This weekend in addition to celebrating my formal installation as your pastor, a celebration for which I am most grateful and encouraged, the Church around the world celebrates the Solemn Feast of All Saints.

All Saints Day, the day on which we Roman Catholic Christians solemnly honor and remember all the saints, known and unknown, is a surprisingly old feast. It goes back to the early Church. This feast arose out of the Christian tradition of celebrating the martyrdom of saints on the anniversary of their death. When martyrdoms increased during the persecutions of the late Roman Empire, Church leaders instituted a common feast day in order to ensure that all martyrs, known and unknown, were properly honored. Today this solemn celebration recalls ALL of the holy women and men who lived exemplary Christian lives and many of whom were in fact martyrs for our faith.

The concept of All Saints Day is associated with the doctrine of “The Communion of Saints” (which we profess in our creed). This is the concept that all of God’s people, on heaven, earth, and in the state of purification (called Purgatory), are spiritually connected and united. Stated simply; we Catholics believe that the saints of God are just as alive as you and I, and are constantly interceding on our behalf. What a great company we have praying for us!

Notably the current date of celebrating All Saints on November 1 was instituted by Pope Gregory III in 741 AD. The vigil or eve of the feast, October 31, is commonly known as All Hallows Eve (Hallows means Saints or Holy Ones) better known as Halloween!

Many customs of Halloween, scary costumes and decorations for example, reflect the Christian belief that on the feast’s vigil we literally mock evil, because as Christians, evil has no real power over us. In the Middle Ages, on All Hallows Eve , poor people in parts of Europe used to go door to door begging for fruits and cakes and upon receiving these treats, they would agree to pray for departed souls. This is the root of our modern day “trick-or-treat.” Some Christians in various places still visit cemeteries on Halloween, not to practice evil, but to commemorate departed relatives and friends, with picnics and prayers. Accordingly, the day after All Saints day is called All Souls Day, when we remember and offer prayers up on behalf of all of those who have gone before us.

Today you are invited to list the names of those souls for whom you wish to pray in our Parish Book of Intentions and throughout the month of November we will remember these souls in a special way! Today as we honor ALL the SAINTS and lift up ALL the SOULS of our faithful departed, let us ask the Saints, the holy ones, to pray for us and for the needs of our entire world! Happy Feast of All Saints and All Souls.

Thank you and God bless!

© 2015 Fr. Philip A. Florio

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Sunday at 7:30 AM, 9:30 AM and 11:30 AM

Tues., Wed., & Thurs. at 12:05 PM

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