Feasts & Festivities

Feasts and festivals are a joyful part of our life together at All Souls. The church year begins with Advent, a time of expectation and contemplation. Christmas Eve service in the early evening includes a children's pageant. Our Christmas "Midnight Mass" at 10:30 p.m. features special music followed by a joyous celebration. Ash Wednesday (40 days before Easter) ushers in the solemn season of Lent. Holy Week includes services for almost every day, commemorating aspects of Christ's journey to the cross. Saturday night before Easter, children and adults are baptized at the Great Easter Vigil. Easter morning features glorious music, a beautiful Easter liturgy, and an Easter egg hunt and other festivities for the children. All Souls Day, on the first Sunday in November, is our patronal festival and commemorates all the faithful departed.

Holy Days and Feasts

• Advent: The four Sundays in December that celebrate the coming of Christ into the world
• Christmas: Celebrating the birth of Jesus
• Epiphany: January 6, marking the Three Wise Men's visit to the infant Jesus
• Ash Wednesday: The beginning of Lent
• Lent: The 40 days before Easter, marking Christ's sojourn in the wilderness after his baptism
• Palm Sunday: The Sunday before Easter, marking Christ's entry into Jerusalem and the beginning of Holy Week
• Holy Week
  • Tenebrae (Wednesday): Begins the last three days before Easter and is marked by the progressive extinguishing of candles in the church
  • Maundy Thursday: An evening service commemorating the last supper of Christ and his disciples
  • Good Friday: The day of Christ's crucifixion, commemorated by an afternoon service and Stations of the Cross in the evening
  • Great Vigil of Easter: Begins in darkness and concludes with a blaze of light to celebrate Christ's resurrection.
  • Easter Day: A celebration of the resurrection of Christ that continues for the seven following Sundays
• Ascension Day: An observance of the ascension of Christ into heaven
• Pentecost: The seventh Sunday after Easter, commemorating the descent of the Holy Spirit on the Apostles
• Trinity Sunday: The first Sunday after Pentecost, acknowledging the mystery and unity of the Holy Trinity (God, son Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit)
• Earth Day: Not an official church holiday but one that we mark at All Souls because of our commitment to caring for all of God's creation
• Feast of St. Mary the Virgin, August 15: A feast honoring the mother of Jesus
• Feast of St. Francis: The first Sunday in October, celebrating creation with a special liturgy. We invite animals into the church for blessing.
• Feast of All Souls, November 1: A feast celebrating the festival for which we are named. (This is the Mexican "Day of the Dead.")