Last week at all of the Masses I announced that Archbishop Gomez has approved my retirement beginning July 1, 2026.  For those who may not have been present last weekend, I wanted to repeat that announcement as part of this pastors message: 
 
  My service as Pastor of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish began on July 1, 2014.  These last eleven and a half years as part of this wonderful parish community have been full of blessings and joys.  I give thanks to God for being missioned here and for all of the amazing people who have been part of this parish family.  
 
  Today I wanted to share with you that I will conclude my service as Pastor at the end of next June.  I turn 74 in 2026, and Archbishop Gomez has approved my retirement.  I wanted to share this directly with you rather than simply place a notice in the bulletin.  I have mixed feelings as I share this with you.  I know this is the right time and that I will have new opportunities to minister in different ways in the coming years, but I truly will miss OLPH.  Please keep me in your prayers as I will pray for you.  It seems so fitting that this is the weekend of our celebration of Thanksgiving, for my heart is full of gratitude.  Thank you for your love and support.  What a privilege it has been to be on this pilgrimage of faith with you.  I am grateful to you, and I thank God for you! 
 
I look forward to these remaining months among you.  Let us continue walking together on our pilgrimage of faith. 
 
Jesus, the shoot that sprang from the stump of Jesse, fulfill our hopes.  Holy Mary, beloved Mother, may we like you be filled with the spirit of wisdom and understanding.   
 
Father Craig

God made us to show forth His goodness  
and to share with us His everlasting happiness in heaven. (question #3) 
 
There are multiple dimensions to All Souls Day and when we immerse ourselves in this commemoration it can touch us deeply.  On this day, we pray for the departed, that Gods grace and mercy will purify them, purge them from the scars of sin and selfishness, and bring them to the glory of heaven.  In doing so, we are reminded that we are part of the communion of saints, members of the  Body of Christ, sisters and brothers in the family of God.  Death does not eliminate the bonds among us.  We pray in charity for the deceased, and we seek the charity of the saints to pray for us.  On this day, we are certainly encouraged to pray for deceased family and friends, but not exclusively.  This is a day to pray for all the departed, total strangers, precisely because we are all part of the human family.    
 
All Souls Day also prods us to remember our own mortality.  For many, this is something we avoid.  Yet we all know 
that sooner or later we must die.  We do indeed need to be prodded to face this reality.  The ancient Latin saying, memento mori (remember that we die), wisely challenges us to put everything in a much deeper perspective.  The things we value so highly here on earth (and we are right to value them), are not the last word.  Remembering the fact of death, remembering that we personally will die, relativizes these values.  They are not the ultimate!  Worldly success, worldly wealth, worldly recognition pale in comparison to our eternal destiny.  Yet, these worldly things can consume us, dominate us, and when they become too important in our thinking and actions they mislead us and even warp us.  All Souls Day gives us a new vision, broadens our horizons, puts the things of this world in their proper perspective.  God has made us for so much more!  As the quotation from the Creed at the beginning of this message articulates so simply, hopefully we look forward to completing our journey in this life and to the amazing life of the world to come. 
 
Finally, let me suggest a wonderful practice for All Souls Day and in the days following.  Visit a cemetery for a time of 
reflection and prayer.  This indeed reminds us of the reality of death.  If possible, go to the graves of family members 
and friends.  But even if your loved ones are buried far away and going there is not feasible, simply visit a local cemetery, look at the names on the gravestones, and pray for the people whose mortal remains rest there.  If the thought of this makes you uncomfortable, perhaps that is all the more reason to take this opportunity to memento mori.   
 
Jesus, you who took mortality upon yourself to save us, may we indeed look forward to the resurrection in which we 
will be blessed to share in your life   Holy Mary, pray for us sinners now, and at the hour of our death.   

I write this on the day after the conclusion of our annual BBQ.  While my body is tired my spirit is soaring.  
Last Friday, Saturday and Sunday were days of great blessings.   
 
Let me first express my gratitude for all of the people who volunteered to make this such a successful celebration.  
THANK YOU!  And thank God for your goodness and dedication to our parish family!  God knows your generous spir
its and will reward each and every one of you.   
 
We all can be especially grateful for the leadership of the chairs of this years BBQ, Horacio and Graciela Mendez and 
Kelly Suyemoto.  Beginning months ago, they along with Deacon Terry and the captains of the various booths and those in charge of other of the many BBQ activities met and brainstormed and planned and handled thousands of different responsibilities to assure that the BBQ would unfold smoothly.  WELL DONE! 
 
I also want to thank all who participated over these three days.  We had a great turnout.  During these days I saw many smiles and heard much laughter (as well as some screams of delight and fright on the rides).  It did my heart good to see so many people engaged in conversations, enjoying good food and entertainment, dancing, and having the opportunity to renew friendships as well as make new ones.   
 
It will take a number of weeks before all of the bills come in and we can assess the fundraising dimension of these days.  We will make a BBQ financial report in one of our future bulletins. 
 
In todays Second Reading, St. Paul is writing to his spiritual son and dear friend, Timothy.  Paul offers him the advice 
to stir into flame the gift of God that had been showered upon him.  Centuries later, that advice to Timothy is great 
advice for you and me.  In baptism, we were brought into the family of God, made members of the Body of Christ and 
temples of the Holy Spirit.  In baptism, whether we received that sacrament as infants or adults, we were sanctified by Gods amazing grace.  The gift of faith was planted deep within us.  With the apostles in todays gospel passage, let us pray, Lord, increase our faith.   
 
Faith is a gift, but it must be cultivated, nourished by prayer and service.  Like a muscle when it is not exercised, our 
faith can atrophy.  Our Catholic tradition has three prayers related to the three theological virtues, the Acts of Faith, 
Hope and Love.  You will find all three of these prayers in this bulletin.  This week, I especially invite you to pray the 
Act of Faith.  And by all means, use this prayer regularly as well as the Acts of Hope and Love. 
 
Finally, this month of October is a time devoted to our Blessed Mother.  Please see the article included in this bulletin 
devoted to her and to the great devotion of the rosary.   
 
Jesus, who came to serve and not to be served, increase our faith!  Holy Mary, Mother of God and our mother, may we 
follow your example of living faith!   
 
Father Craig