All Saints and All Souls

Dear Parishioners,

This coming week, the Church will be celebrating All Saints and All Souls' Day.  This year, due to All Saints Day falling upon a Saturday, All Saints Day is not a Holy Day of Obligation.

I will be having Mass to celebrate the Solemnity on Saturday at 8:00 am.  On Saturday evening, the 5:00 pm vigil Mass will be for All Souls’ Day.  All Souls Day Masses are an opportunity to pray in hope of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ for all those who have gone before us in Faith.  As the Catechism of the Catholic Church relates, "The Christian meaning of death is revealed in the light of the Paschal Mystery of the Death and Resurrection of Christ, in whom resides our only hope. The Christian who dies in Christ Jesus is 'away from the body and at home with the Lord' (2 Cor 5:8)."  A common question that arises at this time is, 'HOW LONG DO SOULS REMAIN IN PURGATORY?”  Honestly, the length of time souls are detained in Purgatory depends on:

a) the number of their faults;

b) the malice and deliberation with which these have been committed;

c) the penance done, or not done, the satisfaction made, or not made for sins during life;

d) Much, too, depends on the suffrages offered for them after death

Christians need to care for the needs of the poor, destitute, or needy, so how much more do we need to care for the Souls in Purgatory!  A powerful prayer to offer at this time and outside it is, “Eternal Father, I offer Thee the most Precious Blood of Jesus, with all the Masses being said all over the world this day, for the Souls in Purgatory."  Mother Church offers to her members the opportunity to obtain a Plenary Indulgence for the Souls in Purgatory.  This provides relief to those souls who are being purified of any habits, faults, or attachments they held to on earth.  Two options for Indulgences are:

1. Pray at a cemetery: It doesn’t matter which cemetery, as long as you pray at one. Some suggested prayers are the Prayer of St. Gertrude or the Eternal Rest prayer.

2. Visit a Church on All Souls’ Day (Nov. 2): This will be Sunday, so don’t forget to intend to obtain this indulgence!  One can devoutly visit a church or an oratory and recite an Our Father and the Creed.”

In addition to performing the act of Indulgence, go to confession, receive holy communion, and pray for the Pope!  You can acquire one plenary indulgence a day.  A partial indulgence can be obtained by visiting a cemetery and praying for the departed. You can gain a plenary indulgence each day you visit a cemetery between 1 November and 8 November. These indulgences are applicable only to the Souls in Purgatory.  Only one confession is required for all indulgences, as long as the other requirements are fulfilled.

Holy Souls in Purgatory, pray for us!

Reminders: This Sunday, we will be inducting more members into the Confraternity for Christian Mothers.

On Saturday, Nov. 1st there will be a 9:00 am meeting for parents about Confirmation.

In Christ,

Fr. Luke Fleck