Anyone gathering with Fr. Varghese and Sacred Heart faithful in their Kakinada cemetery November 2nd, might have seen in vibrant color this reality -- faith makes death beautiful, and that those who go before us to God, in faith, are blessed.
Families cleaned and decorated loved ones' graves and prayed for and with the souls of the faithful departed. Fr. Varghese is still recovering from Malaria, but blessed each grave and prayed with the people, offering a special outdoor Mass. He always takes special care on the Feasts of All Saints and All Souls, to explain Catholic teachings on death and the afterlife. The Poor Souls in Purgatory need our prayers, and in their gratitude, are powerful intercessors for those on Earth. In a unique way, these days of celebrating the whole Community of Faith, in Heaven, Purgatory and on Earth, are marked with solemnity, remembrance and joy.
To bury the dead is a Corporal Work of Mercy, and to pray for the living and the dead is a Spiritual Work of Mercy. May we live November, the month in honor of the Poor Souls of Purgatory, prayerfully and well. Dear Poor Souls in Purgatory, Pray for Us! All Saints in Heaven, hear our prayers.+++
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