Dominicans today filled the cemeteries to pray, light candles and place flowers on the graves of their loved ones, on the occasion of All Souls’ Day. In the capital, as in previous years, the most visited cemeteries were Máximo Gómez Avenue, Cristo Rey, Cristo Redentor, Memorial and Puerta del Cielo.
Contrary to previous years, this time most of the cemeteries were prepared by the mayors.
In the National District, all cemeteries were conditioned so that they were in optimal conditions to receive those who visit the graves of their loved ones.
You can read: Thousands went to cemeteries to pay tribute to their dead
The Máximo Gómez National Cemetery, Christ the King and Christ the Redeemer were impacted with general cleaning work, mowing, trimming, pruning, restoration of containers, painting at the entrances, offices and parking spaces.
The director of Public Services of the Mayor’s Office of the National District, Pamela Martínez, stated in this regard that the action sought to provide greater dignity to the cemeteries as a result of the large number of relatives and friends who visited them for All Souls’ Day. .
Martínez took the opportunity to call on citizens to go to the different cemeteries to prepare the cemeteries of their loved ones, since many are in a state of abandonment.
The graves
This time, the mayor’s office distributed plastic bags to visitors so that they could deposit the herbs and waste they collected from the graves.
The measure ensured that the weeds removed from the graves were not thrown into others and, furthermore, the cleaning of the environment.
The commemoration
All Souls’ Day is a religious holiday within the Catholic Churches, in memory of the deceased. It is commemorated on November 2 and its objective is to pray for those faithful who have ended their earthly life and, in the Catholic case, for those who are still in a state of purification in Purgatory.
The commemoration of All Souls’ Day is celebrated every year on November 2, as part of an agreement of the Western Orthodox Christian churches.
The Anglican Communion and the Catholic Church agreed to have the same calendar and days of religious celebrations and saints to facilitate their parishioners’ attendance at their respective celebrations.
The commemoration is based on the doctrine that the souls of the faithful who at the time of death have not been cleansed of venial sins, or who have not made atonement for past transgressions, cannot attain the Beatific Vision, and that they can help achieve it through prayers and the sacrifice of the mass. Certain popular beliefs related to All Souls’ Day are of pagan origin and of immemorial antiquity.
a note
The flowers
The sale of flowers, candles and candles was frequent at the entrances of most of the cemeteries in the capital, where order and cleanliness prevailed after a conditioning operation carried out days before by the Mayor’s Office of the National District. Although the Catholic Church has always prayed for the deceased, it was on November 2, 998 that a special day was created for them, instituted by the Benedictine monk Saint Odilon of Cluny, an idea that was adopted by Rome in the 16th century and From there it spread to the entire world, as a form of remembrance, adoration and prayer and reflection for those who left for another world.
