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The feast of All Saints, or All Hallows, has been kept on November 1st since Pope Gregory IV extended the observance to the whole church in the ninth century. This date marks the anniversary of Pope St. Gregory III’s eighth century dedication of a chapel in St. Peter’s Basilica that honored all the saints. Feasts in honor of all saints or all martyrs were already celebrated on various days in earlier centuries. Pope St. Boniface IV had consecrated the famed Pantheon in Rome to Our Lady and all the Martyrs on May 13th in the year of Our Lord 609, though not all scholars are certain that this was the original feast of All Saints. In any case, the feast of All Saints on November 1st has for centuries been observed as one of the great holy days of the entire calendar, honored with a vigil since its establishment, and granted an octave as well in the fifteenth century. This is the second day of Hallowtide, the triduum that begins on the vigil, All Hallows Eve, and concludes with the commemoration of the Holy Souls on November 2nd. The Roman Martyrology for each day of the year lists many named saints, but there are many more named saints who are not mentioned, and countless saints whose names are known only in heaven. This day honors them all.
THE Festival of All Saints, which pope Boniface IV, after the dedication of the Pantheon, ordained to be kept generally and solemnly every year, in the city of Rome, in honor of the blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God, and of the holy martyrs. It was afterwards decreed by Gregory IV that this feast, which was then celebrated in many dioceses, but at different times, should be on this day perpetually and solemnly kept by the whole Church in honor of all the Saints.
At Terracina, in Campania, the birthday of St. Caesarius, deacon, who was for many days detained in prison, afterwards put into a sack with St. Julian, priest, and then precipitated into the sea.
At Dijon, St. Benignus, a priest, who was sent to France by blessed Polycarp to preach the Gospel. After he had been subjected to many most grievous torments, by the judge Terentius, under the emperor Marcus Aurelius, he was finally condemned to have his neck struck with an iron bar and his body pierced with a lance.
The same day, St. Mary, handmaid. Accused of professing the Christian religion, in the time of the emperor Adrian, she was subjected to cruel scourging, to torture on the rack, and the lacerating of her body with iron hooks, and thus completed her martyrdom.
At Damascus, the martyrdom of the Saints Caesarius, Dacius and five others.
In Persia, under king Sapor, the holy martyrs John, bishop, and James, priest.
At Tarsus, the Saints Cyrenia and Juliana, under the emperor Maximian.
At Clermont, in Auvergne, St. Austremonius, first bishop of that city.
At Paris, the decease of St. Marcellus, bishop.
At Bayeux, St. Vigor, bishop, in the time of Childebert, king of the Franks.
At Tivoli, St. Severin, monk.
In Gatinais, St. Maturin, confessor.
℣. And elsewhere many other holy martyrs, confessors, and holy virgins.
℟. Thanks be to God.