God invites us to look to heaven. The festive community of saints awaits us. There we will meet our dear
departed for whom we now raise our prayer. – John Paul IIWhat is Hallowe’en?
Halloween is the night of October 31st. The word means “Hallow’s Eve.” Hallow is the same word for “holy” that we find in the Lord’s Prayer, and e’en is a contraction of “evening.” The word Halloween itself is a shortened form of “All Hallows Eve,” the day before All Saints Day.
This holiday, properly understood and celebrated with all of its fun trappings, can be a way for us to deepen our understanding of our faith. The key to this understanding is close at hand for Catholics in our love of the communion of saints.
Any violence, gore, or demonism now commonly associated with Halloween is not, in fact, true to the origins of this holiday.
Halloween isn’t just the way we end October. It is the way we begin November. On Halloween Night – the holy eve of All Saints Day – we begin the church’s month to remember the dead.
All Saints Day honours not only the saints in heaven whom we know by name, but also any saints in heaven whose names are unknown.
Halloween at School
Our Grade 7 class has been hard at work preparing for our annual Halloween Fair. Under the guidance of Ms. Berlanga and Mrs. Belliveau, they have put together a fun experience for the other students in our OLM community. Each class will have an opportunity to visit the fair during the school day and enjoy the festivities. There will also be a special assembly in the morning where all the students have the opportunity to parade with their class and show off their costumes.
We are kindly asking students not to bring in treats or goodie bags for their class, whether edible or not. Students will each be receiving a goodie bag at the Halloween Fair.
Please respect the following guidelines for costumes worn at school on Thursday, October 31st.
- Masks of any kind are not allowed. Face paint may be worn as long as it is not depicting blood and/or gore
- The school will provide a treat for the students. No outside treats are allowed
- Accessories of any kind such as swords, shields, wands, etc are not allowed
- Students must be able to sit comfortably in their desks/perform regular school activities such as playing outside for recess and lunch (i.e. no inflatable costumes, please)
Halloween Candy Needed – Agape Street Ministry
We will be collecting wrapped candy for the Agape Street Ministry. This local ministry provides
street youth with meals and treats throughout the year. We ask that your child donate a portion of
his or her candy to this worthy cause. Please bring the candy in a baggie marked “Agape” to
school between Monday, November 4th – Friday, November 8th
All Saints Day and All Souls Day
We begin November by remembering those who have died. We call the first two days of November All Saints Day and All Souls Day.
There was a belief long ago that dressing in scary costumes and putting up pictures of tombstones and ghosts were ways to make death seem less scary at a time when nature was reminding us of death.
The Church offers us an even better way of thinking about those who have died. On All Saints Day and All Souls Day, we remember that we are members of the People of God. United with God, we are also united with all Christians who have come before us in the Communion of Saints.
There are several different ways to honour those who have passed before us, like going to mass.
Below are two special and powerful prayers:
- Saint Gertrude Prayer. Tradition has it that Our Lord told Saint Gertrude that every time the following prayer was devoutly recited, 1,000 souls would be prayed for:
Eternal Father, I offer You the most precious blood of thy Divine Son, Jesus, in union with the Masses said throughout the world today, for all the Holy Souls in Purgatory, for sinners everywhere, for sinners in the universal Church, for those in my own home, and in my family. - Eternal Rest: Eternal Rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May
they rest in peace. Amen.
Important Dates:
- Friday, November 1st: School Closed
- Friday, November 8th: Remembrance Day Ceremony
- Monday, November 11th: School and Office Closed
- Monday, November 11th: Skip-A-Thon
- Thursday, November 28th: Student Led Conferences – More Information Coming
Have a happy and safe Halloween!