Pilgrimage – Deacon Gerry Palermo

No One goes missing – Sunday

November 2, 2025November 2, 2025 by Gerry Palermo, posted in Catholic, creation, Grief, Penitential, Pilgrimage

A colorful religious artwork depicting a procession of saints, showcasing a diverse group of figures adorned with halos, each representing different saints in various garments. — Saints come in all shapes and sizes

Greetings on this the The Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed
(All Souls)
Readings: Wisdom 3:1-9; Psalm 23:1-3a, 3b-4, 5, 6; Romans 5:5-11; John 6:37-40

This homily is given at the 10:30 AM Mass.

Facebook vid of Mass

Summary

The liturgy of All Saints (a Solemnity) and the liturgy of All Souls Days (a Commemoration) are in perfect harmony of the Order of Christian Funerals. All Saints, just a day ago, and Hallow Eve (the Vigil of All Saints) are the trifecta of memories!

After I was ordained, a priest friend counselled me on the most important things I can do to help the faithful in the course of their lives. He said, “For deacons, there are three times where you have the unique ability to aid people in their spiritual lives as a minister and they are:

Hatch
Match
and Dispatch

translating the Sacraments and Service of:

Baptism
Matirmony
Funeral Liturgy

I always listen closely to a holy priest.

All Saints and All Souls encompasses everyone.

In these special holy days of the Church at prayer, we keep a special place in our hearts for the Church Triumphant and the Church Suffering. Loosely translated again:

Those we ‘know‘ are in heaven either through declared Sainthood known or Saints unknown or in our hearts certainty.
Those who have died recently and/or can be presumed to be in Purgatory – the final preparation to see God face-to-face.

A portrait of Saint Catherine of Siena, depicted with a crown of thorns and holding a cross, conveying a sense of reverence and spirituality.

But the relationships are the same, only the prayer focus is different.

But most important our memory. I invite you now to take a moment to listen to your own heart. Remembering those who have gone before you. Mothers, Fathers, Aunt, Uncles, Friends, Kind Strangers, our beloved Saint Mark’s priests who have passed, teachers/mentors/neighbors, Difficult people who always caused us grief, that is to say, everyone that comes to mind right now during this Holy Mass. For the rest of this Mass, direct your prayers and thoughts about and to those who have gone before.

I will pause here for a moment. Remember is the Anamnesis is the technical Greek term meaning “to make present again” through remembrance. This is central rational to our faith.

(pause)

We pray for those in purgation – as like any life improvement we have already experienced is what we can call a good pain. Losing weight is a good pain, kicking an addiction is a good pain, mastering a skill is a good pain, and learning to love again, is a good pain. Seeing God face-to-face in stages is as like the lifting of a thick fog in the early morning, both painful and joyful, but always, finally, successful. We pray for their journey. We pray for their Exodus. IN a way, we are souls in Purgatory too (for some in this life, difficultly is constant), so we pray and ask them to pray for us, even as they continue their own prayer and sanctification.

We pray with the Saints, who have entered the Exodus of Jesus, that is, who have entered the passion of Jesus, and are moved and in constant motion of prayer for us. We thank them, we ask them to help in particular ways. Patron Saints are honored and moved by are particular concerns.

This Church and her doors should be likened to the Gates of Heaven. When you enter here, all the living and dead are here too! We call them dead because they are radically separated body and soul. Our interaction with them is spiritually bases. But they are very much alive as Jesus has conquered death!

Let us remember too, the center of a Funeral is the Holy Eucharist as the communion of the entirety of the Church, just like we are gather here today.

This is why we recommend very powerfully that a Funeral Mass be said for those who have died. In the Mass and in the funeral rite, the Christian community keeps watch with one another in prayer to the God of Mercy and to find strength in Christ’s presence. We celebrate Christ’s victory over sin and death, commend our brother/sister to God’s tender mercy and compassion, seeking strength in the paschal mystery (the Passion of Jesus). As one body in Christ in signs and symbols, word and gesture that each believer, through baptism, shares in Christ’s death and resurrection. And one day all the elect will be raised up and be united in the kingdom of light and peace.

Each of these will be remembered during this Mass several times through your remembering and through the liturgy, throughout the Church and through the month of November.

Right now in your participation in this homily. You aren’t just listening, you are directing prayer.
In the Prayers of the Faithful.
Our presider will read the names of the deceased perishoners of 2025 and remembered throughout the month of November.
In the Eucharistic prayer.

This is our one time per year, that no matter the reason someone was missed (or we missed their funeral) it cannot be we end the Liturgical year without remembering them. ALL.OF.THEM.

