Because All Saints Day is not a holy day of obligation this year, St. Francis Xavier Church will celebrate one public Mass at 7:30 a.m. on Monday, Nov. 1. A second Mass will be celebrated at 9:15 a.m. with the students of St. Francis Xavier School. Our third-graders will dress as their favorite saints and process in at the beginning of Mass. Both Masses will be livestreamed on our YouTube channel (also accessible here).

Faithful in the United States are not required to attend Mass during this solemnity. This dispensation is granted when this specific solemnity falls on a Saturday or Monday.

The Code of Canon Law (1246 § 2) declares that an Episcopal Conference “can suppress some of the holy days of obligation or transfer them to a Sunday” with the required approval of the Apostolic See.

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops decided to eliminate the obligation to attend Mass when the solemnities of Jan. 1 (Mary, Mother of God), Aug. 15 (The Assumption) and Nov. 1 (All Saints Day) fell on Saturday or Monday. The Holy See approved this decree on July 4, 1992.

Even so, all faithful who are able to attend Mass are still invited to do so or to join the universal Church by celebrating this important solemnity through prayer.

All Souls Day on Tuesday, Nov. 2, is not a holy day of obligation, but we will offer two Masses, at 7:30 a.m. and 7 p.m., to remember especially those who have died within the last year. All are invited to attend a cider and donut reception following the evening liturgy, in the church basement. The evening Mass, which will feature our adult and bell choirs, will be livestreamed.