All Hallows Eve and El Dia De Los Muertos!

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Fr.Alan Valencia, our newly ordained associate, told us he had never carved a pumpkin in his life. We had extra pumpkins at school so we quickly gave him one. He did his homework that night and brought his first carved pumpkin for his homily at our All Saints Day Mass. Here is what he told us all: A lady had recently been baptized. One of her coworkers asked her what it was like to be a Christian. She said it was like being a pumpkin. God picks you from the patch and brings you in and washes the dirt on the outside that you got from being around all the other pumpkins. Then he cuts off the top and takes all the yucky stuff from inside. He removes all those seeds of doubt, greed, etc Then he carves you a new smiling face and puts His light inside of you to shine for all to see. It is our choice to either stay outside and rot on the vine or come inside and be something new and bright.

Fr.Alan then told the kids that when they went trick-or-treating they were to say: ” Soul, Soul an apple or 2. If you haven’t an apple a pear will do. 1 for Peter,2 for Paul and 3 for the God who made us All!”

 

Here are some of our saints that came to visit St. Anthony of Padua Catholic School on Friday.

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With a large Hispanic population in our school our 3rd grade class chose to celebrate El  Dia de los Muertos with the help of our school secretary.

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Each student decorated a box in memory and in celebration of their loved ones who have died. Mementos of them were on the box.

Sunday Eve-truly the eve of El Dia De Los Muertos – we went to the cemetery in Casa Grande for an outdoor Mass to remember all of our loved ones who have gone before us.

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Reading of the names of those who have gone before us.
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May the souls of all the faithful departed through the mercy of God rest in peace. Amen.