On Tuesday, November 2nd, we celebrate All Souls' Day. It’s a Holy Day when we remember loved ones who have died and pray for their souls to be at peace. This year, our All Souls' Day Mass of Remembrance will be on Tuesday at 7pm. Everyone is welcome to attend.
Throughout the month of November, we will continue to pray for those who have died and remember them at all of our Masses. At the side altar in church, you will find a table with our Book of Remembrance, where you can write the names of your loved ones to be prayed for at Mass. You are also invited to leave framed photos of them on the table (please include the name of the deceased along with your name on the back of each photo). We will leave the book and the pictures on display throughout the month of November. Photographs should be retrieved the first week in December.
As Catholics, we believe it is our duty to pray for our loved ones who have died, so that their souls can be cleansed and perfected before they enter into heaven. There is a scriptural basis for this belief. The primary reference is in Second Maccabees 12: 26–32: "Turning to supplication, they prayed that the sinful deed might be fully blotted out... Thus they made atonement for the dead so that they might be free from sin."
The greatest prayer we can offer for our loved ones is the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. That’s why every Mass is offered for a specific intention. Typically Masses are offered for those who have died, or to celebrate joyful occasions like births, baptisms, birthdays and weddings.
If you would like to have Mass offered for someone, stop by or call the Parish Office and we can help you select a date from our Mass Book. We can also provide you with cards to send to people, notifying them that a Mass is being offered for them or in memory of a loved one.
God Bless,
Fr. Francis
