All Saint’s Day (or officially The Solemnity of All Saints) is instituted to honor all the saints, known and unknown, and, according to Urban IV, to supply any deficiencies in the faithful’s celebration of saints’ feasts during the year. In the early days the Christians were accustomed to solemnize the anniversary of a martyr’s death for Christ at the place of martyrdom.

In the fourth century, neighboring dioceses began to interchange feasts, to transfer relics, to divide them, and to join in a common feast; as is shown by the invitation of St. Basil of Caesarea (397) to the bishops of the province of Pontus.

Frequently groups of martyrs suffered on the same day, which naturally led to a joint commemoration. In the persecution of Diocletian the number of martyrs became so great that a separate day could not be assigned to each. But the Church, feeling that every martyr should be venerated, appointed a common day for all. The first trace of this we find in Antioch on the Sunday after Pentecost. We also find mention of a common day in a sermon of St. Ephrem the Syrian (373), and in the 74th homily of St. John Chrysostom (407).

At first only martyrs and St. John the Baptist were honored by a special day. Other saints were added gradually, and increased in number when a regular process of canonization was established; still, as early as 411 there is in the Chaldean Calendar a “Commemoratio Confessorum” for the Friday after Easter. In the West Boniface IV, 13 May, 609, or 610, consecrated the Pantheon in Rome to the Blessed Virgin and all the martyrs, ordering an anniversary. Gregory III (731-741) consecrated a chapel in the Basilica of St. Peter to all the saints and fixed the anniversary for 1 November. A basilica of the Apostles already existed in Rome, and its dedication was annually remembered on 1 May. Gregory IV (827-844) extended the celebration on 1 November to the entire Church.

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20 COMMENTS

  1. to all saints sna po mtpos n problema ko s mga gmot risdin rivotril syclops xanor serenace akidin sna wla n bmulong kalain bakekang panget pg umiinim ako gmot umaga at gabi pls sna mtpos n problema ko s mga gmot umaga at gabi sna wg n tmambay s lbas cla gami aldrin chris kalbo pls sna tmhmk n pristina sna wg n kmi mgkailangan ni pyt wg n rn sna sya mglakwatsa sna umuwi n sya maaga plgi sna january p umalis c kuya emil sna bmli sya sskyn sna wg nko mhilo mtnta matense sna wg nko guluhin ng taong nkkslmuha ko pls sna tantanan n ni caca lily pmilya ko pls sna mwla n bad spirit gmugulo s isip s bhy n to ptwd po s mga kslanan ko amen

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  3. Father, All-Powerful and ever-living God,
    today we rejoice in the holy men and women
    of every time and place.
    May their prayers bring us your forgiveness and love
    We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

  4. All holy men and women, martyrs, saints and angels, pray for us.
    Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré and Saint Joachim, pray for us.
    Saint Thérèse of Lisieux of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face, pray for us. Answer my novena to the Holy Face with the exact number and colour of roses that I have requested in my heart, if my prayer intentions and petitions are pleasing to God the Father Almighty. May Our Lady, Mary Mother of the Church, pour graces through her humble hands for the sake of her Son. His will be done. Amen.
    Ecce Crucem Domini!
    Fugite partes adversae!
    Vicit Leo de tribu Juda,
    Radix David! Alleluia!
    Saint Anthony of Padua, pray for us. For Italy.
    Saint Teresa of Avila, pray for us. For Rome.
    Blood of Christ Crucified, cleanse the Vatican.
    Amen.

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