The priests of the diocese are attending a Continuing Education event at Pokagon this week from Tuesday evening through Thursday noon. With priests gone, we must cancel six Masses here at St. Charles. We will have no evening Mass on Tuesday, no Masses at all on Wednesday, and no morning Masses on Thursday. If there is an emergency or a need for a funeral, please call and we will make arrangements.
We are planning a day-long bus trip to visit four historic churches in northwest Ohio on Monday, October 21. We need advance registration to be sure that we have seats on the bus and to be sure that we have a good count for lunch. Call the parish office right away if you are interested.
A notice in advance: On Saturday, November 2, we celebrate All Soul’s Day. This is the day on which we remember loved ones who have died and all of the souls in purgatory. We will offer our annual All Soul’s Day Mass of remembrance at 8:15 on Saturday morning, Nov. 2. We will read the names of parishioners who have died in the past year in a darkened church and light a candle for each. Everyone is welcome. If you have a loved one who died this year, if the funeral was not celebrated at St. Charles, and if you would like to take part in this Mass, please call us. We will be sure to add your loved one’s name on our list. 260-482-2186.
Let me share an observation. There is great concern about the decline of religious practice in our nation. That concern is vitally important, and we can see that our Sunday Mass attendance has dropped a bit in the past few years. At the same time, I am excited about some of the good things I am seeing in our parish. Our school enrollment has been growing. Our daily Mass attendance has grown. Our offertory has grown. I am seeing more young people at daily Mass and I am seeing a lot of people enthused about the faith. There are clear signs that the Spirit is working.
As a final tally, the St. Charles chapter of the St. Vincent de Paul society raised $37,000 in the Walk for the Poor. That is amazing! Thank you for the generosity.
Finally, we will miss Sr. Genevieve and the Franciscan sisters who have been so vital in our parish life. Seven sisters came to join Sr. Genevieve for our Masses last weekend. It was a joy to have them here.
