Purgatory Stories
Private Revelation on Purgatory:
It was related to a holy nun in Pampluna, who had succeeded in releasing many Carmelite nuns from Purgatory, that most of these had spent there terms of from 30 to 60 years! Carmelite nuns in Purgatory for 40, 50 and 60 years! What will it be for those living amidst the temptations of the World and with all their hundreds of weaknesses?
Add a SoulDURATION OF PURGATORY
Padre Pio was asked how long a particular soul would stay in purgatory he replied "At least one hundred years."
Father Rossignoli relates in his Merveilles du Purgatoire. A painter of great skill and otherwise exemplary life had once made a painting not at all conformable to the strict rules of Christian modesty. It was one of those paintings which, under the pretext of being works of art, are found in the best families, and the sight of which causes the loss of so many souls. Soon, however, renouncing this pernicious style, he confined himself to the production of religious pictures, or at least of those which were perfectly irreproachable. Finally, he was painting a large picture in the convent of the discalced Carmelites, when he was attacked by a mortal malady. Feeling that he was about to die, he asked the Prior to allow him to be interred in the church of the monastery, and bequeathed to the community his earnings, which amounted to a considerable sum of money, charging them to have Masses said for the repose of his soul. He died in pious sentiments, and a few days passed, when a Religious who had stayed in the choir after Matins saw him appear in the midst of flames and sighing piteously. "What!" said the Religious, "have you to endure such pain, after leading so good a life and dying so holy a death?" "Alas!" replied he, "it is on account of the immodest picture that I painted some years ago. When I appeared before the tribunal of the Sovereign Judge, a crowd of accusers came to give evidence against me. They declared that they had been excited to improper thoughts and evil desires by a picture, the work of my hand. In consequence of those bad thoughts some were in Purgatory, others in Hell. The latter cried for vengeance, saying that, having been the cause of their eternal perdition, I deserved, at least, the same punishment. Then the Blessed Virgin and the saints whom I had glorified by my pictures took up my defense. They represented to the Judge that the unfortunate painting had been the work of youth, and of which I had repented; that I had repaired it afterwards by religious objects which had been a source of edification to souls. In consideration of these and other reasons, the Sovereign Judge declared that, on account of my repentance and my good works, I should be exempt from damnation; but at the same time, He condemned me to these flames until that picture should be burned, so that it could no longer scandalize anyone." If such are the consequences of an immodest picture, what then, will be the punishment of the sill more disastrous scandals resulting from bad books, bad papers, bad schools, and bad conversations?
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Pope Innocent III died July 16, 1216. The same day he appeared to St. Lutgarda in her monastery at Aywieres, in Brabant. Surprised to see a specter enveloped in flames, she asked who he was and what he wanted. "I am Pope Innocent', he replied. 'Is it possible that you, our common Father, should be in such a state?' 'It is but too true. I am expiating three faults which might have caused my eternal perdition. Thanks to the Blessed Virgin Mary, I have obtained pardon for them, but I have to make atonement. Alas! it is terrible; and it will last for centuries if you do not come to my assistance. In the name of Mary, who has obtained for me the favor of appealing to you, help me.' With these words he disappeared. Lutgarda announced the Pope’s death to her sisters and penitential works in behalf of the august and venerated Pontiff, whose demise was communicated to them some weeks later from another source."
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St. Louis Bertrand's father was an exemplary Christian, as we should naturally expect, being the father of so great a Saint. He had even wished to become a Carthusian monk until he learned that it was not God's will for him. When he died, after long years spent in the practice of every Christian virtue, his saintly son, fully aware of the rigors of God's Justice, offered many Masses and poured forth the most fervent supplications for the soul he so dearly loved. A vision of his father still in Purgatory forced him to intensify a hundredfold his suffrages. He added most severe penances and long fasts to his Masses and prayers. Yet eight whole years passed before he obtained the release of his father.
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St. Malachy's sister was detained in Purgatory for a very long time, despite the Masses, prayers and heroic mortifications the Saint offered for her!
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It was related to a holy nun in Pampluna, who had succeeded in releasing many Carmelite nuns from Purgatory, that most of these had spent there terms of from 30 to 60 years! Carmelite nuns in Purgatory for 40, 50 and 60 years! What will it be for those living amidst the temptations of the World and with all their hundreds of weaknesses?
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St. Vincent Ferrer, after the death of his sister, prayed with incredible fervor for her soul and offered many Masses for her release. She appeared to him at length and told him that had it not been for his powerful intercession with God, she should have remained an interminable time in Purgatory.
The location of Purgatory by St. Lidwina of Schiedam
LET us narrate a third vision relating to the interior of Purgatory that of St. Lidwina of Schiedam, who died April 11, 1433, and whose history, written by a contemporary priest, has the most perfect authenticity. This admirable virgin, a true prodigy of Christian patience, was a prey to all the pains of the most cruel maladies for the period of thirty-eight years. Her sufferings rendering sleep impossible to her, she passed long nights in prayer, and then, frequently wrapt in spirit, she was conducted by her angel-guardian into the mysterious regions of Purgatory. There she saw dwellings, prisons, diver’s dungeons, one more dismal than the other; she met, too, souls that she knew, and she was shown their various punishments.
It may be asked, “What was the nature of those ecstatic journeys? “and it is difficult to explain; but we may conclude from certain other circumstances that there was more reality in them than we might be led to believe. The holy invalid made similar journeys and pilgrimages upon earth, to the holy places in Palestine, to the churches of Rome, and to monasteries in the vicinity. She had an exact knowledge of the places which she had thus traversed. A Religious of the monastery of St. Elizabeth, conversing one day with her, and speaking of the cells, of the chapter-room, of the refectory, of his community, she gave him as exact and detailed a description of his house as though she had passed her life there. The Religious having expressed his surprise, “Know, Father” said she,“ that I have been through your monastery ; I have visited the cells, I have seen the angel-guardians of all those who occupy them. “One of the journeys which our saint made to Purgatory occurred as follows : An unfortunate sinner, entangled in the corruptions of the world, Wcis finally converted. Thanks to the prayers and urgent exhortations of Lidwina, he made a sincere confession of all his sins and received absolution, but had little time to practice penance, for shortly after he died of the plague.
The saint offered up many prayers and sufferings for his soul; and some time afterwards, having been taken by her angel-guardian into Purgatory, she desired to know if he was still there, and in what condition. “ He is there, “said her angel, “ and he suffers much. Would you be willing to endure some pain in order to diminish his ? “Certainly, “she replied, I am ready to suffer anything to assist him. “Instantly her angel conducted her into a place of frightful torture. “Is this, then, Hell, my brother? “asked the holy maiden, seized with horror. “No, sister, “answered the angel, “but this part of Purgatory is bordering upon Hell. “Looking around on all sides, she saw what resembled an immense prison, surrounded with walls of a prodigious height, the blackness of which, together with the monstrous stones, inspired her with horror. Approaching this dismal enclosure, she heard a confused noise of lamenting voices, cries of fury, chains, instruments of torture, violent blows which the executioners discharged upon their victims. This noise was such that all the tumult of the world, in tempest or battle, could bear no comparison to it.“ What, then, is that horrible place? “ asked St. Lidwina of her good angel. “Do you wish me to show it to you? “No, I beseech you,” said she, recoiling with terror;“ the noise which I hear is so frightful that I can no longer bear it; how, then, could I endure the sight of those horrors ?”Continuing her mysterious route, she saw an angel seated sadly on the curb of a well. “Who is that angel ? “ she asked of her guide.“ It is, “he replied, “the angel-guardian of the sinner in whose lot you are interested. His soul is in this well, where it has a special Purgatory.” At these words, Lidwina cast an inquiring glance at her angel ; she desired to see that soul which was dear to her, and endeavor to release it from that frightful pit. Her angel, who understood her, having taken off the cover of the well, a cloud of flames, together with the most plaintive cries, came forth. “Do you recognize that voice? “Said the angel to her. Alas! Yes, “answered the servant of God. “ Do you desire to see that soul? He continued. On her replying in the affirmative, he called him by his name; and immediately our virgin saw appear at the mouth of the pit a spirit all on fire, resembling incandescent metal, which said to her in a voice scarcely audible, “ O Lidwina, servant of God, who will give me to contemplate the face of the Most High ? “The sight of this soul, a prey to the most terrible torment of fire, gave our saint such a shock that the cincture which she wore around her body was rent in twain ; and, no longer able to endure the sight, she awoke suddenly from her ecstasy.
