DC All Saints’ Vigil on EWTN


November 12, 2013

The Vigil of All Saints held at the Dominican House of Studies in Washington, D.C. was recently featured on EWTN’s News Nightly. Coverage of the event may be viewed here. The Vigil of All Saints was originally developed by Fr. Vincent Serpa, O.P., at St. Albert’s Priory in Oakland during the 1990s (Father Vincent wrote up a description of the Vigil for Catholic Answers in 2001, which can be found here). The Vigil at St. Albert’s, Oakland, was adopted and adapted by a number of student brothers in Washington, and is offered annually at the Dominican House of Studies (Priory of the Immaculate Conception). It customarily attracts over 400 guests. This Vigil is not a Mass and is not meant to be a substitute for the obligation of attending Mass on the Solemnity of All Saints. Rather, it is an extended celebration of the Catholic faith in God, who is wonderful in His saints. At the core of the Vigil is the Church’s liturgical office of Compline (Night Prayer). Before and after Compline, various elements allow for creativity in readings from the lives of saints, musical selections, preaching, and a candlelight procession during the Litany of the Saints. The Vigil follows a three-fold structure of readings from the saints interspersed with choral music, night prayer, and a procession to the DHS reliquary accompanied by the Litany of the Saints. A reception, with homemade treats by the brothers, concludes the night. Just as the Dominican friars in Washington several years ago borrowed and changed the celebration of the Vigil of All Saints in Oakland, so too it is our prayer that many more places will be inspired to offer a Vigil of the Saints in order to reclaim Halloween night for God, wonderful in His saints. A complete program of the 2013 All Saints’ Vigil can be found here.

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