“A consecrated person does not celebrate Halloween,” these were Sister Mary Grace’s words after I told her that my children would be celebrating Halloween at St. Joseph’s Catholic School event, Trunk-or-Treat. In many ways, I was dumbfounded by her response. I thought that Sister Mary Grace, like our parish priest, was open to the trick-or-treating fun and dressing up. As a practicing Catholic, I admitted to her that her response was new to me and that for her to think and act this way seemed uncommon in our current world. Anyhow, I told her how I admired her as a consecrated person and how she represented those who were “set apart” to live closer to Christ. To this, she replied, “Aren’t we all?” This felt like a calling in my heart, one to which I had the free will to respond: Should I who profess the Christian faith celebrate Halloween or not?
In this article I will not focus on the history and origins of Halloween, instead, I will concentrate on explaining how a person of faith, whether it is a consecrated or a layperson, celebrates All Hallows’ Eve.
All Hallows’ Eve or the Vigil of All Saints’ Day, as it is also known, is a solemnity, a preparation for All Saints’ Day, a day of prayer, fasting, and chanting for all of us, not just for the consecrated religious. It is a powerful day on which all Catholics are called to place special attention on remembering their loved ones, those who left this world to come into heaven with the Eternal Father. Liturgically, we are connected through the Holy Mass and Divine Office. There are also designated prayers and chants for the souls in purgatory to be freed, and meditations about the triumph of Christ over death and the lives of Saints. Also, in churches worldwide, parish members light candles with the names of their loved ones and lift their prayers for their souls to God Almighty, and through the intercession of Mary, the advocate of the living and the dead, they say the Holy Rosary. Aside from the liturgical celebrations, family and friends gather, they dress up as saints, learn about the Saints’ lives, and share meals and treats. If we reflect upon this, these are all strong practices of faith that connect all of us to the invisible world.
The exchange of words with Sister Mary Grace led to an everlasting effect on our hearts, more families, including mine, decided to celebrate All Hallows’ Eve instead of Halloween. We learned that it was not because we were radicals, but because we should all live in conformity to the Lord and how he calls us to be devoted to him. Thankfully, Sister Mary Grace’s God-given light guided us to commit and live according to our faith. In honor of her and those who are no longer with us, l want to light a candle and chant the Antiphona Hymnnus omnibus sanctis and the hymn Christe Redemptor omnium conserva, which is sung on the 1st Vespers on October 31st. Let us remember Sister Mary Grace and all of our loved ones on October 31st, on All Hallows’ Eve. May her soul along with all of the faithfully departed rest in peace.
Let us listen to the Antiphona Hymnus omnibus sanctis, sung by the nuns of Jouques.