Every year, large numbers of pilgrims flock to the Notre-Dame de Montligeon shrine to entrust their deceased loved ones to prayer. Gérard, Christine and Myriota are among these faithful regulars. This pilgrimage is not a sad moment for them. Quite the contrary, as it opens up on the hope that the deceased have “a bright future ahead of them”.
Come and pray for the deceased at Montligeon
“We are regulars, we come every year,” explain Gérard and Christine. Their approach is simple but essential: praying for their relatives, friends and all those entrusted to their care is their chief purpose.
Normally, they would have visited the shrine around November 17. This year however, they have chosen November 1st, All Saints Day, to stay a bit longer in order to pray the following day for the departed faithful. Importantly, this series of two days expresses the continuity between saints already in glory and souls on their way to heaven.
Celebrating in joy
The pilgrims share how moved they were by the beauty of the liturgy. Gérard says in confidence: “The ceremony was very beautiful. The day is not yet over, but we already know that it will continue positively.”
Far from being marked by sadness, this celebration nourishes Christian hope. “Our deceased are indeed dead, but at the same time alive. They are either already in heaven, or about to enter it. So they have a bright future ahead of them,” insists Christine.
The power of praying in group
Coming as a prayer group makes the process even more meaningful. Together, the faithful carry each other’s intentions. “We pray for the deceased members of our families, but also for those of other participants of the group. It is a spiritual solidarity,” says Christine.
In this way, All Saints’ Day and the commemoration of the departed faithful appear as two complementary stages: one hails the saints who have reached heaven, the other reminds us of our responsibility to pray for those who are still on they way.
Our deceased remain present
This pilgrimage is a reminder that death does not break the bonds of love. “Just because they’ve passed away doesn’t mean we forget them,” explains Myriota. “We honor them through Mass and our prayers.”
But the relationship is reciprocal. Gérard adds: “I don’t think our deceased forget us either. Sometimes they give us signs.”
In the Christian faith, the dead do not disappear. They enter a new life. They have a bright future ahead of them, and this hope also impacts those who pray for them.
You too can take part in the Pilgrimages of Heaven and entrust your deceased loved ones to perpetual Mass. Together, let’s fuel the hope that our dead are alive, and that they have a bright future ahead of them in God’s presence.
