Dear Parishioners, I am presently in route to my walking pilgrimage in Italy. A few notes while I am away: Since I am not able to be here for daily masses and confessions I would encourage you to check out our nearby parishes in Deer Park and Colville for daily masses and confessions. The times for masses and confessions are printed in the bulletin. For the next three Fridays we will be having Eucharist Exposition and Adoration from 9-10 am. Please join us to pray before Lord in silent adoration. 

   Also looking at our ACA goals - some parishes have made their goal and some have a way to go. Please considering making your ACA donation to help make all of our parish goals. If we do not reach our goal, the fund will have to come out of our operations budget.

  Our scripture passage this Sunday’s Gospel is Luke 18:9–14. Last week we received Jesus’ teaching on the need for perseverance in our prayer. This week we receive a teaching about the equally important nature and quality of our prayer. Each of these two teachings is important for us as disciples, lest we end up persevering (last week’s scripture teaching) in an erroneous manner (this week scripture’s teaching). The Pharisee prays but he prays wrongly, he is telling God how great he is. Anytime our prayer becomes a monologue within ourselves, then we have left little room for God to speak. Prayer is meant to be a conversation and the word conversation comes from the word conversion. Prayer is meant to be a dialogue with God that changes us. The prayer of the Tax Collector is far shorter than that of the Pharisee. The Tax Collector’s prayer is marked by three distinct qualities: humility, simplicity, and honesty. The humility of his prayer is manifested by the fact that he would not raise his eyes to heaven. The honesty of his prayer is manifested by the fact that he acknowledges who he is (a sinner) and his need for God (mercy). That type of prayer, Jesus says, is what justifies a person in the eyes of God. The Tax Collector prayed with humility and compunction revealing that his conversation of prayer was based on his need for the Lord. The Tax Collector assumed the identity of a beggar before God. Thus, for the Tax Collector, prayer was about knowing his need for salvation and opening himself to God’s healing grace. The Tax Collector knew that he had no righteousness of his own and that awareness of his spiritual poverty allowed him to receive it as a gift from God.

There will be coffee and donuts this week and next week after 10 a.m. mass in Chewelah. Please join us!

Please join us for dinner at 6 pm with faith formation classes starting at 6:30 pm every Wednesday. Matt Cobb will be the presenter for adult formation for Oct. 26, Nov. 2, and Nov. 9. This week he will be continuing his series from Fr. Thomas Dubay on Deep Conversion/Deep Prayer. It is based on a series produced by EWTN. There will be no mass or confession while Father is away but please come and enjoy a meal and faith formation with your parish family. This week's menu will be a taco bar.

The Chewelah Council of the Knights of Columbus will host its monthly pancake breakfast on next Sunday, October 30 after 10 a.m. mass in Chewelah. Come join us for a wonderful breakfast and fellowship! 

Long-time parishioner Maggie Owens passed away recently. There will be a Funeral Mass for her on Tuesday, Nov. 8 at 11 am. There will be also an interment at St. Mary's Cemetery immediately following and a luncheon provided by our parish in St. Mary's Parish Hall. You can read Maggie's obituary in this week's Chewelah Independent newspaper.