November 1 is All Saints Day Solemnity. It is a Holy Day of Obligation and Masses in our basilica in English will be at 6:00 am, 8:00 am and 5:30 pm, and in Polish at 7:00 am, 12:30 pm and 7:00 pm.
November 2 is All Souls Day. Masses will be in English at 6:00 am and 8:00 am, and in Polish at 7:00 am, 12:30 pm and 7:00 pm. Additional Mass will be celebrated at 2 pm at St. Adalbert Cemetery in Niles.
During the month of November we pray for all the deceased. Anyone wishing to enroll deceased members of their family or friends into this month of prayer are asked to do so by writing their names on the All Souls Day Envelopes. Envelopes have been placed at the doors of the Church.
A Reflection for All Saints Day
by Fr. Thomas Rosica , CSB
“…As we begin the month of November, a time traditionally set aside by Catholics to remember both the Saints and those who have died. “All Saints Day” (Nov. 1) and “All Souls Day” (Nov. 2) set the tone for the month. The pain of death and loss touches all people and religious people turn to their faith traditions for some answers and consolation in the loss of loved ones.
The Saints are our ancestors and friends — that “cloud of witnesses” who accepted the godly realism of their lives, shared it with others on Earth, and continue to do so now before the throne of God in heaven. We believe that they “intercede” for us here below, and in a special way, they are linked with us in what we call “the communion of Saints.
All Souls Day and the commemoration of the dead throughout the month of November is a source of consolation and hope for each of us. It is dedicated to the memory, not just of the Saints but also to all the faithful departed. For Christians and Catholics, the holy souls in purgatory (not a place but a state of waiting and longing) see ever more clearly what we intuit from afar. They are already within reach of eternal life, the loving arms of Jesus; but they are not yet closely within his embrace. The sting of death has been removed, but they are still sensing the pain of love which only complete union with Jesus can heal. There is truth in the expression: “distance makes the heart grow fonder!”…
No matter what your religious convictions are, it might be good during this month to remember someone close to you who has died. Bring this person’s image into your mind. As you remember this life, imagine God escorting that person into heaven at the time of death. Finally, imagine this loved one waiting for you. Such visioning and imagining can have very healing and consoling effects on our lives.
If we spend our earthly pilgrimage filling our minds with thoughts of heaven, when we finally cross over into eternal life, the images we see may not be foreign, startling or strange. We, too might be able to echo those words: “My God, I know this place. I am home.”
Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord,
and let perpetual light shine upon them.
May they rest in peace! Amen!