Sunday, November 2, 2025

Dear brother and sisters,

In the early Church, Christians commemorated the martyrs on the anniversaries of their deaths and often cele-brated the Eucharist at their tombs. As Roman persecutions intensified in the 4th century and the number of martyrs increased, the Church began to group these individual commemorations into a collective feast. By around 373 AD, St. Ephrem the Syrian decided to have a feast honoring all martyrs, and later, Pope Boniface IV formally established this celebration on May 13th. In the 8th century, Pope Gregory III moved the celebra-tion to November 1st and expanded the scope of the feast to all who had led exemplary Christian lives. In the 9th century, Pope Gregory IV extended the observance of All Saints’ Day to the entire Western Church. This feast eventually became a Holy Day of Obligation to celebrate the victory of God’s grace in the lives of the faithful who now share in the glory of heaven. It honors both canonized saints, formally recognized by the Church, and the countless unnamed faithful who lived holy lives in response to the universal call to holiness.

All Souls’ Day is dedicated on the next day to pray for the faithful departed who are undergoing purification in purgatory before entering heaven. From the very first centuries, the early Christians prayed for the dead to aid them on their journey to eternal life. By the 6th century, Benedictine monks offered special prayers for deceased members of their communities and gradually formalized the practice of praying for all the departed. In 998 AD, St. Odilo of Cluny, abbot of the influential Cluniac monastery in France, designated November 2nd as a day of special prayers, vigils, and Masses for the souls of the dead. This observance spread rapidly throughout Europe and was eventually adopted across the entire Catholic Church.

Together, All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day express the Catholic belief in the communion of saints and highlight the spiritual unity of the Church in heaven, on earth, and in purgatory. These days invite us to honor the saints as models of holiness and ask for their holy intercession. They remind us to pray for the souls of the departed, especially those still on the path to full union with God. They also encourage us to renew our hope in eternal life, trust in Christ’s promise of salvation, and remain united in the universal Church across life, death, and eternity.

Sincerely yours in Jesus Christ and Our Lady of La Vang!

Reverend Kiet Anh Ta.