Recently, Pope Francis announced the next gathering of bishops from around the world, called a synod, which will take place in 2023. Ordinarily, every four years, the Holy Father proposes an important topic for the global Catholic Church to consider. A synod is a purely consultative process. It informs the Holy Father about the many issues related to the topic and offers recommendations on how to approach those issues as a Church going forward.

On Sunday, October 10, our parish Knights of Columbus sponsored a Mass here at Holy Family Church for All Affected by Addiction, which invited folks to pray for and support individuals, family members and friends who are coping with the effects of various forms of addiction. It included a very moving witness talk by Brooke Fleming who shared how AA and dependence on God helped her face her alcohol addiction.

Recently, someone emailed me wondering if I they could receive a “blessing” before they go to the hospital in a few of days to undergo brain surgery. They were hoping it wasn’t too late to make such a request, and they could come to the church when it was convenient for me. I replied – certainly, and that I could give them more than just a “blessing.” I could provide the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick. They said they weren’t sure their situation was serious enough for that. Well, we arranged for them to receive the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick after Mass the following weekend. And, a woman in her nineties recently cancelled an appointment to receive the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick. She left a message saying that she didn’t feel the need for my visit at this time since she was getting stronger and feeling much better from a recent health setback.

Since the Month of October is when the Church celebrates the Month of the Holy Rosary, I offer below instructions on how you can pray the Rosary, which, at her apparition in Fatima, the Blessed Mother Mary urged that we pray it daily. Rosary beads and the prayers of the rosary can be obtained on the table outside of the Chapel.

Today is Respect Life Sunday, which kicks off Respect Life Month. Each October, the Church in the United States observes Respect Life Month as a time to consider more deeply why every human life is valuable and reflect on how to build a culture that protects life from conception to natural death. With our prayers, advocacy and action, each of us can make a difference in this effort. Last Monday, Pope Francis spoke to the Members of the Pontifical Academy for Life and said that to understand what abortion is, it helps to pose two questions: “Is it right to eliminate, to take a human life to solve a problem? Is it right to hire a hitman to solve a problem? That's what abortion is."