Catholic Dictionary

Find accurate definitions of over 5,000 Catholic terms and phrases (including abbreviations). Based on Fr. John Hardon's Modern Catholic Dictionary, © Eternal Life. Used with permission.

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IN MEMORIAM

In remembrance of the dead. The full phrase reads, "In memoriam fidelium defunctorum," in memory of the faithful departed. It implies faith in the survival of souls of the deceased, and is applied to the Masses, prayers, and good works that are offered to assist the departed if they are still in purgatory, and also refers to the cherished remembrance of the virtues and achievements of the deceased while they lived on earth.