The Franciscans in San Francisco again asked our parish to serve the Panikhida on their Feast of All Souls on the Latin calendar, in their Porziuncola Nuova replica of the church St. Francis rebuilt in Assisi.

This service is a favorite of mine. And the Porziuncola Nuova is a lovely chapel.

It was well attended by folks of the Oakland Diocese and SF Archdiocese as well as people from out of town who wandered in off the street. The Porziuncola is in the heart of North Beach, the old Italian neighborhood of SF and it was a warm, beautiful night with many folks out enjoying the evening.

The fact I'm still awake at this hour is an indication of how totally filled I was by the evening. All glory be to God! It was a joy to again share this shared East West prayer for those who have fallen asleep. After Father read the name which had been written, those gathered continued to speak of the names of their loved ones who have fallen asleep in the Lord for several minutes more.

The announcement that was sent out:

Requiem for All Souls: Wednesday, November 2, 7:00 PM.
The clergy and choir of Our Lady of Fatima Russian Byzantine Catholic community will serve the Panikhida (Requiem) for the Feast of All-Souls at La Porziuncola Nuova, 624 Vallejo St., San Francisco on Wednesday, November 2, 7:00 PM. This is a rare opportunity for our brothers and sisters in the Catholic community of the San Francisco Bay Area to experience the beauty of Russian Orthodox liturgical music in this historic setting. This memorial celebration is arranged in cooperation with the National Shrine of Saint Francis of Assisi and the community of Our Lady of Fatima Russian Byzantine Catholic Church. For more information: http://knightsofsaintfrancis.com/video.html