Departed family members remembered on All Souls Day

By Eugene DSouza
Bellevision Media Network

Udupi, 02 Nov 2014: Following the feast of All Saints on 1 November, All Souls Day was observed on Sunday, 2 November 2014 by the Christians throughout the world to remember and pray for the souls of the departed family members and near and dear ones.

 

The Holy Mass for the departed souls was offered in St. Lawrence Church, Moodubelle on Sunday, 2 November 2014 at 5 pm with Rev. Fr. Paul Sequeira as the chief celebrant assisted by Rev. Fr. Joswey Fernandes, Rev. Fr. Roshan D’Souza and Rev. Fr. P. Raj.

 

In his homily, Rev. Fr. Paul Sequeira highlighted the importance of the All Souls Day and why it is necessary for the living members of the family to pray for the departed near and ear ones.

 

 

Though there was lightening, thunder and heavy rain during the mass, it subsided at the end of the mass and the entire congregation moved in a procession to the cemetery which was decorated with lights.

 

As the people entered the cemetery in procession, the family members and relatives stood by the side of the graves of their departed ones. Rev. Fr. Joswey Fernandes along with Rev. Fr. Roshan D’Souza, Rev. Fr. Paul Sequeira and Rev. Fr. P. Raj conducted prayer service in the cemetery and all four of them blessed the graves in four parts by sprinkling holy water.

 

Earlier, before the mass, family members were seen decorating florally the graves of their departed beloved ones and fixing candles.

 

History of All Souls Day:

 

 

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 were priests allowed to celebrate more than two Masses.

 

While All Souls Day is now paired with All Saints Day, which celebrates all of the faithful who are in Heaven, it originally was celebrated in the Easter Season, around Pentecost Sunday. By the tenth century, the celebration had been moved to October; and sometime between 998 and 1030, St. Odilo of Cluny decreed that it should be celebrated on November 2 in all of the monasteries of his Benedictine congregation. Over the next two centuries, other Benedictines and the Carthusians began to celebrate it in their monasteries as well, and soon it spread to the entire Church.

 

On All Souls Day, Christians not only remember the dead, but also make efforts, through prayer, alms-giving, 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.