All Souls’ Day and St. Charles Borromeo

All Souls’ Day and the feast of St. Charles Borromeo fall close together in early November on the Catholic liturgical calendar, November 2 and November 4, respectively. The two celebrations form a connected sequence of remembrance, prayer for the dead, and intercession for clergy.

All Souls’ Day is observed annually on November 2 as the commemoration of all the faithful departed, focusing on prayer for souls in purgatory. Many parishes extend prayers or novenas for the dead, during which the faithful can gain a plenary indulgence by visiting a cemetery and meeting the standard sacramental requirements like attending a holy mass with the intention of offering the souls for their eternal repose.

The feast day of St. Charles Borromeo (1538-1584) is celebrated every 4th of November. His memorial immediately follows All Souls’ Day. He was a key counter-reformation cardinal and archbishop of Milan who reformed the clergy and established the modern seminary system.

The connection of the two commemorations stems from novenas and combined devotions. The Catholic church moves directly from All Saints’ Day (November 1) to All Souls’ day (November 2), leading up to the memorial of St. Charles Borromeo on November 4. It is known that the Saint Paul Seminary in Minnesota run a St. Charles Borroemo novena, from October 27 to November 4, that explicitly incorporates prayers for seminarians and priests alongside intercessions for the faithful departed commemorated during All Souls’ Day.

In the Philippines, with strong Catholic histories, parishes tied to St. Charles Borromeo patronage, such as the Manila Cathedral and San Carlos Seminary, honor St. Charles Borromeo as the patron of seminarians and bishops right around the time families wrap up cemetery visits for All Souls’ Day.