From the Pastor's Desk | November 2, 2025

Fall Fundraiser

Our annual celebration, An Evening of Faith and Future, is right around the corner on November 8!  It will be a wonderful time to celebrate the growing parish and school and all the excitement that is found here.  I cannot wait to celebrate with you!

As I write this article (about a week ahead of time) we are at 55% of our goal of $155,000.  I encourage you all, particularly those who have not yet given, to make a contribution to our annual fundraising appeal.  We count on this appeal and its celebration every year to ensure our operating costs (and more!) - particularly those of the school and faith formation - are covered each year.  

Without your help and your generosity, we would not be able to do the amazing things we are doing.  With your help we have substantially updated our safety, security, and IT.  Last year we added even more security features to the building.  This year we are installing fiber optic internet to ensure our students have reliable internet connections particularly for standardized testing.  In addition, your contributions help us advance and update our curriculum annually.

So, please be generous and let’s be all in for St. Martha Parish and School!       

All Saints Day

Yesterday was the Solemnity of All Saints in which we celebrated the Church Triumphant - the great cloud of witnesses who themselves have merited eternal life and who are constantly interceding for us that we too might merit eternal life through the blood of Christ and our ever deepening relationship with him.  

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us rid ourselves of every burden and sin that clings to us and persevere in running the race that lies before us while keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus, the leader and perfecter of faith. For the sake of the joy that lay before him he endured the cross, despising its shame, and has taken his seat at the right of the throne of God (Hebrews 12:1-2).  

The saints show us that sanctity is possible if we persevere in running the race that lies before us while keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus.  Let us pray for the grace of perseverance as we continue our own sojourn through this life.  

All Souls Day

Today, we commemorate all the souls of the faithful departed - the Church Suffering. We turn our hearts and prayers toward the holy souls in Purgatory, undergoing their final purification before entering the glory of Heaven.

At funeral visitations and Masses, it’s common to hear well-meaning expressions like, “He’s in a better place,” or, “She’s in Heaven now.” These sentiments reflect our discomfort with death - a mystery that challenges us to respond with both hope and honesty. In the face of loss, people often don’t know what to say, so we default to consoling phrases that can unintentionally canonize the deceased.

In my funeral homilies, I often emphasize that the very purpose of a funeral Mass, especially a Requiem Mass, is to pray for the soul of the departed. Why? Because we simply do not know the state of their soul. As Christians, we hope and trust in God’s mercy that our loved ones may be welcomed into His Kingdom. Yet we also recognize that all of us, suffering the human condition of sinfulness, may require purification before entering into the fullness of the Kingdom of Heaven.

This is where the doctrine of Purgatory, rooted in both Scripture and Tradition, offers hope. In His perfect justice and mercy, God grants the gift of Purgatory: a final cleansing of the soul, healing the temporal effects of sin, and detaching us from our sinful inclinations and attachments. Purgatory is not a punishment, but a grace and a preparation for full communion with God.

While not explicitly named in Scripture, Purgatory is implicitly supported:

• 2 Maccabees 12: Judas Maccabeus prays for fallen soldiers and offers sacrifices so they may be loosed from their sins giving us a clear example of prayers for the dead being both meaningful and efficacious.
  
  

• 1 Corinthians 3:15: St. Paul speaks of a person being “saved, but only as through fire.” This cannot refer to Hell, where salvation is not possible, but rather a purifying fire before Heaven.
  
  

• Matthew 12:32: Jesus says, “Anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come,” suggesting that some sins can be forgiven in the life to come.
  
  

• Revelation 21:27: “Nothing unclean will enter [Heaven],” affirming the necessity of complete purity to behold God.
  
  

Sacred Tradition also affirms this teaching:

• St. Augustine spoke of post-death purification and supported prayers for the dead.
  
  

• St. Gregory the Great explicitly described the “purifying fire” of Purgatory.
  
  

• Early Christians in both the East and West consistently prayed for the dead - a practice that only makes sense if the dead can benefit from our prayers.
  
  

• The Councils of Florence (1439) and Trent (1545–1563) solemnly defined and defended the doctrine of Purgatory.
  
  

Purgatory is both just and merciful. God’s justice demands that nothing impure can enter His presence. His mercy ensures that those who die in His grace, though imperfect, are not lost but refined and prepared to enjoy the Beatific Vision.

As we enter the month of November, traditionally dedicated to praying for the faithful departed, I encourage you to pray intentionally for your loved ones who have gone before you. They need our prayers. Let us not presume their immediate entrance into Heaven, but in humility and love, entrust them to God’s mercy and offer Masses, rosaries, and sacrifices on their behalf.

Plenary Indulgence for Visiting a Cemetery November 1 - 8

The Church grants a plenary indulgence each day from November 1st through November 8th when the faithful:

• Devoutly visit a cemetery, and
  
  

• Pray for the souls of the faithful departed, even if the prayer is general (e.g., mental prayer or something like “Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord…”).
  
  

The indulgence is applicable only to the souls in Purgatory (you can’t apply it to yourself).

To gain a plenary indulgence (including this one), you must also:

1. Be in a state of grace at the time the indulgenced work is performed.

2. Go to sacramental confession (within about 20 days before or after).
   
   

3. Receive Holy Communion (preferably on the same day).
   
   

4. Pray for the intentions of the Holy Father (e.g., an Our Father and Hail Mary).
   
   

5. Be free from all attachment to sin, even venial sin.

If any of these conditions is not fully met, the indulgence becomes partial instead of plenary.

Know of my prayers for you all!        

Fr. Ryan