Praying for the Dead: A Good Lenten Practice

Roman Catholics usually associate prayer for the dead with November, the month of All Saints Day and All Souls Day. But in Eastern Rite Catholic churches and in the Eastern Orthodox Church, Christians celebrate five All Souls Saturdays. Three of these All Souls Saturdays fall during Lent. (This year, they were March 3, March 10, and March 17; the other two are February 10 and May 27.)

The newspaper of the Diocese of Rockford, Illinois, recently ran an interesting story on the All Souls Saturdays, which offered some suggestions for ways in which Roman Catholics can integrate this Eastern Christian practice into our Lenten discipline. One good way is to learn some traditional prayers for the faithful departed and pray them frequently during Lent.