Brothers Sixtus and Benedict at the Diocesan Youth Day

One of the recent initiatives undertaken within the monastery has been an effort to forge a stronger connection with our local Diocese of Providence. Recently Br. Benedict and I spent an entire Saturday on September 11 at Our Lady of Fatima Parish in Cumberland RI for the third annual Diocesan Youth Day sponsored by Catholic Youth Ministry. It was a fruitful step in our deepening relationship with the Providence diocese.

We were led to join the event as a result of our most recent connection, both spiritual and temporal, which has taken place primarily through the Office for Religious, headed by Sr. Elizabeth Castro HMSP (Missionary Sisters Servants of the Word, or Hermanas Misioneras Servidoras de la Palabra). My initial contact with Sr. Elizabeth was at the “Major Superiors’ Meeting with His Excellency Bishop Thomas J. Tobin,” held October 22, 2019, at the house of the Little Sisters of the Poor in Pawtucket. The day began with mid-morning prayer, introductions of the men’s and women’s religious communities in attendance, followed by a discussion of the Quinquennial Report of the Diocese, and closing with lunch. (By no stretch of the imagination did any anyone confuse me for a major superior. Prior Michael was otherwise engaged teaching a theology class and I merely represented him and the Benedictines of the diocese.)

Diocesan Youth Day events

The pandemic intervened to slow, but not to stall, this diocesan involvement. Five months later, the monks were asked to host a Lenten Day of Recollection sponsored by the Office for Religious on our campus. As it turns out, Portsmouth Abbey was a hidden gem to most of the other religious communities, many of them located, as they themselves remarked, “on the other side of the Bay.” Although they may have heard of Portsmouth Abbey and School, they had never, or only rarely, visited, and so this event was, for the monks, a reaching-out moment, a teaching moment, and an opportunity to share the beauty and serenity of “our” side of the Bay. Scheduled for Saturday, March 21, 2020, when the school was on spring break, Fr. Gregory Havill was to have been the main presenter and we had arranged with the dining hall staff to prepare and serve lunch to the attendees. Just days before the event, we were forced to cancel everything due to the outbreak of the coronavirus. Nothing has been the same since that week. A full year later another opportunity presented itself for the monks to work with the diocese, when I was invited to deliver the principal conference marking the XXV World Day of Consecrated Life on February 7, 2021. Titled “Mission as a Journey to Holiness” and delivered via Zoom, it was followed by a virtual Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, Vespers and renewal of our religious vows. At about this same time, Fr. Gregory was called upon again, this time to formulate and teach a 9-week theology course for the five Novices of Sister Elizabeth’s order in Providence. It was a huge success and further strengthened our connection.

The recent Youth Day marked another step in returning to in-person events and provided a tangible opportunity to engage more deeply in the life of the diocese. The overarching theme was Empowered and the day consisted of six workshops for the high school students. In addition, one was offered to the adults in attendance, led by Julie Bradley and entitled “Empowered to Serve the Young Church.” Music throughout the day was provided by noted mission and workshop leader Cooper Ray who also acted as emcee for the event. Auxiliary Bishop Robert Evans was the main celebrant at a beautiful outdoor afternoon Mass held in the parish’s Fatima Grotto, followed by dinner on the grounds. What was billed as the vocations component of the day took place after the meal and consisted of “Vocation Bingo” in which the young participants, (including 3 energetic teenaged siblings from Pamplona, Spain, but currently worshiping at St. Barnabas Parish in Portsmouth) attempted to fill the squares on their entire bingo card with signatures of consecrated religious who matched up with a description or interest printed therein. (For example: Owns a dog; Has designed sets for TV & film; Has eaten pasta in the last week, etc.). As the sun was setting and after prizes were handed out to the bingo winners, a Eucharistic Procession began the gentle climb from the beautiful 1962 Portuguese parish church up the slight grassy incline lined with luminaria to the grotto for Adoration and Benediction. Not only did Br. Benedict and I make contact with many of the youth, some of whom were quite confident in their desire for a religious vocation and comfortable in sharing and talking about it, but we also connected on a different level with other religious who also shared stories of their own faith journeys and community life.

Next up is the 2021 Major Superiors’ Meeting on October 26 at the Cathedral, at which I shall accompany Prior Michael. We’ll be sure to share the good news that our Portsmouth oblates have been able to gather again as a group after a long hibernation. That time together will conclude with Mass celebrated by Bishop Tobin.  The diocese began its celebration of its 150^th anniversary with a Night to Honor Mary at the Cathedral of Ss. Peter and Paul on September 8. Upcoming public events in the ongoing 150^th anniversary celebration include a concert by the Vienna Boys Choir, a talk by George Weigel, a Mass at the Cathedral on May 15 celebrated by St. Louis native Cardinal Timothy Dolan, and a Catholic Schools Arts Festival on May 21 at St. Philomena School across Cory’s Lane from the Portsmouth campus.  We’ll be sure to keep you up to date on news of these exciting diocesan events.

Getting to know the diocese