37th Annual Life Chain: will be held on Sunday, October 6, 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM. Meet at the corner of High Street and Great Oaks Trail. Be a strong, peaceful witness to the sanctity of human life in Prayer, Song, and Silence. Bring your family and friends. Signs will be provided.
On Tuesday we begin the Month of the Holy Rosary and Respect Life Month. The two go very much hand in hand as we can use the Rosary as a very powerful weapon against the evils of abortion. Abortion not only destroys the life of an innocent unborn child, but it also has a terrible effect on the life of the mother, the father, and other members of the family including the very society in which we live. In this coming month of October let us renew and deepen our devotion to Mary and the praying of the Holy Rosary for a greater respect for human life from the moment of conception to natural death. Only God can give life and only God can take it away. This is how God made us, and He knows for sure what is best for us. So often people try to take control of what belongs only to God and by doing so make everything so much worse. Let us pray and trust in God.
PLEASE MARK YOUR CALENDARS! On October 18, 19, and 20 we will hold our annual Solemn Eucharistic Devotions which will begin on Friday, October 18, with a special school Mass at 9:30 AM. Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament will continue on the main altar throughout the weekend, and we will have our Solemn Closing with Mass and a procession with the Blessed Sacrament on Sunday, October 20, beginning at 5 PM. Our guest homilist for the closing Mass will be Fr. Michael Garvin, Parochial Vicar at St. Charles Borromeo Parish in Parma. Fr. Garvin was ordained to the priesthood this past May. Those preparing to receive their First Holy Communion and Confirmation will also join in our procession to honor the Eucharistic presence of our Lord. Please make every effort to be a part of this special weekend of praise and prayer as we give thanks to God for the gift of Himself in the Holy Eucharist.
We are all painfully aware of the coming election in November and I for one cannot wait for it to be completed. In the meantime, we need to pray a lot with all our hearts and souls. Below you will find a prayer that we can all use as the voting is taking place. As Catholics, the number one issue is the issue of life because without life we have nothing. We are given the power of the vote by God and so we need to use it to give Him glory and praise. We need to make sure that whomever and whatever we vote for will stand for the dignity of human life from conception to natural death.
Please use this prayer in your homes with your family and friends.
CONSECRATION OF THE ELECTION TO THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY (by Fr. Chad Ripperger, SMD)
Mary Immaculate, living tabernacle of the Divinity, where the eternal Wisdom lies hidden to be
adored and served by angels and men, Queen of heaven and of earth, beneath whose sway are subject all things that are lower than God, Patroness of the United States of America, sorrowful and mindful of our own sinfulness and the sins of our nation, we come to thee, our refuge and hope.
Knowing that our country cannot be saved by our own works and mindful of how much our nation has departed from the ways of thy Son, we humbly ask that you would turn your eyes upon our country to bring about its conversion. We consecrate to thee the integrity of the upcoming election and its outcome, so that what is spiritually and morally best for the citizens of our country may be accomplished, and that all of those who are elected would govern according to the spiritual and moral principles which will bring our nation into conformity with the teachings of thy Son.
Give grace to the citizens of this land so that they will choose leaders according to the Sacred Heart of thy Son, that His glory may be made manifest, lest we be given the leaders we deserve. Trusting in the providential care of God the Father and thy maternal care, we have perfect confidence that you will take care of us and will not leave us forsaken. O Mary Immaculate, pray for us. Amen
