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Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ:
This weekend, our parish and school community comes alive with our Fall Festival: Game On!
Beginning Friday afternoon, our campus will be filled with families and friends, food and music, games and laughter. The Festival is one of those wonderful moments when we remember that a parish is more than a place we come to Mass—it is a community where friendships are formed, children grow up, memories are made, and generations are connected.
And perhaps that makes this a fitting time to look ahead to All Souls’ Day.
Because our community includes not only those gathered around us today, but also those who have gone before us—the people whose lives helped shape our own and whose love remains part of who we are.
Each of us carries their names and memories: a parent or grandparent, a spouse, a child, a sibling, a dear friend. Some died many years ago; others we lost only recently. We remember their voices, their laughter, the things they taught us, and sometimes how much we miss them.
Our Catholic faith teaches us something beautiful: death does not end the bonds of love.
On All Souls’ Day, Monday, November 2, the Church gives us a special opportunity to bring those bonds of love into prayer.
I invite you to join us at 7:00 p.m. for the All Souls’ Requiem Mass. The altar will be illuminated by hundreds of candles, each bearing the name of someone remembered and loved. Together, we will pray for our beloved dead and entrust them once again to the mercy and love of God.
This year, our Schola Cantorum, under the direction of Dr. Joung-A Monica Yum, will present Maurice Duruflé’s beautiful Requiem, Op. 9. Its music is gentle, hopeful, and filled with a profound sense of peace. It will accompany our prayer and give voice to what words alone sometimes cannot.
You are also invited to Light a Candle in memory of someone you love. Your candle will be placed in the church and will shine during the Requiem Mass. Information for dedicating a candle is available through the QR code in the announcement below or by sending an email to the Parish Office.
So, as we enjoy the Festival this weekend—the laughter, the friendships, the gift of being together—perhaps we can also give thanks for those who once shared these moments with us and whose lives remain woven into our own.
On All Souls’ Day, we proclaim something at the very heart of our faith: those we love and have lost have not disappeared from the heart of God—and neither have they disappeared from ours.
Game On! for a wonderful Festival weekend, and then, on November 2, I hope you will join us for a beautiful evening of prayer, remembrance, music, and hope.
Peace and blessings,
Father Gil
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