All Souls Day

[nrevier]

Hi,
I have a question regarding a practice our church has done for the past 2 years for All Souls Day. They have photographs of the people from the church who have died during the last year and they have family members carry them up during the procession into Mass and place them on a table in the sanctuary. Is this proper in placing them in the sanctuary? I don’t feel it seems right to single out just the last year and also to place them in the sanctuary? Can anyone clarify this for me? Thank you.

 

[Joannm]

Hi,
I have a question regarding a practice our church has done for the past 2 years for All Souls Day. They have photographs of the people from the church who have died during the last year and they have family members carry them up during the procession into Mass and place them on a table in the sanctuary. Is this proper in placing them in the sanctuary? I don’t feel it seems right to single out just the last year and also to place them in the sanctuary? Can anyone clarify this for me? Thank you.

Many parishes have a mass on All Souls Day to remember all those in the parish who died over the past year. Our Social Ministry Office sends invitations to all family memembers who lost loved ones While we do not do what you experienced we do read off all the names during the petitions (well over 100 names)and have them inscribed in a Book of the Dead which we keep out all of November. The families get great comfort from the fact that we remember thier deceased in a special way and many people come to that mass. We also have hospitality after so people can mingle and meet up with the Ministers of Consolation who helped them prepare the funerals.

 

[Jennifer_G]

I don’t now what the parish I’m going to does (I guess I’ll find out in 3 1/2 weeks). The Lutheran church I went to would put the names of people on banners (the names would be on a picture of an open book) between the stained glass windows, and they would have a prayer for them during the church service.