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From the Desk of Father John
“Novembering” a Time to Remember all the Faithful Departed
As summer slips into fall, people throughout North America begin to think about football, the harvest, and Halloween. During the month of November, many Christians remember their beloved dead in a special way. “Novembering” is a term that I like and appreciate what it conjures up for me when I think about it! The term refers to the experience of grief and mourning when we remember and celebrate the memory of loved ones—family and friends who are no longer with us and have gone HOME to be with the Lord. This dedication of an entire month for the dead is a wonderful vestige of a tradition that recognizes the unbreakable bond with those who are our forefathers in faith, our deceased parents, grandparents, siblings, friends, our miscarried and aborted children. The month of November is so close to my heart and life. Life can hurt for those who have lost a loved one, and during the holidays that pain can seem overwhelming at times. I do believe however that we will be reunited in Heaven one day, but in the meantime, I hold their memories close to me in my mind and they will always be in my heart and prayers.
The Christian holiday of All Soul’s Day, which falls on November 2 every year, pays respect and remembers the souls of all friends and loved ones who have died and gone to heaven. The living prays on behalf of Christians who are in purgatory, the state in the afterlife where souls are purified before proceeding to heaven. November opens with All Saints Day, then All Souls. We celebrate the Saints, the communion we share with them, and the joy of the heavenly Jerusalem. We remember and pray for our deceased loved ones, assisting their journey with our love and prayer. We remember too, our own mortality. The Church tells us that our prayers and sacrifices are beneficial to those who have died in God’s grace and yet still need to be purified from the effects of sin. Let us remember to keep all the souls of the faithfully departed in our prayers especially during this month of November. The” Book of Life--” Remembrance book will be on display in the Sanctuary in each of our four churches for the entire month. This book will be for you to list the names of those you wish to be remembered.
Praying for them, we affirm our faith and hope in the God who creates us all, who loves us all and who wills to redeem us all. What shall we do in Holy Family Catholic Community so that we may remain connected in love and prayers with our departed sisters and brothers in this month of “Novembering”? All Soul Day this year fall of the weekend of Saturday/ Sunday, Nov1/ 2: a day dedicated towards the commemoration of all the faithful departed, we shall celebrate the Eucharist at St. Mary’s, Dansville, Nov 1st, 4.00 PM and St. Joseph’s Church, Wayland, Nov 2nd, 7.30 AM; Sacred Heart, Perkinsville, 9.15 AM and St. Pius, Cohocton at 11.00 AM During this masses we shall provide the entire community a special opportunity to remember your deceased family members and friends, members of the Holy Family Catholic Community, and all those who share eternal life with God. And in every weekday Masses we will add an intention “for all of those gone before us who have no one left to pray for them here.” This will be our regular reminder to really and truly commemorate “all the faithful departed.” During the Eucharistic celebration for the “Feast of All Soul” there will be a memory candles on the Sanctuary dedicated to each of those souls who were buried from Holy Family Catholic Community this past year [October 31, 2024-November 1, 2025) and their names will be read during Mass. In addition, there will be three more candles dedicated as follows: First Candle for all deceased Veterans; Second candles for all deceased First-Responders; and third for all aborted and miscarried children. During the Prayers of the Faithful in this Mass, we shall remember them in a special way announcing and proclaiming their Names. If you have had a significant loss this year and your loved one was not buried from our church their name could be added if you would like to join us for any of this mass. Call the Office at 585-728-2228
We invite you to sign the names of your beloved deceased relatives in our commemoration books— “the book of Life.” We will remember all those entered into our Book of Life (Remembrance) in every mass celebrated in the month of November. In these Masses the “Book of Life” will be brought in procession and presented with the offertory Gifts and placed on the altar! The lives of the people that we shall remember are a gift not only to their families but also to our community. We just want everyone to know that the faithful departed are always in our minds, our hearts, our prayers. We remember their good lives! We rely on the mercy and compassion of God! We trust that having been faithful to God here, we will join them one day in the Kingdom. “Also, you can schedule a Mass-intention so that an offering of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass for the repose of souls your loved son, daughter, parents, grandparents or a friend may be celebrated in our Church. Having Masses offered for our deceased loved ones is an expression of the love and prayer we give to those dear to us, as they journey into the eternal love of God. The celebration of Mass is the highest means the Church can provide for charity for the dead.
On Saturday, November 1, All Saints Day, a Holy day of obligation, we shall have All Saints Vigil Mass on Friday, October 31, at 5.00 PM at St. Joseph’s, Wayland and celebrate Masses on the actual day, November 1st, (Saturday) 9.00 AM at St. Mary’s, Dansville. All are welcome. Again, let us also remember all the families in our parish who are grieving the loss of a loved one at this time. Eternal Rest grant unto all those who have died in our parish, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine on them. May their souls and the souls of all the faithful departed rest in peace, Amen! I promise to remember all your deceased members of your family as they are close to my thought and prayers especially in this month of “Novembering”. Fr. John