All Saints & All Souls

November 1st is All Saints Day...

Traditionally Catholic schools will have the students dress up as their favorite saint and the day would start with Mass and usually end with a party to celebrate the saints in heaven. If you are homeschooling your children or they go to a school that doesn't celebrate All Saints Day you could create a special day to celebrate! Have your child dress up as his/her favorite saint, read a book or watch a movie about that saint (a couple of our favorites are Cabrini & St. Giuseseppe Moscati) and maybe set aside part of the day for a celebration!

This is a tradition that can help them both learn and grow in their faith by imitating the saints. By fostering a love for the saints when children are young you are giving them tools for life! When choosing a Confirmation saint name it will feel more personal and they will develop a real connection as well as mature in their faith and prayer life.

November 2nd is All Souls Day....

This a a special day to remember and pray for those who have gone before us, especially our loved ones, as well as the faithfully departed. On this day the Church prays for the souls in purgatory, emphasizing the connection between the Church triumphant (in heaven), the Church militant (on Earth), and the Church suffering (in purgatory). It has been tradition on this day to visit the grave of a loved one who has passed and attending Mass.

There are many novenas for the Poor Souls in Purgatory and they can be said any time during the year, but November 2nd is when the Church celebrates.

Novena to the Poor Souls in Purgatory -St. Alphonsus Liguori