All Souls’ Day gathered us, as usual, to pray together in the crypt of the church on our sisters’ graves. We pray for them, but we also pray for all the faithful departed.
The celebration of All Souls’ Day derives from the Benedictine tradition – it was initiated in 998 by St. Odilon, abbot of Cluny (France). This practice was initially adopted by the Benedictine monasteries, and over time it has spread to the entire Western Church.
Our Founder, Mother Mectilde of the Blessed Sacrament, who has experienced the help of the souls in Purgatory many times in her life, also strongly encouraged us to pray for the dead:
Do not forget the holy souls in purgatory. These poor souls have an extraordinary desire to go to God. The act of great love is to hasten their happiness, even if it were only for a few moments. Pray for relief for them. It is unbelievable how these holy souls are helpful – although they suffer themselves, they do not stop praying for us and helping us when we ask them to do so.
