All Saints Day & All Souls Day at St. Mary's

As an IB World School, our faculty aims to connect classroom learning with real world experiences. In the case of learning about El Día de los Muertos in World language classes, this creates an opportunity to link Spanish cultural traditions to our Catholic beliefs and practices related to the celebration of All Saints Day (November 1), a Holy Day of Obligation and All Souls Day (November 2).

Middle School students in both French and Spanish World Language classes created posters sharing information about the lives of French and Spanish Saints. These posters can be seen in the Middle School hallways and above, center right. All Middle School students will also create a "poster frame" to present in Theology class as part of our schoolwide celebration of All Saints Day on Thursday, October 31 and Friday, November 1.

In Señora Lee's Elementary World Language classes, 5th grade students created written remembrances of loved ones alongside hand detailed calavera designs (above center). Younger students decorated sugar skull cookies and "papel picado" out of colorful and delicate tissue paper to form festive banners that now adorn our elementary hallways as pictured above.

Middle School students in Señora Bordas' World Language Spanish class helped make a beautiful El Día de los Muertos altar of flowers and decorative ofrendas to honor departed souls (above left).

This week, construction of our first All Souls Day altar in the school's main entry hallway marks a new St. Mary's tradition that mirrors the altar display in our Parish Church. All students in all grades are invited to bring in framed photos of loved ones who have died as a way to remember them during this special time of year.

All Saints Day Prayer

Almighty ever-living God, by whose gift we venerate in one celebration the merits of all the Saints, bestow on us, we pray, through the prayers of so many intercessors, an abundance of the reconciliation with you for which we earnestly long.

Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. Amen.

All Souls Day Prayers

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May their souls and all the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.

Listen kindly to our prayers, O Lord, and, as our faith in your Son, raised from the dead, is deepened, so may our hope of resurrection for your departed servants also find new strength. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. Amen.