All are Welcome

November 1, 2026

Remembering Our Faithful Departed

November is a special month in the life of the Church. It is a time when we remember those who have gone before us in faith. We begin the month with All Saints Day on November 1, when we honor all those who now share eternal life with God. The following day, All Souls Day, we remember and pray for the faithful departed, especially our family members and friends.

I think November is a beautiful reminder that death does not have the final word. Jesus promised us eternal life. As Christians, we believe that our relationships with those we love do not simply end when they die. We miss them, of course. We remember their voices, their laughter, and the little things that made them special. Sometimes a familiar song, a photograph, or a particular place brings back a wonderful memory. But our Catholic faith gives us something more than memories. It gives us hope.

One of the beautiful traditions of our Church is praying for the dead. When we offer a Mass for someone, light a candle, or remember a loved one in our prayers, we are expressing our faith in God's mercy and the promise of the Resurrection. Here at St. Joseph the Worker Shrine, we remember our faithful departed in a special way throughout November. I encourage you to take a few moments this month to pray for those who have touched your life and are now with the Lord. And remember, someday we hope to be reunited with them in the presence of God.

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. 

May they rest in peace. Amen.

God Bless you. I remember you at Mass.

Prayer to Saint Joseph for Workers

Please come and honor the Patron of our Shrine before each Sunday Mass and Saturday vigil Mass. 

Ten minutes before each Mass all are invited to pray the prayer on the back cover of the missalettes. The prayer was written by our late Shrine Director, Fr. Terry O’Connell, OMI.

This prayer time is a good preparation for Mass and a reminder that there are many in need of our prayers to obtain a good and meaningful job to provide for their loved ones.

"You are the Christ, the Son of the living God"

Yes, first of all these words.

You all, who already have the inestimable good fortune to believe, you all, who are still seeking God, and also you, who are tormented by doubt: gladly accept once again — today and in this sacred place — the words spoken by Simon Peter. 

In those words is the faith of the Church. In them is the new truth, indeed the ultimate and definitive truth about man: the Son of the living God. "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."

"Do not be afraid! Open, nay, open wide the doors to Christ!"

Pray for me! Help me that I may serve you! 

MATTHEW  5: 1-12a

When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain, and after he had sat down,  his disciples came to him. 

He began to teach  them, saying:

"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are they who mourn, for they will be comforted.

Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the land.

Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied.

Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.

Blessed are the clean of heart, for they will see God.

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.

Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you and utter every kind of evil against you falsely because of me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven."

The statue of  Saint Carlo Acutis was blessed and installed at the shrine on Sunday, October 25, at the 10:00 AM Mass.

During the concelebrated Mass, we welcomed this joyous addition  to our beautiful St. Joseph the Worker Shrine.

When you visit the shrine, be sure stop by the statue of St. Carlo Acutis. Say a prayer and ask for his intercession, especially for our young people, as well for the care of our defenseless animal friends and pets. 

As All Saints Day and All Souls Day approach, and in keeping with the Mexican Catholic tradition of Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead), St. Joseph the Worker Shrine will once again have an Altar of the Dead to remember and pray for our beloved deceased.

Rooted in our Catholic faith, this beautiful tradition reminds us of the importance of praying for the souls of the faithful departed and our hope in the promise of eternal life through Jesus Christ.

All are invited to place photographs or small mementos of deceased loved ones on the altar located at the back of the church as we remember them in prayer throughout the month of November.

(Please do not leave valuables, as the altar is a public display.)

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May their souls and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. 

Amen.

Question:

Is Halloween a pagan holiday or a Catholic one?

Answer:

The short answer is a little bit of both. But it wasn’t always that way. Halloween and All Saints’ Day are closely connected. In the 800s, the Catholic Church began celebrating All Saints’ Day. It was originally called All Hallow’s Day or Hallowmas. The celebration began early on All Hallows’ Eve. But if Halloween is really about the saints in all their victorious glory, where do we get haunted houses, costumes, and pranks? 

All Saints’ Day became associated with the other deceased rather quickly. November 2nd is All Souls Day, where we pray for the souls in purgatory. Throughout the European world, especially with the Celtic and Germanic peoples, the dead were honored in the autumn months. The Celtic pagan celebration of Samhain had its own folk rituals and occurred around the same time as these Catholic feast days. 

Within the last few hundred years, this included dressing in disguise and going door to door, asking for food in exchange for a rhyme or poem. Some people masqueraded as “dark” spirits and pulled pranks on others. Today’s celebration of Halloween tends to take on these later practices, rather than the original meaning of celebrating the saints. But remember … this feast was Catholic first!

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