Category: Feasts and Celebrations

From the Pastor’s Desk – All Saints & All Souls

Published October 28, 2019 / by St. Lawrence Hamilton

The hour of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith

The words of St. Paul from his Second Letter to Timothy remind us of our final destination and prepare us for the mysteries of the first days of November.

Annually, on the first two days of November the Universal Church celebrates All Saints’ and All Souls’ Days. The first feast is officially named the Solemnity of All Saints and it was established first for the local Church in Rome in the 8th century and in the next century it was extended to be celebrated by the Universal Church. On this day we honour all the saints, those formally recognized, those whose names remain unknown, and the baptized of every epoch and nation who enjoy the heavenly glory. The liturgy of this solemnity urges us to raise our eyes towards heaven and inflame our hearts with a desire for holiness. Our Lord wants us to be holy as the Father in heaven is holy, so we should generously respond, as the saints did, to this divine calling for holiness. It is also the First Friday of the month and we honour The Most Sacred Heart of Jesus.

On November 2nd celebrating the Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed we pray for all our sisters and brothers who completed their earthly pilgrimage and are waiting for admittance to God’s glory. It is our duty to remember them and help them with our prayers and self-denials to get in the kingdom of heaven. One day we will be in the same situation asking others for that same spiritual support. This year it is also the first Saturday of the month. Although we will be celebrating a Mass of All Souls’ Day, we will be praying the Act of Consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary and the Children’s Rosary after the Mass.

Pope Francis asks the faithful throughout the Church to pray during the month of November for the following intention: “That a spirit of dialogue, encounter, and reconciliation emerge in the Near East, where diverse religious communities share their lives together”.

All holy men and women pray for us!

God bless,
Fr. Peter

Posted In Feasts and Celebrations | From the Pastor's Desk

From the Pastor’s Desk – Our Lady of the Rosary

Published October 07, 2019 / by St. Lawrence Hamilton

Increase our faith – the Apostles asked Jesus. They understood how important their faith was. Today when we listen to the Gospel we may reflect on how we treat our faith. Is it our primary focus or rather is it a secondary concern or an afterthought? Does my faith have a real influence on my life or rather does my life affect my faith? These and similar questions may help us to treat our faith seriously.

A few days ago, we began the month of October; a Marian month dedicated in a special way to Our Lady of The Holy Rosary. Every day numerous people throughout the world pray the Rosary. According to pious tradition, in 1214 the Rosary was given to Saint Dominic, the founder of the Dominican Order, through an apparition of the Blessed Virgin. Through the influence of Pope Leo XIII, often called the Rosary Pope, this simple prayer was spread widely. He issued 12 encyclical and 5 apostolic letters on the Rosary, instituted the custom of daily Rosary prayer in the month of October and added the invocation Queen of the Most Holy Rosary to the Litany of Loreto. Pope St. John Paul II in 2002 recommended an additional set called the Luminous Mysteries to the 15 Rosary mysteries, so now we have 20 mysteries of the Rosary.

In keeping with this theme, this Monday we observe the memorial of Our Lady of the Rosary. In 1571, Pope Pius V established the feast of Our Lady of Victory to commemorate the victory over the Ottoman navy at the Battle of Lepanto. 2 years later, Pope Gregory XIII changed the title of the feast to the feast of the Holy Rosary. In 1716, Pope Clement XI extended the feast to the universal Church and in 1960, Pope St. John XXIII changed the title to the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary.

On Friday, October 11th, we hold the memorial of Saint John XXIII, Pope. His pontificate, which lasted less than 5 years, presented him as a true image of the Good Shepherd. He summoned the Second Vatican Council and was called the Good Pope. John XXIII died on June 3rd, 1963 and was canonized on April 27th, 2014 along with Pope John Paul II. His liturgical memorial is held on the day when the first session of the Second Vatican Council was opened.

Finally, Today we welcome in our parish the Heralds of the Gospel!

Our Lady of the Rosary – pray for us!

God Bless

Fr. Peter

Posted In Feasts and Celebrations | From the Pastor's Desk | Pastoral Notes