The Vigil of All Saints at the Dominican House of Studies

The Dominican House of Studies and the Pontifical Faculty of the Immaculate Conception host the Vigil of All Saints this Friday, October 31, beginning at 7:30pm. Not a Mass or meant to substitute for the Mass, this prayer service takes place in the House Chapel and includes readings from various saints, preaching, the Litany of the Saints, a candlelight procession, and music provided by a musical schola made up of Dominican friars and sisters. All of these elements surround the Office of Compline (sung Night Prayer), the core of the night liturgy. A reception will follow the liturgy and confessions will be available throughout the evening. This year’s reading selections consist of saints writing about other saints, featuring Bl. John Henry Newman on St. Philip Neri, St. John Paul II on St. Faustina Kowalska, Bl. Jordan on St. Dominic, and St. Gregory of Nyssa on St. Macrina. Br. Peter Gautsch, OP will offer the night’s preaching under the title: “Wrapped in Light as in a Robe: The Fire of Mercy.” The Vigil of All Saints was originally developed by Fr. Vincent Serpa, OP, at St. Albert’s Priory in Oakland, CA during the 1990s. (Father Serpa wrote up a description of the Vigil for Catholic Answers in 2001). 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. For more information about the Vigil this year, see the Dominican House of Studies website. Also, EWTN’s News Nightly covered the event last year at the end of the November 6^th, 2013 show.

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