Howdy!

Today, we celebrate all those who have gone before us and now share in the fullness of life with Christ in heaven — the Church Triumphant. May their lives inspire us to pursue holiness and keep our eyes fixed on the joy of heaven.

All Souls' Day – Monday, November 2 
November 2 is the Commemoration of All Souls. On this day, we turn from having rejoiced and celebrated the Church Triumphant with the celebration of All Saints and now pray for the Church Suffering–for the holy souls in purgatory and all who have died. Please join to pray for all deceased loved ones at the Monday 5:30 PM Mass.

Thanksgiving Food Drive 
Join St. Mary's in helping the St. Vincent de Paul Society provide Thanksgiving groceries for 200 families in the area. Visit /thanksgiving for more details on how to help.

Aggie Ring Blessings – Next Weekend!
Congratulations to all receiving an Aggie Ring this coming Ring Day! St. Mary's will offer ring blessings after all Masses next weekend.

Día de los Muertos Celebration – Wednesday, November 4 
Pescadores will be hosting a Día de los Muertos celebration on November 4 at 7:00 PM in the Event Center. We invite the entire St. Mary’s community to join us for an evening of fellowship, culture, and remembrance. The celebration will include a mariachi performance, activities, and food. We hope you will come spend the evening with us and celebrate this special tradition!

A Catholic Approach to AI – Our Next Short Course! 
Explore artificial intelligence through the Catholic faith and Pope Leo XIV’s encyclical Magnifica Humanitas with Marcel LeJeune. Join us November 5, 19, and December 3 from 7:30–9:00 PM. Space is limited. Learn more and register at /shortcourses.

St. Mary's Market – Thursday, November 5
St. Mary’s Market is a student-led marketplace that will be held on Thursday, November 5 from 4:15–9:15 PM in the Student Center. Stop by and browse around for handmade crafts, baked goods, and faith-inspired items such as rosaries, saint art, and devotional pieces. If you are interested in becoming a vendor for this event, please fill out the form on the St. Mary's website /market.

Connect 2027 Leadership Applications 
Interested in playing a role for Connect 2027? The Executive Team is in charge of planning and running our Connect Retreat where we welcome 500 incoming students each fall. Applications are open through November 5! Apply by visiting /connect.

Aggie Knights of Columbus – Friday, November 6
Interested in joining the Aggie Knights? Come to our exemplification this Friday, November 6, at 7:00 PM in Hannigan Chapel. Be sure to get there 15 minutes beforehand, and wear a collared shirt. Vivat Jesus!

OCIA Rite of Welcoming – Saturday, November 7 
The Rite of Entrance & Welcoming will be taking place at the 5:30 PM Vigil Mass on Saturday, November 7. Those preparing to receive their Sacraments of Initiation will officially enter into the Catechumenate and make public their desire to enter into the Church. Please note that Mass will be extended by a few minutes. Please keep all the candidates in your prayers!

Mass of Thanksgiving – Sunday, November 8
Next weekend we are excited to welcome back Fr. Chris Haberberger – Class of 2016 as he celebrates his Mass of Thanksgiving on Sunday, November 8, 2026 at the 6 PM Mass.

Busy Student Retreat – November 8–13
Are you a busy student who wants to go on retreat but find it hard to get away? From November 8–13, we will host Busy Student Retreat where we we invite priests, religious sisters, and others from around the country to visit College Station and give daily personal spiritual direction. It is a week that focuses on helping you to grow in personal prayer through the help of a spiritual director. To join the waitlist, visit /bsr. 

Catholic Services Appeal 2026–2027
Thank you to everyone who has already made a gift or pledge to the Catholic Services Appeal. Your generosity helps our diocese serve as one. If you have not yet made your commitment, pledge envelopes remain available, and online giving is available at /csa26. Thank you for joining together to help our parish share in the mission of the Church.

Election season is full of hard questions and tough decisions. Voting can sometimes feel overwhelming as a Catholic. With Election Day just around the corner, how should we, as Catholics, approach the decision of who to vote for?

The Church's role isn't to tell us who to vote for, but to help us form our consciences so we can make those decisions faithfully.
So what does that look like in practice?

• Start with your faith, not a political party. Understand what the Church teaches about human dignity, the protection of life, and the common good. Our Catholic faith should shape how we evaluate candidates and their positions, not the other way around.
• Consider the whole picture. Not all moral issues carry the same weight, but we can't use one issue as a reason to ignore other serious concerns about human life and dignity.
• Do your research and bring it to prayer. Look beyond party affiliations, headlines, and sound bites to understand candidates and their positions. Consider the moral weight of different issues and seek to make a decision rooted in a well-formed conscience.

Voting is one way we participate in the life of our communities, but our responsibility to seek the good of others extends well beyond Election Day.

As we approach November 3, let's continue to pray for our country, take the time to inform ourselves, and approach the ballot with faith and thoughtful discernment.
Want to learn more?

• Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship — USCCB
• Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church

If you'd like to explore this topic further, check out  Fr. Jakob Hurliman's Let's Talk About “Politics” from the last election cycle.