As a kid in parochial grammar school, just about the saddest day on the calendar was All Souls' Day, November 2, which followed the Holy Day of Obligation, All Saints' Day which, of course, was the day after Halloween.
On All Souls' Day, we were supposed to remember and pray for everyone we'd ever known who had died, the theory as I understood it (that Papal-at-home correspondence course never made it clear) was that many times everyone who had known someone who had died were themselves dead and with no one to pray for their souls the departed might still be in Purgatory (not to be confused with Limbo, or Ho-Ho-Kus, New Jersey (where I, to this day, believe Santa Claus lives in the off-season)) and not yet in Heaven.
However, as I've aged (admittedly more like milk than wine), I've expanded my limited worldview and realized, with somewhat of a shock, that there are many, many people here in the USA and around the world, who simply cease to exist, and disappear. No one looks for them because we don't realize they're gone.
That is why we have today.
You shouldn't have to be memorable to be remembered.
bill kenny
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