Pastor's Corner

2018 10-28 We Invite you to Honor our Saints and Deceased Loved Ones

Written by:

From our pastor, Father Neil Herlihy
  
This Thursday we celebrate All Saints Day.  It is a Holy Day of Obligation.  On this day, we remember those men and women who came before us marked with the sign of faith.  As previously mentioned, Pope Francis stated, “To be a saint is not a privilege of a few… all of us in baptism have the inheritance of being able to become saints. Sanctity is a vocation for everyone.”  As Catholics, we are invited to follow the example of our great saints.  We can strive to model our behavior after them and follow their holy way of life.  We are challenged to learn from them and to learn more about them.

For example, we can remember in a special way Archbishop Oscar Romero who was elevated to sainthood earlier this year.  He was martyred as he fought against social injustice in El Salvador.  We also recall Sir Thomas More and Bishop John Fisher who were martyred in England for defending the teachings of the Catholic faith.  Other saints such as Vincent DePaul and Francis of Assisi witnessed to the faith in solidarity with the poor, the sick, and the outcast.  In many respects, all of these saints were ordinary people guided by the Lord to do extraordinary things.  They can teach us so much about living, loving, and serving.

After celebrating All Saints Day, we commemorate All Souls Day this Friday.  It is a day to honor and pray for our deceased relatives, friends, neighbors, parishioners, co-workers, and all who shared their lives with us.  On that same evening at 7:00 p.m., we will celebrate a Mass of Remembrance as we honor the memory of those loved ones who have died, including those who have died recently.  We can especially remember those loved ones whose time on earth was brief.

We can remember, for example, those who died in war to protect our freedoms, those who died in auto accidents, those who died in fires, and all those who died prematurely for some reason.  A litany of names and an offering of roses with appropriate lighting of candles will mark this special occasion.

As Catholics, we strive to honor our dead and to bring spiritual peace and consolation to families who grieve for their loved ones.  Grieving is part of our human condition and can help us on the path to healing.  I want to thank all those who give of their time to participate in our bereavement and grief caring ministries, and who do so much to assist families in their time of mourning and sorrow.  They truly are a blessing to our faith community.

As we reflect on our saints and deceased loved ones, we invite you to join us for our liturgies on All Saints Day and on All Souls Day as we honor them in a special way.

2018 11-18 Let our Hearts Respond With Gratitude this Thanksgiving Season
< Next Message
2018 11-04 We Pray that Our Bishops Will Acknowledge Past Failures and Choose to Enact Recommendations
Previous Message >