Dear Parish Family, There isn’t a day that we do not think of a loved one who has gone home to be with God. The Feast of All Souls Day is celebrated in many parts of the world. Perhaps the one most recognized here is Day of the Dead or Dia de los Muertos in Spanish, halottaknapja in Hungarian, Dzien Zaduszny in Polish, Yomel Maouta in Lebanon, Syria, and Israel. The celebration as we know it today was coined by St Odilo of Cluny at his abbey in 1048 and spread throughout monasteries in Europe. Only in the 14th century did this special day become fixed as All Souls Day in November. Orthodox and Eastern churches celebrate throughout the year usually on a Saturday, as that was the day of Jesus being in the tomb. This day of remembrance and prayer incorporates our traditions and beliefs. Here at St Mark, we celebrate our friends and family at our Memorial Mass, along with a Book of Remembrance in which we invite you to inscribe the name of someone you wish to remember in a special way and are now in their heavenly home. Not only do we light candles, visit cemeteries, offer prayers and ask for the intercession of the Saints, but in some places, cakes known as soul cakes are baked for the departed. This is a lovely time to embrace the heart and soul of our loved ones. The beautiful prayer for the commendation at the end of the Liturgy of Christian burial asks for all that we could wish for our deceased brothers and sisters. “Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord and let perpetual light shine upon them may their souls and all the souls of the departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.” Mary Jo