Halloween, All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day
Halloween has become one of the biggest holidays of the year in America. The amount of money spent, decorations put out, and overall attention given to it is beginning to creep even towards that of Christmas. So, where did this annual fright-fest come from? As with many holidays in our country, it actually has Catholic roots. It became so because it was first a Christian holy day (from which the word holiday derives). Yet, the contemporary celebrations of Halloween in America are rather disconnected from its Catholic origins. The association of Halloween today with the likes of witches, goblins, gremlins, etc. is rather recent. But the association of Halloween with the dead does find its roots in Catholicism.
To understand the Catholic roots of Halloween, we must first look at All Saints Day, which is celebrated on November 1. This great feast day, in which we celebrate all the saints in heaven, has its roots in the seventh century. In A.D. 609, Pope Boniface IV consecrated the ancient Roman Pantheon to the saints of the Church, especially to all the martyrs. He did so on May 13 of that year, which became the feast of All Saints to commemorate that consecration. It was then in the eighth century under Pope Gregory III that the feast was transferred to November 1 and has been celebrated as such ever since. On Halloween, as with any great feast of the Church, the celebration begins on the eve or vigil of that day (just think of Halloween, then, as simply the eve of All Saints Day). In fact, this is where we get its name. The name Halloween comes from All Hallows Eve, in which hallows is the Old English term for saints. Thus, Halloween was originally the beginning of the celebration of all the saints and was intended to be a great, holy party that culminated in worship in Mass. What we see today is quite different from the original, intended purpose of this holiday. As Catholics, we can celebrate Halloween but should also be mindful of its intended purpose.
The Commemoration of the Faithful Departed (or All Souls Day) follows All Saints Day on November 2 and continues our celebration of all those who have passed on from this life. While on All Saints Day we remember those who are in heaven, on All Souls Day, we remember those who are in purgatory and pray for them. This feast comes out of the monastic movement. Specifically, its origins may be traced to the abbey of Cluny in A.D. 998, from which it spread throughout the Church. But the practice of praying for the dead dates to the beginning of Christianity and is even evidenced in the Old Testament (see 2 Maccabees 12:42-46). On All Souls Day, we commemorate those who have left this life with the sign of faith but who have not yet been fully purified of sin and, thus, not yet entered heaven. All the souls in purgatory will go to heaven after their final purification and preparation. Our prayers can assist them in this transitory state.
Because November 2 falls on a Sunday this year, we celebrate the Commemoration of All Souls today.
SPECIAL ALL SOULS MASSES – In addition to this weekend’s Sunday masses, we will have two additional celebrations to remember and pray for the faithfully departed.
- St. Rose of Lima Annual Mass of Remembrance – we will prayerfully remember those whose funeral masses were celebrated here at St. Rose during this past year by reading each of their names on Wednesday, November 5 at 7:30 pm.
- Mass for Families of Deceased Children – The pain of losing a child is a wound that never completely heals. Each year our parish hosts a mass specifically for those who have lost children. This year the mass will take place on Wednesday, November 12 at 7:30 pm.
A SPIRIT OF HOSPITALITY AND WELCOME – Welcoming hospitality is one of our missions in a large parish community like ours, where 2,000 people or more join us each week at our masses, funerals, weddings, and baptisms. Welcoming the familiar and the stranger is an important Corporal Work of Mercy.
There are three areas of parish ministry that need more people to share in the ministry of hospitality and welcome. They are: Baptism Ministry (welcoming families and assisting in the liturgy), Ministry of Consolation (welcoming families and their guests), and Wedding Rehearsal Coordinator (Assisting wedding parties in practicing for the ceremony). If you are interested in serving in these ministries, please reach out to me by phone (516) 798-4992 or email frgerard@srolchurch.org.
Peace,
