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Dear Family,

Our Blessed Lord established His Church upon Peter and the Apostles.  He gave to Peter and the Apostles the Keys of the Kingdom, that is the power to bind and loosen.  Hence, the Bride of Christ, that is the Catholic Church, the one True Faith, possesses the treasuries of heaven to be dispensed at Her discretion.  All grace comes to us in and through the Church Christ established.  This is where indulgences come in. Indulgences are of two kinds: partial and plenary.  They either partially or fully (plenary indulgence) remit the punishment due to sin already forgiven.  Sin corrupts and creates an imbalance in our souls.  Confession forgives our sins but penance needs to be done to make restitution for those sins committed.  Hence, the importance of doing penance and obtaining indulgences.  Penance restores the imbalance sin creates and also has the effect of purifying our hearts, minds and souls.  An indulgence is another instrument of God's mercy to us.  Though an indulgence does not forgive sin (confession does), it does remit the punishment due to sin.  Lets give an example that is analogous to how an indulgence operates.  Johnny is playing baseball in his backyard with his friends.  Johnny hits the ball into his neighbor's, Mr. Jones', yard and breaks a window.  Mr. Jones, understandably upset, calls Johnny over.  Johnny apologizes and Mr. Jones forgives him (confession).  But though Johnny is forgiven, he still owes out of justice to Mr Jones (penance).  Mr. Jones can basically do one of three things.  First, he can make Johnny pay the full $100 to replace the window.  Secondly, he may tell Johnny to give him $50 towards the window and Mr. Jones will pay the other half (partial indulgence).  Finally, Mr. Jones may tell Johnny not to worry at all about paying him for the window (full remittance or plenary indulgence).  So if a person dies in a state of grace, his or her time in purgatory may be reduce through a partial indulgnce or entirely from obtaining a plenary indulgence at the time of a person's death.  For the 100th anniversary of the apparition of our Lady of Fatima, Pope Francis announced a special plenary indulgence.  To obtain the plenary indulgence, the faithful must also fulfill the ordinary conditions of obtaining an indulgnce: go to Confession and Communion, be interiorly detached from sin, and pray for the intentions of the Holy Father.  There are 3 ways Pope Francis said one can receive the indulgence.  First, one may go to Fatima.  But since not everyone is able to go to Fatima, one may also go to a Church where a statue of Our Lady of Fatima is solemnly exposed for veneration.  We are privileged to have a statue of our Lady of Fatima prominently displayed in the front of the Church.  The third way is reserved for those unable to attend Church.  All they must do is to honor Our Lady of Fatima and pray the prayers for the indulgence.  On Septimber 13 and October 13, the two days left to pray for the indulgence, come to the Church of St Mary and St Andrew.  Just visit the Church on those days and pray with a humble and contrite heart.

Fr Ken