Dear Parishioners,

November starts this year on Sunday with All Saints and the following day we have All Souls Day, and it is a time when many will offer the highest form of prayer for their loved ones: the Mass. These Masses in intention of our loved ones will be celebrated throughout the whole month of November. WHY do we do that?

Let’s start this explanation by making a connection with the movie industry. For years Hollywood has portrayed purgatory as something it is not. Instead of presenting it as a process of purification before heaven, movies like What Dreams May Come and Gabriel depict purgatory as a place in-between heaven and hell. But as Catholics we believe that “all who die in God's grace and friendship, but still imperfectly purified, are indeed assured of their eternal salvation…after death they undergo purification, so as to achieve the holiness necessary to enter the joy of heaven” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1030).

Confirmed by the Council of Lyons, the Council of Florence, and then again by the Council of Trent, the Church affirmed her belief in purgatory and the practice of praying for the dead that has been around for thousands of years. Exaggerated statement? Not really! 

We read in the Old Testament that “[Judas Maccabeus] made atonement for the dead, that they might be delivered from their sin” (2 Macc. 12:46). And in the New Testament, we learn of Saint Paul offering petitions for a man who has died: “May the Lord grant him to find mercy” (2 Tim. 1:18), as he prays for Onesiphrous.

Perhaps one of the most moving stories of praying for the dead is found in the Martyrdom of Perpetua, written in 203AD. Saint Perpetua, imprisoned for her faith, describes a vision of her brother and startled by this tragic scene, Saint Perpetua awakes and begins to pray for her brother, “day and night with groans and tears,” until she is shown another vision of her brother joyfully dwelling in a new place.

Not surprisingly, Saint Perpetua, who has been honored by the Church since her martyrdom, had a profound impact on the early Church fathers, the desert mystics and those who sought to clarify the Church’s teaching on praying for the dead.

In the Order of Christian Funerals, the Church reveals that we pray for the dead because death is not the end of our existence. Although our time as members of the Church on earth will end one day, we are still members of the Communion of Saints. If we are in a perfect state of grace when we die, we go to heaven. This is the belief we are taught by our Catholic Church. The Last Rites administered to our loved ones before they pass away are sure way to obtain such a perfect state of grace before approaching the throne of our Creator. Therefore, it is recommended that the priest be called when the dying people are still conscious and can profess their faith in God. Knowing that we are imperfect in so many ways, our Catechism states: "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).

With this renewed understanding I encourage you to remember your loved ones and offer November Masses in their intention. With the whole community we will pray for the repose of their souls. May they rest in peace!

Blessings,

Fr. Tad

Held in God’s Light: Praying for

Our Loved Departed this November

The month of November will start with All Saints and All Souls Day, and it is a time when many will offer the highest form of prayer for their loved ones: the sacrifice of the Holy Mass.

You are encouraged to stop at the Parish Office and ask for your loved ones to be added to the Book of the Names of the Dead or use the All-Souls envelopes by writing their names. Please, include a donation for the Masses to be celebrated. These Holy Masses in intention of your loved ones will be celebrated throughout the whole month of November.

We also invite you to bring the photos of your loved ones and we will display them in front of the altar for the whole month. 

The Mass for the Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed (All Souls Day) will be held on Monday, Nov. 2, at 8:00 AМ.

YOUNG FAMILY MINISTRY

Hey! Come join us on November 2nd for Young Families Night (YFN) from 5:30 to 7:15 PM.

There will be food, games, catechism, a take-home activity, and quality time.

This time we will have daycare! See you soon.

NEW MINISTRY at St. ANHONY’S CHURCH

PRAYING A HEALING ROSARY

TO OUR LADY of GOOD HEALTH VELANKANNI

& NOVENA to ST. ANTHONY

We would like to offer a New Ministry of gathering our brothers and sisters from India who have a special devotion to St. Anthony and are also praying the healing Rosary to Our Lady of Good Health. That prayer of intercession shall bring comfort to the sick and suffering and strengthen the bonds we have within our parish community. Everyone is invited who would like to pray for someone who is sick but also for your loved ones.

Location: Grotto of the Blessed Mother outside the church

Frequency/Time: 1st and 3rd Tuesday of the month

Starting Time: November 3^rd , 2026, at 6:30 PM

Format: Recitation of the Holy Rosary followed by the Novena prayers to St. Anthony and Our Lady of Good Health, Velankanni

SOCIAL EVENT

Do you like to play games? Mexican Train, Rummikub, etc. Our next game day will be Tuesday, Nov 3, from 1:30-3:30 in the St. Joseph Room. You can drop in at your convenience. 

Contact Pauline Golitz with concerns (408)410-8994.

FIRST FRIDAY EUCHARISTIC ADORATION

November 6, 2026

"Let us adore Jesus in our hearts, who spent 30 years out of 33 in silence; who began his public life by spending 40 days in silence; who often retired alone to spend the night on a mountain in silence. He who spoke with authority, now spends his earthly life in silence. Let us adore Jesus in the Eucharistic silence." - St. Peter J. Eymard

Come and join us for Eucharistic Adoration on Friday, November 6, 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. 

