Our annual Mass of Remembrance for the deceased of our parish from October 2024 through September 2025 will be commemorated on Sunday 2 November – the Solemnity of the Holy Souls – at Our Lady of Peace Church at the 11:30 am Mass. Family and friends of the recently deceased will be invited to join us as we gather to commemorate our beloved who have gone before us marked with the sign of faith, and as we pray for their peaceful passage into everlasting life.
In this autumn season, Deacon Jim offers Bereavement evenings for the family members of the recently deceased. These evenings began on 2 October and will continue through Thursday 13 November. Please contact the rectory for further information.
The Catholic Charities Appeal (CCA) is sponsoring an In-Pew Weekend appeal as part of their 2025 collection. The CCA is a powerful expression of what is possible when people of faith respond to Christ’s call to love one another as Christ loves us. For more than 65 years, CCA has remained a beacon of hope throughout the five-county region sustaining vital charitable ministries and programs that serve one in five people across the region. When you support CCA, you embrace your role as a Missionary Disciple giving hope to all.
Envelopes for the CCA are located at the entrances to our churches. Also, fliers that describe the work of the CCA – Evangelization, Social Services, Special Education, Missionary Work, and assistance to infirmed clergy – are also located at the churches’ entrances. At the entrances you will also find pledge cards with a QR code for convenience in donating. Thank you for your generosity and for responding so unreservedly to the needs of the faithful. To date the CCA has reached 60% of its $10 million goal.
World Mission Sunday is next weekend – 18/19 October. World Mission Month offers the church the opportunity to reflect on the central mission of the Church – sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ and proclaiming the Gospel around the world. Pope Leo 14th has spent most of his priestly ministry as a missionary in remote regions of Peru. His personal witness invites all of us to renew our commitment to the Church’s mission in the world.
The collection for World Mission Sunday supports catechists, Religious Communities of Priests, Sisters, Brothers, Healthcare facilities, and educational centers. Through prayer, sacrifice, and giving, we too become witnesses bringing the hope of Christ to those who long for love, justice, and peace. Together, may we be bearers of hope where it is needed the most. Materials for the 2025 World Mission Sunday collection are located at the entrances to our Churches. Thank you for your generous support and prayerful encouragement of the Church’s missionary activity.
Readings and reflection questions for the 28th Ordinary Sunday Cycle C – 12 October 2025
2nd Kings 5:14-17 – Naaman was a Syrian who came to Israel seeking a cure for his leprosy. He was disappointed that Elisha offered him a cure through ordinary means rather than having to perform some extraordinary ritual. Are you able to trust in the presence of God in the ordinary events of life, or do you believe that God can only be found in the extraordinary? / Like collecting seashells, what souvenirs do you typically seek? Why was Naaman’s request for the dirt so much more than asking for a souvenir? Why did he ask rather than take? Why two mule loads rather than one?
Psalm 98:1, 2-3, 3-4 – The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power. – How has the Lord made his salvation known to you? How do you react when he has made his salvation known to you?
2nd Timothy 2:8-13 – Do you feel chained by the Word of God or liberated by it? What parts of God’s Word do you tend to chain? What change would it cause in your life if you set the Word free? / Do you feel chosen? For what have you been chosen? / How is your spiritual perseverance? What do you need to keep it strong?
Luke 17:11-19 – Compare and contrast this reading with the readings from Kings and Timothy. / The words cleansing and healing can be seen synonymously in this passage. Did St. Luke intend them to be synonyms or is there a difference? Why is faith essential to healing? When Jesus washed the feet of the Apostles was that a cleansing, a healing, or both?