Remembering the Saints that Walked Among Us

All Saints’ Day is a solemn holy day of the Catholic Church celebrated annually on November 1.  The day is dedicated to the saints of the Church, that is, all those who have attained heaven. These saints, though not necessarily canonized, offer us models of abiding faith and love of God and neighbor. Generally, All Saints’ Day is a Catholic Holy Day of Obligation, meaning all Catholics are required to attend mass on that day, However, if November 1 falls on a Monday or a Saturday, the obligation to attend Mass is not required.

The Church teaches that by imitating the virtues lived by the saints, the saints bring us closer to Christ. When we ask the saints to pray for us, we ask them to join their wills with the will of God and intercede for us here on earth. This is the Communion of Saints which we profess every Sunday in the Creed.

Did you know there is a saint buried in Missouri? St. Rose Philippine Duchesne, who was canonized in 1988 by Pope John Paul II, is buried in St. Charles. She founded the first free school for girls west of the Mississippi and taught and served Native Americans. For more information about visiting her shrine, click here. To hear more about her story and the history of the Church in Missouri, click here to listen to the MCC from the Capitol podcast: 300-Year-Old Church in a 200-Year-Old State.