WORDS FROM FATHER YOHANES: Those Who Have Gone Are Not Forgotten

By Father Yohanes Akoit

As we enter St. Julian Church in Middlesboro or St. Anthony in Pineville, our eyes often fall upon the names displayed on stained glass windows, statues, or other church ornaments. These names are not merely words, but traces of living love, memories of those who have left this world. Each name whispers a story - of laughter once shared, prayers once spoken, and hands that once built the very walls we now stand within.

This sacred panorama draws us into a profound encounter as we celebrate the Eucharist. As we sit in quiet reverence, lift our voices in hymns, and offer our prayers, the memory of beloved family and friends who have gone before us gently stirs within our hearts. Though sorrow lingers in the shadow of loss, it is met with a quiet joy. For our Church, as the Bride of Christ (ccc no. 796), opens a space in the liturgy where love transcends time. Through prayer, offerings, and the sacred rhythm of the Eucharist, we are drawn into communion with them once more, remind-ed that love does not end. It flows onward, like a river that never runs dry.

Recognizing the assurance of faith celebrated by the Church brings peace to our hearts. The passing of our loved ones is not the end, for they remain in God’s eternal embrace. The prayers we offer, the names lovingly displayed, and the Eucharist we celebrate are living signs of faith. They remind us that the Church is not just a building, but a sacred communion of all be-lievers across time and space. In this shared spiritual home, the living and the departed remain united in God’s love, bound to-gether by grace that knows no end. This sacred bond, unbroken by time or death, continues to breathe through our remembrance. It gives our hearts a quiet confidence and a deep serenity, assur-ing us that God’s love never abandons us - or those we hold dear.

It is this assurance of faith that we celebrate on All Saints’ Day and the Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed. Today, we give thanks for the saints who lived lives of perfect love and faith, and we pray for those still awaiting God’s light. Jesus’ words in John 6:37 - 40 strengthen us: All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out... This is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. These words are not only a promise, but a deep well of comfort. They remind us that no one is forgotten in God’s eyes, and that our prayers, offered in love, reach beyond the veil of death. In this sacred remembrance, we are united with the saints and the faithful departed, walking together in hope to-ward the fullness of life in Christ.

God promises us salvation and comfort. Those who have gone are never truly lost; they continue to live in Christ’s love and remain part of our journey of faith. The names displayed, the prayers we offer, and the memories we keep become bridges of love that soothe our hearts, touch their souls, and maintain the bonds between us.

This celebration invites us to continue praying for those who have gone before us, keeping their memory alive through love and devotion. In doing so, we not only honor their lives but also strengthen our own faith. By remembering and praying for our family and loved ones, we follow in the footsteps of the saints and open our hearts to God’s gentle guidance in every moment. One day, in the fullness of time, we will be reunited with Christ and those we cherish, in a life beyond death, filled with peace, joy, and a love that never fades.

Father Yohanes Akoit is pastor of St. Julian and St. Anthony Catholic churches in Kentucky.