Honoring the Saints: A Journey Through All Saints' Day Celebrations

All Saints day or the Feast of All Saints, in the Catholic church is a day commemorating all saints of the church. It is celebrated on the first day of November in the Western churches and on the first Sunday after Pentecost in the Eastern churches.
Polychrome/gilt wooden/composite statuettes, early 17th- early 20th Century
Polychrome/gilt wooden/composite statuettes, early 17th- early 20th CenturyPersonal collection of Frazer Andrade, Goa, India
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In Goa the fourth College in the entire Jesuit Province of India, which spanned from the Cape of Good Hope in Southern Africa to Japan in the Far East, was set up in 1564/65 in Márgão, as Colégio do Espírito Sánto and later known as Colégio de Todos os Sántos (College of All Saints) when moved to Ráchol. It got its name as All Saint’s College, since the foundation stone for the same was laid on 01-November-1606, which is none other than All Soul’s Day. The college is today known as the Patriarchal Seminary of Ráchol.

In countries such as Portugal, Spain and Mexico, traditional practices include performance of the play, "Don Juan Tenorio" and offerings being made to the dead. All Saint’s Day occurs on the same day as the Mexican "Dide los Innocentes" a day dedicated to deceased children.In Roman Catholicism, the feast is a day of obligation, meaning all Catholics are required to attend Mass on that day, unless they have an excellent excuse, such as a serious illness.

Herald Goa
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