5 Important things to know about All Souls Day

Immediately following All Saints Day is one of the most somber days in the Catholic Church's liturgical calendar. All Souls Day recalls all those who have died, especially dear relatives and friends who have passed away.

It is a day that sometimes gets overlooked or missed, but has a variety of rich traditions that can greatly benefit our spiritual lives.

Here is a quick rundown of five important things to know about this special day in the liturgical year.

St. Odilo was a holy abbot of a Benedictine monastery located in Cluny, France, during the 10th century. This monastery became highly influential during the Middle Ages and played a crucial role in the development of monastic life.

During his time at Cluny, St. Odilo instructed his monks to pray for the souls in purgatory on the day following All Saints Day.

Unless it is celebrated on a Sunday, it is not a holy day of obligation for Catholics, meaning that they are not "obliged" to attend Mass. All Souls Day is a "memorial," and not a "feast" day, which means that it is not a day when the Gloria is sung, and it is not a day of jubilation. Instead, it is a day of mournful sorrow, praying for the souls in purgatory. Although, of course, for a Christian sorrow is never without hope!

Canon Law generally permits priests to celebrate a single Mass each day, though it also allows priests to celebrate an additional Mass if the circumstances warrant it (such as priests at large parishes where additional Masses are required to accommodate everyone).

In 1915, Pope Benedict XV permitted priests to celebrate three Masses on All Souls Day, primarily connected to the overwhelmingly amount of soldiers who were dying during World War I.

Furthermore, priests will often celebrate the first Mass for a specific intention, the second for all the faithful departed and the last for the intentions of the Holy Father.

The Church provides a special indulgence during the first week of November.

An indulgence, applicable only to the souls in Purgatory, is granted to the faithful who devoutly visit a cemetery and pray for the departed in November. The indulgence is plenary each day from the 1st to the 8th of November; on other days of the year it is partial.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church defines an indulgence as “a remission before God of the temporal punishment due to sins whose guilt has already been forgiven” (CCC 1471). See our Primer on Indulgences here, Part 1 and Part 2.

Besides funerals, the only day in the revised liturgical year when a priest can wear black vestments at Mass is All Souls Day. Violet is also an acceptable color, as both call to mind a sense of mourning and penitence. It is a day to recall our own mortality and to pray for all of our friends and relatives who have passed from this life to the next.