For more than 1,000 years generations of Catholic Christians have held the tradition of remembering the deceased with a special devotion throughout the month of November. 

The universal church begins the month with the Feasts of All Saints on November 1 and All Souls on November 2, where we pause to honor the entire communion of saints and pray for the souls of those who have gone before us.

At Holy Spirit, on the Feast of All Saints on November 1st, the singing bowl rang with the names of those in our community who passed away this year. 

For the remainder of November, we will continue the tradition of the “In Memoriam” cards, where we write the names of our deceased loved ones to be remembered. The cards are available at the entrance to the church before each Mass. We ask you to place these cards in the collection baskets. The cards will be brought forward at each weekend’s liturgy during November and offered up during the Eucharistic Prayer. This is a strong symbol of solidarity with those who have died, and it will provide a more visible way of praying for them at each Mass. 

The month ends with our American celebration of Thanksgiving when we gather together to praise God for the harvest bounty and all he has bestowed upon us as a people and as a nation. On Thanksgiving Day, we celebrate Mass at 9:00AM. 

 During November, the church, our nation and nature remind us that we are part of a larger story, that we are connected, each to the other, with bonds so strong that not even death can destroy them. What beautiful traditions to celebrate our connections to the entire communion of saints!