The St. John’s doorstep was in good use Friday as members of the Creighton community filed in to attend the All Saints Day masses.
The All Saints Day Mass is a traditional Catholic feast celebrated on Nov. 1. St. John’s held All Saints Day mass at 7a.m., 12 p.m., and 5p.m. The feast is meant to recognize the saints in heaven.
Arts & Sciences freshmen Colleen Dudley and Shayla Shojaat attended the 7 a.m. mass.
“Every Friday we come at 7 o’ clock and there’s so many people [today] … it’s like a celebration,” Shojaat said.
All Saints Day is most definitely a celebration.
“We are celebrating the saints as a community,” said the Rev. Phil Amidon, S.J., the presiding priest at the 7 a.m. mass.
Amidon explained that while many saints have their own designated days in the church, All Saints Day is a day in which we collectively celebrate all of the saints together.
David Scholl, St. John’s liturgical coordinator, further discussed All Saints Day.
“It came to be, that that was the day to recognize all the saints,” Scholl said. “And not just those saints who were canonized, but really anyone who has after this life been living in friendship with God, and has gone onto what Christianity calls the beatific vision. Just being in God’s presence, seeing God face to face, enjoying eternal life in heaven.”
Dudley explained that she believes All Saints Day is important because we are honoring and remembering those who have passed, yet are still a part of the church.
“The Church as a whole includes those in heaven as well as those on earth,” Dudley said.
Scholl mentioned that through remembering and honoring those who have reached the beatific vision, All Saints Day provides inspiration for those on earth trying to reach the same end.
“It is an encouragement to all of us who are still working through our salvation right now in the world,” Scholl said.
In addition to All Saints Day, All Souls Day was celebrated the following day, Nov. 2.
According to Scholl, All Souls Day is a day in which Catholics remember those who may still be working to reach the beatific vision. All Saints Day and All Souls Day are intertwined as they both remember those who have passed.
The online Catholic encyclopedia states, “Catholics celebrate All Saints Day and All Souls Day in the fundamental belief that there is a prayerful spiritual communion between those in the state of grace who have died and are either being purified in purgatory or are in heaven – the ‘church penitent’ and the ‘church triumphant’, respectively – and the ‘church militant’ who are the living.”
Scholl described the feasts as a “mixture of celebration for those who have gone, and prayers and sorrow for our loved ones who have left us and maybe are in the beatific vision, maybe they aren’t.”
Creighton University’s Catholic tradition was recognizable as members of the Creighton community celebrated and remembered those who are no longer present at the All Saints and All Souls day masses.
The audience listens to a student reading from the scriptures at All Saints Day mass.
Students took a break from the busy school day Nov.1 and gathered together to celebrate a holy day of obligation. Masses were celebrated at 7 a.m., noon and 5 p.m. St. John’s holds masses for holy days of obligation throughout the liturgical year, and offers a variety of mass times for them.