In 2025, the Solemnity of All Saints on November 1 falls on a Saturday, with the Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed (All Souls’ Day) taking place on the following Sunday, November 2. The Secretariat of Divine Worship reminds all concerned about the situation regarding the correct Mass and Office to be used during November 1–2.

Both All Saints Day and All Souls’ Day are ranked at no. 3 on the Table of Liturgical Days. Thus, on Friday evening, October 31, Evening Prayer I of All Saints is celebrated. On Saturday, November 1, both Morning and Evening Prayer II of All Saints Day are celebrated, though for pastoral reasons where it is the custom, Evening Prayer II may be followed by Evening Prayer for the Dead. For Sunday, November 2, the Office for the 31st Sunday in Ordinary Time is said, especially in individual recitation; the Office of the Dead may be used, however, if Morning or Evening Prayer is celebrated with the people (see Liturgy of the Hours, vol. IV, Proper of Saints, November 2).

On Friday evening, Masses are those of the day since All Saints Day is not a day of precept this year and thus may not be anticipated. On Saturday evening, any normally scheduled anticipated Masses should be for All Souls’ Day. (If desired for pastoral reasons, a Mass of All Saints Day outside the usual Mass schedule may be celebrated on Saturday evening.) The following chart may be helpful in this regard:

Since Saturday is a common day for the celebration of Marriage in the United States, it should also be noted that Ritual Masses are forbidden on All Saints Day (General Instruction of the Roman Missal [GIRM], no. 372). While the Ritual Mass for the Celebration of Marriage is forbidden, the Mass of the day with the ritual itself and the nuptial blessing could be celebrated. Alternatively, the Order of Celebrating Matrimony without Mass could also be used if the celebration of Marriage is to take place on this day. (Ritual Masses are also forbidden on All Souls’ Day.) As a reminder, All Saints Day is not a holy day of obligation this year, owing to the 1992 decision of the USCCB abrogating the precept to attend Mass when November 1 falls on a Saturday or Monday. Therefore, funeral Masses may be celebrated on this day (see GIRM, no. 380).

_{^{Excerpted from the May 2025 Newsletter of the Committee on Divine Worship. © 2025 United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Washington, DC. All rights reserved.}}

_{^{Image Source: AB/Wikipedia}}