St. Peter’s Catholic Church parishioners celebrated All Souls’ Day Wednesday with a Mass at the church’s cemetery on West Washington and Pershing streets.

The solemn Mass was conducted in conjunction with thousands of similar Catholic Masses happening all around the world at the same time, as those practicing the tradition prayed for their deceased loved ones.

All Souls’ Day, which is formally held on Nov. 1, is a day of prayer and remembrance for the faithful departed in the Catholic tradition, and aims to commemorate those who passed with prayer, intercession, alms and visits.

A small crowd of St. Peter’s parishioners flocked to the center of the church’s cemetery Wednesday afternoon for a small observance of the tradition, with the Rev. Nathan Comeaux led the ceremony in prayer.

“Before I begin Mass, I always ask the Blessed Virgin Mary to help me so I’m going to say a little prayer,” Comeaux said at the start of the event.

Although trains and vehicle traffic from the nearby Iberia Parish Courthouse campus could be heard in the background, faithful Catholics attending the ceremony were in lockstep with Comeaux and the rectors who read selections from the Bible as part of the event.

All Souls’ Day traditionally follows the Halloween holiday, and begins a month-long devotion to those who have passed, praying for the deceased and interceding on their behalf.

For St. Peter’s Catholic Church, the beginning of November also marks the end of a celebratory pumpkin patch that was placed at the front of the church near St. Peter Street several weeks ago.

The pumpkin patch was a welcome to the fall season and fell in line with Halloween and other activities being celebrated during the October month.

In addition to the cemetery Mass, Masses were also held for All Souls’ commemoration at the church itself on Tuesday, which is the day that All Souls’ Day is celebrated.