CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — With All Souls’ Day approaching on Nov. 2, Corpus Christi Cathedral is inviting the community to take part in a special ofrenda honoring family members and friends who have died.
The ofrenda is being prepared inside the cathedral’s new Our Lady of Guadalupe Chapel. The idea came after Bishop Mario Alberto Avilés approached Father Pedro Elizardo, rector of Corpus Christi Cathedral, about creating a community space for remembrance and prayer.
Elizardo said the tradition is meant to bring hope and comfort to families as they remember loved ones who are no longer with them.
“Our hope is in eternal life. We hope that all those who have gone before us have entered into the glory of God, but it remains a mystery to all of us. So we continue to pray for them and offer those prayers to God on their behalf,” Elizardo said.
The priest also spoke about the grief that remains after losing someone and how faith can provide comfort.
“We miss our loved ones because the love never goes away,” Elizardo said. “That love hurts because we want to see them, hold them, and hear them. Everything we go through as our loved ones enter eternal rest, we can bring into these nine days of special prayer for them and for ourselves.”
Elizardo said everyone is welcome to participate, including those who are not Catholic.
Anyone who would like to take part can bring a framed photo of a loved one to the Cathedral parish office ahead of the celebration or bring it on Sunday. The frame will help ensure each photo can be identified and safely returned to its owner.
Masses will be celebrated Sunday at 9:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. Afterward, participants will make their way to the chapel to place their photos on the ofrenda.
The photos will remain on the altar throughout a nine-day novena, with prayers offered for those who have died and for their families.
The cathedral is also offering families the option of having a loved one’s photo placed on a candle that they can keep after the observance. Elizardo said the idea is for the light to continue burning in their homes as a symbol of hope and remembrance.
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