All Saints and All Souls Feast Days

Many of the customs of Halloween have to do with fear of the dead. It was believed by the Celtic people that evil spirits roamed the earth on the last night of the Celtic year (October 31) and that they worked mischief among the living. Part of Celtic belief was that one could live safely through the night by dressing up as a ghost, witch, etc., or bribing the evil spirits with treats.

It was also believed that the souls of sinful persons who passed away during the year were imprisoned in the bodies of animals and that they on this night could be freed through gifts and sacrifices. Often the sacrifices were human.

Communion of the Saints

In contrast, the Catholic feasts of All Saints Day and All Souls Day offer a much more pleasant opportunity for recognition of our Communion of the Saints or fellowship with those dead to this earthly existence. As a convert, one of the things I found very interesting about Catholicism is the different definition of Communion of the Saints.

It seems that when Protestants talk about Communion of the Saints they mean fellowship among local church members and/or members of other churches or denominations. This is a fellowship for people who are living in this see/touch world.

The Catholic Church emphasizes that with Christ at the head the body of the Church, the people who make up the Church, living or dead, cannot be separated. Therefore, Communion of the Saints has a much broader meaning in the Catholic Church.

The Catholic Church teaches that the Church exists in three different states. One is the pilgrim church struggling to live faithful lives in this earthly existence. Another is the triumphant church of saints already in Heaven. The other state is existence in purgatory or the suffering church. In purgatory, the faithful are purified for entry into the triumphant church.

The Feast of All Saints Day on November 1 and the Feast of All Souls Day on November 2 reminds us of our relationship to those in the other states. These are days of remembrance, celebration and prayer.

Feast of All Saints

The Feast of All Saints is the celebration of our relationship with those in the triumphant church - those who have preceded us in entry to heaven. It began with local festivals in the early church. Ever since there were Christian martyrs, local churches have honored their martyrs. Lists were

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