The persons present, perceiving her fear, asked her its cause. “Alas!” she replied, “how frightful are the prisons of Purgatory! It was to assist the souls that I consented to descend thither. Without this motive, if the whole world were given to me, I would not undergo the terror which that horrible spectacle inspired. ”Some days later, the same angel whom she had seen so dejected appeared to her with a joyful countenance; he told her that the soul of his protégé had left the pit an passed into the ordinary Purgatory. This partial alleviation did not suffice the charity of Lidwina; she continued to pray for the poor patient, and to apply to him the merits of her sufferings, until she saw the gates of Heaven opened to him.
ST FRANCES OF ROME SAW THE THREE DISTINCT DIMENSIONS OF PURGATORY
While she was still alive, St Frances of Rome was taken by a heavenly spirit to see Hell. After which, she was led through the 3 diverse dimensions of Purgatory. St Frances was a Roman matriarch who became an extremely reluctant wife at 12 and first-time mother at 13. Our Lord gave her an array of mystical gifts, she could read the secrets on the consciences of other people, she foretold the future and she was able to see her Guardian Angel. Frances was born in 1384 which means she was born exactly 600 years before me. While St Frances's vision of Purgatory took place centuries ago, the conditions she witnessed are still a reality for the souls stationed there at this very moment.
During her visit to Purgatory, she discovered that this state of exile has three layers. They are located one under the other. The lowest locality is a fire box with ferocious fire, a sea of flames. She watched myriad souls submerged in this ocean of flames. These souls were those who had committed mortal sin, which they had confessed but for which they had not made sufficient reparation. Frances was told that for every such mortal sin a person has committed, a period of 7 years of purgatorial suffering is undergone. Some mortal sins cause greater harm and greater offence than others, and so each soul had a different degree of pain which corresponds to their crime.
Frances saw two kinds of people here, people with religious vocations who had followed their call and had consecrated themselves to the Lord, but who had not graduated to the levels of holiness that their religious calling allowed. Secondly, she saw people who had lived lives of sin, but had repented of their pasts before they died. The agonies of the souls writhing in the flames were great, but still Frances was informed that Purgatory may also be called Sojourn of Hope because the souls would not be here forever, but for the time it took them to be assayed like gold and thus worthy of beholding the Face of God in Heaven. This is why Purgatory is an entirely different state to Hell. Frances saw the utter despair of the souls in Hell, who are damned for all eternity, whereas the souls in Purgatory have that certain knowledge they will go to Heaven.
Suddenly she saw the soul of a priest fly down to this lowest level. She had known this priest and could make out his appearance even though his face had a thin cloth covering it - the cloth hid a blemish that marked him - to evince that he had been overly gluttonous and had quite literally stuffed his face.
Frances, the Roman lady, was then taken into the middle layer which was for souls that needed less purification. This layer was made of 3 distinct chambers, the first was like a prison of ice, the second was like a vat of boiling oil and the third was a pool of molten metal shining like silver and gold.
The last layer of Purgatory, the upper level is a place of much less suffering, except the pain of being at a remove from God, which is the pain common to every part. The purification, or deep soul-cleansing is less intense. I think of this as the dry-cleaners for the soul where the more superficial stains are cleaned, because fire or molten metal or boiling oil is not needed to purify and chelate the soul as in the bottom two rungs.
The fire of Purgatory is the same as the fire of Hell
1. The fire of Purgatory is the same as the fire of Hell; the difference between them is that the fire of Purgatory is not everlasting
- St. John Marie Vianney
2. The greatest punishment of Purgatory is in the first level above the darkness. The demons can touch it there. There is heat and cold, darkness and confusion, all coming from the punishment of Hell.
–Revelations to St. Bridget
3. The lowest region is filled with a fierce fire, but which is not dark like that of Hell; it is a vast burning sea, throwing forth immense flames.
–Revelations given to St. Frances of Rome
4.“The same fire torments the damned and purifies the elect.”
–Pope St. Gregory the Great
5. As to the suffering, it is equal to that of Hell.
–St. Catherine of Genoa
6. Almost all theologians teach that the damned in Hell and the souls in Purgatory, suffer the action of the same fire.
–St. Robert Bellarmine
7. The Angel brought St. Frances in ecstasy to the lowest level of Purgatory, to a cavern filled with a roaring fire, its red-hot flames cutting through the black smoke that darkened the cave. But as horrible as it was, Frances said it was not as hot as in Hell.
8. St. Lidwina was blessed with a vision of purgatory. In her vision she was conducted by her angel into purgatory and thought it was hell. St. Lidwina asked the angel upon entering a terrifying place. “No, sister,” the angel answered, “but this part of purgatory is bordering upon hell.” She found the man she was looking for in a dark well. When they removed the cover of the well, “a cloud of flames, together with the most plaintive cries, came forth.” The man looked like “a spirit all on fire, resembling incandescent metal.”
9. St. Faustina was visited by the soul of a religious sister from her order who had died two months previously. The sister “was in a terrible condition, all in flames with her face painfully distorted,” and St. Faustina increased her prayers for her. The next night, St. Faustina was astonished to see the sister come again, in an even worse state, surrounded by even more intense flames, with despair “written all over her face.”
10. Venerable Catherine Paluzzi from the Dominican order being one day in prayer saw the deceased religious Bernadine from her order
on her 1 year anniversary of death she saw a pit from which issued volumes of smoke and flames; then she perceived coming out of the pit a form surrounded by dark clouds.
11. In the life of Blessed Margaret Mary Alacoque, it is related that the soul of one of her departed sisters appeared to her and said : "There you are, lying comfortably in your bed ; but think of the bed on which I am lying and suffering the most excruciating pains." "I saw this bed," says the saint, M and I still tremble in all my limbs at the mere thought of it. The upper and lower part of it was full of red-hot sharp iron points, penetrating into the flesh.
12. St. Gregory the Great, St. Anselm, St. Bernard, and St. Thomas, teach the same, saying that no pain of this life can be compared to that of this fire. Although this fire is not everlasting," says St. Augustine, "yet it is of the most intense heat, and the agony from it surpasses in degree all that any one on this earth has ever suffered. Such pains have never been endured by the flesh of man although the holy martyrs suffered extraordinary tortures."
"The smallest spark of the Purgatorial fire," says St. Thomas Aquinas, "produces a suffering more intense than the most severe pains endured in this life.
The souls in Purgatory, however, do not all experience the intensity of this fire in the same degree. Its expiating and purifying flames are proportioned to God's justice.
Oh! If people only knew what Purgatory is!"
Oh! If people only knew what Purgatory is!"
In 1870, Belgium fought as an ally with France against Germany.
In September of that year, Sister Maria Serafina, a Redemptorist nun in Malines, Belgium, was suddenly seized with inexplicable sadness.
