All Saints’ Day is on November first. This feast was officially initiated in 609 AD by Pope Boniface IV. Pope Boniface also established All Souls’ Day, which follows on November second.

On All Saints’ Day we remember those people who have died and who are now in heaven. Anyone who is in heaven is a saint, that is, someone who is holy. How many saints are there in heaven? Millions? Billions? We don’t know for sure but we hope that our family members and friends who have died are among them. We also hope to be a saint in heaven after we have died.

Typically on All Saints’ Day we think about canonized saints, those the Church has officially recognized for their holiness and who we acknowledge are in heaven. But as there are likely millions or billions of other saints who don’t have a capitalized “St.” in front of their name to us on earth and who are without an official feast day or memorial, All Saints’ Day is a time we should think about other holy people we knew in our lives, recognize them for the good example they left for us, and pray that they are in heaven. If, in fact, they are in heaven, we can ask them to pray for us too.

Have the students think about someone they know who has died and who they believe to be a saint in heaven. Go around the room in rapid order and have each student name the person and share one example of their holiness. (Or you may have the students write a journal entry on the same topic.)

Conclude the session by praying the responsorial psalm for All Saints Day:

Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face.
The LORD's are the earth and its fullness;
the world and those who dwell in it.
For he founded it upon the seas
and established it upon the rivers.
 

Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face.
Who can ascend the mountain of the LORD?
or who may stand in his holy place?
One whose hands are sinless, whose heart is clean,
who desires not what is vain.
 

Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face.
He shall receive a blessing from the LORD,
a reward from God his savior.
Such is the race that seeks him,
that seeks the face of the God of Jacob.
 

Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face.