I have had, throughout my life, any number of unrealistic dreams. While I’m past the point of hoping that my glove and smooth swing will land me on a major league roster, there are still a few pipe dreams that I indulge in. One of them comes to the fore every November, when the Church prays for the souls of the faithful departed. Ideally, I would like to die at the stroke of midnight on November 2, as the Feast of All Souls begins. Then I plan to coast to Eternal Life on a cloud of prayers intended for those in most need of God’s Mercy, as the Fatima prayer would have it. In an ideal world, I would like to be concelebrating Mass with the Archbishop at that time, dive in front of an attack meant for him, and then receive the Apostolic Pardon from him at the altar. We pray to St. Joseph for the grace of a happy death, and anything worth doing is worth overdoing, right?

My absurd plans aside, November is a graced opportunity for the Church to revel in the beauty of the communion of Saints. We begin the month celebrating the Church Triumphant: those who have run the race and are now with God in eternity.
We then move to All Souls, when we recognize the need to pray for our loved ones and the poor souls of purgatory, the Church Suffering, beseeching God to welcome them fully into His presence. We, as the Church Militant, unite ourselves to the fullness of the Church and pray for salvation for the entire world. This November, I invite you to spend time each day, ideally with your family, praying for those we have loved and lost. Take advantage of the graces which the Church attaches to this time, and reflect on the purpose of life: becoming saints.
 
Prayers always,
Fr. McC There are many indulgences, applicable only to the Souls in Purgatory, that can be obtained during the month of November.
 
A plenary indulgence, applicable only to the souls in purgatory, is granted to the faithful who,
· on any and each day from November 1 to 8,
       devoutly visit a cemetery and pray, if only
       mentally, for the departed;
 
· on All Souls' Day (or, according to the judgment of the ordinary, on the Sunday preceding or
       following it, or on the solemnity of All Saints),
       devoutly visit a church or an oratory and recite
       an Our Father and the Creed.
 
A partial indulgence, applicable only to the souls in purgatory, is granted to the faithful who,
· devoutly visit a cemetery and at least mentally pray for the dead;
 
· devoutly recite lauds or vespers from the
       Office of the Dead or the prayer Requiem
       aeternam  (Eternal rest).