One of my favorite moments of the Church year is the procession to the font at the Easter Vigil Mass. No matter what setting of the Litany of the Saints you may sing at your parish, there is something wonderful about making our way to the font with those to be baptized as we call upon the saints and angels in song. It is at that point in our Church year when I most physically and spiritually feel that I am part of the Communion of Saints—the communion of pilgrims on Earth, the dead who are being purified, and the blessed in Heaven (see Catechism of the Catholic Church 962). I am always filled with joy as I process with those who are going to enter into this holy communion through the Sacrament of Baptism.

We begin the month of November by celebrating the Solemnity of All Saints and All Souls’ Day. We dress our classroom and family prayer tables with pictures of loved ones who have died, images of favorite saints, candles, and the cross. Many Hispanic families add flowers and skull- and skeleton-shaped candies to their family altars in celebration of Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead). It is a time for family members to offer memories of and prayers for the deceased. It is a time to pray our own litanies.

On October 14 of this year, Pope Francis canonized seven women and men: Pope Paul VI, Óscar Romero, Francesco Spinelli, Vincenzo Romano, Maria Kasper, Nazaria Ignacia, and Nunzio Sulprizio. Their childhoods, education, countries of origin, ministries, ages, and life experiences differ greatly. Yet all are now recognized as saints of the Church. Their stories have now become a part of our collection of saints’ stories at SaintsResource.com, and those stories encourage us to remain strong in faith and hope, to never give up, and to always follow Christ’s way of love.

As we are reminded in the Be My Disciples Grade 5 lesson on All Saints:

[The saints are] holy men and women [who] are models of discipleship. Some are known for their lives of heroic virtue. Other saints are known for the great sacrifices they made for their faith. Mary, the Mother of Jesus, is the greatest of all the saints.

The saints come from every time, every culture, every race, and from every nation on Earth. They were young and old, poor and wealthy. Some were great scholars, while others never learned to read. Some saints were from royal families; others were peasants. Many of these saints have special feast days on the Church calendar to honor their unique contributions to the Church. When we pray in the Apostles’ Creed that we believe in the Communion of Saints, we profess our belief that we are united as people of faith.

And so, as we begin this month of November, let us lift our voices in prayer and song. Let us call upon the saints—all the faithful followers of Jesus—to pray for us!

Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us.
Saint Michael, pray for us.
Holy angels of God, pray for us.
Pope Saint Paul VI, pray for us.
Saint Óscar Romero, pray for us.
Saint Francesco Spinelli, pray for us.
Saint Vincenzo Romano, pray for us.
Saint Maria Kasper, pray for us.
Saint Nazaria Ignacia, pray for us.
Saint Nunzio Sulprizio, pray for us.
All holy women and men, pray for us.

Mary Sellars Malloy recently retired from her position as project manager for RCL Benziger. She continues giving presentations and leading parish missions and retreats throughout the country. Her hope is to encourage Catholics of all ages to appreciate and to live their faith.