Saturday of Souls

The Church received from the Holy Apostles to  perform memorial services on the third, ninth, and fortieth day and so on for those who have fallen asleep in the Lord.
Since many have throughout the ages died in foreign lands, etc., and were not made worthy of those prescribed memorial services, the Holy Fathers, moved by philanthropy, constituted that twice a year a general memorial service be held for all those who, throughout the ages, have finished their lives as pious Orthodox Christians.
One of these two days is the day (Saturday) immediately before Pentecost (on which we celebrate the founding of the Holy Church). On these days, the Holy Church especially commemorates “all those Orthodox kings, patriarchs, bishops, priests, hieromonks, deacons, monks, nuns, fathers, forefathers, grandparents, great-grandparents, parents, spouses, children, brethren, and relatives who from the beginning until the end have fallen asleep in the hope of the Resurrection and eternal life”.