Dear brothers and sister,

                                   Let us Honor All Saints, and Pray, Pray, Pray for All Souls

The solemnity of All Saints falls on Sunday this year. We do not observe it as a holy day of obligation, but we celebrate it all the same. As a church, we remember many saints and martyrs whose names are not inscribed in saints' canon and seek their intercession. Relic of St. Peter, our parish patron saint, will be carried in the opening procession of the Mass this Sunday and exposed in the sanctuary afterward for veneration.
Monday, November 2, is the commemoration of All the Faithful departed, otherwise known as All Souls. The month of November is a traditional time for visiting graves of loved ones and offering suffrages for the dead. Let our prayers for the dead, especially throughout November, echo the church’s prayer: “Remember also our brothers and sisters who have fallen asleep in the hope of resurrection, and all who have died in your mercy; welcome them to the light of your face” (Eucharistic Prayer II). We have a number of our parishioners who passed away this year that we shall pray for on All Souls day.
As a parish, we will have a solemn commemoration of our departed brothers and sisters whose bodies lie in our cemetery on All Souls Day. There will be a mass for the dead at noon, followed by a visit to the cemetery where we shall have a short service in their honor. All are encouraged to attend this brief ceremony.
Do you know you can gain a plenary indulgence under the usual condition when you visit the cemetery to pray for the dead during November?

In Christ, the Risen Lord,  
  Fr. Bernard Oniwe, OP
 

 
Dear Brothers and Sister,
 
                                                        Love, And Do what You Will.


I am a fan of St. Augustine’s principle of love. In a famous quote from one of his homilies, he says, “Love, and do what you will.” The full section is as follows:
“Once for all, then, a short precept is given thee: Love, and do what thou wilt: whether thou hold thy peace, through love hold thy peace; whether thou cry out, through love cry out; whether thou correct, through love correct; whether thou spare, through love do thou spare: let the root of love be within, of this root can nothing spring but what is good” (St. Augustine, Commentary on 1 Jn 4: 4-12).
St. Augustine’s precept flows effortlessly into Jesus’ injunction to us today to love God and neighbor. Once we have the true love of God as a basis and motivation, God will accept all our actions toward others. In this light, I want to thank once again all of you who prayed for Respect for Life during October. Thanks go to our Respect Life Ministry, who led us in the recitation of the Rosary every Sunday after the 8:30 am Mass. Thanks to Patti Becker, who led us in the Rosary Rally in front of the Historic Church. Thanks to Pat Minick, who helped plant the flags symbolic and in remembrance of millions of unborn babies that have been murdered in our world. Thanks to Mike & Jeanne Cassidy, who shared holy cards of St. Martin de Porres, patron saint of health workers and those seeking social and racial justice. Thanks to all who came in early for Daily Masses to join me in praying Rosary for life. Thanks for all the acts of love.
It is Halloween next weekend. Remember that its root is Catholic. It is the eve of all Saints, which falls on Sunday this year. As you celebrate with family and friends, be wary of all the witches and vampires costumes and decors, even if it is for fun. Remember never to do anything that fails to glorify God and help in your soul and others' salvation. We are going to celebrate masses for All Souls day next week as well. Be attentive to the coming month when we pray for our faithful departed. Thinking of death, what a full circle it has been for me. This past week, I had a Baptism for Milo Graham. Before then, I had the privilege of offering a prayer service for Bob and Sue Schlosser’s 40th marriage anniversary. Just a few days ago, I helped Patrick Boylan on his journey back to his Creator. All these moments are steeped in the love of God. In death or life, we belong to God, who loves us and calls us to love and do whatever we will.
 
Choose someone to love and pray for this week.

In Christ who loves us,
Fr. Bernard, OP
 

Dear brothers and sisters,            
                                                                  All Under God
Do Catholics have responsibilities toward civil authority? Yes. What should guide such duties? The supremacy of God’s will and the common good. We read in the Gospel according to Matthew (22:15-22) how the Herodians tried to trick Jesus with the question: “Is it lawful to pay the census tax to Caesar or not?” Jesus exposes their ruse and hypocrisy by demanding they hand him a symbol of the Roman political authority, a coin that bore divine Caesar's image. He says that as much as they live under the Romans' political leadership and governance and enjoy the services they offer, they are obligated to adhere to reasonable laws like paying taxes. “Then repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God.”
 All things belong to God, including political leaders. The United States is under God. In essence, the truth of God’s words must circumscribe our country and not the other way. We Americans love our country. We reflect our patriotism in the nation’s flag displayed prominently in our sanctuary. Accordingly, we are called to play our civic duties in voting during elections as a part of our civic responsibilities as Christian Americans. During each election year, the USCCB reminds us to form our conscience right with the aid of the Church's Gospel and teachings. Bishop Gainer reminds us in his 2020 election letter: “In their statement on Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship, the U.S. Catholic bishops urge Catholics to form their consciences through being open to truth, studying Scripture and Church teaching, examining facts and background information, and prayerful reflection.”
 As good Catholic citizens of this great country, let us do what is necessary before voting, let us form our conscience correctly, and give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and God what belongs to God,” and all things are under God.
Please search and read:  https://www.usccb.org/issues-and-action/faithful-citizenship/parishes-and-schools/upload/Conscience-Formation-bulletin-insert.pdf

