1. Religious Education Newsletter October 2013 Tomas Tafolla, DRE Patti Solinski, Assistant ttafolla@holyspiritfresno.orgpsolinsky@holyspiritfresno.org Saints for the Month of October Oct 1: St. Therese of Lisieux Oct 2: Feast of the Guardian Angels Oct 4: St. Francis of Assisi Oct 5: St. Faustina Kowalska Oct 12: St. Damien of Molokai Oct 13: St. Edward the Confessor Oct 15: St. Teresa of Avila Oct 17: St. Ignatius of Antioch Oct 18: St. Luke Oct 22: Bl. Pope John Paul II Oct 23: St. John of Capistrano Oct 24: St. Anthony Mary Claret Oct 28: St. Jude Thaddaeus Holy men and women, pray for us 10 October Activities for Catholic Families 1.October is the month of the rosary. Say one decade of the rosary as a family. 2.Try as a family to do something special for a neighbor or your local community. Do this in honor of St. Therese (Oct 1) or St. Teresa of Avila (Oct 15). 3.For the Feast of St. Francis (Oct 4) take your pet for a family activity. 4.Consider picking a religious themed costume for Halloween, such as a Catholic saint or Biblical figure. 5.October 13 is the dedicated to the last apparition of Our Lady of Fatima, Our Lady of the Rosary (feast is May 13). As a family learn more about the life of the Blessed Mother. 6.Take one day a week this month to have a family meal. Turn all electronics off and share with your family about your day. If it works continue this custom for the rest of the year. 7.Learn a new prayer to the Blessed Mother; like the Memorare, the Hail Holy Queen, or the Magnificat. 8.The Year of Faith will be ending in November, consider as a family reading more scripture or learning as much as you can about the Catholic Faith, saints, or the Mass. 9.If possible attend daily mass as a family. 10.November 1 is the Feast of All Saints, and a Holy Day of Obligation. As a family begin to think about adopting a saint for the month of November and learning as much as you can about that saint. October should not be a month-long Halloween For Catholics, who follow the liturgical calendar along with the secular calendar, we should look at October as the eve to November, the month of Saints. Halloween, with all its commercialized trappings, is All Hallows Eve, a preparation to celebrate the lives of those holy men and women who have paved the way of Faith for us.

2. The Mysteries of the Rosary October the Month of the Rosary The Rosary is a Scripture-based prayer. It begins with the Apostles' Creed, which summarizes the great mysteries of the Catholic faith. The Our Father, which introduces each mystery, is from the Gospels. The first part of the Hail Mary is the angel's words announcing Christ's birth and Elizabeth's greeting to Mary. St. Pius V officially added the second part of the Hail Mary. The Mysteries of the Rosary center on the events of Christ's life. There are four sets of Mysteries: Joyful, Sorrowful, Glorious and––added by Pope John Paul II in 2002––the Luminous. The repetition in the Rosary is meant to lead one into restful and contemplative prayer related to each Mystery. The gentle repetition of the words helps us to enter into the silence of our hearts, where Christ's spirit dwells. The Rosary can be said privately or with a group. The Five Joyful Mysteries are traditionally prayed on the Mondays, Saturdays, and Sundays of Advent: 1.The Annunciation 2.The Visitation 3.The Nativity 4.The Presentation in the Temple 5.The Finding in the Temple The Five Sorrowful Mysteries are traditionally prayed on the Tuesday, Friday, and Sundays of Lent: 1.The Agony in the Garden 2.The Scourging at the Pillar 3.The Crowning with Thorns 4.The Carrying of the Cross 5.The Crucifixion and Death The Five Glorious Mysteries are traditionally prayed on the Wednesday and Sundays outside of Lent and Advent: 1.The Resurrection 2.The Ascension 3.The Descent of the Holy Spirit 4.The Assumption 5.The Coronation of Mary The Five Luminous Mysteries are traditionally prayed on Thursdays: 1.The Baptism of Christ in the Jordan 2.The Wedding Feast at Cana 3.Jesus' Proclamation of the Coming of the Kingdom of God 4.The Transfiguration 5.The Institution of the Eucharist