Do you have a favorite saint? I would imagine that many of us have a particular person that we admire for their witness to Christ and their love of God. We may admire a saint’s heroic virtue like St. Francis of Assisi, willingness to give their life like St. Maximilian Kolbe, or their teaching like St. Teresa of Avila. This coming week the Church celebrates All Saints Day on Wednesday, November 1st, a time in which we honor those men and women who emulated Christ so well. There is a tendency to perhaps believe that holiness is not attainable, but we are all called to be holy - we are all called to be saints! A saint is a person who lived an ordinary human life, but did so with extraordinary love and fidelity to God’s will.  The saints are powerful intercessors for us, and they are models of how to live in the world and not be of the world. We are invited on this great solemnity to remember that in the communion of saints we are all connected. Those who have gone before us show us the way to the Father, and we who are part of the Church on earth are called to encourage each other on the way to the Kingdom. All you holy men and women, pray for us!

All Souls Day: This Wednesday, November 2nd, the Church celebrates the Commemoration of the Faithful Departed, better known as All Souls Day. We pray today for the repose of the souls of those who have gone before us marked with the sign of faith. Offering Masses for the dead is an excellent practice to assist those who have died on their way to heaven. Through the sacrifice of the Mass, we ask God to cleanse the souls of those who have died, forgive their sins and admit them into the Kingdom. On November 2nd, we will have a special Mass at 7:00 p.m. at St. John Capistran Church to remember those who have died from this parish in the past year. All are most welcome to attend. May eternal rest be granted them, O Lord, and may the perpetual light shine upon them.

Confirmation: On Saturday, November 4th, Bishop Waltersheid will be at St. Thomas More Church at 1:00 p.m. to celebrate the Sacrament of Confirmation for 92 candidates from Resurrection Parish. We pray that the grace of the Holy Spirit may come upon our young people. Come Holy Spirit!