Thanksgiving Food Drive

Outreach's Annual Thanksgiving Food Drive this year will be from November 3rd – 19^th. We will be collecting food for ABODE Services. ABODE works to end homelessness by assisting low-income, unhoused people--including those with special needs--to secure stable and supportive housing.

This year Outreach will be purchasing turkey breast instead of asking for whole turkey donations. We are asking for monetary donations (check OR cash) to purchase the turkey breasts. Lucky’s has agreed to supply us with the turkey breasts.  Turkey breasts are easier for recipients to store, prepare, and there is less waste involved. Please make checks payable to: Saint Anthony Outreach and put ABODE in the memo line.

An Outreach member will be in the foyer collecting your monetary donation after each Mass. You can also put your donation into the offertory basket or drop it off at the Church office. There will be no online donations for this food drive.

We are also collecting canned goods. There will be collection barrels for your canned goods donations in the McKean Church foyer starting November 3rd. The food items being requested are: Boxed stuffing mix, instant mashed potatoes, canned cranberry sauce, canned gravy and canned corn. Other requested items are canned green beans, canned pumpkin, canned sweet potatoes, boxed macaroni and cheese, cornbread mix and biscuit mix.

Your generosity is greatly appreciated!

SAINT ANTHONY YOUTH GROUP

Middle through High School

Our next gathering and dinner is on Sunday 11/22, 6pm at the McKean Rd Church. Build community and have fun while exploring and living our faith. Returning and new participants are all welcome. More info and registration at http://churchstanthony.com/youth-group

ONLINE ROSARY

Join our online group to pray the Rosary each day (or as often as you can). This is a great way to come to know Christ more deeply and receive graces and blessings from the Lord according to Mary’s promises. 

We meet online every evening from 8:00pm-8:40pm. You can pray for your own intentions, and, as a group, we pray for the intentions of the community that are brought to us either in person or through our Prayer Intentions Request Form. 

Prayer intention form

P.S. It is not mandatory, but we encourage members to lead a session so the responsibility is shared. If you can help, please contact: 

stanthonysjvolunteers@gmail.com.

Link to Google Calendar

WE ARE NOW A GREEN PARISH:

PLEASE SORT YOUR TRASH

The City of San Jose now requires us to comply with California Senate Bill 1383. We must sort our trash or receive fines of up to $500 per incident. Moreover, the Catechism of the Catholic Church calls us to be responsible stewards of the earth (care for the planet is a moral responsibility). From now on, when at a church function, please sort your COMPOSTABLE trash in the GREEN (“wet”) containers and NON-COMPOSTABLE trash in the BLACK/GRAY (“dry”) containers. Event hosts are also asked to maximize use of easily sorted compostable materials. Thank you!

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 7:30 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.

Life Justice and Peace

Catholic Advocacy Action Alert! California Legislators are back in session Click here for our CA Bishops concerned issues. Please take the time to review these proposed bills and contact your local representatives to express your support or concerns!

Magnifica Humanitas: A Historic Encyclical for Our Times

What Happened

On Monday, May 25, 2026, Pope Leo XIV personally presented his first encyclical letter, Magnifica Humanitas: On Safeguarding the Human Person in the Time of Artificial Intelligence, at an historic event in the Vatican's Synod Hall, attended by cardinals, theologians, and technology leaders. This marks the first time a papal encyclical has been publicly presented by the pope himself.

The teaching document, addressed to "all people of good will," was signed by Pope Leo XIV on May 15, 2026, the 135th anniversary of Pope Leo XIII's landmark, Rerum Novarum. Just as his predecessor addressed the Industrial Revolution and workers' rights in 1891, Pope Leo XIV is responding to the "new things" of our age: artificial intelligence, algorithmic power, digital inequality, and the future of the human person.

Reflection on Magnifica Humanitas by Bishop Cantú

“Magnifica Humanitas does not ask us to fear artificial intelligence. It asks us to be wise about it. The use of such powerful technologies has the ability to do tremendous good in favor of humanity and yet to also cause irreparable damage to individuals, communities, and societies. It calls us back to what we already know: that the common good matters more than efficiency, that human dignity cannot be optimized away.”

— Bishop Oscar Cantú of San José

Complete Reflection can be found on dsj.org

Read It for Yourself

Please read the encyclical itself not just the summaries. The Holy Father wrote it to be discerned, not just summarized.

📖 English (Full Text — Vatican) Magnifica Humanitas (EN)

📖 Spanish (Full Text — Vatican) Magnifica Humanitas (ES)

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, November 1.

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

8:30 MASS

ENTRANCE

In This Place

OFFERTORY

Prayer of St. Francis

COMMUNION

Behold the Lamb (Getty, Townsend)

RECESSIONAL

Holy God, We Praise Thy Name (Modlin)

10:30 MASS

ENTRANCE

In This Place

OFFERTORY

Prayer of St. Francis

COMMUNION

Behold the Lamb (Getty, Townsend)

RECESSIONAL

Holy God, We Praise Thy Name (Modlin)

St. Anthony Parish

20101 McKean Rd

San Jose, CA 95120

(408) 997- 4800