Praying for the Souls All Year

Margaret Rash encourages praying for the Holy Souls in Purgatory as a family all year long. 

We're a week into November and the Hallowtide traditions are behind us. But it's not too late to pray for the Holy Souls in Purgatory.  

About 20 years ago, I was walking through an old cemetery in Ireland. It was on a hilltop, very old, and hauntingly beautiful. I was trying to make out some of the names and other engravings on the headstones, some much clearer than others. One, I have never forgotten, had a poem written on it. It read:  

“Remember, man, as you walk by, as you are now, so once was I. As I am now, so will you be. Remember, man, eternity.” 

Why Remember the Dead? 

We are all called to remember eternity and keep our eternal goal in mind.

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us rid ourselves of every burden and sin that clings to us and persevere in running the race that lies before us. (Hebrews 12:1)  

Remembering the Holy Souls in Purgatory and their need for our prayers is an effective way to keep our own eventual deaths in mind.  

Praying for the living and the dead is also a Work of Mercy. The Church teaches that we cannot merit anything for ourselves after death, the time for that is now. This means that the Souls in Purgatory also cannot pray for themselves. They are going to Heaven, that is assured for them, but the purgation they suffer before entrance into Heaven is a painful process.  

By praying for them, you can help alleviate some of their suffering. By offering prayers and sacrifices, you can speed up their entrance into Heaven. 

Practical Ways to Remember the Dead All Year 

Here are five practical ways you and your family can remember the Holy Souls all year: 

• Learn the Eternal Rest prayer and praying it together as a family. You can pray it together as part of your morning or evening prayers, after meals, or whenever you pass a cemetery. 
• Visit a local cemetery and praying for the dead there. You can help tidy up the graves of debris, leave flowers by the graves of loved ones, and remember to pray for them while you're there. Consider making this a monthly habit with your family. 
• Remember the Holy Souls in Purgatory in your Rosary prayer intentions. 
• Consider praying for the Souls with a group like the Holy Souls Sodality. 
• Have Masses said for the Holy Souls. 

These are just a few ways we can keep the Souls in mind and pray for them, not just in November, but year-round.   

What ways do you prefer to pray or sacrifice for the Souls in Purgatory? 

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Copyright 2025 Margaret Rash
Images: Canva