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October 29, 2023I’m sure many of you reading this already know that “Halloween” has its roots in “All Hallows (Holy) Eve,” the evening before celebrating the Solemnity of All Saints (Holy people). November 1st is the Solemnity of All Saints, which is a Holy Day of Obligation, and the eve of that day has traditionally been celebrated with various traditions. Many of our Christian traditions looked at ways of celebrating the Saints and looking up to them as models for how we should live our own life. Other cultures celebrate the Eve of All Saints (All Hallows Eve) by mocking death.
St. Paul writes in his letter to the Corinthians, “Oh death, where is your victory? Where, oh death, is your sting?” (1 Cor 15:55) Jesus promises His followers resurrection and we see that promise becoming fulfilled in the Saints! There’s no need to fear death because we know Christ is risen and the Saints remind us that we too will rise if we follow Jesus! There’s also the reminder of hell on All Hallows Eve, which is a consequence for those who choose to not follow Jesus faithfully.
So, what about ghosts? Do Catholics believe in ghosts? The short answer is yes, but it’s not like you may think. We don’t believe in Casper, or the kind fought by Egon, Dr. Venkman, Ray, and Winston. We believe that when a person dies, their soul separates from their body (that’s the spiritual and philosophical definition of death), and their soul enters the spiritual world. Most of the time that means their soul goes to heaven, hell, or purgatory; however, sometimes God allows a soul to remain attached to the physical world for some reason. More often than not it’s a lost soul who never found peace and is waiting for the Lord to come to it. These souls remain “tied” to something physical until relief is given them.
Most “haunted houses” or “haunted places” are the result of these souls being tied to them. I’ve heard from exorcists that if someone was murdered in a particular place, or felt very lonely and died at home, or some other tragic event took place where someone died, it’s likely that soul could still be tied there and seeking prayers and intercession to be released into God’s hands. If you think a particular place is “haunted” try praying for the soul that could be tied there. Have a Mass offered for them. You may be aware that someone was murdered in your home before you bought it, or the previous owner may have died there naturally. Pray for them and see if the “haunting” phenomena goes away. Again, Fr. Dominic Ha and I are more than willing to come bless homes at any time.
Sometimes demons are the cause of “haunted houses,” which means praying for a soul that isn’t there won’t do anything. In these cases, definitely call your parish priest to come bless your home. You can also bless your own home too, especially on the Solemnity of the Epiphany! You can always fill a bottle with Holy Water and sprinkle it around your home if you feel there’s some irregular phenomena taking place.