In Christ our Lord,
Fr. Bernard, OP
 

Dear Friends,
                                                        Invitation to Banquets of Graces

The focus of this Sunday’s Mass Gospel is on an invitation to a wedding feast. Jesus likens God’s Kingdom to a feast that guests are invited to. This invitation is an open one, many are summoned, and they refused to come (see Matthew 22:1-2). We can compare this to the Eucharistic banquet that we are invited to every Sunday, but many cannot come for good reasons, the pandemic precisely. We have been trying to tackle that problem by streaming masses from our laptop and phone. Because the Eucharistic feast is deserving of the best, we have improved on the process of streaming masses. We installed cameras for live streaming of Sunday masses and other liturgical events a few days ago! I am excited!! This means we now have a state of the art capacity to live-stream liturgical celebrations from the church sanctuary.
 
Next Sunday is the World Mission Sunday. I want to thank you for your generous giving during the pandemics. I would not want to overburden you or be insensitive, but this is a major contribution that helps the universal church serve the needs of thousands of mission churches worldwide so that faith continues to thrive there. Please consider this invitation to give a priority as you have done in the past. Thank you.
 
I am excited at the kick-off program for our Youth ministry this afternoon from 1-4 pm. With the hope for pleasant weather, the outdoor program geared to build up our youth faith and presence in the church will bless our parish.
 
Again, the month of October is the month of the Holy Rosary and Respect Life. We prayed the Holy Rosary at 7:30 am at the historic church on the memorial of the Our Lady of the Rosary, and I hope to continue the devotion throughout October. In the same spirit, the Rosary Rally will hold today outside the historic church at 4 pm. The Rosary Rally is another opportunity to pray for respect for all human life from conception to a natural end. We are doing a lot to live up to our parish mission. I now invite you to be my guests at these banquets of graces the parish is hosting.
 
In Christ and Mary,
Fr. Bernard, OP
 

Dear friends,

The church celebrates the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary yearly on October 7, and in tandem,
the month of October is dedicated to praying the Holy Rosary. Pope St. Pius V instituted the feast in the year 1571 to commemorate the miraculous victory of the Christian army over invading enemies in the Battle of Lepanto on October 7, 1571.  Pope St. Pius V gave credit for the win to the weapon of the Rosary rather than the power of cannons fired and bravery of the soldiers.
The Church traditions tell us that the Rosary was given to St. Dominic (1170-1221) by the Blessed Virgin Mary as the weapon to fight the scourge of the Albigensian heresy. The form of the devotional and meditational prayer took the standard format that we know today when the Dominican Pope St. Pius V issued a papal bull, Consueverunt Romani Pontifices. In the updated form, the second part of the Hail Mary and the “Glory be to the Father” at the end of each mystery were added. In its early iteration in the Middle Ages, the Rosary consists of 150 “Our Fathers” that lay monks said in place of the 150 Psalms of the Divine Office. With the upsurge of Marian devotion in the twelfth century, 150 Hail Marys” were said in place of 150 “Our Fathers.” Dominicans were very instrumental in the subdivision of the 150 Hail Marys to fifteen decades, with each focusing on a significant event in the life of Jesus and Mary. It was the Dominican Alanus de Rupe who gave us the categories of the joyful, sorrowful and glorious mysteries before Pope St. John Paul II added the luminous mysteries.
Many saints, including St. Pope John Paul II and St. Pio of Pietrelcina considered the Rosary an effective weapon in the fight against the enemies of our faith. We need to turn closer to Our Lord Jesus and his Blessed Mother Mary at this time as we fight the forces of death in our culture. We should pray the Rosary more earnestly this month as we strive to promote the Gospel of Life, emphasizing respect for human life from conception to natural death. In this regard, I employ you all to join the Knights of Columbus as they lead us in the recitation of the Rosary at Mary’s grotto after 8:30 am mass throughout October. Also, Patti Becker will lead a Rosary Rally in front of the Historic Church on October 11 at 4 pm. Also to be held on Sunday, October 11, from 1- 4 pm, is our parish youth outdoor program led by Shawn Marker, our new Youth Program coordinator. Pray Hail Marys for these events to bear fruits of the Kingdom. 

In Christ through Mary,

Fr. Bernard-Mary Oniwe, OP