All Saints

The celebration of All Saints has its roots in the early Church. The earliest confirmed observance dates to the fourth century, when Christians held a feast to honour all the martyrs who had given their lives for the faith.

In the early seventh century, following the plundering of the Roman catacombs, Pope Boniface IV gathered the remains of martyrs and reburied them beneath the Pantheon. This building, originally a temple dedicated to the Roman gods, was then consecrated as a Christian church. As Venerable Bede explained, a place once used for pagan worship would now honour the saints.

Both this dedication and the earlier celebration of all the martyrs took place in May. Many Eastern Churches continue to celebrate All Saints in the spring, during the Easter season or on the Sunday after Pentecost.

The origins of the November date in the Western Church remain uncertain. By the year 800, the theologian Alcuin and his friend Arno, Bishop of Salzburg, were observing the feast on 1 November. Rome adopted this date during the ninth century.

Today, the Solemnity of All Saints honours all the saints in heaven, including the countless holy men and women whose names and stories are known only to God.