BRIDGEPORT—All Souls Day Mass will be celebrated in six cemeteries throughout the diocese on the morning of Tuesday, November 2, at 11 am. The Masses will be offered for the repose of the souls of all the faithful departed. All are welcome to attend.
Bishop Frank J. Caggiano will be the main celebrant at the All Souls Day Mass held at Gate of Heaven Cemetery in Trumbull. He will also bless the new mausoleum under construction on the grounds. The Mass will be streamed live on the diocesan Facebook page: Facebook.com/bridgeportdiocese.
All Souls Day Masses will also be offered at St. Peter Cemetery in Danbury, with Fr. Greg Mecca as celebrant; St. Mary/Putnam Cemetery, Greenwich, Fr. Ian Jeremiah, celebrant; St. John/St. Mary Cemetery, Norwalk, Fr. Jeff Couture, celebrant; St. Michael Cemetery, Stratford, Fr. Peter Adamski; and St. John Cemetery, Darien, Msgr. Thomas Powers, celebrant.
November is the month of the Holy Souls in Purgatory and All Souls Day is a special day in particular during which we pray for those who have died.
“We come here not simply to pray for our sisters and brothers who stay here for a time, a resting place until their resurrection in glory, but we come here to pray for one another as our pilgrimage continues,” the bishop said at the 2019 Mass.
In his homily, which was streamed live on the diocesan Facebook page, Bishop Caggiano noted that: “We do not celebrate Mass everyday here, but on this most special day we come to remember that this ground is holy ground.”
“All of this ground is consecrated, so that all who lie here, lie here only for a time. For we believe as Catholic Christians that the day will come when Christ returns in his glory and the dead will rise from these graves.”
The bishop thanked the pastors and priests who will be celebrating this year’s Masses and encouraged Catholics throughout the diocese to pray that all those who have died may rest in the peace of Christ.
Bishop Caggiano announced the first outdoor All Souls Mass in 2016, and it has become an annual tradition across the diocese. Thousands of faithful of all ages throughout the diocese have found the Mass a moving and memorable way to pray for the faithfully departed. The Masses were not held last year because of restrictions in the COVID-19 crisis.
Traditionally, Catholics visit cemeteries on All Souls Day to remember the dead and pray for their souls. During the Masses, the celebrants will remember in a special way all deceased bishops, priests, deacons, consecrated men and women and lay faithful.
The Masses will be celebrated rain or shine under large outdoor tents. Arrangements and logistics for the day are supported by Catholic Cemeteries.
The diocese maintains sponsors ten active cemeteries in Fairfield County. For information on Catholic Cemeteries, call 203.742.1450 Option 5 or go to www.ctcemeteries.org.
By Brian D. Wallace
