LAFAYETTE PARISH — Families across Acadiana are preparing to gather at Fountain Memorial Cemetery in Lafayette this Saturday for a heartfelt celebration of All Saints Day.
The annual observance, celebrated every Nov. 1 by the Roman Catholic Church, is deeply rooted in South Louisiana’s Catholic heritage. Fountain Memorial Funeral Home will host the morning’s events, beginning with a 9 a.m. mass led by Father Joe Campion of St. Edmund’s Catholic Church, followed by blessings at each gravesite and a community gathering with refreshments.
“Every year, November the first is celebrated by the Roman Catholic Church as All Saints Day,” said Kermit Bouillion, funeral director at Fountain Memorial. “It means a lot to us here in South Louisiana where we’re predominantly Catholic.”
All Saints Day dates back to the 9th century, when Pope Gregory IV established it as a church holiday. In Acadiana, the tradition blends faith and family, as relatives visit cemeteries to decorate graves with candles and flowers, continuing a ritual that connects generations.
“One gentleman came every single day to sit by his wife’s grave for hours,” Bouillion recalled.
After Father Campion’s blessings conclude, attendees are invited back inside the funeral home for prayer cards, yellow-stemmed flowers, and light refreshments. The event is open to the public, offering a moment of shared remembrance and reflection for the entire community.
