Catholic Education.org reproduces a good article about the development
of All Saints Day and the connection to Celtic Samhain. It was common practice to honor each martyr,
each saint, with a feast day, but there were more martyrs than days in the
year, so a common day honoring them all evolved in the early 300s. This day was originally observed in May, but
in the 700s Pope Gregory IV officially assigned November 1 as All Saints Day.
It’s a great time to start learning more about the Saints,
so I flipped through my Catholic calendar and realized there are so many saints
the calendar can’t possibly list them all. It would be really easy to learn
something basic about a few new saints each month.
Three Saints to Know in October

Our Lady of the Rosary (Oct 7)

On October 7, 1571, Christian Europe won a major naval battle against the Ottoman Empire, preventing the invasion of Islam to western Europe and the Americas. Though the Christians were outnumbered, their 16th century victory at Lepanto is attributed to the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary through a campaign to pray the Rosary. Considering the present day attacks on Christianity across the globe, perhaps it’s time for another Rosary Army to be launched asking for protection.
St. Callistus (Oct 14)
What little we know about our 16th Pope comes
from a history written by his enemy and rival. Living during the end of the
second century, a slave and convicted man sentenced to forced labor, Callistus
called for mercy and equality between all Church members. After being freed
accidentally and sent away from Rome, he was recalled and became an adviser to
Pope Zephyrinus. Callistus succeeded Zephyrinus as Pope in 219, during a
particularly difficult time of the Church. Despite a lack of evidence, he is listed as martyred in 222.
For more information about these Saints and many others, there
are many great books and online resources. If you prefer listening to audio, check
out the short clip titled “Saint of the Day” by Franciscan Media Productions or
the Saint Cast podcast.