All Souls’ Day (Nov. 2), is a time to pray for the souls in purgatory and make special sacrifices or give something up on their behalf. You can also visit cemeteries to pray for the dead, lighting candles (if permitted) or bringing flowers to graves. There is an indulgence for those who visit a cemetery and offer certain prayers on this day. Consider praying not just for your family members and friends, but for those who have no one to pray for them.
October is traditionally the month of the rosary. Originally, the association sprang from the celebration of the Oct. 7 Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary, and it was further reinforced by the final apparition of the Blessed Virgin Mary at Fatima on Oct. 13, 1917. The rosary is a treasured Catholic tradition that was popularized by the 1214 apparition of Mary to St. Dominic in which she asked him to spread the devotion. It was formalized into the structure we know today in the 15th century by Dominican monk Blessed Alan de la Roche, with the luminous mysteries added by St. John Paul II in 2002. Here are some ways to make this beloved prayer feel new again.