Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Memento Mori
The month of November began with celebrating all the Saints already in Heaven sharing in the Beatific Vision.  It was followed by All Souls Day as we remember and pray for all the faithful departed who died in friendship with God but were still in need of further purification in Purgatory before sharing in the fullness of God’s eternal presence. Yes Purgatory has always been and will always be an essential part of our Catholic Faith.  While unfortunately it has been downplayed in recent decades within some church circles and essentially denied by others, we still accept this as a truth of faith. It is not a bonus teaching that we can take or leave.  Hence we even have a dedicated month, November, to specially pray for the souls in Purgatory, for they are truly helped by our prayers.  We pray for them all the time, but this month it is appropriate to step it up.  Certain prayers, novenas, visits to the cemetery are all good practices I invite you to include in your spiritual regimen.  This helps us also - we recall the reality of death and how judgment will come for us all.  St. Augustine says that while God promises great mercy for our entire past and all our sins, He does not promise us tomorrow.  This means do not put off your conversion.  Do not procrastinate with spiritual growth.  If it has been a while since last confession, don’t put it off, for God does not promise you will be here tomorrow.

The New 10:30 Mass and Mystagogy Sessions
Last weekend we had a great showing at the new 10:30 Mass and also people stayed for the donuts and reflection period afterward.  Thank you all so much!  It was definitely a change for everyone there including myself, but Mass went quite smoothly, and I hope it was prayerful for everyone.  This weekend I am not in town so the 10:30 Mass will have more english elements.  In providing worship aids with translations, we hope to help everyone engage and participate in the Mass. Please let me know if there are other ways to help whether by preaching or other resources or other mystagogy sessions.
Please note that this combination of latin and english is not set in stone.  As we move forward there are other options we can explore as we discern how best to celebrate this Mass.

Holy Hours and Faith Formation
As we get used to this new Sunday schedule, there are some other opportunities for people to grow in our Catholic Faith.  In response to suggestions from the Listening Sessions and recent surveys, we will add a Holy Hour on the 1st Sunday of the month.  It will happen in between the two Masses from 9:15-10:15.  Then on the 3rd Sunday of the month will be a Faith Formation session in the PAC from 9:15-10:15.  This will allow people the flexibility to participate in multiple events.  Why 1st and 3rd Sundays?  Well, I will be responsible for celebrating the 1pm EF Mass at St. Mary’s on the 2nd and 4th Sundays.  Honestly this helps me a bit to spread out the workload.  The holy hours and Formation sessions will start in December. 

Parish and Finance Report
The past couple years we have not given a yearly parish report.  We are remedying that very soon.  Certain factors (Covid being the main one) resulted in our parish falling behind in our reporting for the diocese.  The diocese too is back logged on the oversight they have over parish finances.  St. Paul’s is not the only parish where this has happened.  Happily with the diligent work of Jeff Kendro, Vicki Williamson, Jeanne Bearer, Hallie Wolff, and the finance council we are all caught up and ready to give a report to the whole parish.  Details are being finalized, but I will give the report on the weekend of Nov. 25, 26.  When it comes to finances, none of it is possible without your generosity.  Thank you all for that continued generosity as we move forward to fulfill the mission God has given us.

Sincerely in Christ,
Fr. Pfr