My understanding of All Saints' Day

Images of St. Joseph from the Roman Catholic Penang Diocesan Museum, Farquhar Street, Penang.

Can you name five saints, even if you are not Catholic? Perhaps the first name that comes to mind is St. Anne, honoured in Christian tradition as the mother of Mary and grandmother of Jesus. Her legacy endures in the Minor Basilica of St. Anne in Bukit Mertajam. Beside her stands her daughter Mary, the mother of Jesus, two figures whose stories continue to inspire and move people across generations.

Statues of St. Anne with child Mary at the Minor Basilica of St. Anne in Bukit Mertajam, Penang.

If you are familiar with the story of Jesus, you may also recognise the names of his twelve apostles: Peter, Andrew, James (son of Alphaeus), John, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James (son of Zebedee), Simon, Judas (son of James) and Judas Iscariot. While Judas Iscariot’s name remains marked by betrayal, the Church venerates the rest as saints.

When visiting churches around the world, especially in Italy, you will often see statues of these apostles, each reflecting a unique story of faith and sacrifice through art and devotion. Similarly, if you have friends with Christian names, there is a good chance that these names echo the names of saints.

Left: The statue of St. Joseph at the Minor Basilica of St. Anne in Bukit Mertajam, Penang.
Right: A stained glass panel of St. Joseph at Church of the Immaculate Conception in Pulau Tikus, Penang.

Before we explore the celebration of All Saints’ Day, it is helpful to understand the meaning of the word "saint". According to the Oxford Dictionary, a saint is “a person that the Christian Church recognises as being very holy, because of the way they have lived or died.” The word itself comes from the Latin "sanctus", meaning “holy.”

Beautiful stained glass panels of St. Francis Xavier (left) and St. Aloysius Gonzaga (right) adorn the Church of the Holy Name of Jesus in Balik Pulau, Penang. Made in Bruges (Belgium), these panels were installed during the extension works of the church completed in 1894.

A gilded statue of St. Jean-Baptiste de La Salle proudly stands in front of St. Xavier's Institution at Farquhar Street, Penang. He is patron saint for teachers of youth. I am proud to have been schooled here.

The process by which the Catholic Church canonises a person as a saint is a careful and structured one, carried out in five stages:

1. Waiting Period: Usually, a period of five years is observed after the person’s death before the process can begin. However, the Pope may waive this waiting period if there is sufficient reason to do so.

2. "Servant of God": An open investigation is initiated to gather evidence about the person’s life and deeds, which includes witness testimonies. Once the case is accepted, the candidate is referred to as a "Servant of God".

3. Heroic Virtue: The candidate’s life is examined for evidence of "heroic virtue". The Congregation for the Causes of Saints reviews the collected evidence, and ultimately, it is the Pope who decides whether the person has demonstrated such virtue. If they have, the candidate is designated as "venerable".

4. Verified Miracle: A verified miracle, attributed to prayers made to the candidate after their death, must be established. This miracle often involves a sudden cure that lacks a logical medical explanation. Upon verification, the candidate is granted the title "blessed".

5. Canonisation: The final step involves the declaration of the deceased person as a saint. To reach this stage, a second miracle must be verified; however, martyrs only require one verified miracle for canonisation.

On 24 April 2021, Pope Francis declared St. Margaret of Città di Castello (1287–1320) a saint through equipollent canonisation, more than seven centuries after her death.

Margaret’s life was one of profound suffering and spiritual strength. Born blind and physically deformed, she was hidden away by her wealthy parents, who could not bear the perceived shame of her condition. They confined her to a small cell adjoining their castle chapel, where her only companion and teacher was the family chaplain. In that solitude, she found solace in prayer and grew in faith.

When her parents later brought her to Città di Castello seeking a miraculous cure at a Franciscan shrine, their hopes were dashed. Abandoning her there, they never returned. Alone and destitute, Margaret wandered until she found shelter with the nuns of Santa Margherita. Yet her intense spirituality and extreme asceticism unsettled the community, and she was asked to leave.

She was then taken in by a devout couple, Venturino and Grigia, who treated her as their own daughter. In their home, Margaret devoted her life to teaching children and caring for the poor and suffering. When she died on 13 April 1320, at the age of 33, the people of Città di Castello mourned deeply for her. Her enduring legacy of compassion and faith continues to inspire devotion more than seven hundred years later.

After her death, many miracles were reported, affirming her extraordinary sanctity. On 9 June 1558, when the bishop authorised the transfer of her body, those present were astonished to find it perfectly preserved. This remarkable discovery deepened the reverence for her memory. On 19 October 1609, the Church officially recognised Margaret’s holiness, proclaiming her Blessed and designating 13 April as her feast day. This day has since become one of reflection on her life and the virtues she embodied.

Today, St. Margaret, dressed in a Dominican habit, rests in a glass coffin beneath the high altar of the Church of San Domenico in Città di Castello, Italy. Though the colouring of her body has darkened and her dry skin appears hardened with time, her preservation remains remarkably intact.

