Slovakia’s Catholics mark All Saints Day

Roman Catholics throughout Slovakia observed All Saints Day on Thursday; a day on which people gather in churches and cemeteries to pray for relatives who have passed away. Priests in their sermons point to the saints as setting an example to living Christians by their lives. The history of All Saints Day holiday goes back to the beginning of the 7th century, when Pope Boniface IV converted the pagan Pantheon in Rome into a Christian church in the year 610 AD. He consecrated the church in honour of the Virgin Mary and all the saints who had been martyred in defence of the faith and the Catholic Church. In the 8th century Pope Gregory III declared November 1 to be All Saints Day. November 1 has been celebrated in Slovakia as a public holiday since 1994. On November 2, priests usually appeal to people to repent and to strive to avoid sin.