The Saints of Late September and October, Respect Life Month, and the Month of the Holy Rosary in this Jubilee Year of Hope
In late September and throughout October, we have the opportunity to reflect and pray with another “All-Star Lineup” of Saints and Feast Days. We could start with the Feast of St. Matthew, Apostle and Evangelist, on Sept. 21; however, this year we “missed” St. Matthew because Sept. 21 fell on a Sunday.
Whether he is a “lead-off” or number two “hitter,” St. Padre Pio of Pietrelcina is a great place to start, as we celebrate his Feast Day on Sept. 23, followed by St. Cosmas and Damien, Martyrs, on Sept. 26, St. Vincent de Paul on Sept. 27, The Archangels, Sts. Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael, on Sept. 29, and St. Jerome, Priest and Doctor of the Church, on Sept. 30.
We celebrate two of the most popular and beloved saints during the first days of October; celebrating St. Therese of Lisieux, the Little Flower, Virgin and Doctor of the Church on Oct. 1 and St. Francis of Assisi on Oct. 4. In between those two “Spiritual Giants,” we celebrate the Guardian Angels on Oct. 2. Do you know (and pray) the Prayer to your Guardian Angel:
Angel of God, my guardian dear, to whom God’s love commits me here,
ever this day be at my side, to light and guard, to rule and guide. Amen.
I have shared before that one of my favorite phrases is, “You can learn something new every day.” This year, thanks to the Hallow app, I learned something new about (both) St. Michael the Archangel and St. Francis of Assisi. Have you ever heard of “St. Michael’s Lent?” About six weeks ago, right around the Feast of the Assumption on Aug. 15, the Hallow App introduced a “challenge” (opportunity for prayer and learning), based on St. Michael’s Lent. Here is a brief introduction:
“St. Michael’s Lent is a spiritual practice rich in history and meaning, dating back to the 13th century. St. Francis of Assisi, one of the Catholic Church’s most beloved saints, received the stigmata on the feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross (Sept. 14) and began this devotion in honor of Our Lady and St. Michael the Archangel.”
I had the privilege of serving as the pastor of St. Michael the Archangel parish in Sunset Park, Brooklyn, for more than 10 years. Each year, we celebrated our “patronal Feast Day” on Sept. 29, preceded by a Novena to St. Michael, sometimes with a retreat or three-day “triduum” and culminating with a carnival and raffle/fundraiser. I thought I had learned a lot about St. Michael the Archangel over those years, but I had never heard of “St. Michael’s Lent.” It has been a wonderful and prayerful learning experience, listening to the presentation on the Hallow App each day. If you are interested, you can “go back and catch up,” and/or there is still time to participate in the Novena.
Along with (at least) three groups of pilgrims from our diocese, I look forward to spending the last days of September and the first days of October of this Jubilee Year in Assisi and Rome as part of our Diocesan Jubilee Pilgrimage. While we are in Rome, one of our seminarians, Lucas Folan, who is studying at the “American Seminary” in Rome, the North American College, will be ordained as a transitional deacon on Thursday, Oct. 2 (the Feast of the Guardian Angels) at St. Peter’s Basilica. I ask that you pray for Lucas and his classmates from all over the country, and please pray for all pilgrims during this Jubilee Year. We will be offering special prayers each day of our journey for the intentions of the people of the Diocese of Paterson. **If you would like to include a particular or special intention that you would like for us to pray for during the pilgrimage, you can send it to: shepherd@patersondiocese.org.
We return from our pilgrimage on the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi, Oct. 4. To return to the theme of some of the other saints and feast days that we celebrate during October, here is a list of some of the highlights. For a comprehensive list, you can go here.
- Oct. 7: Our Lady of the Rosary
- Oct. 9: St. Denis, Bishop, and Companions, Martyrs
- Oct. 11: St. Pope John XXIII
- Oct. 15: St. Theresa of Jesus (of Avila), Virgin and Doctor of the Church
- Oct. 17: St. Ignatius of Antioch, Bishop and Martyr
- Oct. 18: St. Luke, Evangelist
- Oct. 22: St. Pope John Paul II
- Oct. 28: Sts. Simon and Jude, Apostles
The last day of October, the 31st, commonly known as “Halloween,” gets its name because it is “All Hallows Eve,” the day before All Saints Day, Nov. 1.
The month of October is also the “Month of the Holy Rosary” and, in the United States, “Respect Life Month,” providing additional opportunities and invitations for us to unite in prayer and reflection, in education and works of charity.
For more information on October as the “Month of the Holy Rosary,” see the Respect Life Month Action Guide. For those who pray the Rosary every day, October can be an opportunity to invite others: in your family, parish, or amongst friends to pray with you. For those who are not familiar with the Rosary or who may not pray it regularly, October is an opportunity to learn more and or “give it a try.” Would you consider making the effort to pray the Rosary (or one decade) each day of the month?
If you would like to learn “How to Pray the Rosary”, the USCCB has an excellent “step-by-step” guide (and video). **For parents or grandparents with young children — or teenagers, October is a great opportunity to pray a “Family Rosary,” especially if you have not done so before. Also, if praying a “whole Rosary” (five decades), which could take 20 or 25 minutes, may be difficult, you could begin with “one decade a day” — an “Our Father,” 10 “Hail Mary’s” and a “Glory be.” If you are not in the practice of praying together regularly as a family, even a few minutes a day could be a great blessing.
For more information on October as “Respect Life Month,” you can go here.
I hope you will be hearing more about “Respect Life Month” in your parish and from other sources. I believe that many readers are aware that we have a monthly “Respect Life Mass and (prayerful) Procession,” usually on the First Saturday of each month. In October, the Mass and procession will be on the second Saturday, Oct. 11. For more information, you can go here.
We certainly “have a lot to pray for,” but, as “Pilgrims of Hope” in this Jubilee Year of Hope, the Saints, especially those of late September and October, can remind us that “Life is a Gift (from God)” and also that we should stay close to Mary, Our Blessed Mother, and Our Lady of the Rosary, to whom we dedicate the month of October.
