Halloween, A Season of Saints
Dear sisters & brothers in Christ,
As always, I pray that you are blessed, and are fully prepared for the onset of the minions of trick-or-treaters. Happy Halloween! Halloween is another religious holiday that has been taken over by the secular world, but I guess I can’t complain since The Church stole borrowed it from the Celts. It is amazing to see how it has grown since I was young. Many houses have bigger Halloween decorations than Christmas ones. Of course, it has also become a huge money maker for anyone who can figure a way to link their business to it, i.e. M&M’s, fast food franchises, and just about every TV show now has a Halloween episode...and even St. Alphonsus as we invited everyone to come dressed up this weekend. But for those who still want to celebrate the religious aspects of Halloween, or All-Hallows-Eve, we will certainly celebrate All Saints & All Souls Days. If you didn’t know, most of Halloween’s traditions come from Ireland, from bonfires to jack-o-lanterns, and even trick-or-treating. While the Celts saw this as a day when the barrier between life and death was at its thinnest, The Church saw it as a chance to honor all of those who have gone before us, whether saint or sinner. If you want to learn more just Google Halloween’s Irish roots.
I want to thank everyone who had a part to play in our 2nd Cornhole tournament. It was great fun for players and spectators alike. It was also a wonderful opportunity to begin to do more socializing. You may have heard that we have begun planning for the Fish Fry. We will need a LOT of help if it is going to be a success. So, I am challenging everyone to be involved in some way. If you cannot be physically present, there are still things you can do. If you cannot be here on Fridays there are preparatory jobs that have to be done earlier in the week.
As I have mentioned in earlier letters, there are other ministries that we are trying to get off the ground again. As our masses are one of the most important things we do, those liturgical ministries are high on our needs-list. I especially want to get our youth involved again, and so, I am inviting any of them who would like to be cross, candle or Missal bearers to contact Carol. Hopefully, it won’t be too long before we can have the servers back to full ministry.
Once again, I just want to thank everyone for what you do. It takes us all, contributing our own unique gifts to make St. Alphonsus a great parish. I want to thank all of those who support our outreach ministry, especially during Covid, when the need has been (and continues to be) so great. I thank you whether you contribute physical labor, donations, or prayers. It is all needed and appreciated. God Bless!
In the Redeemer, Fr. Rick