Dear Parish Family,

Tonight is a night of great celebration, not only for our Teens but also for the Parish as a whole. It is a celebration of the last year and tonight we ask God’s continuous blessings in the forthcoming year. This liturgy celebrates the Youth Group’s Year of Growth and Grace. Though we have experienced our share of growing pains, there is nothing I would rather do more than youth ministry in this parish.

Tonight I want to thank everyone in the parish who has been so generous not only to our Youth Group, but also to me. I feel very blessed to be able to serve the Lord here at St. Robert. This Church feels like home to me and our community has become like a second family to me. We have something very special in this Parish and it is truly my honor to be here.

Tonight in a special way I want to thank all our Priest (past and present), our Nuns, our Deacon, the Parish Staff, the School Faculty and Staff, my fellow Youth Ministers, my family and friends, and the various individuals and Parish Groups, who have helped make the last year possible. Without all their generosity, love, support, and prayers, we would not have done as well as we did.

In a very special way I want to thank my Core Team of Advisors, our Youth Mass musicians and singers, and most importantly our Teens. Without them, there would be no Youth Group or Youth Mass. I thank God everyday for you and ask his continued blessing upon each and everyone of you. Teens, tonight is our night of celebration. For you are not the future of the Church, but rather the present.

Finally, on a personal note I just want to thank God. Not only is today our One Year Anniversary, but it is also my Grand parents 50^th Wedding Anniversary and my mother’s birthday. Tomorrow is one of my best friend, William’s birthday, and ask you to pray for him and his wife, Norma, as they had their first child, William Alexander, last week. He is the cutest thing in the world and another example of God’s infinite goodness. All and all this is a month of absolute blessing.

Lord, all I can say is, THANK YOU.

Pope John Paul II has declared October 17, 2004 till October 29, 2005 as the ‘Year of the Eucharist’, a time of special grace and energy for the church. We are to ask ourselves: ‘Who the Eucharist is, not what the Eucharist is’. Cardinal Jozef Tomko said at the opening of the Eucharistic Congress:

‘Devotion to the Eucharist is needed in a world shaken by the dark shadows of wars both known and forgotten….(and by) the ideological attacks on marriage, the family and on human life from its conception.’

On Saturday, November 6th, and on every first Saturday of each month, we are privileged to be able to participate in Exposition of the Most Blessed Sacrament, following the 8:30 am Mass and continuing until Benediction at 10:00 am. Spending time with Jesus in silent prayer can bring about the changes our world so desperately needs.

St. Robert’s Grief Support Group will hold a special meeting on Saturday, November 13th, in the Convent Chapel from 3:00—4:15 pm to help those who are facing the upcoming Holidays without their loved one—spouse, child, sibling, parent, grandparent, grandchild, friend, relative. The gap left by a loss is felt most poignantly during these traditional times of celebration—Thanksgiving & Christmas. We invite you to come and pray, share memories, comfort and be comforted. May Our Lady of Sorrows comfort you.

All Saints and All Souls
Monday and Tuesday this week are important days for us who are Catholic. All Saints Day gives us a chance to remember all those obscure saints, some of whom we were named for. It also gives us the opportunity to remember and give thanks to God for all the saints not recognized by the universal Church: our grandparents, for example, or other holy men and women who’ve inspired us by their lives. I recall my sixth grade teacher at Sacred Heart School in Sacramento. She was a Sister of Mercy; we were her first class and she wasn’t much older than we were. I remember her as an excellent teacher, but more than that, I remember the sense that she gave us that each of us was important, that each of us could be and do whatever we wanted with our lives. She was the reason I thought of being a sister; if I could help people believe that God loved them, that they were important, that would be a good thing to do with my life. Because she was a sister, I connected that ability, that gift with sisters. Since then, I’ve met many laywomen and men who’ve impressed me in the same way. Who in your life has helped you to believe in yourself? Who has made God real for you? Those persons are probably saints, because God’s life showed through them and reached you. Why not give the person a call or drop a note or e-mail to these people who helped form you in the faith? If they’ve gone home to God, thank God for them.

All Souls, Día de los Muertos for our Spanish-speaking friends, connects us with those we love who’ve “gone before us marked with the sign of faith,” as the Eucharistic prayer says. Latino believers set up altars for the dead, with the favorite things the person loved and candles. It reminds us of the Native American custom of burying the deceased with food and drink for the journey home. The giving of Holy Communion with Extreme Unction used to be called Viaticum, literally “with you on the way,” expressing our belief that Jesus would accompany our beloved home to heaven. We believe that “life is changed, not ended” and our belonging to the Communion of Saints includes those who may be in-between, in that stage of purification we call purgatory. Our All Souls celebration affirms the heart of our faith: Jesus died and rose and so shall we.

The cornstalks are dry now; the fields of ripe pumpkins and squash are ripe for the harvest. In a real sense, our beloved dead have reached their fullness and have been “harvested” home. The names of those who’ve died during the past year surround us, so their faith may strengthen us. Please feel free to bring a photo or prayer card of your loved ones who’ve died to place in Mary’s shrine; please print your name and phone number on the back so it can be returned to you after November. Those who’ve lost loved ones during the past year have received a special invitation to the 7:30 pm Mass on November 2. Please come join us.

The Earth Charter

The coming elections provide important opportunities to bring together our principles, experience, and community in effective public witness...As Catholics we need to share our values, raise our voices, and use our votes to shape a society that protects human life, promotes family life, pursues social justice and practices solidarity.

As we prepare to thank God for all good things, let our hearts go out to our sisters and brothers who are less fortunate. Many find it difficult to feed, shelter and clothe their families. Baskets for your gifts of non-perishable food have been placed on the altar steps. Our St. Vincent de Paul Society will see to it that those members of our Parish Family in need will be touched by our love.

1st National Bank of Northern California
1551 El Camino
Millbrae, Ca 94030
Reference acct. number 060059336

Mercy Center
2300 Adeline Dr.
Burlingame, Ca 94010
(650) 340-7474

Advent Day of Prayer - Dec. 4th
Suzanne Toolan, RSM

New Year’s Meditation Intensive - Dec. 29–Jan. 1
Wednesday 6 p.m. to Saturday 10 a.m.
Thomas Han, S.J.

San Damiano Retreat Center
P.O. Box 767
Danville, Ca 94526-0767
(925) 837-9141

Sign ups are being taken after all the Masses this weekend for individuals/families wishing to make an Advent wreath. Children are most welcome with parents.

The Fil/Am Group has new officers as follows:

Adelaida Gallagher as Chairperson.

Committee members are:
Terry Thompson,
Veronica Valle,
Rose Benavente and
Herminia Madayag.

November is traditionally the month set aside by our church to commemorate and celebrate the memories of our departed loved ones. This year we will have a special Mass on the feast of All Souls, Tuesday, November 2nd at 7:30 p.m. All are invited to this liturgy. The names of those buried from St. Robert’s will be read aloud by members of the consolation Ministry. We will have a special shrine erected in Our Lady’s alcove in the church with their names inscribed in a Memorial Book. Please, bring pictures, memorial cards or flowers to place in this shrine all during November. We will also, post their names around the walls of the church, so that the faithful will be reminded of our departed loved ones each time they visit church. We are asking a special favor from you, the parishioners. We have recorded all those buried from Saint Robert’s but would like to remember all of your departed loved ones that diedduring the past year. Call, e-mail or fax their names to the Rectory or to Sister Patricia by November 1st.