Dear Parishioners and Friends,
As I look over the parish calendar for the month of November, I am struck by the sheer number of events which take place here! Even the liturgical calendar is quite full with more than 20 solemnities, feasts or memorials during the month (a few more if you include the Franciscan liturgical calendar).
November began on Wednesday, November 1st, with the Solemnity of All Saints, and it will end on Thursday, November 30th, with the Feast of St. Andrew the Apostle. In between we also observe Veteran’s Day and Thanksgiving Day. And for the parish of St. Patrick-St. Anthony, this month becomes a place of non-stop activity of all sorts! I’d like to highlight a few events – past, present and future.
Those who attended the Mass of Remembrance on All Souls Day (or watched the live-stream) were united in heart and mind with their loved ones whom we lovingly lifted up to the Lord’s mercy and eternal embrace. The beautiful and powerful setting of the Requiem Mass by the French organist and composer, Maurice Duruflé (1902-1986), is imbued with much emotion and drama. We are grateful to Gabriel Löfvall, our choirs and instrumentalists for their hard work and preparation of this masterpiece.
This weekend we will be hearing from members of the Sister Parish Advocacy Subcommittee about their efforts to bring some stability and peace to the nation of Haiti, and how each of us can contribute to that effort. I am very grateful to Pat Spring, Joan Martin, Joe Cirasuolo, Anita Ellis and Fran Rago for their presentations to the parish at Mass. They have been working with other members of our Sister Parish Committee to network with other parishes across the country to find ways to make our voices heard.
More events this weekend include the Ladies Guild Annual Bake & Craft Sale and Teacup Christmas Corner after all Masses; the 15th Annual Turkey Drive this Sunday; and the raffle drawing during Community Sunday for tickets to the Andrea Bocelli Concert in the XL Center next month. We’ve sold over 400 tickets, and we are very grateful for your support!
Next Saturday, November 18th, we will celebrate a special Mass at 11:00 AM with the sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick. I am happy that this tradition will be returning after several years since the start of the pandemic. The Mass will be followed by a luncheon in the Franciscan Center. We invite anyone who desires to receive the Sacrament of the Sick to participate. Illness can take various forms, whether it’s a chronic condition or something more urgent. Prayer is a very powerful and necessary element in the healing process, and we feel it even more so in a communal setting.
As I mentioned last week, we will observe the International Transgender Day of Remembrance at the 5:00 PM Mass on Sunday, November 19th, for transgender persons who have died as victims of transphobic violence during the past year. This annual event, sponsored by our Open Hearts LGBTQ+ Ministry, is our way of showing our support as a community that welcomes everyone.
Blessings on your week ahead!
Fr. Tim Shreenan, O.F.M.Pastor
P.S. Here is a small sample of the photos our parishioners have submitted for our Parish Christmas Tree. There is still plenty of time to send yours in, and we have room for a lot more! Just email your hi-res digital file to [email protected] and please include the names of the individuals in the photo. If you prefer, bring in a photo and we will scan it.
