Saint Mary of the Immaculate Conception Roman Catholic Church

The great feasts of November flow from our profession of faith that all of the members of Christ’s body, living and deceased are united in a common supernatural life with Christ. This communion of supernatural life in Christ, is not merely limited to those who walk this earth. Jesus is Lord of the living and the dead, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and all of our ancestors. Those who have gone to heaven or purgatory are alive in God, and thus we share a real communion of life with them.

One of the supreme expressions of this communion of supernatural life is how God grants us the possibility of rendering atonement for one another. We can, by offering our sacrifices for others in union with the one sacrifice of Christ, merit gifts from God. Thus, we who are alive have a special place of privilege in the Church as we are able to truly help the souls of the faithful who are in purgatory. Some members of Christ’s body have a privileged place of intercession (heaven) others have a privileged place of merit (us on earth), but all contribute to the spiritual well-being of the entire body.

Thus, I’d like to remind you of the importance of praying for our friends and relatives who have passed away. Know that every prayer that will ever be offered is already known to God! Even if your loved one died unexpectedly, all of the merits of every prayer you say now was made present to the soul in need at the moment of their greatest need.

Above all, having Masses celebrated for the souls of your loved ones is the greatest thing that you can do for them. There, Christ Himself, the high priest enters into the tabernacle not made by human hands and offers His perfect sacrifice for their souls. Should your loved ones already be in heaven, you will have given them a treasure of grace which they will in turn redistribute to those whom they know and love and who are in need of those graces.

This coming Friday, we will offer a Candlelight Mass for the repose of the souls of our brothers, sisters, mothers, fathers, sons, and daughters who passed away this past year. All are welcome! May the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God rest in peace.

pax et bonum,

Father John Mosimann

Altar Server Training

November 4, 2021 St Mary Fred

Calling all 4th, 5th & Middle School Students

Altar Server Training is Happening! Jesus wants to draw you closer to Him — Come serve at His altar!

Training will involve 4 sessions at St. Mary Church: Tuesday, November 9 4-7pm Tuesday, November 16 4-7pm Tuesday, November 23 4-7pm Tuesday, November 30 4-7pm

Installation Mass ALL NEW SERVERS MUST ATTEND Sunday, December 12 at 12:30pm

“Learning to serve at the altar opened my eyes and heart to the beauty of the Mass”

– Fr. Mosimann

To register, email stmaryfxbg@gmail.com Please include child’s name, age, grade, and contact name, phone, and email of parents

If you have any questions, please call 540-373-6491

All Saints and All Souls Mass Schedule

November 1, 2021 St Mary Fred

Nov 1: Feast of All Saints: 6:30am, 9am, 12pm, 6pm, 7:30pm bilingual

Nov 2: All Souls: 6:30am, 9am, 12pm, 7pm Traditional Latin Mass

Letter from the Bishops of Arlington and Richmond on Election Day

November 1, 2021 St Mary Fred

Election Day is November 2, and early voting has already begun. Virginia voters will elect a governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general and all 100 members of the Virginia House of Delegates. Much is at stake, and it is our sacred duty to form our consciences and vote.

May we join with Catholics across the commonwealth in voting for leaders committed to policy positions that uphold the truth reflected in our Catholic beliefs, most notably the protection of all human life, especially those in greatest need. We begin this process with prayer and reflection, standing upon the fundamental teachings of our Catholic Faith.

These three foundational principles must guide how we vote:

Many issues are important.
Not all issues have equal moral weight.
Protecting life is paramount.

As Catholics, we must protect the sacredness of all human life. The right to life is “the fundamental right that makes all other rights possible” (United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship, no. 49). It must be “defended with maximum determination” (Saint John Paul II, Christifideles Laici, no. 38). In the United States, the tragically pervasive acceptance of abortion underscores the urgency of this message. There have been more than 62 million abortions since Roe v. Wade. Still, elected officials in Washington and here in Virginia are working to advance an even more radical abortion-driven agenda. Protecting life to the fullest extent possible is of the utmost importance and must be our highest priority.

For side-by-side comparisons of the policy positions of the major-party candidates for governor, lieutenant governor and attorney general on issues of importance to Catholics (in their own words), visit www.vacatholic.org.

We are blessed to live in a country where we have the freedom to elect our leaders. At the same time, we know that politics have become more divisive and destructive in our communities and even, at times, within our families. Our unity and peace must be founded in and inspired by the healing power of Jesus Christ. May we bring his truth, peace and unity with us to the ballot box in this election, and always.

Faithfully yours in Christ,

Bishop Burbidge Signature Responsive