The students of the Diocese of Orlando honored the saints by dressing up as their favorite saints on All Saints Day. They also took part in a special mass.
Celebrating All Saints Day
According to a report with the Florida Catholic, it was an annual tradition for the students to take part in All Saints' Day. Catholics celebrate the holy day after All Hallow’s Eve or Halloween.
According to the school website, Catholic schools around the Diocese engage their students in activities that would allow them to honor their favorite saints.
Students usually dress up as their favorite saints. The school also holds a special Mass for the children to take part in as the feast day is a Holy Day of Obligation.
These Catholic schools usually tape pictures of the saints in the classrooms and tell stories of these holy men and women.
Holy Day of Obligation
In an earlier report with The Florida Catholic, All Saints’ Day was not celebrated in the same way it is today.
The solemnity had its origins in the earliest days of the Christian church. The Christians used it as a day to remember the martyrs who were killed for their faith at the hands of the Roman persecutors.
There were so many martyrs of the early Christian church. Because of this, these saints could not each have their feast day.
The early Christians did want to leave any of these faithful men and women out because of their devotion to Christ and His church.
The Catholic church decided that a single commemoration for “all the martyrs” should be observed every spring. This day was to commemorate those saints who did not have their feast day.
According to the report, this was the earliest record of the Christian church celebrating something similar to All Saints’ Day.
Many Eastern Catholic churches celebrate All Saints’ Day in the spring.
These days, All Saints’ Day is a holy day of obligation for Catholics everywhere.
Why is the feast day important?
The celebration is recognized as one of the most important feasts in the Catholic Church.
These days, the celebration of Halloween often overshadows the commemoration of All Saints’ Day.
According to the report, Halloween is celebrated on the vigil of
All Saints’ Day. “Allhallows Eve” or “Hallow E’en” is what it was called before.
The article said that All Saints’ Day should be more than a mere afterthought.
According to The Basilica website, the Catholic Church considers All Saints' Day to be an important feast because it commemorates the men and women who have achieved spiritual maturity.
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops describes these saints as “persons in heaven. These men and women may have been officially canonized or not.
Throughout their lives, these men and women have led,virtuous lives, and lived their lives for others. Some were martyred for the faith.
According to the Catholic Church, these men and women have led lives that "are worthy of imitation.”
Catholics pray to the saints to intercede for them. They are considered to be their brothers and sisters in Christ.
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