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ABOUT MANY THINGS:
Our early October annual three-day Fiesta was again an outstanding success. There was a wonderful presence of community, family and loving service evident at the three evenings of the Fiesta. Thanks to RJ Saavedra and her family and the entire core committee who presented the 39th annual Fiesta. Next year is our 40th Fiesta which will be a highlight of our 60th Anniversary/Jubilee Year.
NOVEMBER DOOR OPENERS: The feast days of All Saints on November 1st and All Souls on November 2nd are both door-openers to November. On Wednesday, November 1st, All Saints’ Day, we pray to God through the intercession of all the saints as we clearly acknowledge the company we keep in the opening prayer of the Mass…Today we rejoice in the holy men and women of every time and place. In this prayer, we acknowledge not only all canonized saints, but all our loved ones who have gone on before us, and who, in the course of their lives, let God’s light shine through them to us. We acknowledge these holy men and women to be people like parents, brothers, sisters, aunts and uncles, whose lives have been a compelling inspiration to us on our journey to the holy. All Saints’ Day Masses: Tuesday (Anticipated), 6:30pm; Wednesday, 6:30am, 8:30am, 10:00am (School Mass), 6:30pm, and 7:30pm (Spanish). PRAYING TO THE SAINTS AS PATRONS – by Fr. James Martin, SJ: A common misconception about Catholics is that we worship the saints. Not true. Worship is reserved for God alone. The saints are “venerated”, much as you would venerate a beloved mentor. Frankly, the saints would be the first people to tell you not to worship them. The other misconception concerns praying to the saints. Some people think that when Catholics pray to the saints, we are supplanting prayers to God Also not true. We are simply asking for their prayers. Here’s an easy way to understand it: Most of us ask our friends on earth to pray for us, especially when we are struggling. If you ask for the prayers of friends on earth, why not ask for the prayers of friends in heaven? And why would the saints not pray for us? What’s known as “intercession” has always made sense to me. I pray to the same few saints over and over, those for whom I feel a great deal of affection. Often some facet of their lives intersects with my needs. When I am sick, I pray to St. Bernadette Soubirous, the visionary of Lourdes, not only because she uncovered the spring water that has proven helpful for physical healing, but because she herself suffered from several serious illnesses. When tempted with pride, I pray to St. Thérèse of Lisieux, the French Carmelite nun who was one of the humblest of saints. And when I need help with problems in our Church, I pray to St. John XXIII, who was pope from 1958 to 1963. The saints are our companions, examples to inspire us. They are also our patrons in heaven, whose constant prayers help us here on earth. James Martin is a Jesuit priest, editor at large of America, and author of many books, including My Life with the Saints and In All Seasons, For all Reasons, a collection of his essays from Give Us This Day. ANOTHER DOOR OPENING FEAST All Souls’ Day on Thursday, November 2nd, we pray that any of our loved ones who may still be separated from God by any burden might be set free by our prayers on their behalf. The memorial altar set up in the vestibule of the church is a reminder to us of this door opening into this All Souls’ month of November. All three All Souls’ Day Masses (6:30am, 8:30am, 6:30pm) will have a special All Souls’ Day emphasis and will be the opportunity to come and pray for our beloved dead. ALL SOULS MEMORIAL CANDLES: All Souls memorial candles are available for purchase from the parish office as a way of remembering beloved dead during All Souls’ month...the month of November. A label is available with each purchased candle. The names of deceased family members and friends can be noted on the label, and then placed on the candle. Candles can be brought to the Mass of your choice on All Souls’ Day, November 2nd, for a simple blessing during the prayers of petition. The blessed candle can be lighted during prayer time in the home during the month of November and may also be placed on the dinner table in the evening and lighted as a way of personally remembering those whose names have been noted on the candle. Perhaps praying the Our Father, a Hail Mary, and a Glory Be would be an appropriate way to prayerfully entrust them into God’s loving care. The blessed candle is a sacramental in our Church practice, a way of reminding us of the holy. May our beloved family members and friends who’ve gone on before us in faith, rest in peace. PRAYER FOR ALL SOULS: Almighty ever-living God, Who rule both the living and the dead and are merciful to all, We humbly beseech you, That those for whom we pour out our prayers May obtain pardon for their sins through your tender mercy, Rejoicing together, blessed in your sight, And praising you without end. