All Saints - November 1st
By Fred Schaeffer, OFS
There are a tremendous amount of Saints and Blessed in Heaven, and there are so many that not all are represented with Feast Days on the Liturgical Calendar. As a website devoted to Franciscans, I reflect my efforts to the Franciscan Saints and Blessed but there are so many other wonderful Saints out there. In the “Roman Canon” (Eucharistic Prayer 1) of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, there are the following Saints:
First list: Peter and Paul, Andrew, (James, John, Thomas, James, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Simon and Jude [apostles], Linus, Cletus, Clement, Sixtus, Cornelius, [5 Popes] Cyprian [bishop of Carthage], Lawrence [deacon], Chrysogonus, John and Paul, Cosmas and Damian [5 laymen]).
Second list: John the Baptist, Stephen [deacon protomartyr], Matthias, Barnabas [apostles], (Ignatius [bishop of Antioch], Alexander [Pope], Marcellinus [priest, Peter [exorcist], Felicity, Perpetua [2 married laywomen of Carthage], Agatha, Lucy, Agnes, Cecilia [4 virgins], Anastasia [laywoman of Sirmium]).
See: https://www.ncregister.com/blog/who-are-all-those-saints-in-the-roman-canon
These Saints lived in the first three Centuries, but over time, many hundreds were added. Over 10,000 Saints/Blessed are recognized by the Catholic Church; there is no central list so this is an inexact estimate. It doesn’t matter. It is an exercise in futility to count them all. I hope to get into Heaven, and I hope many of my friends and acqaintances do too.
There is a sure way to get into Heaven: Sin no more! And, love God and your neighbor as yourself.
We celebrate All Saints Day on November 1st.
Peace and Good,
Fred Schaeffer, OFS