Reflection

The souls of the righteous are in the hand of God, and no torment shall touch them. [Because] I will dwell in the house of the LORD for endless days. [By the divine action] God proves his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us. For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in him may have eternal life, and I shall raise him [on] the last day. (Wis 3:1, P 23:6, Rom 5:8, Jn 6:40).

Personal Reflection

Before I conclude, again a pause, silently recall and move your lips remembering the names of those you lost.

(pause)

From the opening prayer for All the Dead

O God, who willed that your only Begotten Son, having conquered death, should pass over into the realm of heaven, grant we pray, to your departed servants, that with the mortality of this life overcome, they may gaze eternally on you their Creator and Redeemer. And let the people say: Amen!

Sacred Readings full text: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/110225.cfm

Peace be with you,
Deacon Gerry

No One goes missing

November 1, 2025November 1, 2025 by Gerry Palermo, posted in Catholic, creation, Grief, Penitential, Pilgrimage

Greetings on this the The Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed
(All Souls)
Readings: Wisdom 3:1-9; Psalm 23:1-3a, 3b-4, 5, 6; Romans 5:5-11; John 6:37-40

This homily is given at the 4:00 PM Vigil Mass.

Summary

The liturgy of All Saints (a Solemnity) and the liturgy of All Souls Days (a Commemoration) are in perfect harmony of the Order of Christian Funerals. Since we still have the aroma of this morning’s Solemnity Mass, we can hardly fail to mention it at the Vigil of the Commemoration.

All Saints and All Souls encompasses everyone.

The dividing line can be thought of in two ways.

Those we ‘know‘ are in heaven either through declared Sainthood known or Saints unknown or in our hearts certainty.
Those who have died recently and/or can be presumed to be in Purgatory – the final preparation to see God face-to-face.

But the relationships are the same, only the prayer focus is different.

I will pause here for a moment. Remember is the Anamnesis is the technical Greek term meaning “to make present again” through remembrance. This is central rational to our faith.

(pause)

We pray for those in purgation – as like any life improvement we have already experienced is what we can call a good pain. Losing weight is a good pain, kicking an addiction is a good pain, mastering a skill is a good pain, and learning to love again, is a good pain. Seeing God face-to-face in stages is as like the lifting of a thick fog in the early morning, both painful and joyful, but always, finally, successful. We pray for their journey. We pray for their Exodus. We are souls in Purgatory too (for some in this life, difficult), so we pray and ask them to pray for us, even as they continue their own prayer.

This Church and her doors should be likened to the Gates of Heaven. When you enter here, all the living and dead are here too! We call them dead because they are radically separated body and soul. OU rinteraction is spiritually alone. But they are very much alive as Jesus conquered death!

Let us remember too, the center of a Funeral is the Holy Eucharist as the communion of the entirety of the Church, just like we are gather here today.

Each of these will be remembered during this Mass several times through your remembering and through the liturgy, throughout the Church and through the month of November.

Right now in your participation in this homily. You aren’t just listening, you are directing prayer.
In the Prayers of the Faithful.
Our poster board of the deceased perishoners of 2025 displayed in the back of the Church (throughout the month of November).
In the Eucharistic prayer.

This is our one time per year, that no matter the reason someone was missed (or we missed their funeral) it cannot be we end the Liturgical year without remembering them. ALL.OF.THEM.

Reflection

Personal Reflection

Before I conclude, again a pause, silently recall and move your lips remembering the names of those you lost.

(pause)

From the opening prayer for All the Dead

Sacred Readings full text: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/110225.cfm

Peace be with you,
Deacon Gerry

Dr. Esha Lovrić – Sunday Synapse – Sample

June 7, 2025 by Gerry Palermo, posted in Pilgrimage

Growth in affective awareness and critical thinking are wonderful gifts to be shared. Here is a newsletter from last week that struck a chord with me. This is a newsletter I subscribe to for about six month now, maybe longer, you can subscribe too at her site link below. She also has a substack which goes deeper and that link is at the end of this post.

Her site: http://dreshalovric.com/

Start of newsletter

Dear Readers,

This week’s Trio-of Thoughts:

Aphorism or quote: In just a few short words, we are triggered to think deeply and philosophically about our lives.
This week’s lesson.
Activities for the week to improve your critical thinking, emotional intelligence, and free thinking power.

Liminal/Liminality Simple Definition: the in-between stage of life when you’ve left something behind—like a role, identity, or way of living—but haven’t yet fully stepped into what’s next. It’s the space where change happens, but things still feel uncertain or unclear.

