All Saints
At the end of her short life, my hero, St. Thérèse of Lisieux, found herself in a curious position. Audaciously, she was convinced that she would become a great saint and would be loved by many after her death. At the same time, she insisted that she was weak, impatient, and ordinary. She became arguably the greatest saint in modern times. How is it possible that an ordinary and imperfect person can also be a great saint? On this All Saints’ Day, Jesus overturns our assumptions about holiness. He says, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:3). The blessed are not the impressive or the self-sufficient, but the poor in spirit, the meek, the merciful, and the persecuted. These are not heroic traits by normal standards. They are signs of a heart that has learned to rely on God rather than itself. That’s what St. Thérèse, and all the saints, are all about. All Saints’ Day is not a celebration of spiritual elites. Rather, it announces what grace can do in our ordinary lives. The saints are not those who avoid weakness or suffering, but those who allow these things to deepen their trust. What good news for us! The smaller and weaker we are, the more qualified we are to be great saints. — Father John Muir
My dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
Today we celebrate All Saints Day. This would be one of my favorite holy days on the church calendar. As anyone who has visited the rectory and saw the huge collection of Saint statues I have in the rectory can attest, I have a great devotion to the Saints. If you wonder why I have this devotion, it is because I know no matter what situation I find myself in, there is a Saint that has been in the same position who I can turn to for guidance and intercession.
Just to give some examples that apply to my life:
Cooks (love to cook) – St. Lawrence
Deaf (my sister is deaf) – St. Francis de Sales
Firefighters (I am the chaplain for S. Hackensack fire dept.) – St. Florian
Gardeners (I love to garden) – St. Agnes
Policemen (I am the chaplain for the S. Hackensack police dept.) – St. Michael
Preachers – St. John Chrysostom
Priests – St. John Vianney
Bald people! – St. Hedwig.
The list runs on; there is a Saint literally for every occasion and circumstance. Whatever is going on in your life you can find a Saint that knows what you are going through and can help you with your needs. You never have to face life alone! Happy All Saints’ Day everyone!
God Bless you and have a wonderful week, Fr. Michael
SCRIPTURAL REFLECTIONS ON STEWARDSHIP
“Whoever exalts himself will be humbled; but whoever humbles himself will be exalted.”
The world celebrates people in the spotlight and those who have the most of everything. We think celebrity, money and possessions are the key to happiness. Yet, our world is filled with more loneliness, anxiety, and depression than ever before. The lives of the saints show that the key to a happy life are relationships. Relationships with God and each other. Trust is the foundation of any good relationship and humility is the seed of trust.
Everyday Stewardship
Everyday Saints
Growing up I thought saints were larger than life people with extraordinary stories. The thought that I could one day be revered as a saint by anyone seemed crazy. I wrote my essays on different saints every year in Catholic school right around All Saints Day. These were stories about people I had never met, and I assumed I would never meet anyone like them going forward. Now that I am older, I realize that I was wrong back then and my immaturity of both mind and heart did not allow me to see that there are saints among us all the time. I have met many people in my life that I would call living saints. They are holy people who give of themselves to God and others in profound ways. Their relationship with Jesus is evident and they live their lives in ways that people witness the transformative power of love. As a child I was wrong about saints, but even more importantly, I didn’t fully realize that all of us are called to be saints! Me, a saint? Holiness is not something simply studied in books. It is the way of life we are all called to live. The call comes from Jesus Christ and each of us must respond. If we are still thinking like children, we may choose to stay silent and live accordingly. If we are more mature in our faith then we might not only respond, we might one day have a school child write a report about us.— Tracy Earl Welliver, MTS
Prayer for Autumn
Dear God, As the weather changes, the birds migrate, and autumn’s flowers, colors, and clouds make their entrance. We thank You for the gift of this beautiful season! Help us use this season to draw closer to each other and to You. Amen.
Prayer for Vocations
Dear God, Give us the courage and strength to answer when You call! Give us clarity and trust to hear Your soft invitations. Give us the love to respond, and the bravery to take the steps that will bring us ever closer to You. Amen.
