Cemetery visitations — prayer for the repose of souls and remembrance of loved ones

Bella Bailey

Multimedia Correspondent

Bishop John Iffert met and prayed with the people of the Diocese, Oct. 17, at three diocesan cemeteries: St. John Cemetery, Ft. Mitchell; St. Mary Cemetery, Ft. Mitchell and St. Stepehen Cemetery, Ft. Thomas. Together, the faithful and Bishop Iffert prayed the Liturgy of the Hours and remembered those who have been interred at each cemetery in the last year from October 2025 to September of 2026.

The names of the deceased were read aloud by Bishop Iffert, offering the loved ones gathered a chance to remember and pray for those they lost.

“This is the purpose of Catholic cemeteries,” said Bishop Iffert. “The reason for Catholic cemeteries is so that we remember and pray for those that came before us.” Prayer for the repose of the decedents souls prepares the faithful for the celebration of All Souls Day, Nov. 2, and helps those gathered remember the deceased.

“That’s the whole purpose why we maintain these places,” said Bishop Iffert in the mausoleum of St. Mary Cemetery, “so that we don’t forget to pray for the dead. We pray for your loved ones in a special way, but also when we’re here, we pray for everybody, the people we don’t know.”