02 November, 2010

All Souls Day

From things to do at CatholicCulture.org

The faithful who visit a cemetery to pray for the faithful departed, saying the Lord's Prayer and the Creed (even if only mentally), may gain a plenary indulgence once only under the usual conditions: sacramental confession (eight days before or after the act), Eucharistic Communion on that day, and prayer for the Pope's intentions (usually one Our Father and Hail Mary as minimum). Each day between November 1 and November 8, this gains a plenary indulgence that can only be applied to the poor souls in purgatory. Any other time of year this gains a partial indulgence. See Praying for the Dead and Gaining Indulgences During November for more information about indulgences for the Poor Souls.

The children and I went to our town's cemetary.
It is shared by our church Our Lady Queen of Angels, the Russian Orhodox, and the Greek Orthodox churches in town.  It is just lovely. 

The was one strange thing I noted, however.
The sign at the cemetary stated it was holy ground, a few other housekeeping type details, and a notice forbidding burying dead people with out proper permission.  I couldn't help but wonder if this had been a problem in the past.  Why else would it have been posted?


We walked through the cemetary, and prayed the rosary together.  It was really quite nice.
The kids had fun.  I came to the conclusion that I am actually going to need to get a winter coat.
I have the sneaking suspicion PA cold is going to be an all new expreience for me.....

Greg wanted to know if we were related to the Gregor family, or the Gregovich family.
There are a lot of family plots with several generations of families buried together.  There are so many tiny headstones with the lamb (below) where babies and young children are buried.  Generally dating to the early 1900's. 

I know the cemetary is well cared for, it is mentioned constantly at church.
I will have to ask Father Joe if it would be allowable for us to make rubbings of some of the headstones.
I am not sure, perhaps that would be inappropriate?

Greg stopped at so many of the graves and made the sign of the cross for them.


Catholic Culture has a great article:   Praying for the Dead and Gaining Indulgences During November


(clipped)
Explaining indulgences and practices Catholics can do during the month of November for the Poor Souls in Purgatory.

(clipped)An indulgence is "the remission before God of the temporal punishment due for sins already forgiven as far as their guilt is concerned." To obtain this remission there are proper dispositions and certain conditions predetermined by the Church that must be met by the faithful. The remission is acquired through the intervention of the Church, who has the power to loose and bind granted through Jesus Christ. "As minister of the Redemption, authoritatively dispenses and applies the treasury of the satisfaction won by Christ and the Saints" (Enchiridion of Indulgences).


(clipped)
To attain a plenary indulgence, three conditions must accompany the prescribed act:

the faithful must receive the sacrament of confession, either eight days before or after the pious act is performed,
receive Holy Communion on that day and
recite prayers for the intentions of the Holy Father (one Our Father and one Hail Mary is the minimum, but any other additional prayers may be added).



Follow the above link for the entire article, and more information.

Toties Quoties Indulgence


From noon on All Saints Day through midnight of All Souls Day* the Catholic faithful, as often as they visit a church to pray for the dead, reciting six times during each visit the Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory Be for the intentions of Holy Mother Church may gain a plenary indulgence applicable only to the souls in Purgatory, under the usual conditions of making a good Confession within a week before or after, worthily receiving Holy Communion within the week and having the right intention of heart. This is called the Toties Quoties Indulgence.

* This same plenary indulgence may also be gained from noon on Sunday, November 2nd until midnight November 3rd, but only by those who did not gain it on the preceding November 1st and 2nd. In other words it's either All Saints Day or All Souls Day or Saturday and Monday, not both.

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