With just over two months until Christmas, October is more than just a time to finish up the Christmas shopping (if you are not already familiar with me you should know my “Countdown to Christmas” begins at midnight on December 26). While everyone else is talking about pumpkin spice, I am making candy canes and eggnog. October starts out with our traditional fall (pre-Christmas) events. We begin the month with the annual Blessing of the Animals as we honor St. Francis of Assisi. All are welcome to join us on Saturday, October 5 in the Meditation Garden between our church and Fr. Ted Hall. The blessing will begin at 1:00 p.m. All animals and their handlers are welcome! Please be sure to keep the animals leashed, in a carry cage or harnessed for their protection as well as the safety of others. In the event of rain, we will gather under the portico of Fr. Ted Hall.
Saturday, October 12 is another big day on our parish calendar, with our tenth grade students receiving the Sacrament of Confirmation at the Cathedral of St. Joseph in Hartford at 10:00 a.m. Later that day, at 5:00 p.m. we will gather in the Mary Garden for our October Outdoor Rosary. An opportunity to engage in this century’s old prayer/meditation on the life of Christ. A reception will follow in Fr. Ted Hall.
On Monday October 14, it is back down to the Cathedral of St. Joseph for a special Mass of Welcome for our newly installed archbishop, Archbishop Christopher Coyne. This “Pallium Mass” begins at 11:00 a.m. and a reception will follow.
Saturday, October 19 will be our 2nd Annual Barn Dance. This family friendly event was highly successful last year as we gathered to square dance, share food and beverages and most importantly rekindled or made new friendships.
Then, here comes Christmas! Our annual Christmas Fair to benefit our parish scholarship fund will take place on Saturday, November 2 from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. in Fr. Ted Hall. A wide variety of crafters will be on hand to help you with your last-minute Christmas shopping, a bake sale for all your holiday needs from Thanksgiving to New Years, a visit from Santa, raffles and much more.
All of this in addition to our ongoing ministries, like our monthly food collections to assist Suffield Community Aid, a visit from a speaker from the Little Sisters of the Poor, ministry to the incarcerated, faith formation, bible study and much more. There is a special outreach to Catholic couples who are married civilly, but not sacramentally. Many couples for a variety of reasons have not received the blessings of a sacrament of matrimony. Couples are encouraged to contact me to discuss options and possibilities at frjfk@aol.com or by calling the parish office at 860-668-4246.
Information about all these events is available on our parish website at http://www.sacredheartct.com or our Facebook page, Sacred Heart Suffield, Conn. or stop by and visit in person at 446 Mountain Road, Suffield.