Dear Friend,

The fragility of life is on everyone’s mind after months of living with a pandemic. We all need the support of a strong spiritual community, especially in times of loss. That is why All Souls’ Day is so important, not only for those who have passed and those who are in mourning, but for all the faithful as we join together in prayer.

All Souls’ Day evokes many emotions — sadness, solace, and ultimately joy — as we realize our beloved deceased are with the Lord. This year, our All Souls’ Day celebration will be even more poignant due to the virus that claimed so many lives, and tragically kept family members separated from loved ones in their final moments. We also have a much-needed opportunity to pray for those who could not hold public funerals due to social distancing rules.

For all these reasons and more, I hope you will be with us in spirit on All Souls’ Day, November 2. Whenever we are united in prayer, the Lord is with us and hears us. We look forward to consoling one another and celebrating the gift of eternal life in Christ.

The sisters will remember your deceased loved ones at Mass this All Souls’ Day and throughout November, the month of Remembrance. Please write their names on the back of the attached reply slip, and we will continue to keep them in our prayers.

As Sisters of Charity, our faith in God’s wisdom is resolute, yet we still feel the pain of grief. Our hearts are heavy at the loss of 28 members of our Congregation over the past year, five of whom suffered with the coronavirus. We were blessed to walk with these extraordinary women for decades. They were our teachers, our mentors, and our beloved family. They inspired us every day by living their faith after having educated, healed, fed, sheltered, and comforted thousands of people.

Take a moment to read through the enclosed brochure; you may even recognize a sister who helped shape your life. We would greatly appreciate your prayers for these beautiful souls as they journey home to the Lord.

Our deceased sisters’ legacies live on every day through the wonderful ministries you make possible. Please offer a gift in their honor this All Souls’ Day, or in the memory of your dear departed, to be used for the care of our senior sisters and our ministries for people in need. We will be ever so grateful for this act of kindness.

I also encourage you to keep a supply of enrollment cards on hand, so that you will always be ready with a prayer card for someone facing a loss or other need. When you offer a card, the person you designate will be remembered at monthly Masses and in the daily prayers and good works of all the sisters. To order cards, simply call us at 718.529.9200 or visit scny.org/donate/prayer-cards.

Always remember, though earthly life is indeed fragile, Christ’s loving promise of eternal life is stronger than anything we can imagine. May God bless you and bring you peace, and may your faith be nurtured by our community’s warm embrace.

Sincerely,
Sr. Donna Dodge, SC
President

P.S. Your loved ones will be in our prayers. Thank you and please remember to send us your names in time for All Souls’ Day, November 2.

Download our All Souls’ Day 2020 brochure.