Pastor's letter and Mass Times

SAINT ANTHONY

PARISH

The Story of the Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed

The Church has encouraged prayer for the dead from the earliest times as an act of Christian charity. “If we had no care for the dead,” Augustine noted, “we would not be in the habit of praying for them.” Yet pre-Christian rites for the deceased retained such a strong hold on the superstitious imagination that a liturgical commemoration was not observed until the early Middle Ages, when monastic communities began to mark an annual day of prayer for the departed members.

In the middle of the 11th century, Saint Odilo, abbot of Cluny, France, decreed that all Cluniac monasteries offer special prayers and sing the Office for the Dead on November 2, the day after the feast of All Saints. The custom spread from Cluny and was finally adopted throughout the Roman Church.

The theological underpinning of the feast is the acknowledgment of human frailty.

Since few people achieve perfection in this life but, rather, go to the grave still scarred with traces of sinfulness, some period of purification seemed necessary before a soul comes face-to-face with God. The Council of Trent affirmed this purgatory state and insisted that the prayers of the living can speed the process of purification.

Superstition easily clung to the observance. Medieval popular belief held that the souls in purgatory could appear on this day in the form of witches, toads or will-o’-the-wisps.

Observances of a more religious nature have survived. These include public processions or private visits to cemeteries and decorating graves with flowers and lights. This feast is observed with great fervor in many countries around the world.

Whether or not one should pray for the dead is one of the great arguments which divide Christians. Appalled by the abuse of indulgences in the Church of his day, Martin Luther rejected the concept of purgatory. Yet prayer for a loved one is - for the believer - a way of erasing any distance, even death. In prayer we stand in God’s presence in the company of someone we love, even if that person has gone before us into death.

St. John Paul II wrote this beautiful prayer:

“Grant, O Lord of Life, that we may… savor every season of our lives as a gift filled with promise for the future. Grant that we may lovingly accept your will and place ourselves each day in your merciful hands.

And, when the moment of our definitive ‘passage’ comes, grant that we may face it with serenity, without regret for what we shall leave behind. For in meeting you, after having sought you for so long, we shall find once more every authentic good which we have known here on earth, in the company of all who have gone before us marked with the sign of faith and hope.

Mary, Mother of pilgrim humanity, pray for us ‘now and at the hour of our death.’

Keep us ever close to Jesus, your beloved Son and our brother, the Lord of life and glory. Amen”

MASS ETIQUETTE

Remember to silence, turn off, and put away your cell phones, tablets, and gaming devices prior the start of Mass.

Remember not to chew a gum in the church, especially during Mass.

Keep in mind the Communion fast – we are to fast from food and drink (water and medicine excluded) one hour before receiving Holy Communion. Let us prepare our body and soul to worthily receive our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament.

When we are in the church (specifically in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament), we should keep our volume to a reverential whisper, if conversation is necessary. This is to promote prayer to prepare our hearts and minds for Mass. Thank you for your mindfulness.

Our Catholic Tradition encourages prayer for all the souls of those who have gone before us. We commend the souls of the faithful departed to God and pray that they may be assisted on their way to heaven. As we read in the Catechism: "From the beginning the Church has honored the memory of the dead and offered prayers in suffrage for them, above all the eucharistic sacrifice, so that, thus purified, they may attain the beatific vision of God” (CCC, 1032).

In your charity, please join us in making time to pray for the dead, an act of mercy with eternal consequences. This act of mercy and love is expressed by offering Masses

throughout the month of November, starting on November 1^st. Whether you can come and pray with us or not, those prayers will be offered in 30 Masses for your loved ones.

For us to know for whom to pray, please, use the All Souls Envelops that have been sent to your homes or if you don’t have one, you can find it in the vestibule (entrance to our church).

Eternal rest grant unto them o Lord and let perpetual light shine upon them.

FIRST FRIDAY EUCHARISTIC ADORATION

November 1, 2024

“The object of Eucharistic adoration is the divine person of our Lord Jesus Christ present in the most Blessed Sacrament. He is living there. He wants us to speak to him, and he will speak to us. Anybody may speak to our Lord. Is he not there for everybody? Does he not tell us, “Come you all to me”?”- St. Peter J. Eymard

Join us Friday, Nov 1, at 7:00 PM for All Saints Mass Day. Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament will begin at 7 PM and it will end at 7:00 AM the following morning with Benediction. All are invited to the delicious breakfast that will be served afterwards.

