As we are celebrating THANKSGIVING Day this week, we can be GRATEFUL for all the blessings that God has poured upon each one of us, our families, our workplaces, and our parish in the last 12 months. Everything good we have in our lives comes from God. We have to be GRATEFUL to God, at all times, not only on Thanksgiving Day, but every day of our lives. Should we be also grateful to God for what does not go so well in our lives? The last six months have been challenging. Many people have suffered and are still suffering. God does not want us to suffer. HE has given us a free will. We believe that by accepting our suffering for God’s Glory, we can be transformed and get closer to Him. I remember that I felt angry when last March we had no choice but to close our doors to all of you. This was painful for all of us. As six months have now passed, we see that we achieved many goals: ...

Over the last five years, we have been celebrating Black Catholic History Month (November) at our parish. Because of the restrictions imposed by the on-going pandemic, our celebration this year will be much simpler. There will not be any celebration with special presentations in the Father Martin Hall. Our focus will be on individual prayer while also remembering Black Catholic Saints. At the end of each Mass this coming weekend (November 21-22nd), Prayer Cards will be available in the Narthex. We are inviting you to pray together with three great Black Catholics and imitate their powerful virtues: St Benedict the Moor (1526-1589) (April 4 Feast Day), St Martin de Porres (1579 -1639) (November 3rd Feast Day), and Servant of God Mother Mary Lange, Co-foundress of Oblate Sisters of Providence ( 1784-1882). I already wrote to you about St Martin de Porres (weekly bulletin of November 8) as we celebrated his Feast Day on November 3rd. St Martin, who lived 400 years ago in Peru, was fully committed to help people in need, whether poor or sick. He also displayed the virtue of humility in challenging circumstances. He had a very difficult childhood. He was born out of wedlock. His mother was a former slave and his father a Spanish nobleman who abandoned his young son Martin right after the birth of his sister. He joined a Dominican convent as a servant and did all kinds of menial jobs with great humility and love (cooking, cleaning), while also feeding the unwanted and the abandoned. All of us can be inspired by such a humble and loving Saint! St Benedict the Moor was born about 50 years before St Martin de Porrres. His parents were African slaves who converted to Catholicism and were granted freedom before the birth of Benedict in San Fratello, Sicily. As a young adult....