Dear Parishioners:
Bishop William J. Byrne of Springfield celebrates Confirmation Mass at OLM in October 2022
On Sunday evening, we celebrate the Sacrament of Confirmation for fifty OLM young adults. It is a great occasion of joy and hope for OLM Parish and the Church. It is an important faith milestone for these young people and their families. Preaching a Confirmation Mass, Pope Francis said: "Think how important this is: by means of the Holy Spirit, Christ himself comes to do all this among us and for us. That is why it is important that children and young people receive the sacrament of confirmation!"
We offer prayerful congratulations to the OLM 2023 Confirmation Class and our gratitude to their parents, sponsors, and families for leading them to this important day. We also thank their many teachers who helped to prepare them for the Sacrament of Confirmation. Please pray for the newly Confirmed. May the Holy Spirit guide and protect them!
This week, we celebrate two important dates on the Church Calendar: All Saints Day and All Souls Day. All Saints Day is a holy day of obligation for Catholics. Four Masses are scheduled: Mass of Anticipation on Tuesday, October 31, at 5:00 p.m. and Masses on Wednesday, November 1, at 7:30 a.m., 9:00 a.m. School Mass, and 7:00 p.m.
All Saints' Day is a solemn holy day dedicated to the saints of the Church, that is, all those who have attained heaven. The holy day was eventually established on November 1 by Pope Gregory III in the mid-eighth century as a day dedicated to the saints. Saints are those "persons in heaven (officially canonized or not), who lived heroically virtuous lives, offered their life for others, or were martyred for the faith, and who are worthy of imitation." When we pray the Apostles' Creed, we say, "I believe in…the communion of saints."
The communion of saints is made up of men and women who have placed their hope in Jesus Christ and, through Baptism, are his adopted sons and daughters. In a very special way, on the Solemnity of All Saints, we pray to our favorite saints and call upon our departed brothers and sisters whom we believe are already with God.
We are all called to be saints ourselves so we may attain heaven. Pope Benedict XVI said of All Saints Day: "This, then, is the meaning of today's Solemnity: looking at the shining example of the Saints to reawaken within us the great longing to be like them; happy to live near God, in his light, in the great family of God's friends. Being a Saint means living close to God, to live in his family."
All Saints and All Souls comprise the two-day celebration of the Communion of Saints – those who are with God in heaven and those on their way to heaven. On the Solemnity of All Saints, November 1, the Church celebrates those Christians who achieved spiritual maturity and attained heaven.
The next day is the Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed (All Souls' Day) as the Church remembers and prays for the faithful departed. We remember all our brothers and sisters who have died marked with the sign of faith. Particularly, we pray for all the souls in purgatory and those without someone to pray for them. There are three Masses on All Souls Day, Thursday, November 2. Join us in praying for All Souls at Masses at 7:30 a.m., 9:00 a.m., and 12:00 p.m. Following our 9:00 am Mass, our OLM School Middle School Students process to St. Patrick Cemetery to pray for all the souls resting in that sacred ground, especially those with no one to pray for them.
As we begin November, a month dedicated to praying for the dead, we also celebrate a Mass for our fellow parishioners who have died over the last year. Next Sunday at 10:30 am Mass, we pray for the repose of their souls and the consolation of their grieving families. Their families have been invited to join us, so please pray with and for them.
Before her death, St. Monica told her son, St. Augustine, "Bury my body wherever you will; let not care of it cause you any concern. One thing only I ask you, that you remember me at the altar of the Lord wherever you may be." Let us remember our beloved dead, the souls in purgatory, and those with no one to pray for them at the altar of the Lord. With joy, we offer our congratulations and best wishes to the OLM Confirmation Class! Pray for them that they remain with Christ and His Church. Do good. Be well. God Bless.