Message from the Director

Jessie Adrians, Director of Religious Education

The souls of the righteous are in the hand of God, and no torment shall touch them. They seemed, in the view of the foolish, to be dead; and their passing away was thought and their going forth from us, utter destruction.But they are in peace. …In the time of their judgment they shall shine and dart about as sparks through stubble…Those who trust in him shall understand truth, and the faithful shall abide with him in love: Because grace and mercy are with his holy ones, and his care is with the elect. (Wis 3:1-3, 7, 9)

I have a love/hate relationship with the month of October.  I love the beauty of the changing leaves, visits to orchards and corn mazes, settling into the rhythm of the school year,  and pretty much anything pumpkin spice flavored.  (It also doesn’t hurt that my birthday is October 2nd.)   The thing that I hate about October is the fact that since my mom passed away on October 24th six years ago, all the things I used to enjoy about the fall are tinted with varying degrees of sadness as the month progresses.  One thing I have learned about grief over the past six years  is that it is unpredictable and has no statute of limitations, so I can be fine one moment and then start crying in the middle of a Hobby Lobby the next because something glittery reminds me of my mom.  I have been told this is “normal” but that doesn’t mean it is in any way pleasant.  

It was on such a sadness tinted Friday afternoon a little over a week ago that Andrew and I headed over to church. It just so happens that Andrew had that Friday off of school so in the morning we visited one of our favorite places: On This Rock BookStore, which sells a variety of Catholic books, devotional items, and other “bling” to warm the Catholic heart. (If you have never been there, I can’t recommend it highly enough, but as a warning, you will spend more than you plan.) Per usual, we came home with what we were looking for and then some, so in the trunk of the car was a large saints floor puzzle for Andrew to work on while I attended various meetings in the afternoon.   

When we arrived at St. Raphael Andrew worked on his puzzle in the room across the hall from my office and I would check on his progress occasionally as he chatted happily about the saints he recognized from the Saints Stories for Kids podcast we often listen to together. He pointed to several famous “duos” and declared them “besties” (The duos he recognizes by name are St. Francis/St. Clare, St. Terese of Avila/St. John of the Cross, St. Bridget/St. Patrick, and St. Augustine/St. Monica.) And although I was feeling the pervasive sadness that I have come to expect at the end of October, the fact he uses the term “besties” when describing the saints brought a smile to my face.  

When he had finally finished the puzzle he dashed across the hall and excitedly asked me to come look at it. I remarked on several of the saints we recognized and how these holy heroes pray for us and “cheer us on.” from heaven. Andrew and I then discussed how the saints pictured on his puzzle are canonized, which is the Church’s way of recognizing lives of exceptionally heroic virtue, but ALL the baptized are called to become saints. And even though our life on earth ends, we will live forever as one of the saints with God in heaven and we will remain connected with our loved ones on Earth as part of the communion of saints.  

 As we talked Andrew paused for a moment and said, “Mama, don’t you wish they had a puzzle of the people we love who are saints but not famous to remind us that they are here even when we don’t see them.” His words caught me by surprise and I immediately hugged him because once again, God had revealed himself to me through the words of my little boy, and suddenly, my mom did not feel so very far away.

In Irish spirituality this sense of closeness is referred to as a thin place. A thin place is a place where God reveals himself in a very real and powerful way. It has often been described as a hole in the floor of heaven where the veil separating this life and the next is lifted, if we have the eyes to see. (To find out more about this read Braving the Thin Spaces by Julianne Stanz. It is an amazing read.) I glimpsed a thin space that Friday in room 108 at St. Raphael through the words of my little boy as the Lord reminded me that NOTHING can separate us from his love and care. And while I might not be able to talk to my mom on the phone, and I will always miss her, that doesn’t mean she is lost to me because through the grace of her baptism she belonged to Christ. Since we belong to Christ, nothing, not even death, can take us out of the hand of our loving Father. (Jn 10:29). I know she was there in the room with us that Friday, smiling at every word Andrew said, and that she is in heaven praying for us that miss her. 