Soon after, she received the news that her father had died in that war.
From that day on, Sister Maria repeatedly heard distressing groans and a voice saying, "My dear daughter, have mercy on me!"
Subsequently, she was besieged with torments, which included unbearable headaches. While laying down one day, she saw her father surrounded with flames and immersed in profound sadness.
He was suffering in Purgatory and had received permission from God to beseech prayers from his daughter and relate Purgatory's suffering to her. Thus he said:
I want you to have Masses, prayers and indulgences said on my behalf. Look how I am immersed in this fire-filled hole! Oh! If people knew what Purgatory is, they would suffer anything to avoid it and alleviate the suffering of souls here. Be very holy, my daughter, and observe the Holy Rule, even in its most insignificant points. Purgatory for religious is a terrible thing!
Sister Maria saw a pit full of flames, spewing black clouds of smoke. Her father was immersed in the pit where he was burning, horribly suffocated and thirsty. Opening his mouth she saw that his tongue was entirely shriveled.
"I am thirsty, my daughter, I am thirsty."
The next day, her father visited her again saying, "My daughter, it has been a long time since I saw you last."
"My father, it was just yesterday . . ."
"Oh! It seems like an eternity to me. If I stay in Purgatory three months, it will be an eternity. I was condemned for many years, but, due to Our Lady's intercession, my sentence was reduced to only a few months."
The grace of coming to earth was granted to him through his good works during his life and because he had been devoted to Our Lady receiving communion on all her feast days.
During these visions, Sister Maria Serafina asked her father several questions:
"Do souls in Purgatory know who is praying for them, and can they pray for us?"
"Yes, my daughter."
"Do these souls suffer, knowing that God is offended in their families and in the world?"
"Yes."
Directed by her confessor and her superior, she continued to question her father:
"Is it true that the sufferings of Purgatory are much greater than all the torments of earth and even of the martyrs?"
"Yes, my daughter, all this is very true."
Sister Serafina then asked if everyone who belongs to the Scapular Confraternity of Carmel (those who wear the scapular), is freed from Purgatory on the first Saturday after death:
"Yes," he answered, "but only if they are faithful to the Confraternity's obligations."
"Is it true that some souls must stay in Purgatory for as long as five hundred years?"
"Yes. Some are condemned until the end of the world. These souls are very guilty and entirely abandoned."
"Three main things draw God's malediction over men: failure to observe the Lord's Day through work, the very widespread vice of impurity, and blasphemy. Oh my daughter, how these blasphemies provoke the wrath of God!"
For over three months, Sister Serafina and her community prayed and offered penance for the soul of her tormented father who often appeared to her. During the elevation of the Host at Christmas Mass, Sister Maria saw her father shining like a sun with matchless beauty.
"I finished my sentence, and have come to thank you and your sisters for your prayers and pious exercises. I will pray for you in Heaven."
ST. STANISLAUS TELLS US WHAT THE SOULS ENDURE
The poor souls undergo immense suffering, pain and despair especially when they know that they have been left abandoned, neglected and forgotten by those they once loved on earth and who benefitted by what they left behind. How they look up with tear filled eyes, folded hands, outstretched arms pleading and calling out to us with silent unheard voices, waiting in deep anguish for someone to remember them and obtain their release through prayer.
I will leave you with these true stories which will make you understand how they are so desperate for every prayer or even a good thought which will lessen their suffering and help in their quick release....
God gave St. Stanislaus Papczynski (one of the patron saints of the holy souls) the grace to see the reality of purgatory. On one occasion a hole opened up under the altar, and he encountered the souls in purgatory begging for help. Knowing full well that the souls in purgatory cannot gain merit for themselves, St. Stanislaus urged people to double up on prayers and penances on their behalf. On another occasion, while he was saying Mass, the ground underneath him suddenly became transparent. He could see the souls of those who were benefitting from the prayers getting refreshed and relief by the mass he was offering for them through the sacrifice of the Holy Mass. He later told his confreres: "Pray, brethren, for the souls in purgatory, for they suffer unbearably." He then locked himself in his cell and spent three days praying for them.
The power of the Mass...
St. Elizabeth of Portugal, who reigned as queen of that country at the beginning of the fourteenth century, had a much-loved daughter named Constance. The young princess died very suddenly after being married, causing Elizabeth and her husband, King Denis, much grief. Soon after this, a hermit came to the queen with a shocking story: while he was praying, Constance had appeared to him, beseeching him to take a message to her mother. She was suffering terribly in Purgatory and would remain there a very long time unless Mass was offered for her each day for a year.
The king responded, “I believe that it is wise to do that which has been pointed out to you in so extraordinary a manner. After all, to have Masses celebrated for our dear deceased relatives is nothing more than a paternal and Christian duty.” Elizabeth accepted this advice, and arranged for the Masses to be said by a holy priest. One year later her daughter appeared to her, clothed in a brilliant white robe, and said, “Today, dear mother, I am delivered from the pains of Purgatory and am about to enter Heaven.” St. Elizabeth gave thanks to God and expressed her gratitude by distributing alms to the poor.
The more we give, the more we get.
A business man in Boston joined the Association of the Holy Souls and gave a large sum of money annually that prayers and Masses might be said for them.
The Director of the Association was surprised at the gentleman's generosity for he knew that he was not a rich man. He asked kindly one day if the alms he so generously gave was his own offering, or, donations which he gathered from others.
What I offer, dear father, he said, is my own offering. Be not alarmed. I am not a very rich man and you may think that I give more than I am able to do. It is not so, for far from losing by my charity the Holy Souls see to it that I gain considerably more than I give. They are second to none in generosity.
A deceased woman suffers the deprivation of God
The noted theologian, Fr. Juan Eusebio Nieremberg told the facts of the following story that happened in Treves, Spain.
It was All Saints Day when a young and pious girl received an apparition. It was a lady who had died, and it was someone whom the girl knew in life. The apparition was dressed in white with a white veil on her head. In her hand was a long rosary that revealed her devotion to Mary. The apparition spoke to the girl and told her that she had made a vow to have three masses celebrated at the altar of the Blessed Virgin. She asked the young girl to fulfill it in her place.
The girl agreed and did it. The woman appeared again and thanked the girl. She revealed that she was in purgatory and the masses helped a great lot.
The woman continued to appear to the girl in the following years every November. Almost every time, the woman would be in adoration before the Blessed Sacrament. Apparently, since the woman could not yet see God face to face, the Eucharist was the closest the woman could get to the God whom she loved.
Whenever the woman appeared to the girl during mass, the woman's face would become radiant when during the Elevation of the host. The girl would recount how much she marveled at seeing something so beautiful.
It was December 3, the Feast of St. Francis Xavier, when the girl was about to receive Holy Communion when the woman appeared and accompanied the girl to the altar rail and then stayed beside her the whole time. The girl recounts it was the way the woman could participate in the happiness of Christ's presence in Holy Communion.
On December 8, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, the woman appeared again, this time shining more brilliant than before that the girl could not look directly at her. Then during mass on December 10, the woman appeared even more brilliant and then after genuflecting in front of the altar, she thanks the pious girl and then rose to heaven accompanied by her guardian angel.
The girl recounted something that the woman revealed to her during the time before she went to heaven. The woman said she suffered only one thing in purgatory, and that was the pain of loss — the sorrow of being separated from God, which alone caused her unbearable torture.
In the words of St. Chrysostom, "Imagine all the torments of the world. You will not find one equal to the deprivation of the beatific vision of God." This is why we should help the suffering souls in purgatory by gaining indulgences for them.
