College Visits Campo Verano
Celebrating All Souls Day
One of the Italian traditions that our seminary encourages is the visiting of the cemetery on All Souls Day. This is a day of paying honor and tribute to those who went before us, a day of remembering loved ones, and recalling our history—our own story in context. The North American College has a mausoleum at Campo Verano, a large Italian cemetery near St. Laurence Outside the Walls. This mausoleum was used by students and faculty who died while in Rome. Msgr. Farmer celebrated Mass and we prayed for all those buried here.
One of those students was Servant of God Frank Parater of the Diocese of Richmond. Coming over to Rome to study as a seminarian, he died at the age of 22 in 1920. He was both an Eagle Scout and a Knight of Columbus. He wrote a work that was published in the Vatican Newspaper L’Osservatore Romano “An Act of Oblation to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.” His story can be read about here on the Diocese of Richmond website.
Our seminary takes part in this fitting and pious practice. The Universal Church encourages this commemoration of the dead during the month of November.
From The Handbook of Indulgences pg 47:
| An indulgence is granted the Christian faithful who devoutly visit a cemetery and pray, if only mentally, for the dead. This indulgence is applicable only to the souls in purgatory. This indulgence is a plenary one from November 1 through November 8 and can be gained on each one of these days. On the other days of the year this indulgence is a partial one. |
This was a great day and experience, being led in prayer by Msgr. Farmer to honor our heritage and our history. And all of this is accomplished before it’s even 8:00!
