I am interested in my own family's genealogy and in preserving the memories of deceased family members. My parents, grandparents, and of course my great-grandparents are all deceased. One of my great-grandfathers, Barnaby Du Charme, buried in St. Gabriel Cemetery, Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin, was a veteran of the Civil War.

As a Catholic, I prayerfully remember my deceased loved ones and all the souls of the faithful departed, particularly during the month of November, which is the "month of the holy souls". The Catholic Faith teaches that when a person dies, if he or she dies in a state of grace, meaning they did not have any unconfessed mortal sins, they will go either directly to heaven, or more likely, their soul will go through a purification, not of sin, but of the temporal punishment due to sin. This purification is referred to as Purgatory and is a defined dogma of the Catholic Faith. Thus the Church encourages the faithful to pray for the departed souls so that they might be purified and enjoy the beatific vision, that is, the unspeakable of joy of the complete presence of God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit, together with the angels and the saints, in Heaven.

Pray to God daily for the grace to know Him, to know the Truth, who is Incarnate in the Son, Jesus Christ, and to come to the fullness of the Truth in the Catholic Faith.

For all the Holy Souls we pray:

Eternal rest grant unto them O Lord.
And let perpetual light shine upon them.
May they rest in peace. Amen.

In Latin:

Requiem aeternam dona eis Domine:
et lux perpetua tua luceat eis.
Requiescant in pace. Amen.

I am interested in my own family's genealogy and in preserving the memories of deceased family members. My parents, grandparents, and of course my great-grandparents are all deceased. One of my great-grandfathers, Barnaby Du Charme, buried in St. Gabriel Cemetery, Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin, was a veteran of the Civil War.

As a Catholic, I prayerfully remember my deceased loved ones and all the souls of the faithful departed, particularly during the month of November, which is the "month of the holy souls". The Catholic Faith teaches that when a person dies, if he or she dies in a state of grace, meaning they did not have any unconfessed mortal sins, they will go either directly to heaven, or more likely, their soul will go through a purification, not of sin, but of the temporal punishment due to sin. This purification is referred to as Purgatory and is a defined dogma of the Catholic Faith. Thus the Church encourages the faithful to pray for the departed souls so that they might be purified and enjoy the beatific vision, that is, the unspeakable of joy of the complete presence of God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit, together with the angels and the saints, in Heaven.

Pray to God daily for the grace to know Him, to know the Truth, who is Incarnate in the Son, Jesus Christ, and to come to the fullness of the Truth in the Catholic Faith.

For all the Holy Souls we pray:

Eternal rest grant unto them O Lord.
And let perpetual light shine upon them.
May they rest in peace. Amen.

In Latin:

Requiem aeternam dona eis Domine:
et lux perpetua tua luceat eis.
Requiescant in pace. Amen.