Solemnity of All Saints Day - 1 November

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 recognized 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 honor You by recognizing 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.