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Dear Sisters and Brothers in
the Lord:
November 3rd and 4th have been designated as “Catholic Cemetery Sunday;”
a day to reaffirm every baptized Catholics’ right to buried as
prescribed by the rites of the Church. Our faith in Christ is centered
in our belief that Jesus suffered, died and rose again. The Resurrection
defines who we are as followers of Jesus and as Catholics. St. Paul
tells us, “If Christ has not been raised then your faith is in vain.”
We are living in a society
that discounts and even disparages belief in God much less the
resurrection of the body. Don’t be taken in by these false and pagan
values. Please read Cardinal George’s letter carefully:
Dear Friends in Christ,
This weekend we join with other dioceses around the United States as we
remember and offer prayers for our deceased loved ones. Although
November 2nd, the feast of All Souls, is the day traditionally set aside
to pray for the dead, we extend our prayers and reflections throughout
this weekend so that more may take part in this “holy and pious
thought.” On this weekend that is closest to the feast day, we pray for
the dead and reflect on our own mortality and the rites that the
Catholic Church affords us and our loved ones as we journey from this
world to the next.
Each of us, by our baptism,
is entitled to the rites of burial described in the Order of Christian
Funerals: a Wake, a Funeral Mass and a Committal Service at the
cemetery. These rites are our opportunity to pray to God, beseeching his
mercy on our deceased loved ones and thanking him for the gift of life.
Pamphlets provided by the Catholic Cemeteries explaining these beautiful
rites are available for assisting you in planning a Catholic funeral. I
ask that you take a moment this weekend to offer prayers for our
deceased in a special way and reflect on the need for and the beauty of
the Order of Christian Funerals as presented in the Catholic Cemeteries’
pamphlet.
“Eternal rest grant unto them
O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them.”
Sincerely yours in Christ,
Francis Cardinal George, O.M.I.
Archbishop of Chicago.
These pamphlets can be found on a table in the vestibule of church,
please take one for yourself or any one you feel would benefit from this
information. November is the month we remember in a special way the
souls of all the faithful departed. Let us seek their prayers and
intercession that we may strengthen our faith in the Risen Christ and
increase our practice of that faith through the manner we care for our
beloved dead.
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