All Souls Day

Often overshadowed by the two days preceding it, Halloween (October 31) and All Saints Day (November 1), All Souls Day is a solemn feast for us which commemorates all of those who have died and now are in Purgatory, being cleansed of their venial sins and the temporal punishments for the mortal sins that they had confessed and atoning before entering fully into Heaven.

The importance of All Souls Day was made clear by Pope Benedict XV (1914-22), when he granted all priests the privilege of celebrating three Masses on All Souls Day: one, for the faithful departed; one for the priest's intentions; and one for the intentions of the Holy Father. Only on a handful of other very important feast days are priests allowed to celebrate more than two Masses.

On All Souls Day, we not only remember the dead, but we apply our efforts, through prayer, almsgiving, and the Mass, to their release from Purgatory.  There are two plenary indulgences attached to All Souls Day, one for visiting a church and another for visiting a cemetery.  (The plenary indulgence for visiting a cemetery can also be obtained every day from November 1-8, and, as a partial indulgence, on any day of the year.)  While the actions are performed by the living, the merits of the indulgences are applicable only to the souls in Purgatory.


Praying for the dead is a Christian obligation.  In the modern world, when many have come to doubt the Church's teaching on Purgatory, the need for such prayers has only increased.  The Church devotes the month of November to prayer for the Holy Souls in Purgatory, and participation in the Mass of All Souls Day is a good way to begin the month.

And this we will do here our parish on Sunday at 7pm... remembering all the following members of our parish family who have died since the last All Souls Day:

• Doris George (November 30, 2011)
• Betty Jane Topper (December 6, 2011)
• Dora O'Toole (December 13, 2011)
• Regina Hockenberry (December 17, 2011)
• Richard O'Toole (December 19, 2011)
• Jay Wilkinson (December 20, 2011)
• James Jarvis (January 1, 2012)
• Betsy Boland (January 15, 2012)
• Elizabeth Matapeter (February 4, 2012)
• Louis LaSorsa (February 7, 2012)
• Robert Britsch (February 16, 2012)
• Mary Serbin (February 17, 2012)
• Max Shearer (March 13, 2012)
• Helen Pawloski (March 20, 2012)
• Josefine Huber (March 28, 2012)
• Robert O'Toole (April 10, 2012)
• Della Wagaman (April 16, 2012)
• Claudia Brandes (May 4, 2012)
• Cindy Caron (June 22, 2012)
• C. Robert Brezler (September 9, 2012)
• Ellen Mulcahy (September 24, 2012)
• Ronald Mackey (October 1, 2012)

Here is a wonderful prayer, coming from the Byzantine Church, we can offer for them and for all the faithful departed:

By Thy resurrection from the dead, O Christ, death no longer hath dominion over those who die in holiness. So, we beseech Thee, give rest to Thy servants in Thy sanctuary and in Abraham's bosom. Grant it to those, who from Adam until now have adored Thee with purity, to our fathers and brothers, to our kinsmen and friends, to all men who have lived by faith and passed on their road to Thee, by a thousand ways, and in all conditions, and make them worthy of the heavenly kingdom.