"Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.” – Requiem Prayer
LOWELL – The month of November in the Catholic Church begins with All Saints’ Day (Nov. 1) and All Souls’ Day (Nov. 2). During this time of year, parishes around the Diocese of Gary encourage prayer for those departed, hold special Masses of Remembrance and provide spaces in church where the faithful can share photos of their loved ones.
Father Richard Holy, pastor of St. Edward in Lowell, noted that children learn many things through their parents. He pointed out that children learn basic skills at home and continue studying in school to receive a well-rounded education. While a formal education is very important, he maintained that some spiritual lessons of the greatest importance, like praying for the dead, are learned from parents.
On All Souls’ Day, a commemoration of the faithful departed and a time to recognize the importance in the Catholic tradition of praying for the souls of those who have gone before, Father Holy said the one who demonstrated it for him was his father.
Father Holy shared that he remembers going to the cemetery as a little boy. He and his father would visit the graves of his grandparents, great-grandparents and others. At each gravesite, he recalls his father would always get down on one knee, make the sign of the cross and begin to pray. That was the priest’s first exposure to the idea of praying for the dead.
There is an aspect of death and praying for the dead, Father Holy feels, that is sometimes overlooked, and that is how God’s love shows through at the end of life on Earth.
“We refer to this love that God gives us at the end of our lives on this Earth, as our souls transition from this life to the next, as purgatory,” Father Holy said. “It’s the purgation of the effects, the stain, of sin that is on our souls that we do carry with us from this life to the next.”
The pastor said the faithful can think of it similarly to baptism. The child or adult who is being baptized does not need to do anything. God does it for them, washing them with water and cleansing them with the power of the Holy Spirit.
“God prepares us for our entrance into the Kingdom of Heaven on Earth,” he said. “At the end of our lives on this Earth, as our souls move on, our bodies are placed in the ground until our Lord's coming in power and glory, and our Lord, our God, prepares us again.”
God helps prepare his people to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven through another cleansing process, a purification known as purgatory. Every state of sin is removed; every effect of sin on the soul is removed before seeing God face to face in the Heavenly Kingdom.
Father Holy believes there are some misconceptions about purgatory. He acknowledged that the Church doesn't speak much about purgatory, and the Catechism offers only a few sentences about it. However, different saints have offered speculations and private revelations over the years.
So, is purgatory a punishment? Is it God’s way of punishing people on their way to heaven? Father Holy doesn’t think so. Instead, he related it to the sacrament of reconciliation, where the faithful go not to be punished, but to be healed.
“God's healing love and mercy in the gift of his grace heals us,” he said. “We come out renewed, fresh, if you will, and moving on in our life of discipleship. So, it's not a punishment. Is there pain? Yes, in a way. We're talking about souls here – the essence of who we are. It's not a bodily kind of pain, but a spiritual kind of pain.”
Father Holy continued, explaining that souls suffer pain through shame. A person might be ashamed of what he or she did. Especially when the time comes to see God, shame may come as “we recognize the times that we fail in our life as disciples of Christ.”
Father Holy closed his homily on Nov. 2 by saying that, of all the traditions of the Catholic Church, praying for the souls of others is, he believes, one of the most beautiful.
“In a way, as we prepare for our own passing from this life, we, in a sense, by our prayers for those who have gone before us, the dead who have gone before us, get to participate in their passing by our prayers,” he said.
At the end of Mass, Father Holy invited those gathered to take one of the remaining candles left from the previous day’s Mass of Remembrance, a special Catholic liturgy offered to honor those who died over the past year.
Parishioner Marge Zubay grabbed a candle as she left the church. She shared that her brother Peter recently passed away. A regular Mass attendee, she said she tries to pray for souls every day.
“I think it's important to pray for those who have died to make sure their souls have the opportunity to be with God,” Zubay said.
Fellow parishioner Wayne Harper also took a candle while remembering his parents, brothers and others no longer on Earth.
“It’s what I was taught,” he said. “You always try and remember them.”
Also present at the All Souls’ Day Mass with her children, Monica Gutierrez said she strives to be a good example and teach them about the faith. Praying for the dead, she feels, is important because they can not pray for themselves.
“They really need our prayers,” she said.
Editor’s Note: St. Edward Catholic Church, 216. N. Nichols St., will host a Bake Sale and Craft Fair on Nov. 21 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. For more information about the parish and details on future services and events, visit stedlowell.com
Caption: A woman prays before a Mass on All Souls' Day at St. Edward in Lowell. (Erin Ciszczon photo)
