All Saints Parish Homilies and News

Venerable Alfred Pampalon (1867-1896): Montreal & Quebec Canada  Published in Columbia Magazine , by the Knights of Columbus.  In the final hours of his life, 28-year-old Father Alfred Pampalon lay in the Redemptorist infirmary. His caretakers were astonished to hear the Québécois priest sing the Magnificat — a final expression of the Marian devotion that had marked his life. Born in Lévis, near Québec City, Alfred Pampalon was one of 12 children. His father was a stonemason who helped build churches, including the Basilica of Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré. Alfred’s mother, who died when he was 6, taught him to love virtue, and his first words were said to be the names of Jesus and Mary. At age 9, Alfred entered the Collège de Lévis, where classmates called him “a saint” and often chose him to settle disputes during recess. After two serious illnesses, Alfred discerned God’s call to religious life. Known for his devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Blessed Virgin, he lat...

Giotto’s famed fresco cycle depicting St. Francis of Assisi restored in Florence. Reported in the Associated Press by Francesco Sportelli FLORENCE, Italy (AP) — A cycle of frescoes by Italian 14th-century master Giotto , depicting key moments in the life of St. Francis of Assisi, has been unveiled after a four-year restoration. The newly vibrant “Stories of St. Francis” were shown to the public last week in the Basilica of Santa Croce, just in time for the 800th anniversary of the saint’s death on October 4. Giotto, who died in Florence in 1337, is considered by many to be the greatest Italian painter of his time and is considered the father of European painting. His artistic innovations informed the Renaissance style that developed after he died. Painted between 1317-1325 and adorning a side chapel in the basilica, the St. Francis frescos have regained their richness following the restoration and offer new insights into Giotto’s revolutionary techniques and style, restorers said. Em...

Healing of a Muslim man: What's unique about his beatification case is that the verified miracle was connected to the healing of a Muslim man.  Reported in Aleteia by Philip Kosloski. Maronite Patriarch, Elias Hoyek (b. 1843- d. 1931)  72nd Maronite Catholic Patriarch of Antioch A Muslim man was miraculously healed by this saint. When a holy man or woman is beatified or canonized by the Catholic Church, a verified miracle is normally required that is attributed to the intercession of that person.  Typically the miracle is related to a Christian praying for healing through the intercession of that individual. God is the one who grants the healing, but the saint or blessed is the one who intercedes. On July 25 a former Maronite Patriarch, Elias Hoyek, was beatified in Lebanon. He lived in the early 20th century and is called the "Father of Greater Lebanon," for his role in securing independence for Lebanon after World War I.  He was highly regarded for his holines...

Sacred relics of Saint. Bernadette of Lourdes will embark on a major yearlong U.S. tour from September 2026 through 2027 . Organized by the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes, the 132-pound reliquary will visit nearly 140 locations—including churches, cathedrals, and shrines—beginning September 18, 2026, at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C. Saint Bernadette of Lourdes:  (B. 1844- D. 1879) MIAMI (CNS) — The relics of St. Bernadette, the Marian visionary of Lourdes, France, will tour the United States for the first time. The visit will begin in South Florida at Our Lady of Lourdes Church in Miami, with a morning welcome Mass April 7. The next day the relics will visit St. Bernadette Church in Hollywood, Florida, then return to Our Lady of Lourdes Church. On April 11, Monday of Holy Week, Archbishop Thomas G. Wenski of Miami will celebrate an evening Mass at the church, which will be followed by a candlelight procession. The relics will...

 https://www.jesuits.org/stories/now-discern-this-come-from-away/ “Come From Away” and the Challenge of Peace See my consumer review on social media at this site here.  By Eric A. Clayton “Come From Away” is a musical filled with a surprising amount of joy despite the events that prompted the story. The play is based on the hospitality shown to strangers in a little town in Newfoundland, Canada, called Gander. In the days following the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, these Newfoundlanders found their town nearly double in population as 38 planes were diverted and forced to land in the nearby airport. I’ll be honest: I wasn’t sure how a musical set in the wake of 9/11 would work. It hardly seemed like a time that warranted a big dance number. And yet, as my wife and I watched the show play out this past weekend, I was struck by how beautifully the story balanced pain with joy, despair with hope. A balance we all grapple with each and every day. There’s one song about h...

Columbia Magazine highlights the Knights of Columbus's successful 1954, campaign to add "under God" to the U.S. Pledge of Allegiance. The initiative, supported by Congress and President Eisenhower, aimed to contrast American values with Soviet atheism during the Cold War. Then-Supreme Knight Luke E. Hart presents President John F. Kennedy, a fellow Knight of Columbus, with a framed copy of the Pledge of Allegiance during a meeting at the White House on Oct. 11, 1961. (Knights of Columbus Multimedia Archives) Article published in JulyAugust 2026, The Columbia Magazine by the staff: In 1951, the Knights of Columbus began a campaign to add the words “under God” to the U.S. Pledge of Allegiance. Grounded in historical precedent and a growing grassroots movement, the effort reached Congress and culminated when President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed a bill amending the Pledge on Flag Day, June 14, 1954. “It is a strange fact that the Pledge of Allegiance, which had its origin ...