Nov. 1 is the Feast of All Saints. This feast day commemorates all who have died, who are now in Heaven. Certainly, this includes all those who have been officially canonized and are recognized by the Church as a saint. Nov. 2 is the Feast of All Souls, when we remember and celebrate and pray for all who have died, especially those we call the Poor Souls, those in Purgatory working to be perfectly purified.
   
When someone we love has died, we hope that they will be immediately received into Heaven and will not need final purification. That is normally not the case. So, we pray for them, knowing that our prayers can and do assist them. This is why we Catholics pray for the dead. What if they are already in Heaven and do not need our prayers? No prayers are ever wasted. If the person we are praying for is already in Heaven, then the Lord applies those prayers to someone else in Purgatory.
     
The Poor Souls are also praying for us.