All Saints' Day is a solemn holy day of the Catholic Church celebrated annually on November 1. The day is dedicated to the saints of the Church, that is, all those who have attained heaven. It should not be confused with All Souls' Day, which is observed on November 2, and is dedicated to those who have died and not yet reached heaven. Although millions, or even billions of people may already be saints, All Saints' Day observances tend to focus on known saints --that is those recognized in the canon of the saints by the Catholic Church.

All Saints' Day is also commemorated by members of the Eastern Orthodox Church as well as some protestant churches, such as Lutheran and Anglican churches. Generally, All Saints' Day is a Catholic Holy Day of Obligation, meaning all Catholics are required to attend Mass on that day, unless they have an excuse, such as serious illness (editor’s note: In the Archdiocese of Hartford, the Obligation to attend Mass on Sunday’s and Holy Days of Obligation has been dispensed by Hartford Archbishop Blair due to the pandemic). Other countries have different rules according to their national bishop's conferences. The bishops of each conference have the authority to amend the rules surrounding the obligation of the day.


All Saints' Day was formally started by Pope Boniface IV, who consecrated the Pantheon at Rome to the Virgin Mary and all the Martyrs on May 13 in 609 AD. Boniface IV also established All Souls' Day, which follows All Saints.

With all this being said, our parish will remember All Souls’ Day at the weekend Masses in a brief ritual of remembrance during the prayers of the faithful, while not confusing the two days on the Church’s calendar, yet because we are present together on the weekend, and in these pandemic times, I believe it is pastorally wise to do so. For those who may not know this, the family names you place on the reverse of the All Soul envelope will be prayed for at each Mass in November and will be included individually in my daily breviary prayers each day of
November. May the Rest in Peace and be soon in the Kingdom of Heaven with God. † On Monday, November 2, the Mass of All Souls’ shall be celebrated at the daily Mass at 8:30 am.