Moodubelle: All Souls Day observed by the parishioners with prayers and visit to the cemetery

By Anil Alva
Bellevision Media Network

Moodubelle, 02 November 2010: In the Roman Catholic Church, the All Souls Day is being observed on 2 November every year following the All Saints Day on 1 November. The Roman Catholics believe that the souls of the faithful who at death have not been cleansed from the temporal punishment due to venial sins and from attachment to mortal sins cannot immediately enter heaven that they may be helped to do so by prayers and by the sacrifice of the Mass. In other words, when they died, they had not yet attained full sanctification and moral perfection, a requirement for entrance into Heaven. This sanctification is carried out posthumously in Purgatory. The official name of the celebration in the Roman Rite liturgy of the Roman catholic Church is "The Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed". Another popular name in English is Feast of All Souls.

 

On All Soul’s Day the friends and relatives of the departed souls pray and offer requiem masses. There are three Requiem Masses that are said by the clergy to assist the souls from Purgatory to Heaven: one for the celebrant, one for the departed, and one for the pope. While the Feast of All Saints is a day to remember the glories of Heaven and those there, the Feast of All Souls reminds us of our obligations to live lives on the holy path and that there will be purification of the souls of those destined for Heaven.

 

 

In Moodubelle church there were two requiem Masses in the morning. The evening requiem Mass was offered by Fr. Paul Sequeira as the chief celebrant, assisted by Fr. Joswey Fernandes and Fr. Lancy Saldanha at 5 pm.

 

Following the Mass, the parishioners went in procession to the cemetery where the graves of the family members were cleaned, decorated with flowers and lighted candles were planted. The family members stood and prayed near the graves of their departed members. Fr. Lancy Saldanha conducted the prayer service in the cemetery and later all the three priests-Fr. Joswey, Fr. Paul and Fr. Lancy blessed the graves and joined the family members at the graves of their loved ones in offering prayers for the salvation of the departed souls.