Liminality is an important concept for you to learn about. It can help you explain some of the psychologically vulnerable periods you and those you love will go through and how that may impact your social experiences.

THOUGHT 1

AN APHORISM ABOUT THIS WEEK’S LESSON

“Liminality is a time and space of transformation. Individuals are betwixt and between, no longer who they were but not yet who they will become.” — Victor Turner

Turner was a British cultural anthropologist best known for his work on rituals, symbols, and the concept of liminality.

He studied tribal societies in Africa (notably the Ndembu people of Zambia) and used their rituals and ceremonies that mark transitions in life, like birth, adulthood, or death, to build his theories about how human beings experience change.

What this means in everyday terms for you:

Think of liminality like standing in a hallway between two rooms.

You’ve left one room behind, maybe a job, a relationship, an identity, or a stage of life, but you haven’t yet stepped fully into the next one. You’re in that strange, in-between space where nothing feels solid. You’re not sure what you believe anymore, or where you belong, or how things are going to turn out.

It can feel unsettling, like you’ve lost your footing.

But this is exactly where transformation can and will happen. It’s where old beliefs can be questioned, where new versions of yourself start to form. You’re in transition.

That’s what Victor Turner meant: you’re in the middle of the change. It’s uncomfortable, but it’s also powerful. It can also be risky if you do not move forward but remain stuck in old thinking when the start of liminality is s signal that a new version of you is required (or at least some new ways of thinking are required).

THOUGHT 2

RISKY THINKING IN LIMINAL SPACES

There are times in life when everything we once knew begins to shift. We feel unsure, we second-guess ourselves. These are the moments called transitional passages. And in these passages, your critical thinking is most at risk.

BUT the amazing part, these are also the very moments that offer you one of the greatest chances to change the way you think. Vulnerability often signifies a knowledge gap. You then need to draw on critical thinking to sift through information and find what you need to know. At the same time, our biases will try and fill the knowledge gaps without doing the critical cognitive work we might need.

Because it’s so psychologically raw, you are much more vulnerable to outside influence during these times.

This letter is a reminder for you to know that when your life is going through some sort of change, you will face:

Emotional thinking and the risk of heightened self-pity due to feeling vulnerable
The opportunity for high-level critical thinking and cognitive growth

Logically, thinking is at risk when you are going through some form of major change or even short-term change. Why? Well, naturally, when you do not know the information you require, then you will feel vulnerable. That is the entire reason for vulnerability, when you simply do not know yet. Usually, it doesn’t last. It is a stage.

For you to move through and out of liminality, you must seek or observe the correct knowledge at the right pace. As we receive the ideas we need, they can address the message your body is sending you (through the feeling of insecurity). We are especially at risk of being emotionally triggered during these phases, as well as adopting ideas that may not be right for us.

The Risk to Your Thinking

During liminal stages, our critical filters weaken. As we are mentally and emotionally vulnerable, it is cognitively harder to think clearly.

Subsequently, we might more easily rely on others to help think for us. It’s soothing and much easier on a vulnerable mind to be guided. Except that, because we are more likely to follow others, we are also at risk of following the wrong ideas or wrong people that may not be a good fit with where we need to be in our lives. Given our psychological fragility, we may become drawn to emotionally persuasive content and people even if it doesn’t truly reflect our own needs or experiences.

This is precisely why those who may be going through an exceptionally difficult period in their lives may end up making even worse decisions and spiral out of control. When we are vulnerable, anything that looks stable can feel like the answer.

What You Can Do

When we go through any period in life where we are vulnerable, whether that’s new parenthood, injury, illness, a new job, migration, or entering a new family, etc, there will be discomfort. This is not a flaw, it’s part of the process.

Don’t rush to find or accept new beliefs without reflexive and deep introspective thinking about meaning and relevance.

Here are the steps you can take during liminal passages or help those who may be going through one:

Name the phase. Say to yourself: I’m in between. That’s why this feels unstable. It is not permanent, and it will end. Do not make any rash decisions in this period. It is not the time to jump to conclusions. When we are emotionally vulnerable, however, making decisions that may not be the right ones increases.
Pause the noise. Reduce exposure to social media, ideological groups, or advice overload from too many people. As you are easily triggered during this period, it is not good to be overloaded with information that is not contextual. You can invite more information in as you feel more at ease.
Ask curious questions. Think about why you are feeling vulnerable. What has changed? Try and find the source of your lack of footing. Also, ask yourself about new ideas that are around you that may feel right or good. Why does this idea feel comforting? Is it because it’s right for me, or is it because I like the person saying it? How can I trust this information? This is a critical reflection. There is no rush. Slow down.
Stay close to trusted people. Let only a few honest, grounded people in during this phase. Too many voices will muddy the waters. When you’re especially at risk, you should keep social media access to a minimum.
Trust that clarity will return. Your thinking will stabilise, and your new ideas and needs will slowly integrate—if you allow the process to unfold on your terms.

