October 27, 2024
Dear Parish Family:
November starts this week. We know that November is the month we remember our Faithful Departed in a very special way.
November 1 is All Saints Day. It is a day of great rejoicing in honoring those who have entered heaven – the saints whose names we know and all those in heaven – even our family members and loved ones. All Saints Day is a Holy Day of Obligation and we are obliged to attend Mass that day. Masses for All Saints Day will be Thursday, October 31 at 5:30 p.m., and Friday, November 1 at 8:30 a.m., 12 Noon, and 7:00 p.m.
November 2 is All Souls Day. We pray in a special way for the souls of those who have died and are in Purgatory awaiting the complete joy of heaven. It is a day of more subdued or somber prayer for those who have died and are being purified and prepared to enter heaven, being cleansed from any stain of sin so they are completely ready to see God face to face. Please join us for a very special All Souls Day Mass on Saturday, November 2, 2024 at 8:30 a.m.
Through the rest of November we continue to pray for our deceased. On the altar during November there will be the All Souls Day offerings which contain names of deceased loved ones whom you would like prayed for and remembered during this “Month of the Dead.” These holy souls will be prayed for at every Mass during the month of November. November is a very special month during which we remember, celebrate, and believe. It’s a chance for us to prayerfully feel that real sense of loss and pain that comes when a loved one dies and to stand together in the great hope in the promise and reality of eternal life.
Everyone is invited to our Vespers for the Faithful Departed on Sunday, November 3, at 4:00 p.m. Candles will be lit in memory of our parishioners who have died this past year. Their names will also be solemnly read. Candles will be available for you to light in memory of your own loved ones who have died this year or before. It’s a beautiful service of hope, healing, and faith. It will move your heart.
Please be sure to visit our Parish Necrology in Memorial Corridor. That is the hallway between the Main Church Narthex and the Parish Hall Lobby. The Necrology lists those who have been buried from Good Shepherd since 1951. As you pass by their names, pray for them. And ask them to pray for you.
Grace and peace!
Father Neil Sullivan