Udupi/M’Belle: All Souls Day observed with the Requiem Mass in the Renovated Cemetery

By Eugene DSouza
Bellevision Media Network

Udupi/M’Belle, 2 Nov 2017: The All Souls Day, a day to remember and pray for those family members, relatives and parishioners , who have passed away over the years, was observed with Requiem Mass in the newly renovated  cemetery of St. Lawrence Parish, Moodubelle on Thursday, 2 November 2017. The cemetery that was renovated under the supervision of Elias D’Souza was inaugurated by Bishop of Udupi Most Rev. Dr. Gerald Isaac Lobo on the All Souls Day last year. The entire cemetery has been beautified with croton and flower plants. Many of the individual graves   were decorated with flowers and candles by their respective family members. Decorative lighting on the compound wall as well as the main altar had enhanced the beauty and serene atmosphere of the cemetery.  The extended spacee towards the south of the cemetery provided ample space for the parishioners to attend the requiem Mass.

 

The solemn Requiem Mass with Fr. Lawrence Cutinha as the chief celebrant assisted by Fr. Clement Mascarenhas and Fr. Paul (OFM Cap)-Superior of the Assisi Nilaya commenced at 5.30 pm. 

 

Delivering the homily, Fr. Clement Mascarenhas said that ‘death is the passage of an individual from this world to eternity, especially the Heaven.  Life of each and every one is a little journey and life has a destination, that is, the eternal life of happiness in Heaven.  In the life’s journey we meet many people eight from our parents, siblings, other family members and many other people. Fr. Clement further said that no one desires to die but to live as long as possible. However, death is inevitable and as such everyone should look at death in positive spirit. It does not matter how long a person lives, but how well he or she lives. Living a good and virtuous life and shunning sin is the true preparation for life after death. Fr. Clement reminded the parishioners that the cemetery is the most holy and revered place after the church. We believe that our elders and those who have passed away are with God  and this is the day to thank God for providing our elders and family members  who are no more with us. 

Following the end of the mass, Fr. Clement Mascarenhas recited the prayers and blessed the cemetery by incensing  from the front of the main altar. Thereafter, parishioner spread in the cemetery and stood by the side of the graves of their near and dear ones as the three priests individually blessed all the graves with holy water. 

 

As the parishioners left the cemetery they were served cold drink arranged by the Women’s Organization (Stree Sanghattan). 

 

About All Souls Day:

All Souls’ Day is a day of alms giving and prayers for the dead. The intent is for the living to assist those in purgatory. Many western churches annually observe All Souls’ Day on November 2 and many eastern churches celebrate it prior to Lent and the day before Pentecost.

 

In many Catholic countries, people attend churches, which are appropriately draped in black, and visit family graves to honor their ancestors. All Souls’ Day is connected with All Saints’ Day, which is observed on the day before, where people take the time to decorate the graves of deceased loved ones and light candles in their memory.

 

All Souls’ Day in Mexico is a national holiday called Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead). Many people believe that the spirits of the dead return to enjoy a visit to their friends and relatives on this day. Long before sunrise, people stream into the cemeteries laden with candles, flowers and food that is often shaped and decorated to resemble the symbols of death. Children eat tiny chocolate hearse, sugar funeral wreaths, and candy skulls and coffins. But the atmosphere is festive. In the United States Día de los Muertos is celebrated in areas such as Los Angeles where there is a large Latin American population.