November 2023
 

The first two days of November each year, the Church commemorates two linked feast days: All Saints (November 1 - a Holy Day of Obligation) and All Souls (November 2). All Saints is easy to understand: we remember all those who have lived lives of heroic holiness, whether the Church has canonized them or not. On All Souls, we remember all those who have died, not just the spiritual superstars.  The Church has prayed for the deceased from the beginning.  We realize that in God’s hands rests their judgment and His mercy.  Our concerns matter to God and by offering our prayers for our deceased loved ones is most fitting. On the feast of All Souls Day, many also visit the graves of loved ones to pray for them. 

Wednesday, November 1^st

• All Saints Day, a holy day of obligation. Masses will be held at 7am, 12pm and 7pm at St. Mary Church.

• Religious Education Family Classes will be held today from 9-10:15am. Being in a time of Eucharist Revival, Deacon Mike and I have a great experience planned for today. So whether you are attending the classes or homeschooling your students your family will have a great time and we’d love to see you there!
• November 5-11, 2023 is National Vocation Awareness Week. A time set aside to think about the vocation each of us is called to by God: single life, marriage, consecrated life or as ordained deacons and priests. All families will receive a prayer card to help them pray to know their vocation in life and the Diocesan St. Therese Vocation prayer schedule to pray for our seminarians. Students in grades PK-8^th will also have activity sheets in their monthly packet.

• Election Day – Take the time today to exercise your right to vote. #2240 in the Catechism of the Catholic Church states “Submission to authority and co-responsibility for the common good make it morally obligatory to pay taxes, to exercise the right to vote, and to defend one’s country.”

• Confirmation practice will be held at 7pm St. Mary Church for sponsors & students receiving the sacrament on Sunday, November 19^th. Contact me with any questions you may have.

• The Youth Group will meet for Jesus and Java (or chocolate milk) from 9-10:30am November 12^th at the parish center. We will have breakfast and talk about all things Catholic, current world news, local news, and how to stand strong in our faith despite living in a secular world.
• Confirmation Class of 2025 will be held this Sunday from 12-2pm. If you would like to attend the potluck lunch from 11:30-12pm, please choose that option when registering. Please sign up for class on the class webpage or using the Flocknote text link.

• Women at the Well is an opportunity to meet other women, share your wisdom, seek advice and grow together in our faith – all in a  fun and relaxed social setting. They meet monthly on the second Tuesday of the month at 6:30pm, St. Mary Church Hall. At the meeting Teresa McMahon, a certified wellness coach will discuss living a life of wellness. She works with women who are perhaps busy, stressed, and/or burnt out to learn how to dream again and come up with practical skills, mindsets and strategies to become peaceful, confident, and courageous and live lives of wholeness in joy and freedom. The activity will be making stovetop potpourri, please bring a jar or sealable bag and an item to share with the group (cinnamon sticks, dried fruit slices, cloves, vanilla beans, rosemary etc.). Donations will be accepted for the Rockford Pregnancy Care Center.

• St. Anne’s CCW will meet at 10am in the church hall for their monthly meeting. All women of the parish are encouraged to attend as they are all members. St. Anne’s acts as the hostesses for parish functions providing meals for funerals, organizing the Christmas & spring banquets for women, and provide support to the parish and charities. Save the date – Tuesday, December 5^th will be the Christmas Party. Details are in the bulletin.

• Parent’s Night Out – the parish youth group will provide free babysitting for members of our parish to support marriages – a date night for parents with young children. We will provide a child-friendly dinner and games for little ones from 5:30-8:30pm at St. Mary Church Hall.

• Religious Education Family Classes will be held today from 9-10:15am. Peer breakout groups will also meet for part of the class time.
• After each Mass (4:30pm – St. Patrick, 8:00am & 10:30am – St. Mary) November 18 & 19 students will host a Bake Sale to help fund their summer youth conference. Donations of baked goods are always welcome!
• Confirmation will be held at St. Mary Church on Sunday, November 19^th at 1pm for the Confirmation Class of 2023. Students & sponsors should arrive by 12noon. Additional family and friends should arrive no later than 12:45pm.

• Thanksgiving Mass 8:30am at St. Mary Church.

• Start the Advent Season off and begin a wonderful soul-filling preparation for Christmas by attending the talk “Experiencing an Awesome Advent” at 6:30pm at St. Mary Church. Presented by Mike Pacer, a dynamic international speaker and author of the book “the Three Comings of Christ – Daily Meditations for Advent,” this talk will prepare you to experience your best Advent and Christmas ever!

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  Altar Serving
  If your son or daughter in 5^th grade or older would like serve as an altar server, please contact me by November 5^th so we can schedule training dates.
  
  Socks, Hat & Mitten Collection
  One way your family may want to live out the works of mercy is to participate in a service project.  A collection will be taken until December 4^th for new hats, mittens/gloves and socks.  Families may put their donations in the basket located on the table in the Church Hall.  These will be included in the Ecumenical Council’s Christmas Gift program.
  
  Saint Facts
  Saint feast days to be celebrated worldwide are listed on the official Roman calendar for the universal church. There are at least three saints for almost every day of the year.  As early as 100 A.D. Christians began honoring other Christians who died asking them for their intercession.  Canonization or the process used to name a saint has been around since the tenth century.  Prior to that time the saints were chosen by public acclaim.  In 1983, Pope John Paul II made changes to the process.  After death, often many years in order to give perspective, the local bishop investigates their life and writings for heroic virtue, martyrdom and orthodoxy of doctrine.  A Panel of Vatican theologians evaluates the candidate.  After approval by the panel and cardinals of the Congregation for Cause of Saints, the pope proclaims the candidate “venerable.”  A miracle is needed (except for martyrs) as proof the person is in heaven and can intercede for us.  This miracle must happen after the candidates death and as a result of a specific petition to the candidate.  Then, the pope proclaims the candidate beatified or “blessed” and the person can be venerated by the people.  Only after another miracle (for martyrs also), will the pope canonize this person a saint.

Information
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Out of Town?
If you will be out of town go to www.Masstimes.org to find a Catholic Church where you will be staying.  They also have a free app available for your phone. Or if you have downloaded the parish app, you will find this on there also