St. Joseph the Worker

Dear Parishioners of St. Joseph the Worker:

Welcome to the first full week of November!  This month we remember in a special way all those who have died over the past year.  November gives us days to pray for those who have gone before us marked with the sign of faith.

In order for us to remember in a special way, we have the Book of the Dead displayed near the Holy Family Chapel on the south side of our worship area.  You are invited to write a name or names of people close to you who have died.  They will be prayed for during all the Masses, both daily and weekend, until Thanksgiving.  As we gather in prayer as a parish community, we will join together to pray for the repose of their souls.  The power of prayer!

God has blessed us with the gift of memory.  Memories can help us connect with those who have gone before us.  We are able to recall the good times, as well as those times of grief, suffering, and challenge.  Memories are gifts so that we never forget.

Let us this week take some moments to recall those from our families and friends and parish who have touched our lives and have now died.  May we use these precious moments to give thanks to God for their presence in our lives.  Let us offer prayers of thanksgiving for how they have left their mark on our hearts and souls.

And a great prayer is one we use at a funeral or a burial.  These words have comforted those who grieve for centuries.  The words are filled with tradition and power----

ETERNAL REST GRANT UNTO THEM, O LORD,

AND LET PERPETUAL LIGHT SHINE UPON THEM.

MAY THEIR SOULS, AND ALL THE SOULS OF THE FAITHFUL DEPARTED,

THROUGH THE MERCY OF GOD,

REST IN PEACE. 

AMEN.

 May this coming week be a reflective one for you.

                                                                                     Your Pastor, Father Joe