Feast of All Saints

Kathy Weekly message

Towards the end of this week we will enter into the month of November. And as we all know on November 1st the Church gives us the opportunity to celebrate the feast of All Saints. Since it is a very important liturgical day, it is declared as a holy day of obligation, meaning that Catholics must observe it by going to Mass, as they do on Sundays. We will be having two Masses, 8.30 am and 7.00 pm.

 And here’s a little more information on The Feast of All Saints Day – November 1st.

 On this day we honor, venerate (and petition) those disciples of the Lord who have gone before us into the kingdom of heaven. And we hope that one day we, too, will be counted among their number. The Feast of All Saints does not simply recall the “hall of fame” saints such as Peter, Paul, Francis of Assisi, Margaret Mary, and Stephen. In fact we also honor all those countless disciples who have lived lives of faith, service and virtue and have thus entered into the joy of heaven. “This invites us to turn our gaze to the immense multitude of those who have already reached the blessed land, and points us on the path that will lead us to that destination,” Pope John Paul II. We thus have great reason to hope that this number includes the virtuous friends and family members who have preceded us in death.

Most saints were ordinary people like you and me who struggled with difficulties and personal failings before “getting their act together.” Saints were real people who had strengths and limitations, virtues and failings. There were saints who were grave sinners before turning their lives around. But if they could do it, we can too. Sainthood is not perfection; it is growth and consuming dedication to Christ and his Gospel.

Each and every one of us is called to holiness, not in some sterile, plastic way but amidst the messiness and trials of daily life and with the help of those around us. Holiness is a journey, not simply a destination. It is growing in the love of God and learning to do his will more completely. As we celebrate the Feast of All Saints, let us each embrace this journey and look to those who have gone before for inspiration and guidance. 

 All you Holy Saints of God – pray for us.

Women’s Club Pumpkin Project

Kathy Uncategorized

The Women’s Club met last Wednesday to decorate pumpkins for St. Anne’s Meade Assisted Living in Southfield.

Everyone had a good time knowing they were sharing their talents with others. And we feel quite confident the pumpkins will be viewed well after Halloween!

World Mission Sunday

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The Month of October 2019 has been designated as Extraordinary Mission Month. The Holy Father has invited the whole Church to live an extraordinary missionary time commemorating the centenary of the promulgation of the Apostolic Letter Maximum Illud by Pope Benedict XV (30 November 1919).

The Theme of the Mission Month of October is “Baptized and Sent: The Church of Christ on Mission in the World. In the celebration of this Extraordinary month the Holy Father calls to mind: “Celebrating this month will help us in the first place to rediscover the missionary meaning of our bond of faith to Jesus Christ, faith freely received as a gift in Baptism… It is a mandate that touches us closely: I am always a mission; you are always a mission; every baptized woman and man is a mission… Each of us is a mission in the world because it is the fruit of God’s love.” (Pope Francis, Message for World Mission Sunday)

 Vatican Council II also reminds us that ‘The pilgrim Church is by her very nature missionary’. Today the Church, in a special celebration recalls the mission she had received from Christ. The Church is the assemble of all those who have experienced the joy and the challenge of the resurrection of Christ and the new life he has brought us. All of us are called to deepen our experience of this new life and are sent to share our experience with others by word and by the witness of Christian living.

 During this Extraordinary month of Mission, let us resolve to pray the Holy Rosary for the missions and priests and religious who tirelessly dedicate their lives in missions.

Our Archdiocese is in an effort to Unleash the Gospel in a new way. With the prompting of the Holy Spirit our diocese has been undertaking a lot of initiatives to engage people like never before and thereby save more souls for Christ. We are missionaries in our places. So let us pray for our diocese that we may grow and become missionaries in our lives.

St. Valentine Parish Office Sign

For some time, we have been thinking about putting up a Parish Office Sign to  match what we have in the front of the Church. Mr. Tom Alexander came forward to design and make the sign. Tom with the help of  Mr. Ricky installed it Tuesday morning. As a parish, we appreciate his willingness and generosity. May God bless your family abundantly.

I wish you all a blessed week.

 Fr. Kishore Babu Battu SAC