.