What is all souls day? The feast of All Souls is celebrated on November 2. At Christ the King, the All Souls Mass will be this Sunday, November 2 at 5:30 pm. Introduction to All Souls Day by Scott. Richert: Often overshadowed by the two days preceding it, Halloween (October 31) and All Saints Day (November 1), All Souls Day is a solemn feast in the Roman Catholic Church commemorating 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. 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 (and still is in the Eastern Catholic Churches). 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, we not only remember the dead, but we apply our efforts, through prayer, almsgiving, and the Mass, to their release from Purgatory. Praying for the dead is a Christian obligation. In the modern world, when many have come to doubt the Churchs 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. *At Christ the King, the Mass of All Souls Day will be Sunday, November 2nd at 5:30 pm* *Throughout the month of November, you will notice a book towards the front of the Church near the Paschal candle. This is the Book of the Dead. All are invited to write the names of those who have passed away for whom we want to pray.
Posted on: Fri, 31 Oct 2014 12:24:29 +0000