CEBU CITY — As Filipinos prepare for the upcoming observance of Undas, the Archdiocese of Cebu’s Commission on Worship has released a specialized prayer guide for families visiting cemeteries.
According to the commission, the solemn rite is designed for All Souls’ Day, Memorial Day, death anniversaries, or during the installation of gravestones and cemetery monuments. The prayers can also be recited by individuals visiting the graves of loved ones or immediately following a holy mass.
The prayer service can be led by a priest, a deacon, a lay minister, or any family member. In addition to cemetery visits, the faithful are strongly encouraged to attend Mass and offer intentions for the departed.
Catholics worldwide observe All Souls’ Day every November 2 to remember and pray for the faithful departed.
Fr. Ritche Salgado, O. Carm., emphasized that the annual tradition is more than just a memory of the past.
”This is an opportunity for us to express our gratitude and love for our loved ones who went ahead of us,” Fr. Salgado said.
”We don’t just remember them, but we pray for them, in our desire to help them to fully enter into God’s presence, believing that when we die we still have traces of imperfection because of the sins and regrets that we carry with us,” he added.