ALL SAINTS DAY
All Saints Day is
celebrated on the 1st
November - the day
after Halloween.
For those who
celebrate it, it is a
very special and
enriching festival.
It is an opportunity for
believers to remember all
saints and martyrs,
known and unknown,
throughout Christian history.
Reflecting on the lives and
examples of the saints has
been a widespread practice of
Christians since the earliest
days of the church.
The English word
"saint" derives from
the Latin sanctus,
which means "holy."
The Saints help us
realize the ideal
characteristics of
Christian faith and
encourage us to follow
in their footsteps.
“By canonizing some of the
faithful…the church
recognizes the power of the
Spirit of holiness
within her...
...and sustains the hope of
believers by proposing the
saints to them as models
and intercessors.”
- Catechism #828
“We celebrate today the
solemnity of All Saints…
...This invites us to turn our gaze to the
immense multitude of those who have
already reached the blessed land...
...and points us on the path that will lead
us to that destination”.
-Pope John Paul II, All Saints' Day 2003