Chrysanthemums for La Toussaint

Churches across the UK marked All Saints' Day on Saturday November 1 honouring all saints and martyrs. All Souls' Day too is a special date in the Church calendar, November 2, dedicated to prayer for the souls of the faithful departed, including our own loved ones.

Anna Chaplaincy's Training and Development Leads Julia Burton-Jones offers a reflection on the importance of remembering those we have loved and those who have shaped our lives, and of helping others do the same.

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As the autumn colours appear and the days shorten, my mind often returns to Normandy, where I have spent many happy October breaks since my children were small (they are now 29 and 32 and both married). Something about autumn is highly evocative with its impact on the senses.

We are often in France over La Toussaint, All Saints’ Day, when florists overflow with chrysanthemums, the plants placed by French people on graves on November 1. It seems a fitting way to honour the dead and remember the part they played in our lives.

In Anna Chaplaincy, we recognise the importance of All Souls as an annual day of prayer and remembrance. The older people alongside whom we serve have experienced numerous bereavements, and value space to remember both those who have died recently and others who are long departed. Services held in churches and care homes to remember the dead acknowledge the sadness of their absence while thanking God for their lives.

You may read her full article here.

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