PRAYER REQUESTS
That God will relieve their suffering and restore them to health. Please pray for: Kellie Salata, Kelly Chinchar, Jessica, Daniel Breslin, Stanley, Joseph Marrone, Anthony, Michael, Joseph, Jessica Esopo, Steve, Audra, Bernadette, James Weiss, Baby Ford, Rosemary Malangone, Elizabeth Malangone, Sue West, Colleen Emery, Richard, Joan Russo, Christina Martin, Mornia Evans, Valerie Valverde, Diana McGuckin, Cheryl Prinjinski, Stephen West, Bryan Westfall, Cathy Bruno, Anne Trainor and Lheny Sunga.
Holy Name Medical Center is looking for Eucharistic Ministers, volunteers, who are willing to help out in giving out Holy Communion to their patients. If you are interested, you can email them at pokafor@holyname.org or call their office at 201-833-3243 or stop by their Pastoral Care Office, behind the chapel, lobby/ground floor at Holy Name Medical Center.
Attention families of 8th grade students planning to attend Catholic High School in Fall 2027!
The High School Placement Test (HSPT) administered as part of the Cooperative Admissions Program for Catholic High Schools in the Archdiocese of Newark will be given on Friday, November 6, 2026. Registration information for the HSPT exam is online at www.njcoopexam.org. The deadline to register for the HSPT is October 23, 2026. For more information about the Cooperative Admissions Program, go to www.catholicschoolsnj.org/hs-admissions.
THANK YOU
Please consider sponsoring our Bread & Wine, Altar Flowers, and the oil for the Sanctuary Lamp.
Opportunities for Parish Support
There are several ways you can help support our parish and honor loved ones at the same time. As you may have noticed on the first Sunday of every month in our bulletin, we thank the donors of our Altar Gifts. You can donate the Bread & Wine, Altar Flowers, or the Sanctuary Lamp in a two-week block for $50 in someone’s memory. We have blocks open for this year. We also need to purchase a new Easter candle each year (the tall candle on the altar) for $300-$400 which can also be donated in someone’s memory. You do not have to fund the entire amount, anything you wish to donate towards the purchase of our Easter candle is appreciated. We also have masses available for your intentions. If you wish to honor someone in any of these ways, please call the rectory.
Prayer for our Nation
God our Father, giver of life, we entrust the United States of America to your loving care. You are the rock on which this nation was founded. You alone are the true source of our cherished rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Reclaim this land for your glory and dwell among your people. Send your Spirit to touch the hearts of our nation’s leaders. Open their minds to the great worth of human life and the responsibilities that accompany human freedom. Remind your people that true happiness is rooted in seeking and doing your will. Through the intercession of Mary Immaculate, patroness of our land, grant us the courage to reject the “culture of death.” Lead us into a new millennium of life. We ask this through Christ Our Lord. Amen.
Praying the ROSARY
The Rosary is a meditation, a time to recall and think about the life of Jesus as seen and experienced by Mary. As the model of faith, Mary’s life sets a pattern that we strive to follow: saying ‘yes’ to God’s will in our lives and sharing His love and message with others. The Mysteries of the Rosary form a mini lesson of faith, using the highlights and significant moments of the life of Jesus. Like paging through a family scrapbook, we see in brief the events of salvation history that are the core of our belief and the hope of our eternal life.
WE NEED BULLETIN ADVERTISERS!!
We would like to thank all the advertisers who have supported us throughout the past year. Our parish benefits greatly from the ads you see in the bulletin. The revenue pays for the printing which is an important means of communication for the parish. If we do not have enough advertisers, the cost of our bulletin goes up. We thank the local businesses that advertise with us especially in these tough economic times. We have some spaces on the back of our bulletin that need filling so if you would like to advertise your business as well as benefit your church, please contact John Patrick Publishing at 1-800-333-3166.
Attention families of 8th grade students planning to attend Catholic High School in Fall 2027!
The High School Placement Test (HSPT) administered as part of the Cooperative Admissions Program for Catholic High Schools in the Archdiocese of Newark will be given on Friday, November 6, 2026. Registration information for the HSPT exam is online at www.njcoopexam.org. The deadline to register for the HSPT is October 23, 2026. For more information about the Cooperative Admissions Program, go to www.catholicschoolsnj.org/hs-admissions.
Please support our advertisers at the back cover of bulletin.
