As October comes to an end, religious groups far and wide are preparing to celebrate the saints, some widely-known and others more personal.
The Christian holiday All Saints Day comes every year on Nov. 1. It is considered a holy day of obligation in the Catholic church, said Monsignor Walter Rossi, rector of the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington D.C.
“The obligation means we need to participate in Mass that day as Roman Catholics,” Rossi told USA TODAY. “We are honoring the people that have gone before us, whom the church considers to be saints.”
These people eventually became saints and led lives that religious groups hope to imitate, he said. To celebrate them, religious groups will gather for Mass and host an intercessory prayer, asking the saints to pray on their behalf.
Rev. Emmanuel Sanchez is an associate pastor at Resurrection Catholic Church, part of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. He sometimes thinks of All Saints Day as a “triduum on the other side of the year” because it ‘s one of three consecutive holidays celebrated each year.
Those holidays include:
All Hallows Eve (Oct. 31) – Some people dress up as the saints and also attend mass. The holiday has evolved into Halloween as we know it today.
All Saints Day (Nov. 1) – People attend mass, pray and sing, and visit shrines and graves of saints.
All Souls Day (Nov. 2) – People pray for those who have died, asking the saints to help guide them on their paths to Heaven. People often bring flowers and candles to their graves.