From
the Pastor
Every November 1, the Church celebrates the Feast of All Saints. This is that annual celebration where we honor all our brothers and sisters, known and unknown, officially canonized or not, who are with God in heaven, that is "all the saints". This year, because November 1 fell on a Saturday, the Feast of All Saints was not a holy day of obligation, a day where all Catholics are required to attend Mass.
Traditionally, the day following all Saints' Day, November 2, is a day for us to pray for all our beloved dead who may still be waiting for entrance into heaven during a period of purification, which we refer to as purgatory. The Church has long taught us that we can benefit our beloved dead ("The Poor Souls in Purgatory") through our prayers and sacrifices. This weekend, the Church calls us to pray for all our beloved dead. In addition to the commemoration this weekend, we will be praying for our deceased loved ones at all our parish Masses throughout the month of November.
Feel free to enroll your deceased family and friends by using the envelope provided for you in the back of the church.
On Monday night, November 3, at 7:00p.m. at Immaculate Conception Church, we will also be having a special memorial Mass for all our parishioners who have died during the past year. Everyone is most welcome to attend this special celebration.
Next weekend, November 8 and 9, I will be giving the annual pastor's report at all our Masses at Immaculate Conception and St. Joseph. It is my once-a-year responsibility to present to you a report on the financial health of our parish community based on our income and expenses during the past fiscal year (July 1, 2002 - June 30, 2003), as well as reporting on all our current maintenance and construction projects.
Finally, I would like to call your attention to the flyer which is included in today's bulletin. After much discussion with our Parish Music Coordinator, Theresa Vitt, and various members of the parish choir, we have decided to replace our present piano at St. Joseph's Church. Given to us several years ago, our present piano is now 74 years old, and in need of serious repair. Unfortunately, the experts tell us that it is not worth any major investment to do so. After some serious research, we are able to purchase a slightly used high-quality grand piano for St. Joseph's Church for around $14,000. We will use some funds from our Memorial Fund and a recent estate gift to the parish to help pay for the piano, but we need your help. Any donation would be most appreciated.
God bless you always!
