The Solemnity of All Saints is one of the Church’s great celebrations. As a Solemnity — the highest rank in the liturgical calendar — it is given special importance because it celebrates not one saint, but the whole communion of saints: all those who now share in the life of God, including countless faithful men and women whose holiness was lived quietly and whose names may never have been known beyond their own families and communities.

Christians have honoured the saints from the earliest centuries, first remembering the martyrs who gave their lives for the faith and, over time, celebrating all those whose lives bore witness to Christ. The observance gradually developed into the November 1 celebration known throughout the Church today.