Halloween, All Saints Day and All Souls Day
by John Feister

(If you don’t have time to read this now, please take note of the buttons on the right. They are free for the taking, for you to use on your Web site. Click on a button to pick up the html code.)

Q U I C K S C A N

Parish Site of the Month
Worth a Click

In a few days Catholics all over the world will begin the “end of the year”—the liturgical year, that is. The new year for Catholics starts with the first Sunday of Advent, November 27 this year. At the end of the old year, Catholics reflect on the end times, on the reality of death, on the communion of saints and, ultimately, on the Kingship of Christ. During November, we especially pray for those who have gone before us, part of our recognizing the finality of all things in Christ.

Understanding that sequence helps us to understand Halloween, All Saints Day and All Souls Day, which are coming next week. They present a great opportunity to educate your Web visitors about the true, Catholic meaning of these customs. Though many non-Catholic Christians openly oppose the celebration of Halloween, Catholics do not react so negatively. But we need to educate our people about Halloween’s faith-connection.

We have a few Web features, along with linking graphics for your Web site, to help your site make that Catholic connection for your visitors. In our All Hallow’s Eve feature, your visitors can read about the origins of the eve and the tale of Jack O’Lantern, all from our Catholic Update on the topic. Your visitors can also send Halloween e-cards at CatholicGreetings.org to share some fun and some good information.

You can link to our saints page for All Souls and All Saints day, or to saints e-cards, a very popular feature at CatholicGreetings.org. If you’re not collecting prayers on your Web site, feel free to provide a link to the prayer board at StAnthony.org, which collects about 7,000 prayers each month! Those prayers, after being screened for anything inappropriate, appear both at the Web site of St. Anthony Shrine and also on a tasteful display that blends into the sacramental offerings in the back of the St. Anthony Shrine chapel in Cincinnati, Ohio. People submit their intentions from all over the world. All of us here in the Franciscan ministry join them in their prayer.

Parish Site of the Month

Cathedral-Basilica of St. Augustine (Diocese of St. Augustine)
Take some time to browse this site to soak in its attractive layout and the features that make this online community an interactive tool for “faith exploration.” Find links to daily readings, saint biographies, electronic postcards and candle requests. Also, record your thoughts while exploring the site using the “personal notepad.” Read the history of the Cathedral-Basilica of St. Augustine, browse the online marketplace (offering books and cards) and check out the simple forms used for leaving feedback and offering contributions. Rich in content, this site is a great resource for parish webmasters—or anyone—seeking inspiration.

Worth a Click

CRS Fair Trade
Catholic Relief Services provides a good introduction to their fair-trade program. Browse the site for downloadable articles, flyers and newsletters, a virtual tour of the coffee-production process and a map of “fair traders,” or companies that are committed to helping low-wage farmers receive fair pay. Be sure to read about fair-trade chocolate and handcrafts and the ways you can support the CRS Fair Trade Fund.

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