All Saints’ Day is a Christian solemnity to make present in our memory all the people who have been pierced by the Holy Spirit and now share the glory of Christ in heaven: all the daughters and sons of God who lived faith, hope and charity following the example of Jesus.
Both sides and detail of the banner that was part of the canonization ceremony of St. Joaquina in St. Peter’s Basilica on April 12, 1959.
History of All Saints’ Day
This is an ancient Christian festivity, since its origin dates back to the 4th century, when the bloody persecution of Christianity by the Roman Emperor Diocletian left many martyrs. Although it is very difficult to establish the number of Christians who died in this fierce attack, historians have estimated that there could have been between 15 and 50,000 people.
So many murders in barely ten years, with a very high degree of cruelty in the methods used, had an enormous impact on the Christian community, which from very early on wanted to pay homage to the martyrs who gave their lives for their faith.
However, so many people were killed by the bloody repression of the Roman Empire that it became difficult to assign a day to each one. Hence, a date was sought to honor them all together. The first recorded date is May 13, from the day on which Pope Boniface IV dedicated the Pantheon in Rome, formerly the temple of all the pagan gods, to the Virgin Mary and all the martyrs at the beginning of the 7th century. A little more than a hundred years later, Pope Gregory III consecrated a chapel in St. Peter’s Basilica to all the Saints on November 1, a date that was established as a general feast of the Church by Pope Gregory IV in 837, thus establishing the feast that has survived to the present day.
Saint Joaquina de Vedruna
On this feast, we unite in prayer for all the faithful who have lived according to Christian values; and we also remember the canonization of our Foundress St. Joaquina de Vedruna.
Her cause was introduced in 1920, a little more than 50 years after her death, when the Congregation continued to grow. Over the years, Joaquina’s name advanced through all the stages of the process: in 1935 she was declared venerable; in 1940, Pope Pius XII named her blessed; and finally, on April 12, 1959, she was canonized by Pope John XXIII.
For the canonization of St. Joaquina, a national pilgrimage to Rome and Lourdes was organized, presided over by the Archbishop of Barcelona, Gregorio Modrego Casaus. Between April 7 and 19, 1959, a retinue passed through Madrid, Hendaye, Lourdes, Genoa and Rome, returning to Spain via Florence, Genoa, Nice and Irun until arriving in Madrid.
Photographs of the canonization of St. Joaquina in St. Peter’s Basilica on April 12, 1959.
Within the process of rehabilitation and reform of the spaces of the Manso Escorial, this year the urn containing the mortal remains of Joaquina was moved to the chapel of the house called Comunidad Inter, until the Manso is in the necessary conditions to receive it again.
Prayer to All Saints
We share these words to unite in prayer for all the saints on this special day when we remember them together with the Foundress, St. Joaquina:
Spiritual fathers to whom we owe our faith,
and you lived like Jesus, more or less a long time ago,
to Him who conquered death
ask him for us.
Prophets who have deciphered the signs of the times
and you showed us how God is at work,
to whom is the light that illuminates the darkness
ask him for us.
Pure souls, innocent saints
who sing to God with the angels,
who called the children to his side
ask him for us.
Apostles that you brought to the Church
a solid foundation on which to build,
to whom is the Truth
ask him for us.
Martyrs who have attained eternal life
from the sand of the circus, beaches, churches and streets,
to the one who gave you strength in the attacks
ask him for us.
Flower-like virgins
who brought purity to the world
who is the source of life and beauty
ask him for us.
Monks who in the struggle of life
you asked for peace in the silence
to the one who is the calm in the storms
ask him for us.
Doctors who left us
treasures of wisdom and virtue
to him from whom all knowledge proceeds
ask him for us.
Sheep of Christ’s flock,
saints and saints all,
ask him to forgive our faults
to Him who lives and reigns among you.
Source: Aleteia
