Solemnity November 1Solemnity · Holy Day of Obligation

All Saints' Day

The Church celebrates every saint in heaven, the famous and the unknown, and reminds us that we are all called to be saints.

Albrecht Dürer, Adoration of the Trinity (Landauer Altarpiece), 1511 · Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna (public domain)

Who was All Saints' Day?

All Saints' Day honors the whole communion of saints: the men and women with feast days of their own and the countless holy people known only to God. Pope Gregory III dedicated a chapel in Saint Peter's to all the saints in the 8th century, and November 1 became the date for the whole Church.

Feast day and traditions

In the United States All Saints' Day is a holy day of obligation, although the obligation is lifted when it falls on a Saturday or a Monday. The night before is All Hallows' Eve, the origin of Halloween, and many parishes hold All Saints parties where children dress up as their favorite saint. From November 1 to 8, Catholics can gain a plenary indulgence for the souls in purgatory by visiting a cemetery and praying for the dead.

Prayer

All you holy men and women, saints of God, pray for us, that one day we may share your joy in heaven. Amen.

Novena

To pray a novena that ends on the eve of the feast, begin on October 23 and finish on October 31.

Mass readings

Read the Mass readings for November 1 from the US bishops (USCCB).

Open readings →

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