Holy Souls & Blessing of Graves
This content has been archived. It may no longer be relevant
We are not able to have our usual blessing of the graves service this year. Therefore, Fr. Liam, Fr. Damian and Fr. Simon Peter visited the Cemeteries on Sutton Road and at Aylesford during the past week and carried out the service themselves. They prayed for all who are laid to rest there, especially parishioners. May they rest in peace.
However we have been encouraged to continue to pray for all who have died, with these particular guidelines we have received from the Diocese.
The plenary indulgence for those who visit a cemetery and pray for the departed, which is normally applicable between 1 to 8 November, will now apply to the entire month of November and need not be on consecutive days. The plenary indulgence of All Souls’ Day, 2 November, whereby the faithful may visit a church, chapel or oratory to pray the Our Father and the Creed, can be transferred not only to the preceding or successive Sunday, or, indeed, the solemnity of All Saints’, but may now also be gained on any other day within the month of November, too.
Those faithful who are shielding, or for whatever genuine reason are unable to leave their homes, may also achieve the plenary indulgence by offering prayer for the departed and offering any hardships they may presently be enduring. The following provisions would also apply: viz. spiritually uniting themselves with all other faithful; detachment from sin; and, having the intention as soon as possible to meet the three usual conditions of sacramental Confession, Holy Communion and prayer for the intentions of the Holy Father.
Please visit this page for more information.