All Saints’ Day: What is it? Everything there is to know about this historic Catholic holy day

All Saints' Day: What is it? Everything there is to know about this historic Catholic holy day
Image via Joe Holdren/EWTN News / EWTN

For Christians, especially Roman Catholics, Wednesday is All Saints’ Day. It pays tribute to all religious saints who are thought to have reached paradise.

Additionally, it is a Holy Day of Obligation for Ohioan Catholics, which means Mass attendance is demanded of the devout.

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What then do you need to know about this holy day for Catholics? This is a peek.

All Saints’ Day: What is it?

On the Roman Catholic calendar, All Saints’ Day is a historic holy day. In 609 A.D., Pope Boniface IV, who also instituted All Souls’ Day, officially launched it. Unlike All Saints’ Day, All Souls’ Day honors and remembers all deceased people.

The National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception states that the dates were later changed to the current ones in the ninth century.

All saints, including those acknowledged by the Church and those not, are honored on All Saints’ Day in the Catholic faith.

A saint is what?

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops defines saints as “persons in heaven (officially canonized or not), who led heroically virtuous lives, offered their lives for others, or were martyred for the belief, and who are worthy of imitation.”

While you may be familiar with some saints, like Saint Francis or Saint Nicholas, the Roman Catholic Church actually acknowledges more than 10,000 saints worldwide.

Do Catholics have to attend Mass on All Saints’ Day?

All Saints’ Day is generally regarded as a Catholic Holy Day of Obligation, which means that all Catholics in good health are obligated to attend Mass on that day. Ohio Catholic dioceses are no exception. On All Saints’ Day, the majority of Catholic parishes host one or more Masses.

All Saints’ Day is observed by a number of other Christian denominations, including Methodists, Lutherans, and Anglicans.

The first Sunday following Pentecost, usually in June, is All Saints’ Day in the Eastern Catholic Orthodox calendar.

What distinguishes All Souls’ Day from All Saints’ Day?

The Communion of Saints, a two-day celebration honoring individuals who are thought to be in heaven with God and those who are en route there, is held during the first two days of November. In contrast to All Saints’ Day, All Souls’ Day celebrates and remembers all deceased people.

In the United States, All Souls’ Day, which falls on November 2, 2023, is generally not regarded as a Holy Day of Obligation.

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