2024 Schedule of Masses for All Saints and All Souls Days
Nov. 1: Feast of All Saints Day (Holy Day of Obligation):
- Thursday, Oct. 31, 2024: 5:30pm Vigil Mass at SJF
- Friday, Nov. 1, 2024: 8:30am at SJF and OLC; 7:00pm at OLC only
All Saints Day, Nov.1, is the day on which Catholics celebrate all the saints, known and unknown, and is a surprisingly old feast. It arose out of the Christian tradition of celebrating the martyrdom of saints on the anniversary of their martyrdom. When martyrdoms increased during the persecutions of the late Roman Empire, local dioceses instituted a common feast day in order to ensure that all martyrs, known and unknown, were properly honored. The current date of November 1 was instituted by Pope Gregory III (731-741), when he consecrated a chapel to all the martyrs in St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome and began an annual celebration. This celebration was originally confined to the diocese of Rome, but Pope Gregory IV (827-844) extended the feast to the entire Church to be celebrated on November 1.
Nov. 2: Feast of All Souls Day (indulgence for deceased loved ones)
- 8:30am Mass at SJF only
All Souls’ Day, which is observed on November 2, is dedicated to those who have died and not yet reached heaven. This is such an important day that the Church grants an indulgence for a visit to a Church or Oratory on All Souls Day. The All Souls Day indulgence is a wonderful way to show your love for a friend or family member who has died. In less than an hour on All Souls Day, you may release a soul from Purgatory. Why not gain the indulgence for your loved one?
For more information, please see: https://www.thoughtco.com/indulgence-for-all-souls-day-542495.