Jiangxi Diocese: Remembering the Faithful Departed Through Prayer and Charity

The Diocese of Jiangxi in south-central China observed All Souls’ Day with heartfelt remembrance of the departed faithful, turning prayer and acts of charity into living expressions of faith and love.

According to Faith Press, priests across the diocese celebrated Requiem Masses on November 2, offering prayers for the souls in purgatory and honoring the steadfast faith of generations who have gone before them. The celebrations took place in parishes throughout Nanchang, Jiujiang, Ji’an, Nancheng, and neighboring areas.

With reverence, priests and parishioners visited cemeteries, prayed together, read passages of Scripture, and laid flowers on the graves of bishops, priests, missionaries, religious sisters, and lay believers. These gestures of love and remembrance expressed deep gratitude for those who carried the light of faith, whose witness continues to inspire today’s generation of Catholics.

Throughout the diocese, homilies on that day focused on the doctrine of the Communion of Saints, the spiritual bond that unites the faithful on earth with the souls in purgatory and the saints in heaven. Priests encouraged parishioners to offer Masses, pray for the departed, and perform charitable works as acts of intercession, particularly for those souls who have no one to pray for them.

In a special initiative, the Nanchang deanery launched a Month of the Holy Souls Prayer Campaign, in which the faithful pray the Rosary daily for the deceased, a simple yet powerful expression of ongoing love and solidarity.

Through remembrance and prayer, the people of Jiangxi not only honor their ancestors in faith but also embody the living spirit of Christian compassion, ensuring that the legacy of belief continues through every generation.