All Saints' Day

According to Catholic teaching, there are three states of the Church:

the Church Militant - those living our earthly life and are active in spiritual warfare on Earth
the Church Penitent - those who are in Purgatory who are being purified so as to be fit for entering Heaven
the Church Triumphant - those who are already in Heaven (the ones who see God face-to-face)

The Church Triumphant is the focus for the Solemnity of All Saints (All Saints’ Day).

While the Solemnity of All Saints honours all men and women who have entered Heaven, particular emphasis is placed on those who led extraordinarily holy lives and whom the Church has canonized as saints. They honoured God in various ways: through deep prayer and mystical union, through martyrdom or persecution, or through service.

The saints include powerful preachers, miracle workers, and leaders, while others lived in obscurity or exile. Honouring the saints is an invitation to us to strive for the holiness the saints attained. From Heaven, the saints are our powerful intercessors. We rely upon their intercession as an act of faith by which we profess our belief in God.

The Solemnity of All Saints is celebrated on November 1, the day after Halloween, which is no coincidence since Halloween is All Hallows’ Eve (the eve of All Saints’ Day). While each recognized saint has his or her own feast day, on All Saints’ Day, we celebrate all the saints together, both those who are known and those who are unknown by us who are still on Earth. As we celebrate all those who are in Heaven, let us remember that we are called to one day join them.

Historical Timeline

The Solemnity of All Saints has its roots in the earliest days of the Church. Even in New Testament times, the community of believers honoured martyrs, beginning with the deacon Saint Stephen. More martyrs followed, as the Church suffered persecution under the Roman emperors from AD 64 through 311.

After Emperor Constantine I legalized Christianity in 313, public devotion to the martyrs flourished, their graves becoming churches and places of pilgrimage and prayer.
In 609, Pope Boniface IV transformed the Roman Pantheon into a church dedicated to the Blessed Virgin and all martyrs.
In 731, Pope Gregory III dedicated an oratory within Saint Peter’s Basilica to “all saints,” broadening commemoration of the saints to all who lived saintly lives.
In 844, Pope Gregory IV extended the November 1 celebration to the entire Church.
In 1484, Pope Sixtus IV made the Solemnity a holy day of obligation, adding a vigil day and octave to make the celebration nine days in all. The vigil for All Hallows’ Day was called All Hallows’ Eve, or Halloween, which has unfortunately lost its saintly focus and has become a secular celebration.

Daily Prayers of the Novena

First Day: Holy Mary

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

O Holy Mary, Mother of God and Mother of the Church, be my mother and guide me to a life of holiness that I may one day join you and your Son in Heaven for all eternity. Intercede on my behalf that I may be a student of your humility and purity. I ask that you place before your Son my petitions.

(State your intentions here)

Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us.

Mary, Most Holy, pray for us.

Mary, Most Pure, pray for us.

Mary, Star of the Sea, pray for us.

Mary, Queen of Heaven and Earth, pray for us.

Mary, Queen of Angels and Saints, pray for us.

Amen.

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Second Day: Holy Angels

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

O holy angels, who have been steadfast servants of God since before the world was formed, watch over us and guide us in our everyday lives that we may grow in holiness. Intercede on my behalf that I may grow in fortitude to always choose to follow God as you have. I ask that you place before God my petitions.

(State your intentions here)

St. Michael, pray for us.

St. Gabriel, pray for us.

St. Raphael, pray for us.

Guardian angels, pray for us.

Amen.

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Third Day: Holy Apostles

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

O holy Apostles, those who were first called by Jesus to be His followers, you demonstrate what it means to be a true disciple of Christ. Intercede on my behalf that I may be more disposed to the Spirit you received at Pentecost, so that I may be eager to grow as a disciple of Christ. I ask that you place before God my petitions.

(State your intentions here)

St. Peter, pray for us.

St. Andrew, pray for us.

St. James, pray for us.

St. John, pray for us.

St. Philip, pray for us.

