A Note from Fr. Richard

November 1, 2023

Solemnity of All Saints

Dear Companion of St. Anthony:

Peace and all good.  This past Saturday evening the Shrine celebrated our yearly Night with the Saints.  We asked families to come to the Shrine and have their children dressed as one of their favorite saints.  We also had prepared several stations where a saint would talk about his/her life and at the end of the talk a bit of candy would be given.  We had individuals dressed up as Our Lady of Guadalupe, several St. Peters, St. Francis and St. Anthony (of course), St. Pier Giorgio, St Lucy, St. Faustina, and so many others.

The one feature that evening that struck me is that no child was wearing a mask!  They didn’t have too, because the saints lived their lives with their light not hidden under the proverbial bushel-basket.  The saints let their light shine before all the world, and it was undimmed.  May we be so bold in living our faith each day.

Almighty ever-living God, by whose gift we venerate in one celebration the merits of all the Saints, bestow on us, we pray, through the prayers of so many intercessors, an abundance of the reconciliation with you for which we earnestly long. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

May all the holy saints of God pray for you and intercede for your needs. Many thanks for your continued companionship with our work at evangelization.

In Christ and St. Anthony,

Fr. Richard-Jacob Forcier, OFM Conv.

Spiritual Guardian, Companions of St. Anthony

Director and Rector, of the Shrine of St. Anthony