Our Faith - Religion - Prayer
St Patrick's Church Walcha
For Baptism or Marriage enquiries phone Monsignor Ted Wilkes 67784070.
Monsignor Ted Wilkes would like to invite parishioners to Sunday Mass 10am.
Term 4 Mass Dates
Friday 28th November: Mass at 11.30am
Friday 12th December: End of Year and Year 6 Graduation Mass at 12.00pm
Reflection
Reflecting on the Feast of All Souls
This past Sunday, we marked a deeply significant day in the liturgical calendar: the Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed, commonly known as All Souls’ Day. I had the privilege of celebrating Mass for this special occasion, a day set aside to remember and pray for our loved ones who have died.
All Souls' Day is observed annually on November 2nd, immediately following All Saints' Day (November 1st). The two feasts are closely linked but have distinct purposes.
The Mass celebrated on All Souls' Day is unique, as it is offered with the special intention of interceding for those who have died. It is a time for the whole community to reflect on the spiritual bond that remains between us and the faithful departed.
While the practice of attending Mass and praying for the dead is central across the globe, the traditions surrounding cemetery visits and family remembrance show rich cultural diversity:
| Country/Region | Tradition & Observance |
|---|---|
Mexico
| All Souls' Day is the second day of the famous Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) celebration. Families build beautiful altars (ofrendas) adorned with photos, marigold flowers, candles, and the deceased's favorite food and drinks to welcome their spirits home for a joyful visit. |
| Poland | The day is known as Zaduszki. Families gather on both November 1st and 2nd to tend to graves, with cemeteries becoming glowing seas of light from the thousands of candles (znicze) and fresh flowers left by relatives. |
| France & Croatia | The primary day for grave visitation is La Toussaint (All Saints' Day, Nov. 1st). Families place large bouquets of chrysanthemums on the tombs. In Croatia, this is a public holiday with most families visiting cemeteries to place flowers and candles. |
| Portugal | Children participate in the Pão-por-Deus tradition, going door-to-door (similar to an early form of trick-or-treating) to receive nuts, cakes, and sweets while asking for a "Bread for God" in memory of the dead. |
| Italy | The day is called Giorno dei Morti (Day of the Dead). Families visit cemeteries, clean and decorate the graves, and in some regions, traditional sweets like the Pan dei Morti (Bread of the Dead) are prepared and eaten. |
The observance of All Souls' Day is not about sadness, but about hope and profound communion. It reminds us that the love and community we share with our departed family and friends. Through our prayers, we affirm that they are still members of God's family, marching toward the glory of Heaven.
Prayer
Merciful Father,
we thank you for the lives
of all the faithful departed
and celebrate the promise of eternal rest.
May their souls,
and the souls of all the faithful,
be united with You
in the joy of the everlasting light.
Amen.
Thank You: Catholic Missions Fundraiser Success
Our gratitude and congratulations go out to every student for their exceptional support of the Catholic Missions event held last Friday.
The combined efforts from our Crazy Sock and Hair Day and the exciting Duct Tape the Staff Member activity raised a fantastic total of $240.
The funds collected will be directly used to support families in Zambia who are working to overcome health and wellness challenges. Well done, St Pat's!
Catherine McAuley's Anniversary this upcoming Tuesday: November 11 marks 184 years since Catherine McAuley’s death.
PRAYER
May the God of strength be with us, holding us in strong-fingered hands; and may we be the sacrament of God’s strength to those whose hands we hold.
May the God of peace be with us, stilling our hearts when they hammer with fear or doubt or confusion; and may the warm mantle of God’s peace cover those who are troubled or anxious.
May the God of dreams be with us. With all the dreamers - like Catherine - who have gone before, may we come to trust in God’s dream for us.
May we open ourselves to become what God envisioned at our birth and may we have the courage to live into the reflection of God that we are.
Knowing Catherine Adapted from Constitutions of the Sisters of Mercy of Ireland, p5
Catherine McAuley, a woman of prayer and compassion, opened the house on Baggot Street in 1827.
She died there, in an upstairs room, around 7.30pm on November 11, 1841.
This upcoming Monday, we gather as a global Mercy community, as people of prayer and compassion, in remembrance of her life, in gratitude for her legacy, and in prayerful hope as we look towards the future of Mercy.
At the end of her life, looking to the future, Catherine said, "If the Order is my work, the sooner it falls to the ground the better; if it is God’s work it needs no one."
In the ten years of her religious life, Mother Catherine founded ten convents in Ireland and two in England.
Since then the Sisters of Mercy have spread to many corners of the world: to North America (New Foundland) in 1842 to Australia (Perth) in 1846 to South America (Buenos Aires) in 1856 to Africa (Bechuanaland) in 1896, and to Asia (India) in 1953.
Catherine’s spirituality was centred on the mercy of God…prayer in action…action in prayer.
Year of Jubilee
2025 is a Jubilee Year in the Catholic Church.
A Jubilee Year is traditionally proclaimed by the Universal Church every 25 years. It is a particular year set aside to encourage the faithful to embark on pilgrimages, to repent of their sins and forgive the sins of others, and to renew a focus on spiritual life.
The theme is Pilgrims of Hope. Pope Francis has invited Catholics to renew our hope and discover a vision that can "restore access to the fruits of the earth to everyone". We are also invited to rediscover a spirituality of God's creation in which we understand ourselves as "pilgrims on the earth" rather than masters of the world.
You will see this logo often this year...
The logo symbolises unity and fraternity among all of humanity, with four stylised figures from different corners of the earth embracing each other. The leading figure holds a cross, representing faith and hope. The rough waves beneath the figures symbolise life's challenges, emphasising the need for hope in difficult times. The elongated lower part of the cross forms an anchor, a well-known symbol of hope. This image depicts the pilgrimage as a communal journey towards the cross, which reaches out dynamically to offer presence and hope.
Jubilee 2025 - Pilgrims of Hope (Youtube)
The Jubilee Prayer
To pray and download the Prayer for the 2025 Jubilee, click here. Copies of the Jubilee Prayer are available in Braille. Please contact the Office of Deaf and Disabilities Ministry for a copy: specialneedsministry@adw.org or 301-853-4560.