HOW ST. JOHN MACIAS' HELPED THE HOLY SOULS
St. John Macias has justly been called Helper of the Souls in Purgatory. A well merited title. These souls, deprived of the vision of God and abandoned to their just punishments, were permitted by God in his mercy to appear to Juan and to plead for prayers to release them from their atrocious torments. One night, as he was praying in the Rosary chapel, he heard the murmur of many confused and hoarse voices. "0 servant of God, remember us! Do not forget us! Help us with your prayers so that we may leave this place of suffering!"
"Give us prayers", they cried with one voice. "Oh brother John, you are the friend of the poor and sick! Be our friend too! Help make us worthy to be with God and His Blessed ones." There came a mournful chorus, and John saw a number of shadowy figures advancing out of the darkness. Eyes filled with tears, their arms were outstretched in desperate pleading. "Give us prayers! Oh, Brother John, you are the friend of the poor and sick! Be our friend, too! Help make us worthy to be with God and His blessed ones!". The lay brother starred in awe: Hundreds of women and children were grouped about the main altar. And every face was marked with loneliness and pain -- their greatest longing that of entering Heaven without further delay. Several times daily, St. Macias also sprinkled Holy Water on the ground, a practice he insisted was a great help to these unseen sufferers. On his deathbed, St. John confessed to his Dominican brethren that prayers and penances offered for the faithful departed and most especially the Rosary are most pleasing and acceptable to God. St. John the Evangelist whom John Macias had great devotion, revealed to him in a vision that his prayers had liberated more than 1.4 million souls from their confinement. On his deathbed, it was said, the heavens opened and those souls rushed down to escort him to heaven. May we never forget to pray and remember the Holy Souls who are no strangers to us as we make our rounds of the beads, for we too one day will be holy souls if we are lucky enough to reach purgatory relying on the mercy of God and the prayers of others....
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St. John Macias, a great friend of those in purgatory, would often sprinkle Holy Water on the ground for the spiritual benefit of the suffering souls. It is a symbol of refreshment and washing, like a spring rain.
The practice of sprinkling or pouring Holy Water on the ground—whether in a cemetery or in the soil of your backyard or —is a simple yet powerful act of charity for the Poor Souls. Holy Water, blessed by the Church, carries sacramental grace and has the power to bring spiritual refreshment and relief to the suffering souls in Purgatory.
The Devotion of St. John Macías to the Poor Souls
Saint John Macías, known as the Helper of the Poor Souls, dedicated his life to praying and offering sacrifices for them. He spent countless hours praying three rosaries daily for their deliverance. He also had a unique practice:
Throughout the day, he frequently sprinkled Holy Water on the ground as an offering for the relief of the souls in Purgatory. He believed that every drop of Holy Water, when used with faith and love, could soothe their sufferings by giving them refreshment and relief and shorten their purification.
The souls in Purgatory often appeared to him in visions, pleading:
"Give us prayers! Oh, Brother John, you help the poor and the sick—be our friend as well! Help us become worthy to be with God and His blessed ones."
Saint John never ceased his acts of mercy for them, teaching us that even the smallest gestures, like sprinkling Holy Water, can have eternal significance for the souls suffering in Purgatory.
Every drop of Holy Water poured in faith is a moment of relief for a suffering soul. Following the example of St. John Macías, let us frequently sprinkle Holy Water on the ground, especially in cemeteries or in our own backyards, or where we are as an act of love and mercy for the souls in Purgatory.
Saint Mary Magdalen de Pazzi: Visions of Purgatory
The Lord raised her to the heights of Mount Tabor. She had been as close as one can be on earth to the Beatific Vision; now she was to walk the Way of the Cross to Calvary with her Lord. It was time for Him to share with her those Poor Souls in Purgatory whom He dearly loves.
One day, while praying before the Blessed Sacrament, Saint Mary Magdalen de Pazzisaw the tortured soul of one of the sisters, who had passed on recently. She saw her rising painfully from the earth, encircled by leaping flames wrapping themselves around her body. The only thing that kept them from scorching the sister’s body was a sparkling white robe covering her, shielding her from the blazing fire. She had been faithful to the Rule. She had led a pious life. Then why was she coming to Sister Mary Magdalen like this? This sister explained that she had grudgingly spent time before the Blessed Sacrament while she was alive. And now, she was being denied her Spouse’s Beatific Vision. She went over to where the Blessed Sacrament was exposed and remained kneeling at the foot of the altar, oblivious to the flames about her, adoring her Lord so very preciously present in His Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity. Oh how she had longed to see Him, once more! Worse than the furnace, which enveloped her in Purgatory, was the loss of the vision of her Lord. She remained motionless, her eyes transfixed on her Savior. At the end of her hour with her Lord in this Garden of Gethsemane, her penance ended, St. Mary Magdalen saw the sister rise to Heaven.
Saint Mary Magdalen de Pazzi glimpses the various levels of Purgatory
One day, while praying in the garden of the Convent with the other religious, she became enraptured in ecstasy and saw before her the pits of Purgatory opening. She later shared that she heard a voice, beckoning her to follow and witness the pain the Poor Souls in Purgatory had to endure. The voice explained this was so that when she prayed for them, she would pray relentlessly and compassionately. The sisters heard her say: “Yes, I will go.”
She began to pace in circles round and round the spacious garden, for two hours, hesitating at times, as if in great pain. She later confided that these were times when she contemplated the suffering of the Poor Souls before her in Purgatory. Her back bent, as if carrying the sorrow of the world, her tiredness increased and her strength seemed to be ebbing away. As she saw the intense agony of the Poor Souls, the blood drained from her face; she rung her hands helplessly, tears streaming from her eyes. She wept: “Mercy, my God, mercy! Descend, O Precious Blood, and deliver these souls from their prison. Poor souls! you suffer so cruelly, and yet you are content and cheerful. The dungeons of martyrs in comparison with these were gardens of delight. Nevertheless there are those still deeper. How happy should I esteem myself were I not obliged to go down into them.”
She descended deeper into the pits of Purgatory. She thought she had suffered all she could until she came upon Religious in a level filled with greater terror and suffering! What could they have done to deserve this act of Justice! She never shared the cause of their punishment or the type of sufferings they had to endure, but the sisters could hear her sighing deeply and weeping helplessly, with each step.
Souls making retribution for sinning out of ignorance
Then God in His mercy, had the voice lead her into a more merciful level of Purgatory. It was the place reserved for simple souls and those of children who had sinned more out of ignorance than out of malice and forethought. Their suffering appeared to be less painful than that of the other Poor Souls she had viewed before. Mary Magdalen saw their Guardian Angels beside them strengthening and sustaining them with their presence. Although Purgatory is a place of hope and anticipation, of all the Poor Souls, these were the closest to realizing the end of their journey, and of being with the Holy Trinity, Mary and our entire Heavenly Family of Angels and Saints in Heaven.
The Pain of Souls who were guilty of hypocrisy on earth
Anxious to leave, but obedient to the voice who was her guide in Purgatory, Sister Mary Magdalen continued a few more steps, to a place more painful than any she had encountered in Purgatory. What could these souls have done to deserve this intense purging? She was told, these were those who were guilty of hypocrisy. Oh how much damage is done by those who pretend to be and do good, who gain the confidence of innocent lambs, only to lead them astray and oftentimes into Hell. Our Lord spoke plainly to such as these when He said: “Whoever causes one of these little ones, who believe in Me, to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone come around his neck, and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.”
The dungeon of those who had lacked charity toward others
Going a little further, she came upon a large group of souls who looked as if they had been pinned under a huge cement pillar. She was told that these were the souls of those who had shown little patience and charity toward those less fortunate, and of those who willfully resorted to disobedience toward their superiors and instilled acts of disobedience in others. As she went deeper into this dungeon, and looked at the suffering of these Poor Souls, her face became more and more filled with pity and dismay for these souls who had lost all their earthly smugness and self-assuredness. They looked so helpless. They remind us of the rich man who asked for a drop of water from Lazarus.
