Remember, Remember the Dead in November

By Chris Sparks

[Jesus said:] “Today bring to Me THE SOULS WHO ARE DETAINED IN PURGATORY, and immerse them in the abyss of My mercy. Let the torrents of My Blood cool down their scorching flames. All these souls are greatly loved by Me. They are making retribution to My justice. It is in your power to bring them relief. Draw all the indulgences from the treasury of My Church and offer them on their behalf. Oh, if you only knew the torments they suffer, you would continually offer for them the alms of the spirit and pay off their debt to My justice” (Diary of Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska, 1226).

Soon, it’ll be November — time to pray for the dead. And due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Holy See has been incredibly generous with the indulgences available this year:

Plenary Indulgence during month of November

… the Plenary Indulgence applicable to the deceased by those who visit a cemetery … can be obtained by anyone who visits a cemetery, even if only mentally, on any day in November, and devoutly prays for the faithful departed.

Plenary Indulgence for Feast of All Souls’ Day

… it can be obtained … on any other day of the month chosen by each member of the faithful. … [T]he indulgence is obtained by “devoutly visiting a church or an oratory”, along with the recitation of the Our Father and the Creed, and the other requirements associated with a Plenary Indulgence [being “completely detached from sin,” Sacramental Confession, reception of Holy Communion and a prayer for the Holy Father’s intentions].

The homebound

For anyone who cannot leave their home for various reasons, including anti-Covid restrictions, they too can obtain the Plenary Indulgence by “uniting themselves spiritually to other members of the faithful”. In this case, the condition of being “completely detached from sin” and the intention of completing the other requirements for obtaining a Plenary Indulgence remain. These conditions are Sacramental Confession, reception of Holy Communion and a prayer for the Holy Father’s intentions.

The Decree suggests that such prayer take place before an “image of Jesus or the Blessed Virgin Mary”. Among the various prayers that are recommended are “prayers for the deceased, Morning or Evening Prayer from the Office of the Dead, the Rosary, the Divine Mercy Chaplet, meditating on various Gospel passages proposed for the liturgy of the Dead, or completing a work of mercy by offering to God the suffering and discomforts of one’s own life”.

Invitation to Priests

… the Decree asks that they make the Sacrament of Confession generously available and that they make Holy Communion available to the sick. In addition, all priests are invited to offer three Masses on All Souls’ Day.

This treasure trove of graces is available to us in addition to the four daily plenary indulgences that we can obtain throughout the year. Those four daily indulgenced acts are:

1. the public recitation of the Rosary,
2. 30 minutes or more of Scripture reading,
3. 30 minutes or more of Eucharistic Adoration, or
4. making the Stations of the Cross (all subject to the usual conditions for a plenary indulgence).

There’s also the special plenary indulgence attached to the recitation of the Divine Mercy Chaplet during the pandemic.

We also have the promise that even if we don’t meet all the conditions for a plenary (or complete) indulgence, immediately setting a Holy Soul free from Purgatory, our works of devotion still will merit a partial indulgence for the souls. In other words, every little bit helps. No matter what, our prayers and acts of devotion can help the Holy Souls. How much depends on our cooperation with God’s grace.

But why? Why does the Church offer these indulgences and summon us to pray for the dead?

Fundamentally, we pray for the dead because we believe in Purgatory, or a state of purification after death for those of us who die with the effects of sin still staining our souls (see Catechism, 1030-1032).

The Founder of the Congregation of Marian Fathers of the Immaculate Conception, St. Stanislaus Papczynski, said, “To beg God earnestly for the release of Souls who find themselves in expiatory flames or to come to their help by pious alms as well as by various other means, is to exercise the highest charity.”

And St. Faustina Kowalska, the Secretary and Apostle of Divine Mercy, was outstanding for this highest charity. Many times in her Diary, she records having visions of some of the Holy Souls in Purgatory who’d come to ask for her prayers to help them pass on to Heaven. She earnestly prayed for them, keeping the dying and the dead in her intentions for many of her Divine Mercy Chaplets and other prayers, throughout her life.

As November opens up before us, we should do the same. Christian charity summons to take up our Rosaries and seek indulgences, bringing the Holy Souls the assistance of our prayers and suffrages, helping to set the captives free from the purifications and delays of Purgatory, allowing them to go home to Heaven. Consider joining the Marian Fathers’ Holy Souls Sodality, joining your prayers and good works to other sodalists’ and together helping the departed.

This November, make a difference for the Holy Souls in Purgatory. Let’s make sure there’re no souls left behind, none forgotten, none left unprayed for.

Chris Sparks serves as senior book editor for the Marian Fathers. He is the author of the Marian Press book How Can You Still Be Catholic? 50 Answers to a Good Question.

Photo by davide ragusa on Unsplash

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