Share This Post
All Souls’ Day 2022
I have a story to share with you.
Everyone called her Jeanie, and she was like everyone’s Mom. She had her own children but to every child in the neighborhood she was like a second Mom.
When she was diagnosed with inoperable brain cancer, the entire neighborhood was devasted and rallied together to help her and her family.
When she was diagnosed with inoperable brain cancer, the entire neighborhood was devasted and rallied together to help her and her family.
Jeanie often stayed on the couch in the living room because she had so many visitors. One evening, after seeing so many friends and relatives, she lay exhausted on her couch with her husband Jim standing at the end of the sofa asking her if she wanted some dinner. Suddenly she said, “Jim, please move away from the couch, my mother is standing there and you are blocking my view.” Jeanie’s mother had died 13 years ago.
“Jim,” Jeanie said, “she wants me to come to her soon, she is waiting for me and wants me to know that it’s ok for me to leave here now. Oh, Jim, my mother is waiting for me to come to her!”
Jim just stood there with his mouth open. Then he began to cry. He knew his beloved wife was leaving him and going to heaven. Soon, she would be with her mother and with God. Jeanie died very peacefully two days later.
Many of our friars have told us that they have seen their parents or other friars beckoning them to come home to heaven, to be with God, surrounded by His unconditional love.
This wonderful connection between those who have gone on ahead of us and we who are still here on earth is called the Communion of Saints. We know that this connection is bound up in the love of God through the Resurrection of Jesus. This connection between the timeless span of heaven and this wonderful planet earth is what continues the connection between us and those we have loved here who are waiting to greet us in heaven.
This connection, this Communion of Saints, gives us a path to follow by those who have gone before us, and brings us hope in the future filled with the presence of those we have loved and those we have admired like St. Francis, St. Anthony, and St. Clare and so many others.
As we celebrate the Souls of all those we have loved and who have gone to God, we ask you to join our Novena of Masses and Prayers for All Souls. This 30 Day Novena will be celebrated in New York, Ohio and Wisconsin with the friars living, working and praying in these areas. My brothers Fr. Jim Gannon, OFM and Fr. John Bok, OFM will be praying with all of us during this Great Novena of All Souls.
Please join your memories, prayers and Masses with those of the Franciscan Friars as we remember and celebrate the lives of those we have loved here on earth and look forward to meeting once again in heaven.
May their souls and all the souls of the faithful departed through the mercy of God rest in peace, Amen.
Remember, meeting again after moments or after lifetimes, is certain for those we have loved.
Fr. David Convertino, OFM
Executive Director,
St. Anthony's Guild
Support The Work
of The Franciscan Friars
Only with your support can we continue to serve over 2 million people each year with the basic necessities of food, clothing, shelter, medical assistance and counseling.
