The blessing of Catholic graves takes place on the Sunday closest to All Souls’ Day, which is celebrated on 2nd November. All Souls’ Day is a special day in the calendar of the Catholic Church when prayers are said for the souls of faithful departed loved ones. It is traditionally a day when graves are visited and tended, and candles lit in memory of deceased friends and relatives.

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At the blessing service the clergy and members of the congregation of St. Augustine’s Church in Tunbridge Wells gather for a brief service in the Catholic section of the cemetery, near to the Bayham Road entrance. Following this a short prayer is said at each grave, and holy water is sprinkled on the grave, a reminder of the deceased person’s baptism. Although most of the graves that are blessed are in the Catholic section, graves elsewhere in the cemetery can be blessed on request.

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The service takes place regardless of the weather, and concludes with much appreciated hot drinks in the chapel.