Sister Mary Magdalen enters a Purgatory much like Hell
[Author’s Note: People ask us why there is a level so much like Hell. The best way we can explain is by giving an example. Suppose Adolf Hitler made a perfect Act of Contrition just before he died. He would be saved; but he would have a great debt to pay in Purgatory in retribution for the inhumane atrocities he had committed. We believe he would be at the very bottom pit of Purgatory, until the end of the world!]
Shortly thereafter, the sisters saw St. Mary Magdalen become greatly agitated. She let out an anguished cry. The voice had led her into one of the deepest levels of Purgatory, most resembling the region of Hell. As she approached what appeared to be a bottomless pit, she saw souls writhing in pain; their suffering beyond description. She had entered the level of Purgatory reserved for “Liars.” She sobbed.
When we bear false witness against someone, the harm is irrevocable; the incurable effects much like that of a terminal illness. As with cancer, the poison of lies cannot be self-contained; it spreads and destroys the good along with the bad, everything and everyone with which it comes in contact. The damage to one’s name and very self can never be totally erased, mankind always preferring to think the worst. There are wounds of many kinds that can be healed, but the wound to one’s reputation is a wound which attacks the very personhood of a human being. The punishment in Purgatory, much like that of Hell, is very severe because although these sins have been confessed, and absolution has been granted, the damage is so far-reaching, oftentimes affecting whole families, churches, communities, countries, the world. It is as the English poet, John Donne wrote:
“No man is an island entire of itself;
Every man is a piece of the continent,
a part of the main;
If a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe is the less,
As well as if a promontory were,
As well as if a Manor of thy friends,
or of thine own were;
Any man’s death diminishes me,
Because I am involved in mankind;
And therefore never send to know
for whom the bell tolls;
It tolls for thee.”
So it is with a lie; it is like a pebble thrown into a body of water; the small ripple spreads and spreads covering the entire area, affecting the river which spills into the ocean, covering the universe. There is no such thing as a small lie, just as there is no such thing as a small cancer that is malignant. Although with cancer, sometimes it can be all cut out, but still you do not know when it can resurface. We can admit we have lied, a paper can retract a false statement but as we have so often seen, the lie can come back to haunt us nonetheless. Is this book on Heaven, Hell and Purgatory written to frighten you? No, not at all. But if we did not report authentically what the Saints saw and experienced, we are as bad as liars who falsify or withhold the truth, often telling you what you want to hear, rather than what you have to hear.
Souls who sinned through weakness
When Sister Mary Magdalen approached this next dungeon, she was told these were souls who sinned through weakness. She was surprised to see them in a separate dungeon from those (in Purgatory) who were paying for the damage done by sinning through ignorance. All about her, she saw frantic flames licking at the already scorched souls. The fire was more furious than had been in the dungeon of ignorance. Why? What is the difference of the one sin from the other? With those who sinned out of ignorance, a debt had to be paid for the harm done, but their sin was done unwittingly; they knew no better. With the souls in this dungeon, they knew full well while on earth, the seriousness of the sin and its repercussions, but whether bending to self-interest, self-preservation, fear of rejection or just plain peer pressure, they chose to do it nonetheless. They pay not only for the damage done to their own souls but for the harm done to other souls.
Souls who had chosen the false gods of materialism
Someone once said that if an announcement were made that Jesus was coming that very moment, there would be people rushing off to the mall; there would be those who had to finish decorating their new home, others buying that new model car, and then those getting their hair styled. A priest at a retreat, asked us all to put down on paper the most important areas of our lives. Then he said to put next to those listed, the time spent on each. Try it! It really blew us away! Naturally, Jesus was on the top of the list as the most important. But how much time do we spend on Him versus the items lower down right to the bottom of the list? Do we give Jesus a five minute call, dropping in on Him waiting for us in the Tabernacle? Is going to Mass on Sunday, a “let’s get it over” thing, “I’ve done my obligation” thing in our life? Do we realize that it is Jesus Himself Who is coming to us under the appearance of a Host? Or are we impatiently waiting for the Mass to be over so we can spend the rest of our Sunday enjoying ourselves or doing good things but not holy things? What St. Mary Magdalen saw were those souls of whom our Pope John Paul II speaks, those for whom no amount of money and possessions is enough; they lived each day to protect what they had and to get more and more of that which they did not need but instead desired. Their possessions became the keepers and they the slaves. She saw all the blindness of avarice in those here who had spent every waking moment seeking and trying to hold onto possessions that would most assuredly perish, instead of striving to attain those which would most assuredly guarantee everlasting life.
She saw all these souls being thrown into the fire, like raw crude metal which needs to have all earthly impurities burned away so that only precious gold remains. Was all these souls had strived for and accumulated worth this? Thank God, they only knew that one time when standing before Our Lord, they saw the times they had hurt Our Lord, and seeing, condemned themselves to Purgatory, understanding that one time why they needed to spend this time here. Once there, they only wait for that time when they will be released and be able to see the Beatific Vision of God.
How many can look down on these Poor Souls? How many of us can look forward to time there? Choose God, before it is too late. Remember what Jesus said: “As was in the days of Noah, so will it be when the Son of Man comes. For in those days before the Flood, people were eating and drinking, taking wives, taking husbands, right up to the day Noah went into the ark, and they suspected nothing till the great Flood came and swept all away. It will be like this when the Son of Man comes. Then of two men in the fields, one is taken and one is left; of two women at the millstone grinding, one is taken and one left.
“So stay awake, because you do not know the day when your Master is coming. You may be quite sure of this that if the householder had known at what time of night the burglar would come, he would have stayed awake and would not have allowed anyone to break through the wall of the house. Therefore you too must stand ready because the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.”
Souls who had been soiled by impure thoughts and actions
A young man came up to us one day, and said that his confessor had told him, it was alright to think about other women, but not to act on the thought - that the sin was in the doing not the thinking. Well, we told the young man that he probably misunderstood the priest because sin begins in the mind. Thoughts that are not fought become actions. Surely, thoughts can be temptations by the demons and we are not responsible for those thoughts. But should we entertain and persist willingly in these thoughts, they will most assuredly lead us to act upon these impure thoughts and sin. Impure and unholy thoughts begin in the mind and then travel to the other members of the body.
Her next stop was a dungeon that was filled with an unbearable stench, infested by filth and mire, diseased souls bearing the marks of such highly fatal, infectious and contagious diseases, such as the Bubonic Plague ( the social ills of our time - Syphilis, Aids and etc). She was almost overcome by waves of nausea, the sight and smell was so offensive. She was told that this was the place reserved for those whose souls had been tainted by impure actions.
A special place for the proud and ambitious
The sisters saw her rushing to another place in the garden. She later shared that, not able to view the disgusting spectacle any longer, the presence of so much decay and pestilence almost choking her, smothering her so she could barely breath, she had to flee to the next place no matter how horrible it might be; anything had to be better than this. The next area of Purgatory was dedicated to those souls whose focus in life had been to be popular, to be admired, to be looked up to. Their aims were ambitious, to the exclusion of any and all human feeling for others; their philosophy being, the end justifying the means, What ever it takes to succeed, go for it. Well, they went for it, and now they were in this dungeon of obscurity, with no one to console them. These souls sought the elusive treasures of this world, and the world and its lies betrayed them. They chose the respect of men over the Divine Respect of God and as always the father of lies, who leads us to this folly, betrayed them and here they were. The respect of humans died with them, and now much of their suffering, like that of others in Purgatory, was the longing to behold the Divine Image of that God to Whom they gave second place on earth.
