JOHNS ISLAND—Although we pray for our departed loved ones throughout the year, All Souls Day is a holy time when Catholics are specifically called by the Church to honor and pray for the dead.
“There is no stronger connection we can have with those who have passed on than to pray for them,” Bishop Robert E. Guglielmone told the small crowd gathered at Holy Spirit Church to celebrate Mass for All Souls Day Nov. 2.
About 25 chairs were set up in the church’s rose garden, accented by statues and a pathway marked by Stations of the Cross. People prayed at the columbarium and church graveyard before and after Mass.
Bishop Guglielmone has made it a point to celebrate All Souls Day every year in a cemetery or columbarium as a way to honor loved ones and pray for souls in purgatory.
During his homily, the bishop also spoke about All Saints Day, which is celebrated Nov. 1. He said it is a time to honor the men and women who have achieved true union with God. The following day, All Souls Day, is a chance to offer prayers for souls in purgatory, who still have to go through a period of purification. He said the day is an opportunity for the entire church to truly be at one through prayer.
Msgr. Charles Rowland, pastor of Holy Spirit, joined the bishop to concelebrate Mass for All Souls Day, along with Father John Antonydas Gaspar, parochial vicar, and Deacon Joseph Stocker, all pictured above.
