All Saints' Day - 1 November
1st November 2024
All Saints' Day (in the Roman Catholic Church officially the Solemnity of All Saints and also called All Hallows or Hallowmas, often shortened to All Saints), is a solemnity celebrated on 1 November by parts of Western Christianity in honour of all the saints, known and unknown, that is, all those who have attained the beatific vision of 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 recognised in the canon of the saints by the Catholic Church.
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.
The holy day was eventually established on November 1 by Pope Gregory III in the mid-eighth century as a day dedicated to the saints and their relics. The May 13 celebration was subsequently abandoned.
Following the establishment of the Frankish Empire, and following the reign of Charlemagne, the holy day, which was already celebrated on November 1, became a holy day of obligation by decree of Pope Gregory IV and Louis the Pious, who was king over a portion of Charlemagne's former empire.
Prayer for All Saints’ Day
Almighty and everlasting God, You gave us Saints so that we can honour You by recognising Your redemptive work in them, and that we have shining examples and powerful intercessors in our lives. They received blessings and righteousness from You because they belonged to a generation that sought only You. Allow me today to appreciate them for their past merits and their present prayers offered in the sight of Your divine majesty, so that my life too may become an oblation pleasing to You. Amen. 💖🙏💐
November is a special time to pray for the dead. A plenary indulgence which is applicable only to the souls in Purgatory is granted the Christian faithful who devoutly visit a church or an oratory on All Souls Day. This indulgence can only be obtained on the day itself. The conditions are: the exclusion of all attachment to sin; sacramental Confession (within 21 days); reception of Holy Communion on the day itself; the recitation of the Our Father and the Creed; a prayer for the Pope’s holy intentions.
Visiting a Cemetery: From November 1st through to and including November 8th, a plenary indulgence can be obtained for the souls in Purgatory on each of these days by visiting a cemetery and devoutly praying for the dead. In this case the reception of Holy Communion is fitting to be done on the same day but may be done within the same week. The other conditions apply as above.
November Masses for your deceased loved ones can be arranged through Aid to the Church in Need which arranges over 2 Million Masses each year, supporting 1 in 8 priests worldwide. You can visit www.aidtochurch.org/masses to arrange your Masses.