All Souls Day
Tuesday – November 2, 2010

The Catholic Cemeteries Association – All Souls Day Services

There is a wonderful exchange between the faithful who have already reached their heavenly home, those who are expiating their sins at the time of death in a period of purification and those who are still pilgrims on earth (The Communion of Saints).

The Church honors the Faithful Departed on the Feast of All Souls Day, November 2 when prayers are offered for the souls of our loved ones recently departed to assist them in their time of purification.

The Catholic Cemeteries Association offers a special prayer service at all 12 cemetery chapel locations on the Sunday nearest to the Feast of All Souls (November 2). The invitation to attend can found via our web site or in the Pittsburgh Catholic to all the faithful of the Diocese of Pittsburgh, encouraging all to come to the cemetery where their loved ones are buried and pray for OUR FAITHFUL DEPARTED.

All Souls Day Services will be held at all of The Catholic Cemeteries Association cemeteries on
Sunday - November 7 at 3 PM

Meaning of All Souls Day
All Souls Day in the United States is a day of prayer for deceased souls. Many Christians visit cemeteries where their loved ones are buried.  Some cemeteries offer candles to be placed on these graves. The candles are blessed and marked with the names of the deceased to be placed at the designated grave sites. The Catholic Church remembers deceased members of the congregation on this day.

All Souls Day was first instituted at the monastery in Cluny in 993 CE and quickly spread throughout the Christian world. People held festivals for the dead long before Christianity. It was Saint Odilo, the abbot of Cluny in France, who in the 10th century, proposed that the day after All Saints’ Day be set aside to honor the departed, particularly those whose souls were still in purgatory. Today the souls of the faithful departed are commemorated. Although All Souls Day is observed informally by some Protestants, it is primarily a Roman Catholic, Anglican and Orthodox holy day.

Prayer Service Information

All Souls Day Services will be held at all of The Catholic Cemeteries Association cemeteries on
Sunday - November 7 at 3 PM