The month of November begins with two feasts that point to our ultimate destiny. All Saints Day and All Souls Day both recall the reality we are mortal and will die.
In addition to remembering our own mortality, we are also encouraged by the Church to pray for our beloved deceased family and friends.
One concrete way that the Church recommends is to visit a cemetery and pray for all those who have died and are buried there.
When to visit a cemetery
While you can visit a cemetery any time during the year, the Church provides a special indulgence during the first week of November.
An indulgence, applicable only to the souls in Purgatory, is granted to the faithful who devoutly visit a cemetery and pray for the departed in November. The indulgence is plenary each day from the 1st to the 8th of November; on other days of the year it is partial.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church defines an indulgence as “a remission before God of the temporal punishment due to sins whose guilt has already been forgiven” (CCC 1471).
To pray for the souls in Purgatory while visiting a cemetery, the most common prayer is the "Eternal Rest" prayer.
You can also pray the prayer of St. Gertrude for the souls in purgatory.
A simple Hail Mary or even a Rosary could be prayed at a cemetery as well.
Visiting a cemetery in November is often difficult to do because of the weather, but it is a worthy sacrifice that will reap many benefits for you and for the souls in Purgatory.
