Dear Parishioners,

October is a month dedicated in a special way to the prayer of the Rosary. Let us join as much as possible in fulfilling the request that Mary addressed to the three shepherds in Fatima, saying: "Pray the rosary every day". In Fatima, she announced that she was the Queen of the Holy Rosary: "I have come to earth to admonish humanity so that people do not sin again. Let them stop offending my Son. Let people pray the Rosary and do penance."  The pope many of us remember once said: "The Rosary is a treasure that must be discovered" - (St. John Paul II)

From the beginning of his pontificate, John Paul II, like his pope-predecessors, encouraged the recitation of the rosary. On October 29, 1978, he said to the faithful:

"The Rosary is a prayer that I loved very much. A strange prayer! Strange in its simplicity and depth at the same time. […] It can be said that the rosary becomes a kind of prayerful commentary on the last chapter of the Constitution of Vatican II, Lumen Gentium, which speaks of the wonderful presence of the Mother of God in the mystery of Christ and the Church. For it is on the basis of the words of the Angelic Salutation (Ave Maria) that the main moments of the life of Jesus Christ pass before the eyes of our souls. They form a whole of joyful, painful and glorious mysteries. It is as if we were communing with the Lord Jesus through the Heart of His Mother. At the same time, in the same decades of the Rosary, our heart can introduce all the things that make up the life of man, family, nation, Church, humanity. Personal matters, the affairs of our neighbors, especially those who are closest to us, those we care about the most. In this way, this simple prayer of the Rosary pulsates, as it were, with human life."

Nowadays, the rosary is beginning to be associated with a prayer which remains the domain of the elderly – that is what people think generally. Unfortunately – it must be admitted that fewer and fewer people pray this beautiful, traditional prayer. On the other hand, however, we can see that the Rosary is still alive in the Church! Especially in our parish community, where we pray it after every morning Holy Mass. 

By contemplating the mysteries of the lives of Jesus and Mary, we enrich our spirituality. The Rosary is a special prayer that can really work miracles (remember Tammy Peterson?)! The prayer of the rosary was particularly close to St. Mother Teresa and also to Pope John Paul II. He dedicated an entire apostolic letter to her – "Rosarium Virginis Mariae." Pope Pius IX, when asked what the greatest treasure of the Church is, took a rosary from his pocket and said: "This is the greatest treasure of the Church!"

Short History of the Rosary: Already in the first centuries of Christianity, the faithful praised God by repeating various prayers. Initially, it was mainly the Lord's Prayer. For example, the Benedictine rule required religious brothers to pray it 150 times a day. Since the cult of the Blessed Virgin Mary was very lively, prayer began to be sought through the intercession of the Mother of God. First, there was the same greeting of the Archangel Gabriel, then the words spoken by St. Elizabeth were added. The current form of the "Hail Mary" prayer was approved by Pope Pius V in 1566. However, St. Dominic (1172-1221) is considered to be the father of the Rosary, to whom Mary was supposed to appear and pass on the prayer of the rosary, the form of which, however, was slightly different than today. Finally, the Dominican Lamus a la Roche (15th century) established the number of 150 "Hail Marys" (as well as 150 psalms) interspersed with the Lord's Prayer. Finally, in October 2002, Pope John Paul II proclaimed a new part of the Rosary – the Mysteries of Light.

In this month of October, I encourage you to reach out for your rosaries and try praying it.

Blessings,

Fr. Tad

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.

Religious Education at St. Anthony - 2nd Collection - Oct 4 & Oct 5

FIRST FRIDAY EUCHARISTIC ADORATION

October 3, 2025

“The purpose of the Holy Hour is to encourage deep personal encounter with Christ. The holy and glorious God is constantly inviting us to come to Him, to hold converse with Him, to ask for such things as we need and to experience what a blessing there is in fellowship with Him.” - Venerable Archbishop Fulton Sheen

Come and join us for Eucharistic Adoration on Friday, October 3, after 6:30 PM Mass. This is your opportunity to spend some time with the Lord in the Blessed Sacrament. You are welcome to stay as long as you wish, knowing that Jesus is longing to have an encounter with you. Adoration will go throughout the night and it will end at 7 AM the following morning with Benediction.

All are invited to the delicious breakfast that will be offered afterwards. 

Coat Drive for 2025 Oct. 4-5 and 11-12

The Outreach committee will be collecting gently used or new coats, jackets and warm sweaters to help support Dignity on Wheels and those seeking warmth during the cold months. All sizes are needed. We are also asking for donations of new or slightly used sleeping bags and blankets. Collection boxes will be located at the entrances of the Little and Big churches.

Thank you for your generosity.

