SOLEMNITY OF ALL SAINTS
SOLEMNITY of All Saints By Edward Matulanya Here is meaning, Origins, development, shifting, of the date, theological significants, Liturgical Celebration, Screpture readings, Popular Devotions and Cultural Expressions, Relationship to All Souls’ Day, and Contemporary Importance of Solemnity of All Saints (All Saints’ Day) November 1. Meaning of Solemnity of All Saints The Solemnity of All Saints, celebrated annually on November 1, is one of the principal solemnities of the Catholic Church. It honors all the saints in heaven, both canonized and unknown, and emphasizes the universal call to holiness. The feast underscores the doctrine of the Communion of Saints, expressing the unity between the Church on earth, the souls in purgatory, and the saints in glory (Catechism of the Catholic Church [CCC], 1997, § 946-948). 1. Early Origins In the earliest centuries of Christianity, local communities celebrated the memory of martyrs those who had died for the faith on the anniversar...