By Garry K Wahlang
All Souls Day is a holy day for honouring the dead. Though the Eastern Orthodox church and a few other Christian denominations also observe the day, it is largely rooted in the Catholic faith. The largest Protestant church to observe this day is the Anglican church – most Protestant denominations do not observe the event and reject its underlying theology.
In a conversation with Father (Fr) Saji Stephen, director of the Don Bosco Technical School (DBTS), we got an idea about the significance of this day. He said it revolves around the twin concepts of remembrance and prayer… or remembrance through prayer.
Considering those who have passed on to the afterlife cannot pray for themselves, the living prays for them. Observance of this day is not just limited to November 2 (the official date) but is for the entire month.
He said, “In particular, we pray for those who have nobody living to pray for them. Our prayers show that God, in his mercy, will have compassion with all souls seeking to reach up to him.”
Fr. Stephen added, “We bless the graves with the holy water because we have washed and cleaned ourselves during baptism, a ritual that even the departed souls find comfort in.”
In this context, we spoke about purgatory.
Speaking on its meaning, he highlighted, “On All Souls Day, we especially remember and pray for the souls in purgatory.”
According to Christian belief, a purgatory is a place where souls reach soon after they pass from the mortal coil.
“Every human being has their own shortcomings and failures. We believe that those who sin find it difficult to reach God. In purgatory, time is given to purify the soul,” he said.
Sin, he emphasised, does not go together with the concept of the holy.
He reflected that purgatory is a state of mind – the soul is alive with memories – whatever experience we have in our lives, we don’t forget even after our death.
All Souls Day is also tied to the Christian concept of Judgement Day, which in turn, decides whether the soul will reach heaven or hell.
The Father said, “Following purification, coupled with our prayers, the soul will enter heaven. If condemned to hell, it’s eternal and there is no purgatory and redemption for the individual.”
Inevitably, we spoke about ghosts and their place within the Christian faith.
For him, they’re “mainly spirits that have not found rest and bound to desires, which make it difficult for them to move on into the next stage of life”.
Considering the soul never dies, dependence on material possessions entraps them. He also stressed on research in this domain, adding how books have documented instances of the dead returning to life. There have been cases of people briefly experiencing the afterlife… in their words, “so wonderful that they didn’t want to come back to earth”.
Apart from prayers, people also make it a point to visit the graves of their loved ones on this day.
Wankeri Talang, a Catholic resident from Laitkor, said, “On All Souls Day, we offer flowers to the departed souls as a way to show them that we cared for them while they were alive, and will always remember them in death. They have fulfilled their purpose on Earth and embraced the afterlife. Our prayers ensure that God will welcome them with open arms.”
For her, just placing flower wreaths isn’t enough. That she gets to touch and talk to the graves of her loved ones reflects the possibility of meeting them again.
Meet Iba Wriang, a resident from Mawlai, belonging to the Presbyterian church. Touching on a personal note, she shared, “All Souls Day is a day I remember my grandfather, who was a Catholic. We visit him and lay flowers on his grave on this day.”
That said, she doesn’t believe in praying for the dead; rather it is rooted in remembrance. “My family never stopped me from honouring my grandfather. We hold a service, following which, we gather around a small feast with the family to keep his memory alive.”
Wriang said, “Being a Presbyterian or a Catholic doesn’t matter much to me. At the end of the day, how are we living our lives? Is it Christ-like? For me, that is far more important.”
“All Souls Day is a Catholic belief, but I take it as an opportunity to also celebrate my departed loved ones,” she added.
Speaking to the different people of Shillong opened up a world.
The divergent views cannot alter the one basic aspect of All Souls Day – as we disagree on the rituals, there is one unifying thought – rooted in remembrance of those on the journey to the great beyond, hoping their souls find peace in the afterlife.