TRUMBULL—All Souls Day Masses will be celebrated on November 2 at 11 am at Gate of Heaven Cemetery in Trumbull and St. John-St. Mary Cemetery in Norwalk.
Bishop Frank J. Caggiano will celebrate the outdoor Mass at St. John-St. Mary Cemetery, 223 Richards Avenue in Norwalk.
At the same time, Msgr. Thomas Powers, vicar general of the Diocese of Bridgeport, will celebrate the Mass at the Gate of Heaven Cemetery, 1056 Daniels Farm Road in Trumbull.
The Masses will be offered for all the faithful departed souls in the diocese. They are open to the public and will take place rain or shine. Both locations will have chair seating and a large tent.
Bishop Caggiano announced the first outdoor All Souls Mass last year in the hope that it would become an annual tradition across the diocese. More than 150 people attended the inaugural Mass.
“It is my hope that this special Mass will be celebrated every year and become a new tradition in the Diocese of Bridgeport,” said Bishop Caggiano when he announced the Mass. Plans call for the Mass to be held in a different diocesan cemetery each year.
“These Masses will be offered for the repose of the souls of all the faithful departed. Catholics are encouraged that day to pray for all those who died and rest in the peace of Christ,” said Msgr. Powers.
Traditionally, Catholics visit cemeteries on All Souls Day to remember the dead and pray for their souls. During the Masses, the bishop and Msgr. Powers will remember in a special way, all deceased bishops, priests, deacons, consecrated men and women and lay faithful.
The All Souls Day Mass held in Norwalk will be streamed lived on the diocesan Facebook page (Facebook.com/bridgeportdiocese).
Arrangements for the outdoor Masses are supported by Catholic Cemeteries and the Diocesan Real Estate Office.
(The Diocese sponsors nine cemeteries around Fairfield County. For information on Catholic Cemeteries, call 203.416.1494.)
