Month of November

As we enter into November we need to remind ourselves of the beautiful tradition we have. For Christians, it is praying for the dead and visiting the burial place. In the Catholic Church, a strong emphasis is placed at the beginning of the month.  On November 1, we celebrate the Solemnity of All Saints. In the Church, we commemorate not only the officially recognized saints, that is, the beatified and canonized, but also the faithful departed, whose lives were marked by holiness, and all those whom God received into Himself in heaven. On this day, if possible, we gather in the church or the cemetery, pray for the dead and light candles on the graves. 

The Solemnity of All Saints, which always falls on 1 November, reminds us of the purpose of earthly life, which is to enter the kingdom of heaven, where each of us has a place. St. John the Apostle and Evangelist wrote: "Then I saw: and behold, a great multitude, which no man could number, out of every nation, and all tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They are dressed in white robes and have palm trees in their hands. And with a loud voice they cry out, Salvation with our God, who is seated on the throne, and with the Lamb.

On this day, therefore, we honour those people who lived their lives in union with Christ, who were able to walk in his ways and follow him. It is not only about those who are widely known and venerated (e.g. St. Faustina, St. Maximilian, St. Padre Pio, St. John Paul II and many others) but also about those who remain anonymous.

November 2 is the liturgical Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed (the so-called All Souls' Day), which is related to the Catholic truth of faith about the existence of Purgatory, i.e. the place where the souls of those who died reconciled with Christ but did not repent of their sins during their earthly life, are prepared through purifying suffering for full communion with God in heaven. This day reminds us of our duty to pray for the suffering souls in purgatory.

One way to help them is through so-called indulgences. It is a spiritual gift that a Catholic living on earth can offer to the deceased. In our parish we will have special Liturgical celebrations:

1 of November at 6:00 PM

2 of November at 6:00 PM