St. Patrick is undoubtedly one of Ireland’s most celebrated saints, honoured around the world each year on 17 March. In 2020, Penang marked the occasion with its 20th St. Patrick’s Ball and a lively street parade. Though not a religious observance, the event was a joyful celebration of Irish culture and heritage, coinciding with Ireland’s national day.

The story of St. Margaret is just one among the countless saints canonised throughout history. Another notable figure is St. Ulrich of Augsburg, who was born around 890 in Alemannia and died on 4 July 973 in his native city. He holds the distinction of being the first person officially canonised by a pope, when Pope John XV declared him a saint in 993.

It was not until 1588, nearly six centuries later, that the canonisation process became centralised. This reform was introduced by Pope Sixtus V, who established the Congregation of Rites through the papal bull Immensa Aeterni Dei. The body oversaw both liturgical matters and canonisations, ensuring that each candidate’s life and virtues were examined with rigorous care. In 1969, Pope Paul VI restructured it, forming the modern Congregation for the Causes of Saints. According to the Encyclopaedia Britannica, the Roman Catholic Church now recognises more than 10,000 saints.

The Forerunners of Christ with Saints and Martyrs, probably painted by Fra Angelico. He was one of the principal painters of the Early Renaissance in Florence.

Now that we have explored the meaning of sainthood and the canonisation process, let us turn to a solemn feast of All Saints’ Day. Each year on 1 November, Roman Catholics around the world observe this day of obligation, honouring all saints, both known and unknown. According to Merriam-Webster, the term “All Saints’ Day” did not appear until the 16th century. Before that, it was known by its Old English name, All Hallows’ Day or simply All Hallows. The word hallow comes from the Old English adjective hālig, meaning “holy". This connection to holiness underscores the significance of the day in commemorating those who lived lives of virtue and faith.

The evening before All Hallows’ was originally called All Hallows’ Even, which by the 16th century had been shortened to Hallowe’en. Over time, the apostrophe faded, and by the 18th century the term had evolved into the Halloween we recognise today. In modern times, the celebration has taken on a life of its own, embraced in many forms, particularly in the United States, and adopted around the world, including here in Penang. While today’s festivities often centre on costumes and playful spookiness, the original purpose of honouring the saints remains deeply meaningful.

Another explanation for the origins of Halloween traces it back to the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain (pronounced Sow-in). This religious festival marked the end of the harvest season and the beginning of “the dark half of the year". Celebrated by the Celts, whose culture flourished as early as 1200 BCE, Samhain took place on 31 October. Participants believed that during this time, the boundary between the physical and spiritual worlds grew thin, allowing spirits to pass more easily into the mortal realm—a belief that helps explain the enduring custom of wearing ghostly costumes today.

While the roots of Halloween, or more precisely, Samhain, can be traced with relative clarity, the origins of All Saints’ Day are somewhat less certain. According to the Encyclopaedia Britannica, the feast was first celebrated on 13 May, when Pope Boniface IV consecrated the Pantheon in Rome in 609 AD (some sources say 610 AD), dedicating it to the Blessed Virgin Mary and all martyrs. This act effectively established a day of universal remembrance for all holy men and women.

More than a century later, Pope Gregory III (731–741 AD) moved the observance to 1 November when he dedicated a chapel in St. Peter’s Basilica in honour of all saints. Initially, it remained a local Roman celebration. But in 837 AD, Pope Gregory IV extended the feast to the entire Church, making All Saints’ Day a universal observance.

If one were to ask a child to draw a saint, the result would likely be a stick figure with a halo hovering above its head, a simple yet instantly recognisable symbol of holiness, perhaps reminiscent of The Saint, the British mystery–spy television series from the 1960s, in which a halo icon famously appeared above the main character’s head.

How did the halo come to hover above the head of a saint as a symbol of sanctity? Looking back through the veils of time, we find that the halo appeared long before Christianity. It can be traced to early Zoroastrian and Achaemenid art, where it symbolised divine radiance. Even earlier, in the Old Kingdom of Egypt (around 2600 BCE), the sun god Ra was depicted with a radiant disk encircling his head.

In art history, the halo’s migration across cultures is striking. It appears in the sacred imagery of Ancient Greece and Rome, and in the spiritual art of Hinduism, Buddhism, and Christianity alike. Across these traditions, the halo represents light, truth, and the presence of the divine. Today, it endures as a powerful emblem of humanity’s shared spiritual heritage.

To me, a saint is one who seeks truth and conquers the self, a true mountain climber of faith whose heart feels every sorrow yet remains unbroken. A saint is not defined by thoughts or words but by deeds: by quietly lifting others, offering comfort, and embodying compassion. Such people should not be recognised only by the painted halo above their heads or venerated solely after death.

In truth, saints walk among us every day, you and I included, whenever we extend a helping hand, lend a listening ear, or touch a life with kindness. All Saints’ Day is not merely a day of remembrance; it is a reminder of our connectedness to the heart of humanity.

I believe that we are all, in some way, granted sainthood. So on All Saints’ Day, let us remember and give thanks, not only for the canonised saints of history, but for all who have brought light into the lives of others. Let us find inspiration in every act of goodness, in every soul, living or departed.

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Written and photographed by Adrian Cheah (otherwise credited)
© All rights reserved.
31 October 2021