St. Jude Thaddaeus, pray for us.

St. Bartholomew, pray for us.

St. Thomas, pray for us.

St. James, pray for us.

St. Matthew, pray for us.

St. Simon, pray for us.

St. Matthias, pray for us.

Amen.

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Fourth Day: Holy Martyrs

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

O holy martyrs, who died for your faith as loyal servants of God, thank you for your courage and sacrifice, which helped to enable the Gospel to reach me. Intercede on my behalf that I may grow in courage and faith, that I may be steadfast in my devotion to God even in the face of death. I ask that you place before God my petitions.

(State your intentions here)

St. Paul, pray for us.

Sts. Perpetua and Felicity, pray for us.

St. Polycarp, pray for us.

St. Maximilian Kolbe, pray for us.

St. Maria Goretti, pray for us.

Holy Innocents, pray for us.

Amen.

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Fifth Day: Holy Mystics

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

O holy mystics, whose lives were spent in union with God through contemplative prayer and devotion, be my model of holiness through prayer. Intercede on my behalf that I may grow in perseverance in contemplative prayer. I ask that you place before God my petitions.

(State your intentions here)

St. Teresa of Avila, pray for us.

St. Catherine of Siena, pray for us.

St. John of the Cross, pray for us.

St. Francis de Sales, pray for us.

St. Faustina, pray for us.

St. Padre Pio, pray for us.

Amen.

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Sixth Day: Holy Doctors of the Church

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

O holy Doctors of the Church, who composed writings that enriched and clarified Church teaching, you used your gifts of knowledge, wisdom, and articulation to preserve the Truth of the Church throughout history. Intercede on my behalf that I may use the gifts that God has given me to bring everyone I encounter closer to Christ. I ask that you place before God my petitions.

(State your intentions here)

St. Ambrose, pray for us.

St. Augustine, pray for us.

St. Gregory the Great, pray for us.

St. Jerome, pray for us.

St. Thomas Aquinas, pray for us.

St. Therese of Lisieux, pray for us.

Amen.

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Seventh Day: Holy Simple Servants of God

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

O holy simple servants of God, who radiate holiness through your genuine humility, you embraced your identity as God’s instruments. Intercede on my behalf that I may be emptied and purified so as to be a vessel consecrated for God’s work. I ask that you place before God my petitions.

(State your intentions here)

St. Bernadette, pray for us.

St. Therese of Lisieux, pray for us.

St. Joseph Cupertino, pray for us.

St. Juan Diego, pray for us.

Sts. Francisco and Jacinta de Jesus Marto, pray for us.

Amen.

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Eighth Day: Holy Men and Women

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

O holy priests, monks, and nuns, who dedicated your lives to the service of God and His Church through religious vows, you were God’s hands and feet on Earth. Intercede on my behalf that I may have a greater devotion and desire to frequent the Sacraments. I ask that you place before God my petitions.

(State your intentions here)

St. Benedict, pray for us.

St. Dominic, pray for us.

St. Ignatius of Loyola, pray for us.

St. Clare of Assisi, pray for us.

St. Francis of Assisi, pray for us.

Amen.

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Ninth Day: Holy Married Saints

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

O holy saints who were married during your earthly life, whose marriage on Earth prefigured the wedding feast in Heaven, you knew how to grow in holiness through the joys and sorrows of married and family life. Intercede on my behalf that I may recognize the extraordinary in the ordinary course of family life. I ask that you place before God my petitions.

(State your intentions here)

St. Mary and St. Joseph, parents of Jesus, pray for us.

St. Anne and St. Joachim, parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary, pray for us.

St. Elizabeth and St. Zechariah, parents of St. John the Baptist, pray for us.

St. Zelie Guerin Martin and St. Louis Martin, parents of St. Therese of Lisieux, pray for us.

St. Nonna and St. Gregory the Elder, parents of St. Gorgonia, St. Caesarius, and St. Gregory of Nazianzus, pray for us.

Amen.

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.