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🗓 Saturday, November 1 – Solemnity of All Saints
Today the Church rejoices in the countless souls who now see God face to face—those canonized and those known only to Him. This feast proclaims the universal call to holiness and the glory of the Church Triumphant. From martyrs and mystics to parents and neighbors who lived faithfully, All Saints reminds us that heaven’s joy is our destiny: “Let us rejoice and be glad in the Lord.”
🗓 Sunday, November 2 – Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed (All Souls’ Day)
Following the joy of All Saints, the Church prays for all souls who have died in God’s grace but still await full purification. Since the 11th century, this day has been set aside for special Masses and prayers for the dead. The faithful are encouraged to visit cemeteries this week, to pray for the departed. “It is a holy and wholesome thought to pray for the dead.” (2 Maccabees 12:46)
🗓 Monday, November 3 – St. Martin de Porres
Born in Lima, Peru (1579), the son of a Spanish nobleman and a freed African woman, Martin entered the Dominicans as a lay brother. He nursed the sick, tended animals, and worked miracles of healing. His humility, charity, and racial reconciliation made him a radiant image of Christ’s mercy.
🗓 Tuesday, November 4 – St. Charles Borromeo, Bishop
Cardinal Archbishop of Milan, Charles (1538–1584) reformed clergy, renewed seminaries, and personally cared for plague victims. Tireless in charity and courage, he embodied pastoral holiness. His legacy shaped the Church’s reform and continues to inspire bishops today.
🗓 Wednesday, November 5 – Sts. Elizabeth and Zachary
The righteous parents of St. John the Baptist, Elizabeth and Zachary longed for a child and kept faith through years of barrenness. When the angel Gabriel appeared to Zachary in the Temple, announcing that their prayer was heard, Zachary doubted and was struck mute until John’s birth. At the child’s naming, his tongue was loosed and he praised God in the Benedictus: “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel.” Their story reveals the fruitfulness of patience, the joy of answered prayer, and the mercy of God in every generation.
🗓 Thursday, November 6 – St. Leonard of Noblac
A 6th-century French hermit and disciple of St. Remigius, Leonard prayed especially for prisoners and the oppressed. Many were freed through his intercession, and he became patron of captives and expectant mothers. His shrine near Limoges drew pilgrims for centuries.
🗓 Friday, November 7 – St. Willibrord, Bishop
Born in Northumbria around 658, Willibrord became the “Apostle to the Frisians.” As missionary bishop in the Netherlands, he founded monasteries and churches, including the abbey of Echternach. His courage and gentle leadership planted the faith deep in northern Europe.
🗓 Saturday, November 8 – Sts. Claudius, Castorius, Symphorian & Nicostratus, Martyrs (the Four Crowned Martyrs)
Roman sculptors and stonecutters in the early 4th century, these men were commanded to carve idols for the emperor’s temples. They refused, proclaiming Christ instead, and were scourged to death for their fidelity. Honored as the “Four Crowned Martyrs,” they became patrons of stonemasons and craftsmen, witnesses that faith and work alike belong to God.
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