November is the month dedicated to the faithful departed, which kicks off with the Solemnity of All Saints on November 1st. Here are three suggestions for how to grow as a family in faith during the month of November:



• Worship with the Saints: Attend Mass on the Solemnity of All Saints on November 1st as a way to celebrate our holy heroes! Mass times at St. Raphael are 7:15 am, 4:30pm and 6:15 pm. After Mass celebrate the Solemnity with a family dinner or go out for ice cream or another favorite treat. 
• Make Friends with the Saints: On this Rock BookStore and the FORMED media platform offer a wide variety of books and movies on the lives of the saints.  (As I mentioned before, Andrew and I especially enjoy the Saints Stories for Kids Podcast from Shining Lights Dolls and one of the best things about it is that it is free!) 
• Pray for YOUR faithful departed: Remembering those we love who have gone before us both connects us to our past and orientates us to our future. Click here for some suggestions for how to pray for the souls in Purgatory and those who are awaiting us in heaven. (Remember the souls in heaven pray with us and for us too!)  

However you grow as a family of faith this month, Josh, Andrew and I are praying for you. Please pray for us!

Jessie Adrians 

Director of Religious Education  

During the month of October your child/ren have been reciting the Hail Mary and learning more about our Blessed Mother Mary. One such way is the Rosary. The Rosary is a meditative prayer that can transform hearts and changes lives.The Rosary is a devotional prayer to God through the intercession of the Blessed Mother. The first recorded use of the word “rosary” did not appear until 1597. There are 5 decades, or groups of 10 small beads, that make up the main portion of the rosary. There are five mysteries of the Rosary. A mystery is dedicated to each day. Journeying through the Joyful, Sorrowful and Glorious mysteries of the rosary brings to mind our Lord’s incarnation, His passion and death and His resurrection from the dead. In so doing, the rosary assists us in growing in a deeper appreciation in uniting our life more closely to our Lord and in imploring His graced assistance to live our faith. Your child/ren came together with the rest of Elementary RE students in praying a decade of the Rosary in the nave of the church at the beginning of this month, October being the Month of the Rosary. Fifth grade were our leaders with color coded balloons standing near the altar to represent each prayer. As the prayer was being recited, the balloon would remain visibly raised. Praying the decade together in this way was truly beautiful, sometimes a bit squirmy, but non the less, aiding the students to visually being able to follow along. A unique learning experience… perhaps they even were sharing with you on your way home.

Upcoming Events and Retreats:

• Fall 2023- High School peer small groups! Starting this fall we will be growing our Youth Ministry program with teen small groups (5-8 students) that the teens themselves will help create and share their input of how it should look. Contact us or visit:https://raphael.org/youth/teen-disciples-of-oshkosh if you would like to be in a small group that meets based on your schedule and needs! 

• Sunday Nov 12th- Second Sunday Holy Hour (SSHH!) Our monthly time for prayer and worship, held the 2nd Sunday of every month, at 4pm, followed by Sunday Mass at 5pm. This is a great opportunity to come pray for our youth/parish and spend time on the Sabbath growing in your own relationship with God.

• Catholic Youth Expeditions (CYE): Retreats for middle, high school and families! Located in beautiful Door County WI, CYE offers retreats that combine nature, community, prayer and fun for all ages. Visit https://www.cyexpeditions.org/ to find out more.

• TEC Retreat, Green Bay (16+ years) - A great retreat that helps youth and young adults to engage in their faith in a fun and deep way. There are 2 open dates for this year: Dec 1-3, or Feb 23-25. Visit  https://anchorofhopetec.org/events/ for more information.

Follow us on instagram (aftershock_ym_straph) for updates, inspirations and to stay connected.

Blessed Carlo Acutis…Pray for us!

Michael Wilms ([email protected])

Youth Minister/Faith Formation

Grades 6-12

The Saints: Our Heavenly Friends | Brother Francis

Formed

Join Brother Francis as he introduces children to their heavenly friends, the saints! Learn about the wonderful comfort, encouragement, and help given through those who serve God in His Heavenly Kingdom

Saints | Catholic Central

Youtube

They are “our great cloud of witnesses“, the saints in heaven, friends of God and friends of us left here on earth. In “Catholic Central: Saints“, Kai and Libby introduce some of the very human people the Church has acknowledged as saintly, because of how they lived their lives, and because of the miracles God does when people pray for their intercession. Everybody needs a friend!

Why pray to the saints? (#AskBishopBarron)

YouTube

Bishop Barron answers the question “Why do Catholics “pray” to the Saints.