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen. “YES, LORD” ANNUAL RENEWAL OF TITHE/STEWARDSHIP PLEDGE: During these weeks, our parish is into the annual exercise of the renewal of our stewardship giving of treasure. My deepest thanks to Mari John who shared personal witness on tithing/stewardship practices during the annual preaching on this important aspect of holistic stewardship. All registered parishioners will be receiving their annual “Yes, Lord” mailing during this time. Commitment Weekend for this annual appeal is on November 4/5. INCOME/BUDGET PLATEAU: Our stewardship/tithe weekly income seems to be on a stationary plateau. Overall support of annual operational budget seems to be adequate for now. Recognizing the plateau reality, our current year’s budget remains at $19,000 a week income. Thanks to our regular givers for maintaining our budget in balance. Non-givers on our parish roster are invited to consider beginning a weekly giving within a $1 to $5 range. Our deepest thanks to all who are regular and faithful supporters of our parish. FY 17/18 WEEK 16 PARISH INCOME REPORT: Thank you to all of our parishioners for their faithfulness and generosity in stewardship and outreach to the ministries at Our Mother of Sorrows and our community at large. As of October 15, 2017 (week 16 of FY 17/18), our weekly average stewardship is $18,401 which is 3% below our budget of $19,000, but slightly ahead of last year at this point. Fiscal year-to-date, we are $9,577 behind our budget. Thank you again, and may God continue to bless you and your loved ones. Steve Contreras, Parish Business Manager LIVING AS MISSIONARY DISCIPLES: The Book “Living as Missionary Disciples” has been an eye opener to our parishioners. With over 100 people participating in 9 different groups, there have been a lot of great ideas being shared. I visited most and facilitated some of the groups and I can say there is a lot of energy throughout. Most agree that Our Mother of Sorrows does a good job at reaching out to people, but they also think we can do more. We are called by Pope Francis to move from a mindset of maintenance to mission. This vision cannot be accomplished without shared effort by the whole church community. Participants are openly sharing their concerns and ideas as we take on a “road map” to new paths for the Church’s journey of evangelization. This is becoming an on-going effort of our parish to be Missionary Disciples and I hope to see you along the journey! Mary Chajewski Adult Faith Coordinator PRAYER FOR THE MINISTRY OF EVERYDAY LIFE: God our Father, Work is your gift to us, A call to reach new heights By using our talents for the good of all. Guide us as we work and teach us to live In the spirit that has made us your sons and daughters, In the love that has made us brothers and sisters. Grant this through Christ our Lord. Amen. DECEMBER 2ND PILGRIMAGE DAY TO OUR LADY QUEEN OF ANGELS ORPHANAGE IN AGUA PRIETA: The Arizona chapter of the Blessed Nuno Society, home-based here at Our Mother of Sorrows Parish, is sponsoring an all-day pilgrimage to Our Lady Queen of Angels Orphanage in Agua Prieta on Saturday, December 2nd. Executive Director Carl Sylvester will lead the one-day pilgrimage. The onsite visit to the orphanage will give a hands-on prayerful experience of reaching out to the most vulnerable among us, the homeless orphans at the orphanage. Parishioner pilgrims need to have a valid passport. The carpool will depart from the parish at 8am on Saturday, December 2nd and return by 8pm that evening. Cars will be parked on the Douglas side of the border and the pilgrim group will walk across the border and board a bus for the 5-minute ride to the pilgrim site in Agua Prieta. There is no cost, but a freewill offering to offset the cost of the Mexican bus and to assist the orphanage will be collected at the orphanage. Pilgrims