November and Praying for the Dead

Although All Saints Day is not a holy day of obligation this year, Holy Mass will be offered on Monday, November 1st at 11 a.m . at Sacred Heart Church at Esopus.  On that day, the Church acclaims all the saints, both canonized and uncanonized, in Heaven.

All Souls Day follows on Tuesday, November 2nd.  The Holy Souls of Purgatory become our focus for the rest of November.  Holy Mass will be offered on Tuesday at 8 a.m. and 11 a.m. (Sacred Heart) and later at Presentation at 6:30 p.m.  Why?  Because most people do not go straight to Heaven at the moment of death.  Of those people who do go to Heaven, the overwhelming majority must first undergo an experience of purgation (a.k.a. Purgatory) before being able to enter the perfection and bliss of God Himself (that state of being is known as Heaven).  On the other hand, the state of eternal separation from God and its resulting woes is known as Hell.  Let us  avoid going to Hell by rejecting sin and pursuing a life pleasing to God in prayer, word, and deed.  Thank God for the sacraments of Confession and Anointing of the Sick! 

We Catholics pray for the dead because God is the Judge and we are not.  Let us not presume God's mercy but rather seek it for the dead as well as the living, as commended to us in 2 Maccabees 12:43-46.  Thus, we will place on our altars your  All Souls Day  envelopes with an offering inside and the names of your beloved dead (it would be good to include "Souls in Purgatory" in your list too) throughout November.  Prayer for the dead is a Spiritual Work of Mercy.  The earlier that you get your completed envelopes to us, the more time they will be placed on our altars for the graces of the Masses offered on our altars.  However, we will accept completed envelopes all the way until November 30th.  For more information, kindly call 845/331-0053 or 845/384-6828 or write us at [email protected] .

"Oh my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of Hell; lead all souls to Heaven especially those who are in most need of Your mercy.  Amen."  (Fatima Prayer)