By james art BATON ROUGE — This weekend, Roman Catholics celebrate All Saints Day and All Souls Day on Friday and Saturday, respectively.
Pope Boniface IV established the day for celebrating All Saints’ Day in the seventh century, and in the eighth century Pope Gregory III ordered it to be celebrated on November 1.
Several Masses were scheduled throughout the day, including two at the historic Church of St. Agnes at the edge of the town of Beauregard.
A graveside ceremony planned at St. Joseph Cemetery near downtown was canceled due to the threat of rain.
All Saints’ Day celebrates those who have already attained heaven, regardless of whether they have a separate day set aside to honor them.
Saturday is All Souls’ Day, a day Catholics set aside to pray for the departed faithful who are not yet saints.