Souls who had not thanked Our Lord for His plentiful Gifts
Coming toward the end of her journey into Purgatory, her next to last stop was reserved for those who prayed when they needed help from the Lord but, like the nine lepers, never thanked Him. They lit the candles in petition, but forgot Him in thanksgiving. When their petitions were granted, they soon forgot it was the work of the Lord and began to believe Satan’s lie that it was their doing and not the Lord’s, or that it was due to circumstances not miracles that the course of their lives had changed for the better.
These souls were immersed in a pool of boiling, bubbling, molten lead, many of them barely able to stay afloat. It seemed as if their cries would penetrate past the walls of Purgatory. Oh, she thought, If only those on earth could hear and see these poor souls, how they would pray!
The Last Stop
The last stop was a place of the least pain and suffering. It was filled with those souls who had not committed any grave wrongdoing, but out of lack of prudence had been guilty of lesser faults, venial sins. The problem with these sins is that they could have led to more serious mortal sins. They’d had a Guardian Angel (as all of us have), who warned them when they were doing something that could lead them astray and they, through pride or lack of wisdom, or just plain desire, chose to ignore the messenger of God and commit these minor infractions; then it is God’s Justice that they be cleansed of these imperfections by sharing to a lesser degree the suffering of the other Poor Souls in Purgatory.
At last, peace!
Saint Mary Magdalen de Pazzi left the garden hurriedly. She was heard pleading with the Lord to spare her this suffering in the future. She implored the Lord not to subject her to this again as she did not believe that her spirit could survive it. She shared she did not know why He had chosen her to share in these heartbreaking scenes, if not to make her aware of the hurt He suffers when we are party to the smallest sin, and to encourage her to avoid any stain of sin which would separate her from Him, not only in this world but in the next.
Saint Mary Magdalen sees her brother in Purgatory
Mary Magdalen saw her brother when she was visiting the different dungeons of Purgatory. He had led a truly Christian life, but he had received the many Graces to enable him to do so; therefore his responsibilities were great and he had failed to fulfill them as he should. There were faults that he had not atoned for, while still alive. Many times, Mary Magdalen had tried to warn him, but to no avail; he knew what he was doing. He shared that although he whole-heartedly accepted the suffering necessary to make him presentable to God, he longed to be in His presence. He pleaded with her to receive 107 Holy Communions, to help him make restitution for the times he had not put the Lord first in his life. Good and holy sister, she did as he had requested, all the while pleading with the Lord on his behalf.
The Sister who did not correspond to God’s Grace
There is another serious imperfection which requires God’s Justice and must be satisfied. It is the violation of God’s Grace. Grace is God’s Gift to us, and to not cooperate with it, is to throw it back in God’s Face. It is a precious Gift, a Gift to help us on our pilgrimage on earth.
The Sister whom Saint Mary Magdalen saw in Purgatory was guilty of not having appreciated God’s Grace on three different occasions. When we speak of this Sister’s offense against God, we must understand: “Much will be required of the person entrusted with much, and still more will be demanded of the person entrusted with more.”
Religious are granted special Graces to practice their vocations faithfully and fully. Heavenly Graces, as with earthly gifts, are to be appreciated to the extent they are given: the size of the gift, the importance of the Giver, and the thought behind the gift. With Religious, these Graces are imparted by the Perfect Spouse Who provides them with all His Heart. He bestows these Graces upon them, knowing His beloved brides; and knowing them, He knows their needs. He carefully fashioned them for Himself, in His Mind and Heart before the world began. Because He loves them, He desires to protect them for His very own. Imagine the Wounds on Jesus’ Heart when His religious, His brides refuse His Gifts. Such is what happened with this Sister who was in Purgatory.
Saint Mary Magdalen begins with the sister’s “rejection of an infusion of Grace” she received on one of the Church’s Feast Days. Although she was supposed to dedicate this day to the Lord, this sister chose to do some embroidery, instead. She heard that inner voice tell her, she was to observe this Holy and Solemn Feast in prayer and meditation. Although it was not urgent and could have waited, she chose to disobey the Rule and follow the dictates of the world with its shallow compensations.
Another time, knowing that there was a problem in the Community and she should tell her Superior, she chose to be silent. Knowing that sharing this would ultimately benefit the other Sisters, she elected to be still. Knowing how they would initially react, she traded God’s Divine Respect for that of the human respect of the Sisters. If she had realized the consequences of putting their acceptance or rejection before God’s, would she have done so?
The third fault is one that most of us have to fight, our inordinate attachment to our loved ones on earth. When this sister became the Bride of Christ, she pledged to Him her undying love, placing Him before all others. This was the covenant she made with the Lord. Her Spouse gave her His all, showering her with His Love. She, on the other hand, found herself becoming more and more involved with the concerns and ongoing demands of her family. Knowing this displeased her Lord, having the presence of His Grace there to advise and admonish her, she ignored it believing she could make it up to the Lord, and He would understand. She had forgotten Jesus’ words:
“Whoever loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me.”
Well, as we said before, you never know when the Lord is coming. Remember the story of the bridesmaids awaiting the Bridegroom? Five fell asleep without preparing oil for their lamps and five were prudent and were prepared when He unexpectedly arrived. When He came, the five who were unprepared asked for oil from the five who had prepared; they refused. When the five unprepared asked the Lord to “open the door” for them, He replied: “`I tell you solemnly, I do not know you.’ So stay awake, because you do not know the day or the hour.”
Needless to say, the Sister did not have time to make it up to the Lord, for she died soon after she had betrayed her commitment to the Lord.
Saint Mary Magdalen began to pray for her soul. Sixteen days after her death, the Sister appeared to Mary Magdalen and announced her deliverance from Purgatory. It shocked St. Mary Magdalen that this Sister, who was known for her piety, had suffered this long in Purgatory. When St. Mary Magdalen asked Why? the Sister shared that she had to make atonement for those times that she had ignored God’s Grace and put the world before Him. She said her period of suffering would have been much longer, had the Lord not taken into consideration her fidelity to Him (most of the time), and her faithful following of the Rule, as well as her good will in handling countless situations, and her love toward her other Sisters.
LAY PEOPLES PURGATORY STORIES
Remember the poor holy souls demand with urgent cries the help of our prayers and our good works especially those to whom we owe our love and gratitude. A burning candle drives away evil and signifies Christ the eternal Light which we implore in our prayers to shine upon the departed and it symbolises God’s justice and His purification of our suffering brethren in purgatory. We must burn candles in memory of them especially on their graves, since a candle is a sacrificial gift or offering for the eternal repose of our loved ones and acts as an extension of our prayer that gets repeated over and over for as long as the light is alive. It helps alleviate the suffering of the poor souls in purgatory and shortens the time they spend there for purification that's why people light multiple candles hoping that their loved ones time spent in purgatory will be reduced. Even a single candle will go a very long way in bringing them some consolation and relief. So let us pray for the final conversion and repentance of those whose candle is about to burn out and keep our candles lit for those of the faithful departed who are in desperate and urgent need of our prayers.
