Pastor’s Letter & October 31 Bulletin

Pastor’s Letter & October 31 Bulletin

29 Oct 2021 | Posted by: chadmin

The October 31 bulletin is now available online.

Dear friend,

Last weekend I gave the annual update on the state of the parish. The purpose of the update is to inform the parish on our current financial and ministerial status. Every year we have new families join and families move from the parish and school. With just over 1,400 families, I believe the financial and ministerial update is an essential communication to help us continue to grow. I am hopeful that the annual release of our financial and ministerial data keeps you informed and interested in all aspects of our parish life. As always, I am deeply thankful to our Parish Trustees, Allyson Schneider and Steve Knecht, as well as our Finance Council, for all of the direction and support provided to me as Pastor. One of our goals on the Finance Council is to be transparent with the Parish, in hope that we have good trust within our parish family. Please know that I am always available for questions, comments or concerns. It is important to me that your spiritual needs are met, but also that you feel informed and connected to the administration of our parish.

On November 1, we celebrate All Saints Day. On this feast day, we celebrate all those who lived lives worthy of modeling.  In many ways, this should be a daily celebration; but, the Church sets aside this day to both reflect on those who experienced spiritual success and also to challenge us to seek the same. As I’ve studied the lives of saints over the years, I’ve learned about the many diverse ways to reach God. Some saints have an intellectual awakening, driven by the Creed that challenges how one thinks about the world and God. Others have emotional or spiritual encounters that are felt experiences, which lead to a deeper communion with God.  The reality is that each of us, as individuals, experiences God and the world in different ways.  We celebrate the saints because no matter the challenge, difficulty, or divine inspiration, they all chose to say and do the things that led to heaven. Because there are so many saints, it is important to reflect more deeply on some of the saints who resonate with our lives. The saints challenge us to pray and read the Scriptures. From these personal challenges come the strength we need to put God first in our lives. As we celebrate all the saints, may we ask the Lord for courage and strength to daily say “yes” to His way of holiness in order to prepare ourselves for our heaven.

On November 2, we celebrate All Souls Day. This celebration gives us the opportunity to remember and celebrate all of our faithful departed. The month of November is set aside to remember our deceased loved ones and pray for their eternal salvation. As we remember all our deceased loved ones, the Church invites us to pray for forgiveness and mercy. At death we are all judged by God, as each person then passes to heaven, hell or purgatory. Heaven and hell are eternal states of existence, while the state of purgatory is a temporary time for God to purify a soul prior to entering heaven. Since heaven is God’s house and God is perfect, then everyone in heaven must be perfect. Purgatory purifies the soul for heavenly entrance. We are encouraged by the Church to use our freedom to pray that God forgives all of our deceased loved ones, that they might pass from death into eternal life. We offer a Mass or say the Mass Intention for our deceased loved ones, that the Father might take the efficacious grace of Jesus Christ Crucified and apply it to our deceased loved ones. While we don’t know the exact state of existence in purgatory or the length of one’s presence in purgatory, we know God honors the prayers of those who use their freedom to pray for others and to do works of love and sacrifice. The month of November gives us the opportunity to visit cemeteries or the graves of our loved ones as we pray for their salvation and thank God for the gift of life.

God bless,

Father David