Pastor's letter for this week
November 6, 2026
Dear Parishioners of St. Andrew,
I hope you are all doing well and staying strong! We began this week with last Sunday’s beautiful celebration of All Saints Day. What a joyful and hopeful feast day! On Monday we celebrated All Souls Day with our annual Faure Requiem Mass. The church was packed! I find this very impressive since it is not a holy day of obligation yet so many people come to pray for our beloved dead. It is a beautiful testimony of love for those who came before us. May they do the same for us when we have entered eternal life.
The election is now over, thank God. No more constant irritating commercials on TV or frequent text messages on our phones. It’s a relief.
This week I was able to confirm that Bishop Brian Nunez, the Regional Bishop of the San Gabriel Region, will be our Principal Celebrant for the Opening Mass of the Centennial of St. Andrew Church. This special Mass will take place on the Feast of St. Andrew, Monday, November 30th at 7:00 p.m. I have asked all of our parish groups to send representatives to the Mass who will participate in the entrance procession with a banner or symbol of their ministry or parish organization.
I urge all of our parishioners to attend this Mass and celebrate with us the Opening of the Centennial Year. Our patron, St. Andrew, famously invited his brother, Peter, to come to know the Lord Jesus. We ought to follow his example and do the same. Our full adult choir will be singing a beautiful Mass for this occasion. Please mark your calendars now.
Here is the rest of the news from the parish:
SAFETY ISSUES AND THE HOMELESS POPULATION- For the last several months I have been in conversation with concerned parishioners regarding the issue of homeless persons and safety near our church and school. Obviously, this is not just an issue for St. Andrew’s. In fact, it is an issue for every parish and throughout our city. Currently we are trying to have this issue addressed by our elected officials. I would ask your help in getting this item to the forefront by clicking on this link and adding your name:
https://app.oneclickpolitics.com/campaign-page?cid=J8LOFPw3jXzDvuzROXWdq&lang=en
CICLAVIA COMING TO PASADENA- CicLAvia is pop up bike lane which has been popular for the last several years. This year it will be held in Pasadena, next Sunday, Nov. 15 from 9am to 3pm. It will not directly affect our church but it may affect some parishioners depending on their route here. Please see the attached flyer email to see the exact routing. The actual route is mostly on Colorado Blvd. between Pasadena Avenue and Allen. However, there will be a hub at Memorial Park on Walnut which is only one block away from us. So it would be best to avoid Walnut that day at least until 3pm. For those of you who come from the south or west of Pasadena, please note you may have to change your route to church next Sunday.
MONTH OF THE POOR SOULS – November is traditionally the month of the Poor Souls in Purgatory. We are reminded that daily prayer for the dead is one of the spiritual works of mercy. It has always been my practice to make at least one decade of my daily rosary for my deceased relatives and friends as well as for deceased priests, Brothers and Sisters. I suggest that you might do the same in your daily rosary.
A NOTE ABOUT THE DONATION KIOSKS- the cashless donation kiosks which we installed last year are a big hit as quite a few people are using them. But one word of caution: we have no way of knowing who the donor is so we cannot provide a receipt for tax purposes. For our regular parishioners the best way to make electronic donations is by using the QR code which is found in the hymnals and in the bulletin. This way you can register your name, and we can provide a tax receipt at the end of the year. You can also register to donate electronically by going to our website: www.standrewpasadena.org then click on the “donate” button.
EARLY CALENDAR PLANNING - If you're a planner, like me, you like to know what to put on our calendar as soon as possible. So: Thanksgiving Day Mass will be on Thursday, Nov. 26 at 10:00 a.m. This is always a wonderful family celebration, and I urge you to put it on your calendars now.
PROMOTE VOCATIONS – On the Friday after Thanksgiving there will be a special Day of Recollection for young men to consider the vocation to the Priesthood. This year it will be held at Alemany High School in Mission Hills. This is a great opportunity for young men in high school and above, to attend. I especially encourage our Knights of the Altar to attend. There is no cost. Lunch and dinner are included.
VALUABLE EXPERIENCE FOR CHILDREN- We are very blessed in our parish that we have a resident children’s choir. It is called the “Pueri Cantores of San Gabriel Valley” and is conducted by Mr. Patrick Flahive. They sing twice each month at our 9:30 a.m. Mass (the school choir sings at the other two) and the beauty they add to the Sacred Liturgy is nothing short of angelic.
Being in a choir is very much like being on a sports team. Just like any fine sports team, there is a lot of hard work that goes into building a fine choral ensemble. Anyone who attended our recent Bach to Broadway concert could hear that our young singers, who opened the program, are indeed a fine choral ensemble and their list of achievements spans thirty years of liturgical service, concerts, recordings, tours and other performances.
If you have children, I strongly encourage you to enroll them in the Pueri Cantores. Please email Mr. Flahive at: pflahive@saspasadena.com
SOME THOUGHTS ABOUT MONEY – During this month of November we are asked to reflect on responsibility of Stewardship and, in particular, our duty to return to God the biblical tithe. Here are some thoughts for your reflection:
1. Money Is Essential - We depend upon money to provide homes, food, clothing, cars, and other things we say are the necessities of life. If you do not have money in this society, then you are in serious trouble. I think we would all agree on the fact that money is very important.
2. Money Is Overrated - This world is all about telling us how we can go about getting more of the stuff called money. However, too often we get caught up in trying to get more of the stuff and we end up hurting ourselves because we get to the place where we stop depending on the Lord. Our provision is His business - Matt. 6:25-33.
3. Money Can Be Used For Great Good - It has built hospitals, fed the hungry, clothed the naked, provided for the needs of the Kingdom of God and helped countless millions. (Ill. The parable of the Good Samaritan - Luke 10:30-37.)
4. Money Can Be Used For Great Evil - Money has financed the drug culture, abortion, pornography, prostitution, wars, and every other vile practice known to man. It is the grease that lubricates the axles of sin - 1 Tim. 6:10.
5. Money Must Be Used Properly - Every Christian has the responsibility to use the resources which have been given to him by God to further God's kingdom upon the earth. When we invest our money in the kingdom of God, we also place our heart there. When we place our finances in the hands of the world, then we likewise tie our affections to things below and not things above - Matt. 6:19-24.
6. Money Can Lead To Terrible Bondage - When we allow ourselves to fall into the slavery of debt, we are hindering our ability to follow the Lord properly. Often, our indebtedness prevents us from serving the Lord as He would have us to - Prov. 22:7.
7. Money Must Be Used To Bring Glory To God - 1 Cor. 10:31. When money is properly used to glorify the Lord, then the Lord is given the wonderful opportunity of proving His power to provide for His people, Mal. 3:8-12. When God is denied this opportunity, then the child of God has forfeited a great blessing and has entered into a state of unrepentant sin before the Lord.
Please reflect upon these points as you consider how you want to plan in advance your tithe to God through our parish. May He bless you abundantly for your generosity!
In Christ and St. Andrew,
Fr. Gonzalez
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