NOVEMBER 2025

Dear Rev. Fathers, Religious, and People of God,

On the 1st of November, we celebrate the memory of all the known and unknown saints who enjoy the blessedness of beholding the face of God and participate in His heavenly banquet. The celebration should help us to revive in us the desire for our sanctification and the hope of heaven where our holy brethren await us. I wish you all a happy feast of all saints.

Having honored the triumphant church in heaven on November 1st, the Church on earth honors the members of the Church suffering in purgatory on November 2nd, thus demonstrating the supernatural bond of communion of saints. The Church teaches us that the souls in purgatory are helped by our daily prayers, by our charitable actions to the poor and offering of Holy Masses. We learn from the history that praying for the departed souls, giving alms in their names and offering masses had already existed and it is seen in the Book of Maccabees.

The souls in purgatory, being unable to help themselves, depend on the prayers of the pilgrim church for their redemption. Offering of our prayers and sacrifices for the departed souls, do not leave them forgotten or abandoned. It brings benefits to ourselves, too, inasmuch as it helps us to change our lives, to avoid sins and to prepare ourselves for a good and holy death. Let us be generous in helping them through our prayers and works of charity, for what is given to them will come back to us a hundredfold reward. The day will come when we and they will stand together in the heavenly court, beholding the face of God, in the glorious company of the angels and saints, and join in their unending hymn of praise.

Please instruct your parishioners to offer masses, prayers and alms giving in the name of the departed souls, requesting them to visit the cemeteries during this month. Plenary indulgence applicable only to souls in purgatory is granted to any of the faithful who on any day from 1 to 8 November visit the cemetery. It is our duty and obligation to pray for our deceased bishops, priests and religious who exercised their ministry in our diocese.

Invoking God’s blessings and with assurance of my prayers and cordial blessings,

Yours devotedly in Risen Lord

+L. Thomas Aquinas

Bishop of Coimbatore