Church #4 - St. Gregory the Great, Warwick

I lived in West Warwick a couple of years ago, and this is the parish that I'd usually go to. I remember Mass always being full, and getting the overall impression of a very active, vibrant parish community. The church is modern, but in a very nice way.

More importantly, this church is special because it's where the funeral Mass for my friend Mike was said a few years ago. 

Sadly, the balcony door was locked. First time that's happened.

These pictures were taken just after a wedding got out, and there was still a mob of people in the foyer. Luckily, nobody seemed to notice some random guy wearing shorts walking around taking pictures.

Not sure what happened here. Seems like an accident waiting to happen.

Of course, it doesn't hurt that the church happens to share my name. Pope Gregory I (aka Gregory the Great) was the first pope to come from a monastic background, and he's a doctor of the church. He's also the patron saint of teachers.

I'll finish with this great quote that I read today:

"When individuals are close to God, love and desire to serve the Lord, the usual strategy of the devil is to cause them to lose their peace of heart, whereas God, on the contrary, comes to their aid to give them peace. But this rule is reversed for those whose hearts are far from God, who live in indifference and evil. The devil seeks to tranquilize such individuals, to keep them in a false sense of quietude."

- Fr. Jacques Philippe