Whereas All Saints Day, celebrated on November 1, is a feast established by the Church to honor all the saints in heaven who do not have a special day on one of the other 364 days of the year, this is also a good season to emphasize Church teachings on canonized sainthood as well.
Canonization is the process wherebythe Church officially declares that certain holy persons are saints. The process includes a detailed examination of the person's life, teachings, and works. The Church also investigates whether miracles took place through this person's intercession.
After successful scrutiny, the process proceeds to beatification, which allows the faithful to call the person “Blessed.”
Finally, after the validation of further miracles, the cause of the holy person proceeds to canonization, the official enrollment on the list (canon) of saints. Today, the pope oversees the process of canonization.
All Saints Day Assignments
- Write three paragraphs on your patron saint.
- Write three paragraphs about a saint born near your family's origins.
- Write three paragraphs about a saint with a feast day on your day of birth.
- Research the story of relics stored in your parish or in a church near you.
- Besides beatification and canonization, what are the other steps to sainthood? Include an explanation of the other titles besides saint and blessed.
- Research the life of St. Ulrich of Augsburg and tell why he is important.
- Research the story of St. Christopher in conjunction with the reform of the Roman Church calendar in 1969.
- Read the story of St. Stephen in Acts 6-7. Write three paragraphs explaining his significance in a discussion about saints.
- Write three paragraphs about a deceased family member who you hope has taken his or her place among the saints. Include the person's date and place of birth and death and significant accomplishments.
- Look up the Scripture readings for All Saints' Day. Write a three-paragraph homily that ties the readings and the theme of the feast together.