‘It does not matter where you bury my body. All I ask of you, is that wherever you may be, you should remember me at the altar of the Lord.’ St Monica to St Augustine
For many years, the National Shrine of Saint Jude has promoted the Carmelite devotion to the souls of the departed by establishing a Dead List that is renewed each year.
In November the Church pauses to pray for all who have died, entrusting them to God’s mercy, and remembering that our faith in the Risen Christ gives light even to the valley of death.
Pope Leo XIV reminds us:
“Although they left us on the day when they died, we continue to carry them with us in our hearts, and their memory remains always alive within us amid our daily lives.”
“Love conquers death. In love, God will gather us together with our loved ones.”
“It is the hope founded on the Resurrection of Jesus who has conquered death and opened for us the path to the fullness of life.”
In the Carmelite tradition — grounded in prayer, community and service — we unite our remembrance with hope: hope that Christ, the Paschal Mystery, transforms even death into new life. We remember our sisters and brothers — known and unknown — entrusting them to God’s embrace, and we recommit ourselves to live faithfully, generously, now, in light of eternity.
May this month draw us deeper into the charism of the Carmel: that contemplative heart which ever sends forth compassion, that trusting in God’s call which presses into mission, that humble service which bears witness to life after death. In this way our lives, and our memories, become prayers rising up to God — uniting us with those who have gone before, as we journey together toward the safe harbour of God’s promise.
If you would like to add names to the Holy Souls Society, you can do that below.
Membership includes:
1. A daily Mass for deceased relatives and friends through the year (except the three days of Holy Week);
2. A Mass each month for deceased members and benefactors;
3. A share in the Masses, prayers and good works of the whole Carmelite Order.
There is no fixed membership fee, or annual subscription: just donate what you would like to become a member. You can either do this via our online service , or by printing a form and sending it to the Shrine office.
