Pastor's letter for this week

September 25, 2026

Dear Parishioners of St. Andrew,

I hope you are all doing well and staying strong!  

Here is the rest of the news from the parish:

FAREWELL FR. SUSAI! – This Sunday we say goodbye to Fr. Jeganathan Susai who has been with us throughout the month of September.  He returns to Rome this week where he will finish his degree prior to returning to his native India where he will be a seminary professor.  We are very grateful for his help.  

MONTH OF THE HOLY ROSARY – The month of October is traditionally dedicated to the Holy Rosary.  This is a beautiful devotion which allows us to meditate upon the mysteries in the life of Our Lord and His Blessed Mother.  The feast day itself is celebrated on October 7th.  Pope Saint John Paul II, of happy memory, wrote a beautiful Apostolic Letter in 2002 entitled Rosarium Virginis Mariam which I would highly recommend for your reading.  It can be found at the Vatican website: www.vatican.va.  During this month of the Rosary, all of the children enrolled in our Parish School as well as those in our Religious Education Program will receive a rosary and instruction on how to recite it.  

In our parish the rosary is prayed in common daily before the 8:15 a.m. Mass in English.  It is also prayed in common after the 6:30 p.m. Mass in Spanish.  If you come to daily Mass at 8:15 a.m. in English or at 6:30 p.m. in Spanish, consider coming early (for the morning Mass) or staying after (for the evening Mass) and praying this beautiful devotion to our Blessed Mother.

I strongly urge you also to pray the Rosary as a family especially this month but also throughout the year.  Choose at least one night each week and pray the rosary as a family perhaps after dinner.  Remember the famous Father Patrick Peyton who told us that “the family that prays together stays together!”  In this week’s bulletin there is a special insert on the Rosary.  Extra copies can be obtained at the tables by the doors of the church.

RESPECT LIFE MONTH – October is also designated by the American Bishops as Respect Life Month.  There are special flyers by the doors of the church which will help all of us to do more to foster the respect of all human life from the moment of conception to natural death.  There is also further information in all the bulletins this month as well as links to pro-life resources.  Since it is also the month of the Holy Rosary, I especially recommend praying at least a decade of your daily rosary for an end to abortion in our land.

BLESSING OF THE ANIMALS - The feast of St. Francis of Assisi is October 4th and typically we have the annual blessing of the animals that week.  Our parish school will be having a special ceremony of blessing of the animals on Thursday, October 8th following the morning Mass.  The ceremony will begin at 9:15 a.m.  It will be held on the south porch of the church (facing the school) as that area facilitates a nice procession.  If you would like to have your pet blessed, please bring it that morning.  Dogs should be kept on leashes and cats in cages.  Other creatures?

In Christ and St. Andrew,

Fr. Gonzalez

EUCHARISTIC CONCOMITANCE
ETIQUETTE AND MANNERS IN CHURCH
HOW TO RECITE THE HOLY ROSARY
PROCEDURE FOR THE RECEPTION OF HOLY COMMUNION