Msgr Rossetti

Response: Halloween is actually “All Hallows Eve”, that is, the evening before the great feast of All Saints on November 1st. On this feast, we celebrate all those who are now in heaven. Sadly, this has been coopted by secular celebrations, or worse, the dark world. Some practitioners of the occult and witchcraft believe that the boundary between this world and the next on this night is particularly “thin” and that there is a unique kind of efficacy in occult practices. Thus, it is a night in which many witches’ covens and the like are especially wont to gather and engage in their curses, spells, and other forms of divination and the occult. The Bible condemns such practices as an "abomination."

For their practices, Satan and his minions take holy things and invert or pervert them. For example, instead of the Holy Mass, they will celebrate a “black Mass” and are known to obtain a truly consecrated Catholic host and desecrate it. They have their own high priestesses, their own distortions of holy sacramentals, and the like. On Halloween, or All Hallows Eve, we often see people putting out images of witches, demons, symbols of death, and other glorifications of evil. While many think it is harmless and done in good fun, it is wrong to glorify that which is evil and can ultimately be spiritually harmful.

But I believe All Hallows Eve can be reclaimed for the holy night that it is. Beginning the night with prayer, perhaps even a holy hour, would be wonderful. Dressing up, not as witches, demons or skulls, but as one’s favorite saint would be inspiring. Having a dinner or a gathering would be good, and perhaps include a celebration of the Fall season and the harvest— including enjoyable activities such as “bobbing for apples,” eating a tasty apple pie (one of my favorites!), or a hayride. Some might think that the Church is too strict and a “kill joy.” But people do not realize how evil and ugly are the things of Satan and the dark world.

One thing you learn as an exorcist is how truly dark, awful, and evil are demons and everything connected to Satan. Evil does exist and its followers entice people into their own circle of death. On the other hand, the followers of Jesus and those destined for heaven rejoice, on this holy eve, in those saints who have gone before us. We honor them, especially our loves ones in heaven. We ask for the assistance of these saints and long one day to be in their company. They long for our presence even more intensely and they fervently intercede for us with God.