A guide to the beliefs, teachings, and practices of the Catholic Church.
✝️Remembering and Praying for Our Dead 🕯️
As Catholics, we don’t simply remember those we love who have died—we pray for them. Here at St. Mary’s and Our Lady of Fatima Mission, there are many beautiful ways we pray for our faithful departed, honor their memory, and entrust them to the mercy of God.
🙏 Have a Mass offered for a loved one.
Mass intention cards are available through the parish office. The names of those for whom the Mass is offered are published in the bulletin and remembered at Mass.
⚰️ Celebrate the Catholic Funeral Rites.
When a loved one dies, the Church accompanies the deceased and the grieving family with prayer. The Funeral Mass commends the deceased to God’s mercy and offers the Eucharistic sacrifice for his or her soul. At the cemetery, the Rite of Committal provides the Church’s final prayers as the body is laid to rest in the hope of the resurrection.
🍽️ Gather for a funeral luncheon at St. Mary’s.
Following a funeral, St. Mary’s offers a luncheon for the family and friends of the deceased in Frederick Hall. Parish volunteers lovingly prepare and serve the meal, set beautiful tables, and take care of the cleanup, allowing the family time to gather and share memories after saying goodbye to their loved one. There is no charge for the luncheon. Families may make a voluntary offering if they wish and are able.
It is another beautiful way our parish community surrounds a grieving family with faith, compassion, and loving service during a difficult time.
🕯️ Light a candle in prayer.
Candles may be lit in remembrance of loved ones. See one of our ushers before or after Mass for assistance.
❤️ Attend our November Remembrance Mass.
Each November, St. Mary’s celebrates a special Mass of Remembrance. The names of parishioners who have died during the previous year are read aloud as we remember them in prayer.
📖 Remember our loved ones in the Book of the Names of the Dead.
During November, our Book of the Names of the Dead, also known as the Book of Remembrance, is placed in a place of honor in the church. The book is maintained and kept up to date by our parish secretary, preserving the names of our faithful departed as we remember them in prayer throughout the month.
⛳ Honor someone through the Charles and Susie Middleton Golf Tournament.
Deceased loved ones may also be honored through sponsorship of our parish golf tournament, with their names included among those remembered.
🕯️ Dedicate the Sanctuary Candle.
Parishioners may request that the Sanctuary Candle burn in remembrance of a deceased loved one. These intentions are published in the bulletin. Sanctuary Candle memorials are available at both St. Mary’s and Our Lady of Fatima Mission.
✝️ And at every Mass, we pray for the dead.
During the Eucharistic Prayer, the Church specifically remembers those who have died and asks God to welcome them into the light of His presence.
These aren’t simply traditions. They are expressions of one of the beautiful truths of our Catholic faith:
Our love and our prayers do not end at the grave.
Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord,
and let perpetual light shine upon them.
May their souls and the souls of all the faithful departed,
through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.
✝️The Holy Eucharist is at the heart of our Catholic faith.
Link to CatechismClick here
The Catholic Church teaches that the Eucharist is not merely a symbol. Through the power of the Holy Spirit and the ministry of an ordained priest, the bread and wine truly become the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Jesus Christ.
Because Holy Communion is both a sacred gift and a sign of our unity in faith, the Church asks those who receive it to:
✝️ Be practicing Catholics
✝️ Be in the state of grace
✝️ Observe the one-hour Eucharistic fast (water and medicine permitted)
The Eucharist is called “the source and summit of the Christian life” because every grace flows from Christ, who gives Himself to us in this most holy sacrament.
“Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him.” — John 6:56
May we always approach the altar with faith, reverence, and grateful hearts.
✝️The Five Precepts of the Church
The Precepts of the Church are the minimum requirements for living the Catholic Christian life. They are not meant to describe the whole of our faith. Rather, they provide a foundation that helps Catholics remain connected to the sacramental and liturgical life of the Church and continue growing in love of God and neighbor.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church explains that these precepts are intended to guarantee for the faithful an “indispensable minimum” in prayer, moral effort, and growth in love of God and neighbor. (CCC 2041)
The relevant section is Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraphs 2041–2043: “The Precepts of the Church.”
- Attend Mass on Sundays and Holy Days of Obligation.
We gather for the Eucharist and keep holy the days established by the Church. - Confess our sins at least once a year.
Through the Sacrament of Reconciliation, we receive God’s forgiveness and continue the conversion begun at Baptism. - Receive Holy Communion at least during the Easter season.
The Eucharist is the center of Catholic life, and the Church asks every Catholic who is properly disposed to receive the Lord at least during the Easter season. - Observe the prescribed days of fasting and abstinence.
These practices of penance help prepare us for the Church’s liturgical feasts and foster spiritual discipline and freedom of heart. - Provide for the material needs of the Church according to our abilities.
Catholics share responsibility for supporting the Church and helping provide what is necessary for her worship, ministries, charitable works, and mission.
✝️ Holy Days of Obligation
Holy Days of Obligation are special solemnities on which Catholics are called to participate in the celebration of Mass, just as we do each Sunday. The Church sets aside these days so that we may celebrate and enter more deeply into some of the great mysteries of our faith and honor important events in the lives of Jesus, Mary, and the saints. The Catechism teaches that Catholics are bound to participate in Mass on Sundays and other holy days of obligation.
Holy Days of Obligation
Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God — January 1
We begin the new year by honoring Mary under her greatest title: Mother of God.
The Ascension of the Lord — Forty days after Easter
We celebrate Jesus Christ ascending into heaven and returning to the Father.
The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary — August 15
We celebrate the Blessed Virgin Mary being taken body and soul into heavenly glory.
All Saints — November 1
We honor all the saints in heaven, both those known to us and the countless faithful souls whose names are known to God alone.
The Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary — December 8
We celebrate that Mary, from the first moment of her conception, was preserved from original sin by the grace of God.
The Nativity of the Lord — Christmas — December 25
We celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, our Savior.
What does “obligation” mean?
On Sundays and holy days of obligation, Catholics are called to participate in Mass and to set aside unnecessary activities that interfere with worship, the joy proper to the Lord’s Day, and appropriate rest.
Every Sunday Is a Holy Day
Sunday remains the primary holy day for Christians because it is the day of Christ’s Resurrection. The Sunday Eucharist lies at the heart of Catholic life and worship.
📖 Read the Catechism: Catechism Link