are responsible for paying for their own lunch at a Mexican restaurant. Interested parishioners may contact Rocio at the parish office. “KNOW YOUR STAFF” - KIM SISSON: My name is Kim Sisson. I am married and have 4 amazing young adult sons. My missionary heart and desire is to stay close to Jesus as He fills my life with adventure and love. I am a trained Catechist in all three levels of Catechesis of the Good Shepherd and a certified level one trainer. This work keeps me in constant formation and leads me to orphanages in Honduras, Guatemala and Nicaragua each year. I am the Executive Director of StandUp for Kids in Tucson, working in the street with homeless and at risk youth and young adults. These kids are a true testament that there is beauty and goodness in every dark corner of our world. A little over a year ago, I began a new journey with OMOS Teens as the Youth Minister. I am fascinated and inspired by the young people in our parish and continually encounter Jesus, in new ways, through them. I trust the wisdom and love the beauty of the church especially as it is reflected in our youth. I feel very blessed to be part of the OMOS parish staff and grateful for the opportunity to pray, grow and work together. I look forward to the sacrament of every moment and the joy that it brings through so many young people in so many different capacities. Please pray for me, pray for our youth and for our programs. ROSARY-MAKING SPONSORED BY STRONG CATHOLIC FAMILIES: In celebration of the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary, October 7th, Strong Catholic Families sponsored rosary making for all ages. It was wonderful to have 64 adults and children come for the event. Everyone was invited to make a rosary for themselves and another to donate to the Blessed Nuno Society for distribution in Agua Pieta, Mexico. Over 200 rosaries were made, many of which were donated. It was beautiful to see so many families come out and honor Mary by making rosaries on her feast day. COOKING AT SR. JOSE WOMEN’S CENTER: Once a month students from OMOS School have been providing the food and cooking dinner at the Sr. Jose Women’s Center. Here is what a few of them had to say about their experience:
THANKSGIVING MEAL PRAYER: God most provident, We join all creation In raising to you a hymn of thanksgiving Through Jesus Christ, your Son. For generation upon generation Peoples of this land have sung of your bounty; We too offer you praise For the rich harvest we have received at your hands. Bless us and this food which we share with grateful hearts. Continue to make our land fruitful And let our love for you be seen In our pursuit of peace and justice And in our generous response to those in need. Prayer and glory to you, Lord God, now and forever. Amen. BRIEF SELF-INTRODUCTION BY DEACON GREGORY HENDERSON: For the last twelve years I have worked for a great nonprofit organization named Accion based in Albuquerque as Chief Financial Officer. However, in February it became apparent to my wife and I that we were needed to move to Tucson to support my wife’s mother. Very shortly thereafter I was very pleasantly surprised to learn of the timing of the Diocese of Tucson CFO opening. In my life I have had the blessing of relating to a broad range of people, from spending two summers on the Navajo reservation in college, to living three years in India as a missionary, to serving as a deacon with a majority of Spanish-speaking immigrants. As a deacon, I have served at the diocesan level on the archdiocesan pastoral council, deacon formation policy board, and deacon council, as well as at the parish level on a parish building committee and parish finance and pastoral councils. By God’s grace, I look forward to serving as a deacon at OMOS and meeting my new parish family. Deacon Gregory Henderson NOVEMBER Update Happy Thanksgiving! Yes, Lord Renewal of Tithe/Stewardship Season All Saints’ Day Masses - October 31 (Anticipated) & November 1 All Souls’ Day Mass/Altar of Remembrance - November 2 Anointing of the Sick - November 8 Veterans Day Mass for Active & Retired Military - November 8 Monthly Memorial Mass - November 15 Thanksgiving Day Mass- November 23 at 9am Feast of Christ the King - November 26
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Our Mother of Sorrows Catholic Church • 1800 South Kolb Rd. • Tucson, Arizona • 520.747.1321 • Contact us
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