Feast of All Saints of North America

“What does the daily invocation of the saints signify — of different ones each day, during the whole year, and during our whole life? It signifies that God’s saints live and are near us, ever ready to help us, by the grace of God. We live together with them in the house of our Heavenly Father, only in different parts of it. We live in the earthly, they in the heavenly half; but we can converse with them, and they with us. God’s saints are near to the believing heart, and are ready in a moment to help those who call upon them with faith and love” – Saint John of Kronstadt.

In the Catholic and Orthodox traditions, the calendar of saints provides a familiar life rhythm, organizing the liturgical year by associating each day with one or more saints. The tradition of a sanctoral calendar arose from the early Christian custom of commemorating each martyr annually on the date of his or her death. Over time the calendar evolved to include not only martyrs, but all those recognized for their lives of faithful obedience to Christ.

Saints are usually recognized first by a local community, often by people who directly knew them. As their popularity grows, the local council of bishops conducts an investigation of the person’s life. If the investigation results in a favorable finding, the synod of bishops acknowledges the person’s sanctity and then formally conducts a liturgical service of “glorification.” The Church teaches that it does not “make” saints via the liturgical service, but rather “recognizes” them.

As local churches grew and matured, differing lists of saints began to be compiled in the various lands. So in addition to the liturgical calendar of universally recognized saints, each local church developed its own calendar of local saints.

On this second Sunday after Pentecost, the Eastern Rite liturgical calendar appoints the commemoration of all these local saints, known and unknown, who have shone forth in one’s own land. Accordingly, we commemorate on this day all the saints who established and nurtured the Faith in our own American homeland. This day’s commemoration is an extension of last week’s celebration of All Saints and naturally flows from the Feast of Pentecost, for God provided the means for holiness by sending the Holy Spirit at Pentecost.

Through the intercessions of all the saints of North America, may we be deemed worthy to one day also be numbered among the saints!

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