The traditions of the Feast of All Souls began independently of the Feast of All Saints. The Feast of All Souls owes its beginning to seventh century monks who decided to offer the mass on the day after Pentecost for their deceased community members.
In the late tenth century, the Benedictine monastery in Cluny chose to move their mass for their dead to November 2, the day after the Feast of all Saints. This custom spread and in the thirteenth century, Rome put the feast on the calendar of the entire Church. The date remained November 2 so that all in the Communion of the Saints might be celebrated together.
Traditional Catholics still honor customs related to the relief of the souls suffering in purgatory. One custom is for persons to pray six Our Fathers, Hail Mary's and Glory Be's for the intentions of the Pope in a church, and thereby, receive a plenary indulgence for a soul in purgatory. This action may be repeated for another soul, by leaving the church building and re-entering to repeat the prayers.
This sounds strange to Protestants who do not believe in the exchange of "spiritual goods" and charity among the living and the dead.
Enjoy the Feasts! Celebrate eternal life!
'Where, O death, is your
victory? Where, O death, is your
sting?'
Therefore, my beloved, be
steadfast, immovable, always excelling
in the work of the Lord, because you
know that in the Lord your labor is not
in vain." (I Corinthians 15:54b-58)*
Read more about purgatory
1. A little book, Read Me or Rue
It is available for $.50
from
The Scapular Guild
P. O. Box 4651
Philadelphia, PA 19127
Add postage per this schedule
Orders
up to $5 - add $1.25
Orders from $5 to $10 - $2.50
All
amounts in U.S. funds
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