All Souls’ Day and Intercessory Prayer

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Lesson Overview

In this lesson, you will help teach students about the importance of praying for the souls in Purgatory and how they can play an active role in Christ’s gift of salvation by their participation and cooperation in His work of salvation and sanctification through intercessory prayer. 

Students will receive a helpful infographic as well as Pledge Cards with information on how to receive indulgences, so that Catholic and non-Catholic students alike can pray for the souls of the dead.

“If, during life, we have been kind to the suffering souls in purgatory, God will see that help be not denied us after death.” – St. Paul of the Cross

“Let us help and commemorate them. If Job’s sons were purified by their father’s sacrifice (Job 1:5), why would we doubt that our offerings for the dead bring them some consolation? Let us not hesitate to help those who have died and to offer our prayers for them.” – St. John Chrysostom

These materials were developed in partnership with the Catholic Diocese of Pensacola-Tallahassee. We are especially grateful to Mike Juhas, Superintendent of Catholic Schools, for making possible this collaboration.

Lesson Materials

Before You Teach

Note to teacher: Before presenting this lesson, preview the following videos and articles, and consider sharing them with your students as well.

Why do we commemorate All Souls Day?

What does the Catholic Church say about temporal punishment and indulgences?

Catholic Answers: What Does the Church Say about Indulgences?

How does All Souls Day connect with these Church teachings and how can I help the souls in Purgatory through my prayers?

Additional Activities for All Souls Day

Lesson Plan

A. Begin by explaining to your students that on All Souls' Day, we pray for the dead in a special way. Praying for the souls in Purgatory is putting into practice the virtue of charity.  

B. Using content from the articles and videos, offer a brief "chalk talk" on salvation through Jesus, the types of sin, the souls in Purgatory, why we pray for them and that they pray for us. 

C. Then, transition to the process for obtaining a plenary or partial indulgence. Use the provided infographic on obtaining a plenary indulgence as a handout, an image on a PowerPoint slide, or both. Go over the process together.

D. If at all possible, provide opportunities for students and your fellow teachers to choose to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation during the school day between Nov. 1 and 8. (Eight days before or after Nov. 2 also suffices.)

E. Encourage the class (and, if possible, go together as a class) to a cemetery and pray for the departed some time between November 1-8.

E. Give out the Pledge Cards, explaining that there are two options: one for Catholic students on obtaining an indulgence, and one for your non-Catholic students to offer a spiritual bouquet for the dead.

F. Provide the opportunity for students to record the name of the person(s) for whom they’ve offered the indulgence, for example with a prayer service with an offering of the records at the altar.

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