The Xavierite
Saint Xavier University’s Office of University Mission and Ministry is calling this month the month of “Novembering”. The purpose of the month is to remember and honor, through communal prayer, loved ones who have passed away.
This is the fourth year the Office of University Mission and Ministry is hosting a month of Novembering. Graziano Marcheschi, Vice President of University Mission and Ministry, explained why he believes participating in a month of remembrance and prayer for loved ones who have passed away is significant for people of faith.
“We’ve all experienced a loss of someone that we love, it’s a universal experience, and I think it’s important for people to have the opportunity to not only remember the people that they loved, who have gone before, but to feel that they are not helpless in the face of that because, as people of faith, we can be hopeful about the destiny of those people and we can even have something to do with that; we can pray for those people” said Marcheschi.
For the month of Novembering, the Office of University Mission and Ministry has asked that members of the SXU community bring photos of their deceased loved ones to be displayed in the McDonough Chapel of the Mother of Mercy.
Photographs can be dropped off any time in November to Mary Rita Insley at the Chapel front desk. Marcheschi encourages students to bring in pictures of their grandparents or other loved ones who they have lost and says there is no limit on the number of photographs that can be displayed in the Chapel.
The photos will be on display throughout the month of November and the SXU community is invited to pray for those people who have passed. According to Marcheschi, the communal aspect of the display and prayer can help people better deal with their grief.
“Grief is a very heavy burden and it is one that is very difficult to carry alone so any opportunity to join with others in dealing with that sense of loss is beneficial to everyone else,” said Marcheschi. Next to the table displaying the photographs that have been submitted to the Chapel, there is also a Day of the Dead altar that was created by members of Campus Ministry, Residence Life, and Unidos.
The altar was assembled during the “Dia de Los Muertos” prayer service and celebration held in the Chapel on Wednesday, October 28. Students who attended the celebration had the opportunity to enjoy Mexican desserts, activities such as skull cookie decorating and face painting, and music.
During the event, SXU students were invited to place a photo of a loved one they have lost or a significant object that reminds them of their loved one on the altar. Students also had the opportunity to write letters to their loved ones, which were also placed on the altar.
Besides the photo displays, the month of Novembering also includes a Mass of Remembrance which will be held on Thursday, November 5 from 4:00pm to 5:00pm. During the mass, the names of those who have passed away in the last year will be read and their family members will be invited to receive a rose to honor their loved one.According to Marcheschi, the Mass of Remembrance has been a great success in the past few years, and always draws a good turnout.
“It always seems to be a very powerful experience, people have been extremely grateful for the opportunity to participate, I think people just realize the prayerfulness of it and it seems to be very special,” said Marcheschi.
The month of Novembering is open to all members of the SXU community, and Marcheschi encourages anyone to participate regardless of whether or not they are Catholic. “We are doing it within the context of a Catholic liturgy, but that particular part of the service, the reading of the names and the distribution of the rose is not sectarian in anyway at all. We would love for anyone to come and you certainly don’t have to be Catholic to submit a picture and to ask for us to pray for those people,” said Marcheschi.
The idea to host a month of Novembering came from Marcheschi’s home parish, which has been hosting the month for twenty to thirty years. Marcheschi was deeply moved by the way his parish remembered and honored those who have lost their lives and wanted to bring that to SXU.
Yasmeen Abdellatif
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