Month of November – To honor and pray for the dead

During November, and especially on All Saints Day and All Souls Day, we honor our family and friends who have died, and who we believe are with our God in heaven. In a special way, we honor those who had funeral Masses at our parish over the past year at the Mass of Remembrance on Saturday, Nov. 6 at 10am. During the month of November, we devote a space of the church as the place to remember our loved ones. There will be framed pictures of our friends and family. Please continue to pray for those who have lost loved ones this year; this is one way that as a community we are nurtured and carried by the compassionate love of others.

The Vocation Chalice Program

In September we began the Vocation Chalice Program. I’ve received some questions about this program. What is it? The purpose is to pray and encourage vocations in an intentional way. Each week a different family will bring the chalice home. I encourage families to place the chalice in a prominent place on their dinner table and to pray for young people to be open to God’s call. God has a plan for each one of us. This program will help us remember that God invites us to follow him in some way. For some it is through marriage and family. For others, its through Religious Life and a particular service to the poor. And for others, its through the priesthood. Here are some ideas for families when it is your turn to pray with the Vocation Chalice:

• Discuss Marriage with your family. Who are some couples that are beautiful witnesses of marriage?
• Discuss the priesthood.
• Pray for a seminarian or send a note to some seminarians toremind them of our prayers and support.
• Pray a rosary for vocations to the priesthood and religious life.
  I hope and pray that the Vocation Chalice Program will increase vocations from our parish. What a blessing it would be to have some young ladies discerning with a religious order. What a blessing it would be to have seminarians from our parish. And what a blessing it is, and will continue to be, to have young people enter into the sacrament of marriage.Olive Wood SaleOn Halloween weekend, the Olive Wood Carving Sale will return to St. Pius X. These items are made by Christian artistsin Bethlehem and brought to us by two of their carvers, father and son Shibli and George Abu Farha. There are nativity scenes, statues of Mary, Joseph, and other saints, rosaries, ornaments and muchmore. This is a great opportunity to buy beautiful and meaningful gifts that also support the Christians in the Holy Land.

In Christ’s love and friendship,

Fr. Stephen