November 2, 2025: The Significance of the Month of November
Dear Parishioners of Our Lady of Divine Providence Family of Parishes,
During the month of November, we remember, we honor, and we give thanks. The month begins with the remembrance of All Saints, which this year is not a holy day of obligation because it falls on a Saturday. November continues with remembrance of all the faithful departed, on All Souls’ Day. Remember, during the octave of All Saints, a plenary indulgence may be gained each day for the faithful departed, by praying in a cemetery, and meeting the other usual conditions. For more information about purgatory and indulgences, come to the Sanctuary adult faith formation talk this Sunday, November 2, at 6:15 PM at the St. Vivian Gather Rooms, and read this article here.
For our family of parishes, November should hold a special place as the month of Our Lady of Divine Providence, our mother who guides, protects, and provides for us. She is the distributor of God’s providential bounty and the source of our life and flourishing. We celebrate her feast day on November 19th. If you haven’t started yet, it’s never too late to join in the process of preparation for consecration, which will culminate on her feast day on the 19th. On that day, at the 7pm Mass at Assumption, all our parishes will be consecrated to her, and the names of all parishioners will be placed in a locket around the neck of a statue of Mary and rest on her heart. I have personally learned a lot and greatly benefited from the readings in the preparation for consecration. It’s never too late to join in! Check out the Marian consecration page of the website for more information.
Of course, we celebrate Thanksgiving during November, as well, as we remember the blessings we have received, honor God for His goodness and bounty, and share with those who have less. Please support our Saint Vincent de Paul societies in their efforts to do just that. You can also express gratitude for your parish by checking the bulletin for ways to increase financial giving to your parish, some of which won’t cost you any additional money. Opportunities like SGO’s (see the October 26 bulletin), RMDs if you are over 70, or registering for online giving are all ways to help increase the money that your parish receives. Please also show up and support your parishes at the fundraising and socializing opportunities listed in the bulletin!
The Archdiocese is now rolling out directions for stage four of Beacons of Light, the planning phase. Their directives for this stage will guide us in determining which campuses remain as viable worship sites, and which campuses we should consolidate or repurpose. Please stay tuned for more details; these new directives from the archdiocese may cause us to pivot in our planning somewhat; as I have written in the past, we are currently discerning criteria in dialogue with our parish councils. We will see if and how the Archdiocese modifies that idea. We will publish an annual Beacons report for our family at the end of the month, with updates and more information about the future.
In conclusion, I would like to highlight some good work! In the evangelization department, I am very pleased with the Sanctuary adult faith formation program, the children’s religious education, and the youth group. These efforts are a real success story, and I am very grateful and excited for the future, as these are great sources of vitality for our family of parishes. In the administration and finance department, Kathy Rothschild is doing great work to set a regular meeting schedule with parish finance councils to share financial updates and develop budgets. This is a great step forward and will lay a good foundation for the future. Stay tuned for more news and updates as we progress.
Yours in Christ:
Fr. Henry Hoffmann
