Parish community in R. A. Puram prays for the departed at special Masses

Every year, November 2 is observed as All Souls Day in the church calendar. It is a day when people pray for the departed souls in their families.
At Our Lady of Guidance Church at R.A. Puram, three Masses were held, two in the morning and one in the evening.
The congregation was given candles and asked to light them in the church. The candles were arranged in front of the altar within the letters RIP – as seen in the picture.
Earlier, Christians were asked not to visit the cemetery on St. Mary’s Road on November 2 as decided by Chennai Corporation. However the rule was relaxed by 12 noon and people were permitted to visit the cemetery and pay respects to the departed souls. They were given permission to wash the graves and adorn them with flowers, candles and incense.
– Report by Juliana Sridhar