The Solemnity of All Saints — November 1, 2026

Every Sunday, Bishop Edward Malesic writes a Scripture reflection for the faithful. Follow the bishop on Facebook and Instagram.

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Whenever I have gone on pilgrimage to Assisi, I have venerated the relics of St. Francis of Assisi, St. Clare, and now St. Carlo Acutis. In Rome, I have prayed before the relics of St. Peter and St. Paul, along with those of many other holy men and women whom the Church has declared to be saints.

In our own cathedral, I often stop to pray near the remains of St. Christina, a third-century teenage martyr who remained faithful to Christ during the persecution of the Emperor Diocletian. While the cathedral undergoes its major renovation, her relics are being kept at St. Sebastian Parish in Akron, where the faithful may continue to seek her intercession.

These are only a few of the many saints officially honored by our Church. Their holiness became widely known, devotion to them grew after their deaths, and miracles were attributed to their intercession.

But the Church does not make saints. God makes saints. The Church simply recognizes and proclaims what God has done in their lives.

What, then, of the countless holy souls who are in heaven but have never been officially canonized? They are saints too—and today is their feast: the Solemnity of All Saints.

I think of the holy men and women I have known who have gone before me marked with the sign of faith. I think of my mother and my sister, who remained faithful while dying from cancer. I think of my priest friend, Father Curtis Delarm, who died from Lou Gehrig’s disease at a young age but drew closer to God as he came closer to death.

If they have not yet entered the fullness of heaven, I pray that they soon will. That is why I continue to offer the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass for them and for others who have died.

Here in the Diocese of Cleveland, we also remember lay missioner Jean Donovan and Ursuline Sister Dorothy Kazel, who served at our diocesan mission in El Salvador. Together with two other courageous women, they brought the love of Christ to the poor and were brutally martyred while carrying out the corporal and spiritual works of mercy.

The witness, holiness, and fidelity of people such as these have brought out the best in me. Perhaps you also remember faithful men and women whose lives inspire you to love God more deeply, serve your neighbor more generously, and remain close to the Church.

Like all those holy people who have gone before us, we too are called to become saints. In today’s Gospel, Jesus gives us a roadmap to sainthood. He gives us the Beatitudes:

To be poor in spirit—depending upon God.

To mourn—grieving over suffering, sin, and injustice.

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