IT'S TURKEY TIME

Outreach's Annual Turkey And Canned Goods Drive for Sacred Heart Community Services will be from November 3 - 17.

There will be 2 barrels in the McKean Church Foyer starting Nov. 3 for your canned goods donations. Sacred Heart has requested pop-top cans of meat, vegetables, and non-condensed soup. See flyer below for most requested items.

Outreach will collect small frozen turkeys at the 8:30 and 10:30 Masses on Sun. Nov 17. No frozen turkeys at 4:00 Mass- ONLY CANNED GOODS PLEASE.

Monetary donations will be accepted. PLEASE MAKE YOUR CHECKS PAYABLE TO SACRED HEART COMMUNITY SERVICES. They can be put into the offertory baskets or dropped off at the Church office. There will be no online donations.

Sacred Heart and Outreach thanks you for your generosity and God bless.

ST. ANTHONY CHURCH ANNUAL COAT AND BEDDING DRIVE

October 19, October 26, 2024 October 20, October 27, 2024

The St. Anthony Outreach Committee will once again be collecting new or gently used coats, jackets, sweatshirts, and warm sweaters to help the unhoused people of our community. All sizes of clothing, from children to adult are needed.

This year we are also asking for donations of new or slightly used sleeping bags and blankets.

You may drop off your items after each mass beginning Saturday October 19 through Sunday October 27. A collection box will be located at the entrance of the big church and items can be dropped off at the little church as well.

Last year we generously gave over 300 items to help our community.

Thank you for your continued generosity!

If you have questions or suggestions, call or text Caroline Spiteri at 408-420-5733 or email carolinegs910@gmail.com

St. Anthony’s Trunk or Treat

Plan to join us on Saturday, October 26th from 5:45- 6:45 for our annual Trunk or Treat Community event. If you haven’t ever participated in this fun event, please consider participating this year. Find items to decorate your trunk and purchase Halloween trinkets or candy to distribute to the children. More cars mean more candy for the kiddos!

Enjoy a hot dog dinner with chips, a cookie and water available to purchase for $5.00. Or the items will be sold individually.

We hope to see everyone there either handing out candy from your car’s trunk or dressed in a costume mingling with all the ghouls and goblins. Remember everyone is welcome, bring your friends, family and neighbors.

If you can’t make it, consider donating a bag of candy!

Renovation Project of our Cottage

Renovation cost : around $7,000

Money raised: $3,500

Thank you to 5 generous families for their donation.

Religious Education Classes for children at Saint Anthony Parish has already begun this month, but it is not too late to sign up. Whether preparing for first Holy Communion or to take part in continued formation, all children and youth can learn more and grow in their faith.

Forms are available in the parish office. The cost is $80 per child.

Please sign up your child asap. Any questions, please call Katrina Votaw at (408) 927-8224.

We hope your children will join us this year!!

CALLING ALL MUSICIANS AND SINGERS

The 8:30 AM and 10:30 AM choirs are looking to recruit more singers and musicians. Please consider sharing your talent and joining us in praising God through music.

Rehearsals for the 8:30 AM Mass are on Tuesdays at 7:00 PM and rehearsals for the 10:30 AM Mass are on Wednesdays at 7:00 PM.

For more information, contact Denise Delong at: denise_delong@yahoo.com or speak to a choir member after Mass.

Have you ever tried to “Sing the Hours”?

The Liturgy of the Hours, also known as the Divine Office or Breviary, is the daily prayer of the universal church, with prayers dispersed at intervals throughout the day to sanctify time and work. The Office is organized around the Psalms, which train our voices speak and sing along with the voice of Christ.

Now, there is a new and easy way to learn the Liturgy of the Hours, by listening to the twice-daily podcast “Sing the Hours” with Paul Rose. Visit SingTheHours.org to get started! After a few weeks of listening and praying and singing along, you will find the timeless prayers of Jesus and His Church becoming your own prayers as well!

DONATIONS INFO

It is easier now more than ever to make your stewardship and second collection contributions online. A "Donate" button has been added to the upper right corner of the parish website home page and an "Online Giving" button to the end of each week's parish email. Clicking these buttons will take you directly to our online giving app.