Week in the World: November 1st

As we got in touch with some of the historical roots of Halloween last week, we're reminded, first and foremost, that All Hallows Eve points onto All Hallows -- or All Saints -- Day.

We have an opportunity to celebrate All Saints Day with a local pilgrimage, inspired by our upcoming Year of Mercy. On Saturday, October 31st and Sunday, November 1st, Our Lady of Mercy Parish in Baton Rouge will host the relics of St. Maria Goretti, the little saint of mercy.

WBRZ out of Baton Rouge offered the entirety of its Sunday Journal to the upcoming visit. View it online.

The Pilgrimage of Mercy schedule is as follows:

Learn more about the pilgrimage on Our Lady of Mercy's website.

Click for directions.

What happened with that synod again? The Synod on the Family concluded its work last Sunday, offering a document that synthesized the recommendations of the bishops's reflections. Voting paragraph-by-paragraph, bishops come to a 2/3s agreement on each for it to be submitted to the Holy Father, who will then write an apostolic exhortation on the matter.

While much has been stated -- and mistated -- about the actual proceedings, the synod seeks to offer an aid to Catholic families in our world.

Source: Read the official translation of the English document

Context: Catholic News Service's Junno Arocho Esteves explains "Synod report has new emphasis, not changed doctrine, U.S. bishops say".

Aleteia interviews Cardinal George Pell in "Cardinal Pell’s Intervention at the “Virtual Synod”: Don’t Believe the Spin".

The folks at Word on Fire Ministries have had a lot going on in recent weeks. Its founder. Fr. Robert Barron, was named and then ordained an auxiliary bishop of Los Angeles. They recently released a trailer for Pivotal Players their next dvd series (after their critically acclaimed Catholicism), which is viewable below.

They also make a habit of introducing theology into the movement of the culture. One such recent example was an article by Matthew Becklo, positing a proof of God's existence from the music of Johnny Cash. Read "The Argument from Johnny Cash" online.