From the Pastor’s desk— November 2, 2025

Dear Parishioners,

All Souls Day–

The Feast of All Souls is celebrated by the Church on November 2.

All Souls Day is the final day of a Triduum (set of three days) called All Hallowtide, it begins on the evening of October 31st as All Saints Eve (also called Halloween) and then November 1st as All Saints Day and lastly November 2nd as All Souls Day. These three days represent the All Hallowtide triduum which is a time to reflect on the past saints, martyrs, faithful, and our own relatives who have died.

The theological basis for the feast is the doctrine that the souls which, on departing from the body are not perfectly cleansed from venial sins, or have not fully atoned for past transgressions, are debarred from the Beatific Vision, and that the faithful on earth can help them by prayers, almsgiving and especially the sacrifice of the Mass. -CNA

I once was told of a simple fundamental of where purgatory comes from. This greatly helped me understand this confusing doctrine. Sins, mortal or venial, are wounds we cause ourselves to our relationship with God. By going to the sacrament of confession we heal the scrapes, cuts, bruises and sometimes extensive trauma. We are forgiven for these sins in the confessional, we no longer have to fear hell, but we have scars left behind after God heals us.  To enter heaven, we must be perfect like the Father is perfect. Purgatory is a cleansing of those scars left behind from our lives.

✨Challenges:

  1. Pray for your deceased family and friends in purgatory. If they are in heaven, God will use those prayers to help another soul in purgatory.
  2. Offering a Mass for deceased loved ones.
  3. Take your children to the cemetery where your loved ones are buried and pray for their souls, teaching your children why it is important to do so.
  4. Go to a cemetery and find a forgotten head stone, care for it, clean it and pray for that soul.
  5. Ensure you receive a funeral Mass when you die, pre-plan your funeral with a funeral home. Sometimes, pre-planning your funeral ensures the Mass will take place.
  6. Offer a Rosary Novena for a loved one! A Beautiful Sacred Heart Tradition!!!