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Catholics are required to attend Mass every Sunday and on specific holy days of obligation. In 2026, one of those days also falls on a Sunday, and itʼs happening this weekend. On Nov. 1, the solemnity of All Saints will replace the 31st Sunday of Ordinary Time. On Saturday, Oct. 31, and on Sunday, Nov. 1, Evening Prayer 1 of the Liturgy of the Hours is for All Saints and the vigil Mass on Saturday will observe the Mass of All Saints. Solemnities rank above feasts and memorials and are the highest liturgical celebrations in the Catholic Church. They honor significant mysteries of the Christian faith, including events in the lives of Jesus and Mary, as well as key saints. The solemnity of All Saints celebrates all Christian saints — those formally canonized by the Church and those who are not but have attained heaven. It is typically a holy day of obligation. The observance of the solemnity begins with evening prayer (first vespers) the evening before on Oct. 31 — known as All Hallows’ Eve or Halloween — and is followed on Nov. 2 by All Souls' Day, a day in which the entire Church prays for all of the dead. Sometimes a solemnity that falls on a Sunday will be moved to a Monday. For example, in 2024, the solemnity of the Immaculate Conception on Dec. 8 fell on a Sunday in Advent so the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) transferred the solemnity to the Monday. The Vatican has clarified that Catholics in the United States must still attend Mass on holy days of obligation even when they are transferred to Mondays or Saturdays, correcting a long-standing practice in the U.S. Church. More: ewtnnews.com/world/us/all-sa…

The Church is composed of the faithful living upon the earth and those who have gone before us. The latter includes the saints in Heaven and the faithful souls being purified in Purgatory. Just as on November 1 we honor those who are with God, on November 2 Catholics celebrate a Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed. Also known as All Souls’ Day, on this day we honor them for their fidelity in life, as well as pray for them since they are being purified before entering the All Holy Presence of God. As Revelation 21:27 says of the Heavenly Jerusalem, “… nothing unclean shall enter in.” From the earliest days of the Church, Catholics have believed in a place of final purification for the faithful who died. Those who died a martyr were recognized as already with God since they were perfectly conformed to Christ and His Cross by their martyrdom. For the many believers who never had the opportunity to give such a public witness, the Church offered prayers, especially the Mass, that, having been purified from every imperfection, they would enter into Heaven. This can be found in many ancient texts, as well as the witness of the catacombs and tombs. In the Middle Ages, the theological explanation was developed and the name Purgatory began to be used since it aptly describes the belief of the Church from the beginning up until today. More: ewtnmission.com/seasonsandfe…