Dear Friends:

It is hard to believe that we are already in November. In the words of Sophia Feingold, “The month of November is a little like its own liturgical season. There is a flavor to its liturgies not merely dependent on the glow of early Christmas lights, the pungency of cranberries and the sparsity of once-flagrant leaves. Part of November’s liturgical flavor is death. This is the month when the Catholic faithful especially pray at cemeteries and in general for the faithful departed. But November is flavored too by its inclusion of All Saints Day and the Solemnity of Christ the King, which make it also a month for contemplating the body of Christ in its members, the saints, whether they are part of the earthly kingdom of God or its heavenly fulfillment.” To these liturgical dimensions, we should also add “Thanksgiving,” one of the most meaningful celebrations in our nation.

The month of November reminds us not to forget our beloved dead. In the Early Church, a chair was left vacant at table, along with a plate and tableware, to remind the family to pray for the repose of the souls of their deceased loved ones. Today, the month of November reminds us to visit the graves of our beloved dead, to have Masses offered for the repose of their souls and also to pray for the souls in purgatory. We will be remembering our departed loved ones on Saturday at CTK (4.00pm) and St. Stephen (5.00pm) with appropriate prayers and symbolisms. You are invited to join grieving families, and pray with them.

The Synod has come to an end, but much remains to be done!

The following write up is taken from National Catholic Reporter. The three-year consultation on the future of the Catholic Church concluded on Oct. 26, outlining the church’s challenges and proposing ways for all the baptized to be involved in charting a path forward. Recommended changes include overhauling training for future priests, greater lay involvement in selecting bishops, expansion of women's ministries and a revision to church law to mandate greater transparency and accountability throughout the church.

The 51-page Final Document was approved and published after three years of tens of thousands of listening sessions, continental assemblies and two major summits in Rome. It stops short of proposing certain dramatic changes — such as the restoration of the female diaconate or greater recognition of LGBTQ Catholics — that many reform groups have sought during the multiyear project. But neither does it close the door on such possibilities. The synod's document notes that access to the diaconate for women "remains open" and calls for a church that does not exclude people because of their "marital situation, identity or sexuality."

The document, which was produced by some 400 delegates from around the world, caps a legacy initiative for Francis — inviting one of the world's oldest institutions to consider how it might become more inclusive and better capable of listening to all its members. Pope Francis said that he hoped the document would be a "gift to the people of God." The pope also noted the work of the special study groups on some of the most contentious issues that surfaced throughout the three-year process. Their work is expected to continue through June 2025. The synodal church, the pope said, now needs its words "to be accompanied by action." 

Two top U.S. cardinals called for the U.S. bishops' conference to revamp its governance structures to better reflect Pope Francis' call for a more synodal church.

Reviewing the month long synodal assembly — which brings to a conclusion the pope's three-year consultation process on the future of the Catholic Church — Cardinal Cupich said that the final document makes it clear that the "whole hierarchy is called to embrace this important effort of building a synodal, missionary church." While Cardinal McElroy acknowledged that there are some church reform groups that have already expressed disappointment that the synod did not lead to particular changes, he emphasized that it serves as a turning point for greater lay involvement in all levels of church life. McElroy who has long voiced his support of the restoration of the female diaconate, emphasized that this remains an open question according to the synod. "I myself am in favor of women being ordained to the diaconate, and I hope to see that happen," he said.

Let us continue to pray for our church.