Parish Notices for the 33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time

1. A reminder of the CCSJ: St. Joseph/Mt.D’or Parish Group “Christmas Matelot Outreach” project. The group is seeking donations of non-perishable items (toys, food, books etc) for some needy families in Matelot and St. Joseph. Please give generously. 
2. Next year 2015 is the Bi-Centennial Anniversary of the St. Joseph Church Building. We would like members of the various groups of the parish to discuss and make suggestions on what events we should have. Let our prayer and conversations include our Bi-Centennial Anniversary. 
3. The Mass for the Sick is on Saturday 29^th November @ 10am. Extra-ordinary Ministers who take communion to the sick please make a special effort to ensure that your communicants attend this Special Mass. 
4. The Parish Christmas Dinner will be held on the grounds of St. Xavier’s Private School on Sunday 14^th December. Tickets are available from this weekend.

Blessings to ALL our parishioners this week!  

Parish Christmas Dinner

CLICK ON IMAGE TO VIEW LARGE

Parish Notices for the Feast of the Lateran Basilica

1. The CCSJ: St. Joseph/Mt.D’or Parish Group is seeking donations of non-perishable items (toys, food, books etc) for their annual Christmas Matelot Outreach Programme and some needy families in St. Joseph. Kindly, place items in the boxes located at the main entrance of the church. Please give generously so we can to spread the Christmas cheer.
2. Next year 2015 is the Bi-Centennial Anniversary of the St. Joseph Church Building. Planning for this year long event is in progress. Input from all the ministries is important. Therefore we would like members of the various groups of the parish to discuss and make suggestions on what events we should have. Let our prayer and conversations include our Bi-Centennial Anniversary. 
3. The Mass for the Sick is on Saturday 29^th November at 10am. Extra-ordinary Ministers who take communion to the sick please make a special effort to ensure that your communicants attend this Special Mass.
4. The Parish Christmas Dinner is on Sunday 14^th December at the St. Xavier’s Private School Hall. Tickets will be available soon.
5. The Theological Faculty Annual Fund Raising Dinner is on Friday 14^th November – Friday coming. There are still some tickets available.  Please check with Isidora Mitchell or Deacon Jeffrey. 

Blessings to ALL our parishioners this week!  

Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica

Today we celebrate the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica in Rome on November 9th 324 AD by Pope St. Sylvester. Every Bishop has a cathedral and the Pope's cathedral is the Basilica of St. Johns Lateran, not St. Peter's Basilica. That is why, the Pope's cathedral is called, Omnium urbis et orbis ecclesiarum mater, et caput which translates to The Mother of all churches in the city and in the world and their head. Constantine, the first Christian Roman Emperor, donated the Laterani palace to the Pope and the very first church was built on that property and was later called the Basilica of the Saviour. Later on, the church was dedicated to St. John the Baptist and St. John the Evangelist and so, today it is called The Basilica of St. Johns Lateran. 

If you notice this weekend's readings talk about our bodies being the temple of Jesus Christ and so, it is important that we do not desecrate our bodies through sin. 

Another point from this weekend's readings is that we see Jesus getting upset when he saw the temple being used as a 'market place'. So it also reminds us that in every church we enter, we must treat it with absolute reverence since Jesus Christ is present. 

We thank God for a feast like today to remind us of the importance and history of our churches and be grateful that we are given these structures so that we, as faithful, can have a place to congregate in the name of Christ. To God be the Glory!

--B. Durham, 2014

Celebrating All Souls

We all have someone whom we loved and have now passed on and today, the Catholic Church gives us the opportunity to pray for them. According to church teachings, when we all die, we must enter Purgatory which is a place of cleansing before we are admitted to heaven. We are told in 2 Maccabees 12:46 that our responsibility is to "pray for the dead that they may be loosed from sins". So our duty on earth is to pray for our loved ones who have gone before us so that their time in Purgatory may fasten so that they can come face to face with Jesus in heaven. One of the most powerful ways for us to pray for the dead is by offering a mass for them. According to the doctrines of the Church, "the mass is the highest form of prayer" and the more masses we offer up for a dearly departed, the faster they are admitted to heaven. So, ideally, our prayers for the dead is for them to leave Purgatory as quickly as possible so that they can enter heaven. 

If people die in mortal sin, that is, they do not confess their sins before the death, they can be admitted to hell where, once a soul enters there, they cannot leave. That is why, it is important, as Catholics, for us to recognize the power in the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

On this day of All Souls, we pray for all our loved ones who have gone before us and hope that they will see Jesus in all his Glory when they come into his presence in heaven. Eternal rest grant unto them Oh Lord. And let perpetual light shine upon them. May they rest in peace. Amen.

--B. Durham, 2014

Celebrating All Saints

Today (November 1st), our church celebrates All Saints. Saints were once regular men and women like ourselves but their Love for God was so pure and deep that they never allowed anything or anyone to steal their joy from God and their commitment  to him. After living righteous lives here on earth, God saw them fit to be admitted in heaven and made saints. Earlier this year, our Catholic Church welcomed two new saints who were also previous popes, Pope John XXII and Pope John Paul II, now called St. John XXII and St. John Paul II through a process called Canonization. The official process of becoming a saint goes as follows:

• This process of determining a man or woman as a saint cannot begin until 5 years after their death.
• After the 5 year period has expired, the Holy See opens up the Cause to be Beatified and Canonized. 
• Once the Cause has begun, they are now called 'Servant of God'. 
• The Diocesan Tribunal gathers testimonies and writings of the 'Servant of God' and examines it. This process can take many years to complete. 
• After the documents are examined, they are now voted on by the College of Bishops who decides if the Cause lives or dies. If the Cause lives, it is then taken to the Holy Father for final judgement. 
• Once the Cause is approved by the Pope, they are now called 'Venerable Servant of God'.
• After approval from the Pope, the approval of a miracle must take place. This miracle simply means the intercessory power of the Venerable Saint of God. In order for the miracle to be accepted, it must have no natural evidence and they must be well-documented. After the scientific commission agrees that the miracle took place without any natural evidence, the theological commission must now rule it as a Miracle. The theological commission must also determine whether the miracle took place through the intercession of the Venerable Servant of God.
• After this, the cardinals are now informed via a General Meeting which is then forwarded to the Supreme Pontiff. 
• When the Holy Father approves this miracle, the Venerable Servant of God is now in line to be beatified. 
• Following the Beatification process, they are now called 'Blessed'.
• In order for the Beatified to be made Canonized, a second miracle of the same nature must take place and be documented. Once the miracle is acknowledged and accepted, the Beatified is now in line for Canonization where they are made a Saint.

We must all strive for Sainthood because is pushes us to be better Catholics through a life of prayer, self sacrifice and discipline. On this most Holy Day for our church, let us thank all of our Saints for their inspirational lives and their intercessions. May we join with them once day in rejoicing in heaven with our Lord, Jesus. God be Praised.

-- B. Durham, 2014

Wrapping the Month of the Holy Rosary

As we close a special month of the Holy Rosary, we thank God that we have such a powerful gift as Our Lady to guide us on the right path which is to her son Jesus Christ, Our Lord.

Our Lady of the Rosary, Pray for Us!