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(the stories below are taken from the purgatory archives)
A woman who had made the Poor Souls the promise to light a blessed candle for them every Saturday. On one such Saturday her husband said, "Oh stop that, you don't have to do that. It's old fashioned, and the dead are happy. They hardly need that, and I don't care what you promised them. The woman, of course, was saddened but still wanted to go ahead with it, but without being disobedient to her husband. So she thought, "All right, I'll just stick it in the wood stove where George won't see it. He hasn't lost anything in there." So she went ahead and put it in there, closing the little door that, by the way, had a small window in it. Then she left the house and soon her husband returned. As he was about to throw something away he glanced over to the stove and to his surprise saw some light inside. This puzzled him, and he opened the little door to look inside. To his great astonishment, turning somewhat pale, he not only saw the burning candle, but around it six pairs of perfectly folded hands. Shocked, he closed the door and waited for his wife to return. When she did, he said, "Why put your candle inside the stove? You might as well put it out here on the table.
... A deceased person appeared to a relative and complained bitterly that the customary number of candles had not been offered at his funeral.
Also, that pitiful moaning was heard in a house where it had been neglected one Saturday to light the customary “Poor Souls’ Candle.”
A priest vouches for the following which he related to the author: A peasant of his acquaintance attempted during three nights to steal fruit from his neighbor’s orchard. Every time he came near the place, a light either came toward him, or moved in a circle around the house. Later he confessed his guilt to the owner, observing that the latter must have a vigilant guard. The man replied that he knew of no guard, except that it was his custom to burn a candle every evening for the Suffering Souls, and that these grateful spirits must have guarded his property.
THIS GRIEVING GIRL WITNESSED HER FATHER TRAVEL FROM PURGATORY TO HEAVEN
All because she had three Masses said for the repose of his soul.
During the 17th century, a grieving young girl approached Benedictine Abbot Millán de Mirando at the monastery of Our Lady of Montserrat. She begged the abbot to say three Masses for her deceased father.
SUFFERING SOUL IN PURGATORY
The young girl was totally convinced that these Masses would speed her father on his way to heaven, releasing him from the pains of purgatory. Moved by the girl’s child-like faith, the abbot said the first Mass the next day.
During the Mass the young girl was kneeling and as she looked up she saw her father near the altar where the priest was saying the Mass.
She described her father as “kneeling, surrounded by frightening flames” and located at the bottom step of the altar. The priest was alerted to this miraculous phenomenon and he instructed the girl to place a piece of tissue where her father was kneeling.
The tissue immediately started on fire for all to see, though the priest could not see the child’s father. This represented her father being purified by the flames of purgatory.
A second Mass was said for the repose of her father’s soul and again the little girl saw her father. This time he was up a step standing next to the deacon and was “dressed in a vibrantly colored suit.” At this stage her father was still in purgatory, but no longer touched by its flames.
At the third Mass she saw her father for the last time. During the Eucharistic celebration he was “dressed in a snow-white suit,” but then something extraordinary happened at the conclusion of Mass. The little girl exclaimed,
“There is my father going away and rising into the sky!”
She no longer had to worry about the soul of her father as she knew with confidence that he had reached the gates of heaven.
Apparitions from souls in Purgatory
1. Sister M.G. (deceased sister soul):( unpublished manuscript)... On All Soul’s Day, many souls leave the place of expiation and go to Heaven. Also, by a special grace of God on that day only, all the suffering souls without exception, have a share in the public prayers of the Church, even those who are in the great Purgatory. Still the relief of each soul is in proportion to its merits… Many of the suffering souls receive this one help only in all the long years they pass here… Very few souls get any prayers, the majority are totally abandoned and no thought or prayers are given them on earth.
2. St. Malachy offered the Holy Sacrifice for his deceased sister and prayed much for her. In time, having many others to pray for, he neglected his poor sister. She appeared to her brother during his sleep. He saw her standing in the middle of the area before the church, sad, clad in mourning, and entreating his compassion, complaining that for the last thirty days he had neglected her.
3. A poor soul who appeared to the Austrian Mystic Maria Simma told her that it sees very clearly on the day of its funeral if we really pray for it, or if we have simply made an act of presence to show we were there and that tears are no good for them only prayer. Often they complain that people go to a funeral without addressing a single prayer to God, while shedding many tears this is useless.
ST. THERESA OF AVILA STORIES ON PURGATORY
In this excerpt from the Book of Her Life, look for the ways in which St. Teresa prayed for the dead:
*She went to church to pray for the soul
*She offered up all the good she had done in her life for the soul
*She prayed earnestly and intensely (beseeched the Lord) for the
soul
*She asked others to pray for the the departed soul
*She prayed the Office of the Dead for the soul
*She attended Mass for the soul (in other accounts of Chap. 38)
St. Teresa was blessed with many visions and mystical experiences. In this excerpt, she explains the visions she received of departed souls.
I was told that someone who had been our provincial was dead (although when he died he was in another province). I had had some dealings with him and was indebted to him for some good deeds. He was a person of many virtues. As soon as I learned he was dead, I felt much disturbance because I feared for his salvation in that he had been a superior for twenty years. Being a superior is something I am indeed very afraid of since I think having souls in one's charge involves a lot of danger; with much anxiety I went to an oratory. I offered up for him all the good in my life, which must in fact amount to little, and so I asked the Lord to supply from His own merits what was necessary for that soul to be freed from purgatory.
While beseeching the Lord for this as best I could, it seemed to me that person came out from the depths of the earth at my right side and that I saw him ascend to heaven with the greatest happiness. He had been well advanced in years, but I saw him as only about thirty, or even less I think, and his countenance was resplendent. This vision passed very quickly; but I was so extremely consoled that his death could never cause me any more sorrow, although I saw persons who were filled with grief over his loss since he had been generally highly esteemed. The consolation my soul experienced was so great I couldn't worry about him, nor could I doubt that it was a vision; I mean that it was not an illusion. No more than fifteen days had passed since his death. However, I didn't neglect to get others to pray for him and to pray myself, except that I couldn't do so with the eagerness I would have if I hadn't seen this vision. When the Lord shows some persons to me in this way and afterward I desire to pray for them to His Majesty, it seems to me without my being able to help it, that doing so is like giving alms to the rich. Afterward I learned--for he died quite far from here--of the death the Lord had given him; it was so greatly edifying, because of the knowledge, tears, and humility with which he died, that it left everyone amazed.
Again, she tells of another experience with a departed soul:
One of the nuns in the house who had been a great servant of God had been dead a little more than a day and a half. A nun was reciting a reading in the choir from the Office of the Dead, which was being said for the departed soul, and I was standing so as to recite the verse with her. When she was half through the reading, I saw the nun who had died; it seemed to me her soul had come out at my right side just as in the previous case and was going to heaven. This was not an imaginative vision as was the former one, but like the others I mentioned; yet this kind is a certain as the imaginative visions.
The Collected Works of St. Teresa of Avila. Translated by Kieran Kavanaugh, O.C.D., and Otilio Rodriguez, O.C.D. Washington, D.C.: ICS Publications, Institute of Carmelite Studies, 1987, Print.
St. Teresa tells us that the Lord was pleased to show her the degrees of glory these souls possessed. After experiencing these visions, she states, "Great is the difference that lies between the glory of some and that of others."
St. Teresa recounts several other visions of the dead in her writings. You can read them in Chapter 38 of the Book of Her Life. Let us remember that we are not to seek out these experiences. We must travel the road of pure faith in which there are no signs and knowledge of the state of a departed soul. This is part of the cross that we bear in life; that we continually pray for the living and the dead. Saint Teresa herself continued to pray for these souls even after she witnessed them going to heaven, because she still had a desire in her heart to pray for them, she states:
When the Lord shows some persons to me in this way and afterward I desire to pray for them to His Majesty, it seems to me, without my being able to help it, that doing so is like giving alms to the rich.
