On October 31, the school community gathered to celebrate the Solemnity of All Saints and the annual Father/Son Mass, a tradition that honors both faith and family. The celebration invited students and their fathers or father figures to come together in prayer.

Throughout the service, celebrated by Archbishop, Most Reverend J. Michael Miller, CSB, attendees practiced gratitude for the example of the saints and the guidance of those who help shape their spiritual lives.

Archbishop Miller is the Archbishop Emeritus of Vancouver, a member of the Order of Holy Sepulchre, and a former professor and academic administrator at the University of St. Thomas. He was ordained a priest in 1975.

“St. Thomas was so blessed to welcome our gracious Archbishop, Most Reverend J. Michael Miller, to the St. Thomas Votive Mass for All Saints’ Day,” Andrew Quittenton, Director of Campus Ministry, shared.

During the Mass, Archbishop Miller reflected on the saints as models of faith, describing them not as distant or flawless figures but as real people who allowed God’s love to transform their lives. Their example reminds us that holiness is not reserved for a select few; it is a calling for every baptized person, lived out through daily acts of faith, love, and service.

“Saints are models of adventure: the adventure of following Christ,” he shared.

The Archbishop also highlighted the vital role of family in nurturing faith. The home, he emphasized, is the “domestic Church,” where fathers and family members are the first teachers of belief and virtue.

Both before and after the service, attendees were offered the opportunity to view saintly relics and create third-class relics of their own. Relics are physical objects that have sacred connections to a holy person, usually a saint. They are venerated, respected, and honored because they remind the faithful of the saint’s holiness and devotion to God.

As the community honored the saints and the fathers who guide the next generation, the Mass served as a moment of reflection and renewal. It invited everyone present to embrace the journey of following Christ and to continue striving toward sainthood in their own lives.