Final Thought

We all go through liminal phases. If you’re in one now, be gentle with yourself—but also be alert. It is in these fragile moments that both transformation and exploitation are possible. If we are particularly at risk emotionally, this is when a therapist or being close to people or a supportive network who can help us through is important.

This week on Substack, I go deeper into the concept of liminality, the role of identity politics, and how critical thinking can help protect your mind during these vulnerable periods. You can read it here, and please subscribe to my Substack for more sociologically based free thinking perspectives… if you haven’t already.

Until next time,
Esha

THOUGHT 3: ACTIVITIES

Think about the stages you have been in liminality in your life. How did you get through it? What was good and what was not so good? Reflect on people you know. Maybe someone you know has recently gone through a big change. Think about what happened or what is happening for that person.
Read up on liminality this week. Adding new concepts and information to your ongoing growth and knowledge acquisition is very important. The more you read about the more you have to draw on as you try and make sense of your world.
The books I have referenced below are very dense and difficult to move through. I am not saying you should not tackle them, as hard things are often good things, but ease into it. I suggest beginning to learn about liminality by googling some articles as a start, or read my Substack first as an impression. I studied liminality for many years, and so I have developed a current perspective on it.

References

Van Gennep, A. (1960). The rites of passage (M. B. Vizedom & G. L. Caffee, Trans.). University of Chicago Press. (Original work published 1909)

Turner, V. (1969). The ritual process: Structure and anti-structure. Aldine Publishing.

Future Reference: Good resource, she is personally invested in sharing excellent strategies and tuned to helping all of us grow in our thinking qualities.

Link: https://dreshalovric.substack.com

Weeks Four and Five… fini for now

May 28, 2025May 29, 2025 by Gerry Palermo, posted in AT, ATNOBO25, Pilgrimage

Finished WV, MD, PA, NJ, NY, and CT this SLASH. Ran out of energy and feet problems so headed off trail. Total 1,550 miles (give or take).

A few months off now…

Prayerful Days

May 22, 2025 by Gerry Palermo, posted in AT, ATNOBO25, Pilgrimage

Evert trip I take, there is a spiritual theme for contemplation and meditation. The past weeks, the Glorious Mysteries of the Rosary.

So many blessings and illuminations!

Visited my 85 y/o Aunt, providing a Communion Service for her and our common faith journey. Many others from the trail in the prayer.

Happily, it coincided with low temperatures and high winds. Tomorrow: Bear Mountain.

The Appalachian Trail needs qualified interfaith chaplains. IMHO. While I’m on the trail, we have at least one.

Week Three

May 20, 2025May 20, 2025 by Gerry Palermo, posted in AT, ATNOBO25, Pilgrimage

Finished Pennsylvania, New Jersey. When I was trying take a photo during a thunderstorm, the cell phone zapped out. This is a replacement phone. Cheap one. Really wanted the fire tower phototherapy near the Mohican center. Danf6. Lost all messages that were stored locally.

So far on trail… saw these:

Beaver
Beaver dam
Deer
Fawn
Porcupine
Fox foot trail
Redbelly woodpeckers
Rattlesnakes
Other snakes
Otters
Turkey
Wild chickens
Toads
Frogs
Salamander
Bogs
No bear yet… Bear Mountain in a few days.

Zero Day – Heaps of Prayer

May 14, 2025May 14, 2025 by Gerry Palermo, posted in AT, ATNOBO25, Pilgrimage

A Zero Day is when you come off trail for a day and give your body a rest. The recommended interval is every seven days. I chose to take an Uber to Stroudsburg, PA. For you purists, of which I am not, I’ll Uber back to mile marker 1290.4 to recapture the distance.

What do you do with a day off trail?

Sleep from my late arrival (10 PM) until 2 PM.

Treat injuries, nasty abrasions from pack log soaked. My knees knock. My feet ache. I’m having a great time!!! Let’s hear it for Advil.
Resupply
Go to Church, pray for those who ask for prayer or need prayer, of which I am a member. The priest was kind to open the Church for me, a special accommodation. A Deacon has the task of presenting the prayers of the human family as a precious gift to the Father. An evening oblation that the life course of these I know may be peaceful.
Tomorrow early AM Mass.

Photos from my zero.