K
Karen1996
Guest
I love these two days of the church year. As they approach there is always a sense of preparation amongst my family. Both sets of my grandparents died before I was born. Every year as I was growing up, around the last week of October we would head to the old St. Gabriel cemetery in St. Gabriel, LA (maternal) and South Union in Baywood, LA (paternal) where they are buried, with broom, rags, cleaning supplies, and grey or silver paint to prepare their graves for All Saints Day. This isn’t the only time of year we visit their graves and bring flowers.
This next part is only done for my maternal grandparents, because my paternal ones were Protestant - On the actual feast day we bring fresh Mums and after Mass, we process to the graves and gather around the big crucifix in the center, where Father leads the prayer, and readings, etc. Then everyone walks to their loved ones’ graves and waits for the priest or deacon to come by and bless it with Holy water. This really struck me as a child and helped me to understand what the Communion of Saints was all about and how as Christians we know that death does not separate us. It showed me that, besides praying for passed on relatives, that this is one of the only things you can do for them and help keep their memory alive by sharing stories with future generations as my parents have done.
The last few years at the St. Gabriel cemetery, the service has been held after the Saturday evening Mass and the altar servers light a candle in a waxed, white bag, with sand and place by each grave. It’s really beautiful, but you talk about a job (I helped them one year).
Sorry for rambling. Don’t get me wrong; I don’t have a fascination with graveyards or anything, but this is the only place I have to visit my “Maw-Maws and Paw-Paws”. I would much rather be sitting in their kitchen with them and drinking coffee or swinging on the front porch.
Do you all have any memories/traditions associated with these days?
This next part is only done for my maternal grandparents, because my paternal ones were Protestant - On the actual feast day we bring fresh Mums and after Mass, we process to the graves and gather around the big crucifix in the center, where Father leads the prayer, and readings, etc. Then everyone walks to their loved ones’ graves and waits for the priest or deacon to come by and bless it with Holy water. This really struck me as a child and helped me to understand what the Communion of Saints was all about and how as Christians we know that death does not separate us. It showed me that, besides praying for passed on relatives, that this is one of the only things you can do for them and help keep their memory alive by sharing stories with future generations as my parents have done.
The last few years at the St. Gabriel cemetery, the service has been held after the Saturday evening Mass and the altar servers light a candle in a waxed, white bag, with sand and place by each grave. It’s really beautiful, but you talk about a job (I helped them one year).
Sorry for rambling. Don’t get me wrong; I don’t have a fascination with graveyards or anything, but this is the only place I have to visit my “Maw-Maws and Paw-Paws”. I would much rather be sitting in their kitchen with them and drinking coffee or swinging on the front porch.
Do you all have any memories/traditions associated with these days?
I miss them all, but I look forward to seeing them again someday. That’s what keeps me on the straight and narrow sometimes. I want to get there.