Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

This weekend we celebrate a spiritual double-header. The Solemnity of all Saints and the Commemoration of All Souls. These two celebrations may seem to be redundant as we are all called to be Saints, for to be a Saint is to be in the presence of God. The Church in her wisdom has a process to proclaim those who we can confirm are in the presence of God through the example of their life and miracles attributed to their intercession.

The Commemoration of All Souls is a celebration of all who have died, and we pray especially for those in Purgatory. Prayers for those who have died is important for the life of faith. We realize that the bond of love we share in this life is not unraveled with death. We are still united because it is the love of God that binds us together. To pray for our loved ones and to invite them to pray for us reminds us that at the Funeral Mass we bid a fond farewell until we meet again.

As we gather this weekend, may we never forget that our ultimate calling is to sainthood and that those who have gone before us await a joyous reunion! Let us join together and pray for those who have died, especially over this last year. May their souls and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.

A reminder that it is not too late to turn in your All Souls envelopes. These are different than your Sunday offering. The All Souls envelope should have the names of your loved ones written on it. We place those envelopes on the altar throughout the month of November as we remember them at each Mass that is celebrated throughout the month. You can place that envelope in the offertory basket along with your Sunday offering and we will place them on the altar.

Love,

Fr. Jason