This Sunday, September 24th is the feast of Our Lady of Mercy. In the sanctuary is her beautiful image which stands in the entrance of our new office facility.— “Mercy Hall”, the name given by the transition team as we were planning our merger.

This title of Our Lady was spread by St. Pedro Nolasco, as Spaniard, who founded the Mercedarians. The priests and brothers of his order would trade themselves in the place of Christian captives so that they could be freed from their Muslim captors. Their mission was to rescue those whose faith was in danger, even to the point of sacrificing their own lives. They continue that mission of “rescue” today —however, rescuing people from modern forms of captivity. They work in jails, marginal neighborhoods, among addicts and in hospitals. They continue to be an arm of mercy to the most marginalized in society.

As I reflected on this, I could not help but think how appropriate it is that Our Lady of Mercy Church should be such an integral part of our new Parish of St. John Bosco. Our parish mission statement calls us to reach out to the young and the poor—those, today who are in so much danger of losing their Catholic faith. Our Don Bosco Community Center, in every aspect of its outreach: the youth activities, the Don Bosco Scholars, the Food Pantry and Soup Kitchen, the Don Bosco Workers’ Program—all are works of mercy to rescue those in need!

I reflected on the faith roots of Our Lady of Mercy Church. Ireland, who gave so many of its daughters and sons as missionaries to bring the faith to the many countries throughout the world! How significant that in its own way that missionary spirit continues to happen right here in Port Chester, as the primary church of St. John Bosco Parish continues to be an arm of mercy for the immigrants, the poor and the young today. Our Lady of Mercy has to be smiling on this church in a special way as she places St. John Bosco Parish under the care of her Motherly mantle!

Today, also, is a very special day for our parish because one of our very own Juliana Staab, is entering the cloistered Carmelite Convent in Madison, New Jersey! Naturally, Juliana has all our prayerful support. Her Carmelite vocation is a real gift to the Church and to our new parish of St. John Bosco! May she be the first of many who hear God’s call to religious life and responds to it! In a real sense she is giving her life for us for the priests in a special way — her prayer for our parish will be rescuing us! Thank you to her parents for their generosity and Thank you Juliana for saying YES to Jesus!!

​​​​​​​Finally, today is the 24th of the month. The feast day of Mary, Help of Christians is on the 24th of May and in our Salesian tradition, every 24th of the month we honor Our Lady in a special way. As the Help of Christians, a title which embraces all of Mary’s attributes, she is the Mother of Mercy interceding for us, her children. Each month, at the end of the Masses, we will give the Blessing of Mary Help of Christians. Our patron. Don Bosco, tells us that if we receive this blessing with deep faith and devotion, our merciful Mother will hear our prayers and we will see what miracles are in our lives!

God bless you!
Fr. Pat