A Letter from Our Pastor: OCTOBER — The Month of the Rosary

Dear Members of our St. Joseph and Nativity Parish Families,

Throughout the centuries, the Church has developed and established a theme for the months of the year. Officially, October is “the month of the Rosary,” highlighted by the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary on Oct. 7.

The Rosary and its importance to our prayer lives is a fixture of our Catholic devotion. It is satisfying and affirming for me to see people with their rosaries. Praying the Rosary daily has been a part of my prayer life since I was a child, and still is today. I learned this from my parents in our family life at home.

Since October is “the month of the Rosary,” there is no better time to renew or restore this wonderful prayer practice in our lives.

This month, I invite you to do two things. First, take hold of your Rosary. If you do not have one, this is a great opportunity to obtain one. And second, make a concerted effort to pray the Rosary this month, whether individually or as a family.

Pope Francis consistently emphasizes the importance of the family to our Church. One of his “food for thought” comments was: “People should take Sundays off so they can be with their families.” In the midst of our often busy and complex living patterns, the Pope’s advice is very good and needs to be taken to heart. The Holy Father added: “Turn off the television and put away phones during family meals and set aside time to play with or to talk with your children.” In addition to praying the Rosary, I would recommend that our families make an effort to heed Pope Francis’ words.

Finally, I would like to suggest two words and one phrase that can make our relationships with each other even stronger, whether in our own families or in our parish families. The two words are “please” and “sorry.” The phrase is “thank you.” It is amazing what these words can mean to someone around us. I do not think that we can say them often enough.

As we approach this fall season with all of the beauty and joy that it brings, let us keep in mind how the Lord has blessed us, and respond with the heart of a generous steward. And we ask the prayers of our Mother Mary — the Perfect Disciple and the Perfect Steward — to help us.

Gratefully yours in Jesus and His Mother,

Fr. Timothy J. O’Connor, Pastor