All Saints & All Souls
As November begins, the Church turns her gaze toward the mystery of the Communion of Saints—the bond that unites all who belong to Christ: those in heaven, those being purified, and those still on their earthly pilgrimage. The first two days of the month invite us to reflect on the fullness of this communion through the Solemnity of All Saints and the Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed (All Souls Day).
All Saints Day—celebrated this year on Saturday, November 1—honors all the men and women who now share the glory of heaven. Some are canonized by name, but countless others are known only to God. The feast has its roots in the early centuries of the Church, when Christians gathered to remember the martyrs who gave their lives for Christ. By the ninth century, Pope Gregory IV extended the celebration to include all the saints, known and unknown. This year, because the solemnity falls on a Saturday, it is not a Holy Day of Obligation, but it remains a beautiful opportunity to give thanks for those who have gone before us in faith and to ask their intercession.
The very next day, Sunday, November 2, is All Souls Day, when the Church prays for those who have died but have not yet entered the fullness of heaven. The practice of praying for the dead is ancient, rooted in Scripture and the belief that “it is a holy and wholesome thought to pray for the dead, that they may be loosed from their sins” (2 Maccabees 12:46). Through our prayers, sacrifices, and especially the Holy Mass, we assist those souls in purgatory who are being purified in God’s love.
Because All Souls Day falls on a Sunday this year, all of our weekend Masses—the 4:30 p.m. Vigil on Saturday and the 8:30 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. Masses on Sunday—will be celebrated as Masses of All Souls.
As we celebrate these two sacred days, may we be reminded that death does not break the bonds of love. In Christ, we remain united with the saints in glory and the souls awaiting heaven. Together, we journey toward the day when “God will be all in all” (1 Cor 15:28).
In Christ,
Fr. Joe Connelly