Upcoming Events

Annual Mass of Remembrance

Wednesday, November 5 at 5:15pm

Each year on Nov. 2, our Church invites us to commemorate All Souls’ Day, also referred to as the Commemoration of all the Faithful Departed. In Mexico, the day is known as Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead. From the beginning of Christianity, we have prayed for the dead. This is seen primarily in the Roman catacombs, where the faithful visited the tombs of early Christians martyred for the faith.

Throughout the centuries, the Catholic Church has prayed for the dead in various ways. Two obvious examples are found within each celebration of the Mass. The first example is that generally, the last petition in the universal prayer is for the faithful departed. The second example is that in whatever Eucharistic Prayer the presider chooses (there are 10 options, and depending on the season, the presider is limited in his selection), there is always a reference to the dead. “Remember also our brothers and sisters who have fallen asleep in the hope of the resurrection, and all who have died in your mercy” (Eucharist Prayer II) and “To our departed brothers and sisters and to all who were pleasing to you at their passing from this life, give kind admittance to your kingdom” (Eucharistic Prayer III) are just two examples of the prayers for the dead in our liturgy.

And you may ask yourself, why? Why do we pray for the dead? Why do we continue to remember those who have died because the grief of their passing is so deep and heavy? It is because in our belief as Christians, those who have been baptized have already died in Christ, and the physical death of the body is when we await the promise of the resurrection. That those who have died in the flesh, “for God’s faithful people, life is changed, not ended” (Preface for the Dead, I). Death is a part of the human condition. In a sense, we are born to die. But as we live and move and have our being aware of this reality, we are called to live our lives in accord with God’s will, giving him glory and honor by doing what he created us to do: love. Grief is painful because the love we have for those who have died has nowhere to go. As people of faith, we remember our death by praying for those who have died, that one day we will all be united in the new and eternal Jerusalem.

Join us this Wednesday, Nov. 5, at the 5:15pm Mass for our annual parish Mass of Remembrance, where we remember in a special way those who have been buried from the Cathedral in the past year. Due to the music being sung and the remembrance of the deceased at this particular mass, the length of this mass will be longer than a typical Wednesday evening Mass. All those who attend are invited to bring a framed photo of their loved one and place it on the steps leading to the sanctuary for the duration of this Mass. Let us come to thank God for our loved ones and pray that they are enjoying the face of God for eternity.