“One day, ready or not, you are going to die…”
With these direct, inescapable words, Catholic priests in Chicago are inviting the faithful to pause and confront a true reality that modern culture goes to great lengths to ignore.
“For millennia, the Church has reminded us of this inescapable reality. This world is not our final home. We are made for something greater, and what we do in this life has consequences for the next.”
But with our Catholic understanding of memento mori, a call to remember our own death, we are invited to navigate this universal mystery with spiritual courage rather than dread.
This Chicago-based religious community, the Canons Regular of St. John Cantius, have launched a special All Souls Novena — a much-needed 9-day program of prayer and guided reflections on the Catholic understanding of death, leading up to their annual celebration of Mozart’s Requiem Mass.
Beauty in the Shadow of Mortality
Throughout the ages, the Church has never treated death with despair, but rather through the lens of divine hope and revelation. Although we are now confined to our physical bodies, we were made to be united with Christ.
“Throughout the ages, these truths have found rich, even beautiful expressions in the liturgical life of the Church. Few works give more powerful expression to this mystery than Mozart’s Requiem, a masterpiece of sacred music, filled with profound sorrow and dramatic force, yet sustained by the hope and promise of eternal life.”
Drawing from this rich heritage, the upcoming Novena seeks to prepare the human heart for what lies beyond this earthly pilgrimage, helping the faithful to contemplate their own mortality through the reassuring beauty of Catholic tradition.
Daily Reflections for the Journey
Delivered directly to participants' inboxes each day, the 9-day novena offers short, accessible meditations crafted to illuminate how the Church accompanies her children at the end of earthly life.
“These short reflections, delivered to your inbox each day, will help you understand the Church’s relationship with the faithful departed and the ways in which she helps us face our own death with courage and love.”
Anchored in the Holy Mass
Above all, the Novena revolves around the gifts laid bare on every altar — the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass—where the living and the dead are united in the mystical body of Christ.
“Above all, we will return to the Holy Mass itself, the Church’s greatest prayer, in which the saving sacrifice of Christ is made present and offered for the living and the dead.”
As November approaches — the month we dedicate to interceding for the Holy Souls in Purgatory — the priests urge Catholics everywhere to embrace this solemn season of prayer both for the faithful departed and for the spiritual health of our own souls.
“May our prayers in these solemn days benefit the faithful departed and prepare our souls to meet Christ with hope.”
Memento Mori
Ultimately, this All Souls Novena is a gentle, grace-filled revival of memento mori for our fast-paced digital age. By remembering our death today, we learn how to truly live for Christ — preparing our souls so that when our final hour arrives, we may step into eternity not with terror, but with joyful expectation.
How to Join
Faithful who wish to participate in this 9-day journey of prayer and reflection ahead of All Souls’ Day can register here with the Canons Regular of St. John Cantius to receive the daily digital reflections via email.