FEAST OF ALL SAINTS

This is the great celebration of those who share the triumph and glory of Christ for all eternity, for having been faithful to the Grace of God, striving to following the Divine Master closely, in many cases to the point of martyrdom.

This feast has its origins in the 4th century, when the number of martyrs of the Church became such that it was impossible to devote each day of the year to remember a single martyr. So, the Church chose to have one feast to honor all those who had reached Heaven, on a single day, once a year.

When on May 13, 610, Pope Boniface IV dedicated the Roman Pantheon to Christian worship, he consecrated the new temple to the Blessed Virgin Mary and all the martyrs. From then on, the Feast of All Saints was fixed on that date and would remain that way for many years, until Pope Gregory IV, in the 7th century, moved the celebration to the first day of the month of November. 

It is very likely that Pope Gregory's decision responded to the desire to counteract the pagan festival of “Samhain” or the Celtic New Year, which was celebrated on the night of October 31 and whose current equivalent is Halloween.

May these heroes and heroines of God intercede for us and help us achieve eternal happiness like them!