Encouraging the Culture of Encounter with Jesus Christ, His Church, and All People
 
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
 
St. Paul’s “4th Journey” Initiative
As part of this year’s evangelization effort we are in need of volunteers to help reach out to fellow parishioners.  The goal is to reach ALL of them as best we can, including those that we have not seen in a while.  In part this is a practical matter of verifying our records and to know just how many parishioners we have.  This is difficult since the church is not “big-brother” keeping tabs on everyone, and not everyone thinks to stay in contact with the parish if things change. Perhaps people move away, or some become sick or home bound without our knowing.  Sometimes people fall away from the faith and think it’s too hard to come back.  Well, Jesus calls us to reach out!  This is what St. Paul’s life in Christ was all about! So we want to follow his example.  We are calling this “St. Paul’s 4th Journey.”  From St. Paul’s Letters scholars say that St. Paul took three separate missionary journeys as he spread the Gospel among the Gentiles.  We are under his patronage and we can embody a “4th journey” as we proclaim the Gospel. 
Volunteers would be expected to attend a short training to familiarize them with our goals and then to make 5-7 phone calls per week for about 8-10 weeks. Please call the rectory if you can help!
 
This weekend you will see the first phase in action.  We will have some of our volunteers at the Masses with some surveys to ask you a few questions.  They are very brief so stick around a few minutes and maybe even meet someone new!  We will do this throughout November in order to have face to face conversations with those who regularly attend Mass here.  After that the phone calls will begin to others on our registry list. 
 
For the Holy Souls
This month is a special month to pray for the holy souls in Purgatory.  Feel free to visit the Sacred Heart statue at the north end of the church where our Book of the Names of the Dead is placed.  Please write in any names for whom you would like to pray.  At the Masses this month we remember them in a particular way.  In addition after all Masses this month I will lead us in a brief prayer for the faithful departed.  The prayer can be found on the front of the bulletin.
 
Also, since this year All Souls Day fell on a Saturday, we did not have a particular Mass to commemorate all the faithful departed.  So we will celebrate a special memorial Mass this Wednesday, November 20 at 8:30 to remember all the faithful departed.  
 
Finally, be sure to continue remembering and praying for our loved ones by offering Mass intentions for them.  The Mass book currently has openings.  Please call the rectory.
 
Ad Orientem
You may remember last year that we celebrated Masses of Advent Ad Orientem, meaning toward the East.  This requires the priest to turn, facing with the people towards the altar during the Eucharistic Prayer of the Mass.  This symbolic gesture is part of our tradition and an option that can be used in the current form of the Mass. While this gesture may not be as widespread or well known in recent experience or practice, we would like to use it only for Advent to help us enter more deeply into the reality of waiting for the Lord in Advent.  Please attend our faith formation session this Sunday morning for a discussion on this topic.  I am very open to discussing it with people individually as well.  Feel free to contact me at the rectory.
 
Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick after Masses
On the weekend of November 23, 24 we will offer the sacrament of Anointing of the Sick for those who desire it immediately following all three Masses.  This sacrament celebrates the sanctifying grace God gives to bring us healing and the strength to unite our sufferings more with His Son’s Passion.  This sacrament, like all the sacraments, offer particular graces, thus one must be disposed well to receive them.  One may receive this sacrament if one is actively dying, but it is not limited to that circumstance.  One who truly suffers “under the burden of years” may also receive it.  Finally, as the name shows, one who is truly suffering with sickness.  While the sickness may not be mortal, the church assumes it is serious in nature or truly debilitating.  Someone with a cold or a broken arm or just “feeling down” should not receive it.  While we hope offering the sacrament on a weekend will be helpful for people to receive it, this is not the only opportunity.  If you or someone you know are in need of this sacrament, but cannot come that weekend, please call the rectory. 
 
 
Sincerely in Christ,
Fr. Pfr