October 31, 2021

Dear Friends,

As I wrote last week, November is the month when we remember the dead in a special way. It begins with All Saints Day (November 1st) and All Souls Day (November 2nd). As a way of holding in prayer our loved ones who have died, we will have near the Saint Joseph altars of our churches (St. Joseph is the patron saint of a peaceful death) a “Book of the Dead,” into which parishioners can inscribe the names of deceased loved ones. In addition, if you would like to bring a framed picture of a deceased loved one and place it on the Joseph or Mary altar, please do so. We will leave those pictures out throughout the month as we hold close to our hearts the memories of these deceased loved ones. (Please be sure to write your name and phone number on the back so we can contact you in case you forget to pick it up at the end of the month).
 
Monday, All Saints Day, is holy day of obligation. We will have Mass at 8:15 am at Nativity of Our Lord (ten minutes later than the usual Monday morning time so that the school children can make it over); at 1:30pm at Saint Gabriel (primarily for the school children, but others are also invited) and at 7pm at Saint Gabriel.
 
On Tuesday, All Souls Day, we will have our usual morning Mass at St. Gabriel at 8:05. In the evening at 7pm all are invited to a special solemn Mass at Nativity of Our Lord church. We will pray in a special way for all whose funerals were celebrated at the churches of our parish over the past two years. Having lost my own mother last November, this Mass will have special meaning for me. I hope that you will also find this liturgy to be an occasion for healing and consolation as we remember and pray for our loved ones and encounter the Risen Lord in the sacrament of the altar. Please join us if you can.
 
May your week reflect the encounter with Christ
We experienced at Mass today