Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

As we approach the month of November and All Souls’ Day, Monday, November 2, I invite you to reflect on this month in the liturgical year when the Church asks us to look forward to our heavenly homeland, to offer prayers for the faithful departed and to recognize the importance of burial in a Catholic cemetery.

The early Church believed that – with the exception of Mary, the Apostles and Martyrs – the deceased were thought to enter Heaven only after any remaining stain of sin has been removed. Most of the faithful departed were in need of purification before their entry into heaven. 

The Catechism of the Catholic Church refers to this process of purification as Purgatory: “All who die in God’s grace and friendship, but still imperfectly purified, are indeed assured of their eternal salvation; but after death they undergo purification, so as to achieve the holiness necessary to enter the joy of Heaven” (1030).

We also believe that the Church on earth can – and should – intercede for the holy souls in Purgatory. Praying for the dead does more than retain their presence in our memories. It is also a great act of mercy that we can carry out for our departed. 

A ministry of consolation falls to each of us when a fellow member of Christ's Body dies. We are called to comfort the bereaved. Also, and more importantly, we are to pray for the deceased. Our prayers for the faithful departed help them to purify their love of the Lord, so that every trace of sin and its remnants will be erased, thus enabling them to see God face to face. 

Sustained by this supernatural solidarity of the Communion of Saints, those in Purgatory will receive their citizenship in heaven, from where they await the resurrection of the body. 

On All Souls’ Day, and throughout the month of November, the month of Holy Souls, I ask all of you to take up the Church’s practice of fervently praying for the faithful departed. 

The Archdiocese of Vancouver’s own Catholic Cemeteries have a number of resources and events planned at the Gardens of Gethsemani for this season of prayer and remembrance:

• Hallowtide Prayer Vigil on All Hallows’ Eve: Saturday, October 31, at 6 pm
• All Souls’ Day Mass with me: Monday, November 2, at 6 pm
• Remembrance Day Mass: Wednesday, November 11, at 10 am

I urge you to visit the cemetery’s website to find more information about these events and the Church's rich tradition of caring for her deceased members.

“Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.”

With my blessing and prayers, I remain

Sincerely yours in Christ,

+ J. Michael Miller, CSB
Archbishop of Vancouver