OUTREACH TOILETRY DRIVE

The Outreach Committee distributes personal care packages at Martha’s Kitchen and St. Josephs in Gilroy. The package contains the following full sized items: soap bar, toothpaste, deodorant and a toothbrush. We hope to distribute 400 bags, so your contributions of any of the above items will be greatly appreciated.

The items most needed are deodorant and toothpaste!

Also, please bring in the toiletries that you have accumulated during your summer travels……. the unopened soaps, shampoos, conditioners, and lotions, etc., and place them in the Outreach basket in the foyer. We will donate all of these items to St Joseph so that families can take what they need.

We will be collecting the toiletries until the end of October.

This is an excellent opportunity to help the many people in need within our community. Again, we thank you for your generosity, now and in the past.

40th SAS Anniversary Concert with Alison Sharino

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION AND

CONFIRMATION REGISTRATION

Classes at St. Anthony Parish have begun! Children’s Religious Education classes are being held on Thursdays from 4:15 PM to 5:30 PM. Confirmation classes for youth, 7th grade and older, are being held every Tuesday, 5:30 PM to 7:30 PM.

It is not too late to register, but please do so as soon as possible. Registration forms for all classes are available in the parish office, in the vestibule, and on the church website. You can also click the button below. It will direct you to the online registration form page on our website.

The cost per child is $80.

If you have any questions, please call Katrina Votaw at katrina.votaw@gmail.com.

We hope your children will join us this year!!

RESPECT LIFE SUNDAY MASS

On Oct 5 Respect Life Sunday Mass will be celebrated by Bishop Cantú at the Cathedral Basilica of St. Joseph at 8:30am. October is Respect life month, bringing more focused attention to Catholic Social Teaching and the importance of human dignity and life from natural conception through natural death. For Respect Life Program information | USCCB visit www.usccb.org/respectlife. 

40 Days for Life

The 40 days for Life prayer campaign is from September 24th thru November 2nd as we join other Christians for prayer and fasting for an end to abortion.

You’re also invited to stand and peacefully pray during a 40-day vigil in the public right-of-way outside Planned Parenthood, 1691 The Alameda, San Jose 95126, and help spread the word about this important community outreach.

If you’d like more information – and especially if you’d like to volunteer to help, please contact:

Paul at (408) 207-5781

40dflsanjose@gmail.com

MONTH OF NOVEMBER

PRAYING FOR THE FAITHFUL DEPARTED

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 1st . 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).

Beginning November, you are welcome to bring a photograph of your loved one that will be displayed in front of the altar.

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

You are invited to enjoy a guided tour of St. Joseph’s Cathedral Basilica in downtown San Jose. Make it part of your journey in this 2025 Jubilee Year of Hope. Learn about the history of San Jose along with the art and unique architecture of the Cathedral. Tours are Wednesday through Friday from 1-3pm. We are also hoping to find people who would like to become a docent to share the beauty of the Cathedral with visitors. If you are interested, please contact Pat Graaff for information about the latest training schedule. Contact Pat at tennisbumettepat@myyahoo.com.

Jubilee Year 2025 

As we begin the new year, the Universal Church embarks the beginning of the Jubilee Year 2025, marking the 2,025th anniversary of the Incarnation of our Lord. 

The theme is “Pilgrims of Hope,” and it will be a year of hope for a world suffering the impacts of war, the ongoing effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, and a climate crisis. Click here for the Jubilee Year 2025 website.

Living Our Faith in Love by The Marriage Group is the world’s most popular online, on-demand Catholic marriage prep course and can be enjoyed anytime, anywhere. The Marriage Group’s courses are promoted by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.

Features of the Pre-Cana:

• Downloadable His and Hers Discussion Guides that will spark meaningful and deep conversation.
• Presented by couples with a variety of perspectives on the vocation of marriage
• Interactive Reflection Exercises to help understand the topic and its main takeaways.
• Includes a Certificate of Completion.



Register and receive immediate access here: https://themarriagegroup.com/courses/pre-cana/

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 Corinne Jarrett at: grammycmj@gmail.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. 

Father Tad encourages you to praise and pray by singing at Mass. Here’s a chance to familiarize yourself with the songs planned for Sunday, October 5.

Click. Listen. Sing along. We look forward to hearing you!

8:30 MASS

ENTRANCE

We Gather As One

OFFERTORY

Prayer of St. Francis

COMMUNION

Open My Eyes

RECESSIONAL

I Will Lift Up Your Name

10:30 MASS

ENTRANCE

We Gather As One

OFFERTORY

Prayer of St. Francis

COMMUNION

Open My Eyes

RECESSIONAL

I Will Lift Up Your Name

St. Anthony Parish

20101 McKean Rd

San Jose, CA 95120

(408) 997- 4800