“I Am Not Afraid” | An All Souls’ Day Reflection From Joanne Seale

On this All Souls’ Day, we invite you to a brief and moving reflection by long-time parishioner Joanne Seale.

Recorded on June 8, 2023—less than two months before her death—Joanne sat with Fr. Lundberg to speak of faith in the face of suffering.

After successive cancer diagnoses in 2021 and 2022, she chose to trust God’s plans above her own, offering her pain as a sacrifice, surrendering control, and drawing strength from her weakness. With quiet resolve, she sought Mary’s intercession, praying simply for the grace to say “yes” to whatever the Lord asked.

Her words—“I am not afraid”—stand as a luminous witness of hope and abandonment to divine mercy. As you watch, please pray for the repose of Joanne’s soul and for all the faithful departed.

 

Catholic Prayers for the Dead:
A Timeless Act of Mercy and Hope

On All Souls’ Day, the Catholic Church turns her attention in a special way to those who have died. Catholic teaching holds that the faithful departed who are not yet fully purified may be helped by the prayers, Masses, and good works of the living. This practice is rooted in Scripture (notably 2 Maccabees 12:43–46), the Church’s longstanding tradition, and the doctrine of purgatory—the merciful process by which souls are prepared for the perfect holiness required to enter heaven. Praying for the dead is therefore both an act of charity and an expression of the communion of saints that binds the Church on earth, in purgatory, and in heaven.

The Foundational Prayer

The simplest and most widely used prayer remains the traditional one that appears in the Mass and the Office for the Dead:

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord,

and let perpetual light shine upon them.

May they rest in peace. Amen.

May their souls and the souls of all the faithful departed,

through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.

You can offer it at any time—after Mass, at a graveside, or in private. Many Catholics add the short phrase, “May the divine assistance remain always with us, and may the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace” at the end of the day.

The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass

The greatest prayer the Church can offer for the dead is the Eucharist. Requiem Masses (or any Mass offered for a particular intention) apply the infinite merits of Christ’s sacrifice to the soul of the deceased. Parishioners may request Masses for loved ones through the parish office. The Church teaches that the Mass is the most efficacious means of assisting the holy souls.

The Rosary and the Divine Mercy Chaplet

The Rosary, especially when prayed with the intention of the deceased, is a powerful intercession. Many people pray the Sorrowful Mysteries or the Glorious Mysteries while offering the decades for particular souls. The Divine Mercy Chaplet, which Our Lord asked St. Faustina to pray for sinners and the dying, is also frequently offered for the dead. Its repeated plea—“For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world”—is especially fitting when directed toward those still in need of purification.

The Office for the Dead

The Church provides a formal liturgical prayer for the dead in the Liturgy of the Hours. The Office of the Dead may be prayed by clergy, religious, or lay people. It includes psalms, readings, and intercessions that express both sorrow and Christian hope. Even praying one hour of this Office (Morning Prayer or Evening Prayer) is a substantial offering. Click here: Office for the Dead

Other Recommended Practices:

– Visiting a cemetery and praying for the dead. A plenary indulgence, applicable only to the souls in purgatory, is granted each day from November 1 through 8 under the usual conditions (sacramental confession, reception of Holy Communion, prayer for the Pope’s intentions, and detachment from sin) to those who visit a cemetery and pray for the dead. Come to Sacred Heart Cemetery, 115 E Bond Street, Winchester, VA 22601.

– The “De Profundis” (Psalm 130). This psalm of trust and longing is traditionally associated with the dead and is often recited at funerals and on All Souls’ Day. Click here: De Profundis

– The Litany of the Saints or simple invocations of the saints for the repose of particular souls.

– Offering one’s daily work, sufferings, or sacrifices with the intention that their merits be applied to the holy souls.

Note:

“From the beginning the Church has honored the memory of the dead and offered prayers in suffrage for them, above all the Eucharistic sacrifice, so that, thus purified, they may attain the beatific vision of God” (CCC 1032).

These prayers do not imply that the deceased are automatically in purgatory, nor do they replace the Church’s firm hope in God’s mercy. They are simply the natural response of love: if we continue to care for one another in this life, we continue that care after death.

On this All Souls’ Day, consider choosing one concrete practice—attending a Requiem Mass, praying the Rosary for a specific person, or simply repeating the prayer “Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord”—and offering it for Joanne Seale and for all the faithful departed. In doing so, we both assist the holy souls and deepen our own hope in the resurrection.

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May they rest in peace. Amen.