O Almighty God,
who hast knit together thine elect
in one communion and fellowship,
in the mystical body of thy Son Christ our Lord:
Grant us grace so to follow thy blessed Saints
in all virtuous and godly living,
that we may come to those ineffable joys,
which thou hast prepared for them that unfeignedly love thee;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
ANGLICAN ANCIENT LATIN; BCP 1549
The Collect for All Saints
Also known as All Saints Day Collect ยท O Almighty God, Who Hast Knit Together
About this prayer
The Collect for All Saints is appointed for All Saints' Day, November 1, one of the principal feasts of the Christian calendar. All Saints' Day commemorates all the saints, known and unknown, who have attained eternal life. The feast has been observed since the 8th century AD and was adopted into the Anglican calendar. The collect asks that the example and fellowship of the saints may encourage those still on earth to follow their example and attain the same eternal joy. The prayer uses the image of the Church as a great company knit together in one body across time, with those who have died and those still living united before God.
When it's said
The Collect for All Saints is said at Morning Prayer, Evening Prayer, and the Eucharist on All Saints' Day (November 1) in Anglican churches. It is also used at services commemorating the faithful departed and at funerals where the hope of resurrection and the company of the saints is to the fore.
Notes on the text
The word 'ineffable' means beyond description or expression. 'Unfeignedly' means sincerely and without pretense. The phrase 'mystical body' refers to the Church as the body of Christ, a Pauline image from 1 Corinthians 12 and Ephesians 4. The collect is notable for its inclusion of both the living and the dead in a single fellowship before God.
Source
Derived from an ancient Latin collect. English translation by Thomas Cranmer for the Book of Common Prayer, 1549; 1662 form used here. Public domain.
Last reviewed: May 2026 against primary source.