All Souls Saturdays in the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church
Prayer, Hope, and the Communion of Saints
In the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, remembrance of the departed is not limited to one day of the year. It is woven deeply into the rhythm of our liturgical life and our faith in the Resurrection.
Every Saturday: A Day of Remembrance
In the Byzantine tradition, every Saturday is dedicated to prayer for the departed, together with the remembrance of all the saints.
This practice flows directly from the mystery of Holy Saturday, when Christ rested in the tomb after His death on the Cross. That day was not a day of despair, but a day of quiet hope — the stillness before the Resurrection.
For this reason:
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Sunday is the day of the Resurrection
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Saturday is the day of those who await the Resurrection
That is why memorial services (Panakhyda) are traditionally served on Saturdays, and why the Church avoids memorial services on Sundays, which are always resurrection days.
Saturday holds the tension between sorrow and hope — precisely where prayer for the departed belongs.
What Are All Souls Saturdays?
While every Saturday includes remembrance of the dead, the Church also designates five Saturdays each year as universal (general) All Souls Saturdays.
On these days, prayer for the departed is intensified and made fully communal. The Church prays not only for our own family members, but for all the faithful departed, especially for those who have no one left to pray for them.
On these Saturdays, parishes typically celebrate:
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the Divine Liturgy for the departed
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Panakhyda, the memorial service
These days powerfully express the Church’s faith that death does not break communion and that our prayers truly matter.
The Five Universal All Souls Saturdays
The Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church observes the following five All Souls Saturdays within the liturgical year:
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Meatfare Saturday
Celebrated before Meatfare Sunday (the Sunday of the Last Judgment).
Before the Church speaks about judgment, she gathers to pray for mercy — especially for deceased fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, and clergy. -
Second Saturday of Great Lent
A universal commemoration during the Lenten journey. -
Third Saturday of Great Lent
Continues the Church’s prayer for all the departed during the season of repentance. -
Fourth Saturday of Great Lent
The final universal commemoration during Lent, reminding us that repentance, prayer, and mercy extend beyond death. -
Saturday before Pentecost
Celebrated at the close of the Paschal season, linking the remembrance of the departed with the coming of the Holy Spirit and the life of the Church.
Why Before Meatfare Sunday?
Meatfare Sunday proclaims the Gospel of the Last Judgment (Matthew 25:31–46).
But before the Church speaks about judgment, she first gathers on Meatfare Saturday to pray.
This order is deeply pastoral and theological:
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Mercy comes before judgment
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No one stands before God alone
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Salvation is lived within the communion of saints
The Church teaches us to approach God not with fear, but with prayer, love, and trust in His mercy.
What Is Panakhyda?
Panakhyda means “all-night vigil,” even when served briefly.
In this service, the Church prays that the departed may:
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rest where there is “no sorrow, no sighing”
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receive forgiveness of sins
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be remembered eternally in God’s Kingdom
The Church believes that the souls of the departed are helped by the prayers of the faithful — especially by the Holy Eucharist.
The Communion of Saints
All Souls Saturdays proclaim a beautiful truth of our faith:
the Church is one, even across death.
The Church exists in three states:
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the faithful on earth
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those being purified
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the saints in glory
On All Souls Saturdays, all three are united in prayer.
When we pray for the departed, we are not looking backward in sadness — we are looking forward in hope.
“Memory Eternal”
When the Church sings “Memory eternal,” it is not nostalgia.
It is a prayer:
that the departed may live forever in God,
remembered not only by us,
but held eternally in His love.
