Fr. Simon’s Letter - October 30, 2022

'A December to Remember' is a catchphrase in a commercial for a brand of cars. However, for us, November is 'A Month to Remember.'

November is special for us as Catholics. It is a month for us to remember who we are as a people and who we are as a church. On November 1, we come together to celebrate the Solemnity of All Saints – (a holy day of obligation), a day which honors the more obscure saints and the saints each of us has known. On November 2, we observe All Souls' Day – a day to remember all those who have gone before us. The church has always encouraged praying for the dead. We believe it is an act of Christian charity to pray for a loved one to erase any distance between us, even the chasm that death imposes. When we pray, we place ourselves in God's presence in the company of those we love, even if those persons have gone before us in death.

On the second Monday in November, we celebrate Veterans’ Day. We remember and give thanks to and for those who defend our freedom. We pray for the veterans whose lives are scarred by the wounds of battle, those haunted by the experiences of combat, and those who need our help more than our praise and thanks.

We bring the month of November to a close with our celebration of Thanksgiving Day. We gather as a family, as a church, and as a nation. We remember and give thanks to a good and gracious God for all of the blessings that are ours. The Liturgy of Thanksgiving Day gives voice to the spirit of this time, a spirit we are called to make our own.
 
It was on October 29, 1960, that our current worship space was consecrated. This weekend let us gratefully remember all those who worked hard to make this beautiful basilica a place worthy of our admiration, where we can gather in joyful praise to the Lord. It is appropriate that this weekend, we will also unveil the plaque, installed on the north wall of the vestibule by the porte-cochère door, to gratefully acknowledge and remember those who generously contributed to the Capital Campaign 'From Generation to Generation.' Through their contributions and the hard work of many, we completed the Benedict Center's comprehensive renovation and improvements to the Lemont and Keene buildings. We now have meeting rooms, a parish center, a new music room, a science lab, a staff lounge, a library, and other places to benefit our students and faculty.

From the perspective of a pastor and steward, please remember Queen of All Saints parish as you prepare to make your required minimum distribution from your IRA this year.

Celebrate, and remember that each of us is a unique person fashioned by a loving Creator who is but part of a larger communion of persons stretching back (and forth) in time. Please plan to participate in our special parish liturgies of remembrance and be a part of these celebrations at Queen of All Saints, during November, "A Month to Remember."

Blessings!