On the cover of this weekend’s bulletin you will see a list of parishioners whose funerals have been celebrated this year. On Monday evening, Nov. 2 we will have our annual parish Mass of Remembrance at 6:30 p.m. Mass will be celebrated by candlelight in a dark church. We will read the names of each of these parishioners and light a candle for each. If you have a loved one who died in the past year and didn’t have a St. Charles funeral, call us by Monday morning. We will add these names to our list and include them in the Mass.
I will be offering a Mass on Monday, Nov. 3, at noon at Catholic Cemetery. If the weather is fine, the Mass will be at the outdoor altar. In case of rain or snow, we’ll move into the large mausoleum. Everyone is welcome. A plenary indulgence is offered with a visit to the cemetery during the first week of November and with all of the usual requirements.
On Monday, Nov. 10, we will have a gathering to talk about Catholic funerals and funeral planning. Join us at 7 p.m. in the Hession Center. A representative from Divine Mercy Funeral Home will join Karen Hope and me to share information about the many options for Catholic funerals. We will be happy to answer questions and we will encourage anyone who wants to make advance plans. Planning a funeral in advance can be a great act of charity for family members, sparing them a lot of decisions during a time of grief. If funeral expenses are paid in advance, that will also be a relief to a grieving family.
For those who are dealing with divorce or family breakup, you might want to check the website aboundingjoyministry.com. You will find that there is an online Catholic support group available, along with many other resources. If you are suffering through the trauma of a broken marriage, be assured that you are not alone.
Finally, this weekend is a National Vocations Awareness weekend. As a parish, this has been a focus. We offer our prayer for vocations at every Mass, we send our Vocation Cross with a family every weekend, and we are strong financial backers of our diocesan seminarians. We need to continue are prayers and our encouragement of our young parishioners. We currently have Austin Roy preparing to be a Carthusian priest and Deacons Sam Martinez and Noah Isch will be ordained to the priesthood in our diocese in June. We are in need of more young men to consider priesthood and especially young women to consider religious life. We continue our prayers.