SUSAN TASSONE (THE PURGATORY LADY) STORY ON A WOMAN AND PURGATORY
A woman from Bolzano, Italy, for many years had offered up the Blood of Jesus for deceased priests. Being overwhelmed by her domestic duties and caring for her sick husband, she had begun to neglect this pious practice. One afternoon, while she had dozed off, she witnessed her room suddenly becoming crowded with countless priests, until it seemed that not one more would fit into the room. They were priests of all ages, and of all nationalities. They seemed to be waiting anxiously. The woman was surprised and wanted to ask them what they were waiting for, but before she could, a very young priest approached her and he said, "We are waiting for the thirty three offerings of the Blood of Christ, in order to obtain relief from our punishment." It was at that point that the woman understood the great effectiveness of this devotion which she had neglected. From that day on she said this chaplet for priests faithfully. The thirty three offerings of the Blood of Jesus is an ancient Italian devotion for priests in purgatory. By praying this pious devotion, relief is brought to priests who are suffering in purgatory, singular graces can be obtained for those who pray it, as well as conversions. Priests become zealous apostles, illnesses have been healed, perfection of the soul increased. A priest once told me: "No one is more dead than a dead priest because no one prays for him!" ( By Susan Tassone)
Saint Mechtilde and the Our Father for the Souls
Saint Mechtilde (1240–1298), a Benedictine nun, was known for her mystical experiences. According to tradition, Jesus taught her a special way of praying the Our Father for the souls in purgatory. The story holds that when she recited this prayer, she would see countless souls released from purgatory into heaven. The prayer, adapted for each line of the Our Father, petitions God the Father for mercy on the holy souls, offering Jesus's merits in reparation for their failings.
The following story, which tells of what happened to a lady, a privileged soul, on 2 February, 1968, the Feast of Candlemas, shows us the very great value and the fruitful use which one may make of the Our Father, composed by St Mechtilde for the relief of the souls in Purgatory.
It took place in Switzerland, at Hinsiein, a place of pilgrimage to Mary. On a weekday in winter, it was, the church was almost empty. Madame Aloisia Lex was praying with some relatives. Looking towards the High-altar, she noticed the presence of a very old nun, dressed in a very old-fashioned religious habit, dating from a bygone age. She went towards her and this nun gave her a prayersheet which she put mechanically into her pocket. There took place, then, something strange; the entrance door opened suddenly and she beheld an enormous crowd of pilgrims arriving, very poorly dressed, who walked with muffled steps, like phantoms. A flood of pilgrims, an almost unending line, which came into the church. A priest stood there and showed them the way. The country-woman wondered, in astonishment, how this immense crowd was going to have enough space in the church. She turned to the side, then, for a brief moment, to light a candle. When she looked behind again, the church was empty as at the beginning.
Completely amazed, Aloisia asked her parents where all the people had gone. Nobody, however, who had come with her, had noticed the procession of pilgrims and none either had seen the nun. Not believing her eyes, she sought, in her pocket, the sheet which she had been given. This sheet which she held in her hands, clearly proved to her that she had not imagined everything. It contained the text of a prayer which in times past, Our Lord had taught to St. Mechtilde, during an apparition. It was the Our Father, for the Souls in Purgatory. Each time St. Mechtilde recited this prayer, she saw countless Souls in Purgatory rise up to Heaven.
King Alphonsus of León's Judgement before God
King Alphonsus of León, who fell gravely ill and, in a vision, found himself before God's judgment seat. When his life was weighed against his many sins, the Blessed Virgin Mary intervened by placing a rosary he wore on his person, along with other rosaries prayed because of his example, onto the scales. Because the rosaries "weighed more" than his sins, he was granted more years to live and encouraged to spend them wisely.
Based on these stories we can see how reciting the rosary can save a soul from being damned. These stories emphasize the immense spiritual power of the Rosary, suggesting its capacity to outweigh human imperfections and sins.
Exorcist Monsignor Rossetti stories about the Holy Souls Contacting Them
Two weeks ago I shared stories about priests in purgatory contacting us for prayers, and then I asked folks to share their own stories. What they sent in was enlightening and inspiring. Here are just a few of the dozens of their wonderful stories:
My father had many problems and died violently when I was an infant. When I was a child, I frequently felt his presence was near, but it was not pleasant. I felt scared by it. It eventually subsided as I got older until I developed a deeper prayer life. That’s when I started sensing his presence again but this time I decided to have Masses said for him and spend more time praying for him and souls like his. One night I woke up in the middle of the night with a very strong sense he was with me and that he had been suffering/atoning. Then, it subsided. It must have helped because I haven’t felt this sort of disturbance again or since.
My grandfather was not Catholic. He was a truly good and honorable man, living his deeply-held Christian beliefs and dedicated to reading his Bible daily. He died of lung cancer. Some years later, my Catholic mother had a dream in which she saw her father standing at the foot of a long white staircase. He told my mother that he needed just a little more help. My mother was skeptical of the dream, so she told no one. Soon after, she had the dream again, though this time when her father said he needed some help, she asked why her? He told her because she was the only one who could. At that moment, my mother caught a whiff of her father’s cancer; she told us that her father’s lung cancer had had a particular odor. We learned of the 30-day Gregorian Masses that can be said for the deceased. So she had Gregorian Masses said for her father’s soul. He didn’t visit my mother anymore in a dream, so we figured it was because he didn’t need to!
Mine is about how the Divine Mercy Chaplet helped my boss. In 2010, he was dying from an aneurysm. Everyone of us on his team loved him because he was kind and a good mentor. On the night before he died, I had the inspiration to pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet for him nonstop until I fell asleep. I somehow remembered that Jesus promised that if the Chaplet was prayed at the bedside of a dying person, He would stand between the Father and the person as the merciful Savior. So I did just that.
Eventually, I fell asleep and dreamt of my boss, and in the dream, he looked like his usual self. He talked to me and it felt like he was very peaceful. After our conversation, he said, "Thank you for everything you have done for me. I have to go now." He smiled, and that was the end of the dream. I woke up, looked at the time. It was 1:37 in the morning. When I got to the office, my colleagues told me he died at 1:37 p.m. Washington DC time. We are in Manila, 12 hours ahead of DC. I think somehow, my prayers helped him. Even more amazing was that our boss was a Muslim. That event really strengthened my faith in God's mercy and power of intercessory prayer, even from thousands of miles away.
We had a family friend named "T" who worked with my Dad. The 2008 financial crisis wiped out T’s net worth. He was not able to recover. He began drinking to excess, suffering injuries in his drunkenness. In 2012, T hung himself in a hotel room.
For years I prayed for him. One night he came to me in a dream. I heard his voice and I knew it was him. And he told me: "I know what I did. I know all the implications of what I did. Thank you for your prayers. They mattered. You were once my friend’s son, but now you and I are true friends. I have what I need. And I am going to where I am meant to be. You won’t hear from me again." He embraced me. He was at peace. And as he faded away from me and into his path forward, I could see his signature face smiling and I could hear his signature laugh. And he was gone. I shot up from bed. My heart soaring. Pounding. Face covered in tears. It was so powerful. A beautiful consolation of the Lord. Gave me proof of the power of praying for the dead. And now I do every day.
My uncle died. Three days later after he was buried, I was in our laundry room in the basement when I felt the presence of my uncle and heard his voice speak to me, desperately trying to get through. I could tell he was greatly suffering. He said, "Please pray for me." I got so scared that in my fright I said to him: "Yes I will pray for you, just please go away and leave me alone." Then I ran upstairs grabbed the phone and if I would have known the Pope's phone number I would have called him, but since I didn’t, the local Archbishop had to do. Amazingly he picked up the phone right away, so I didn’t have to go through a dozen people. I told him what had happened to me with my uncle. Of course, he had to be careful as to what he said to me because he didn’t know me and this is what he said: "In the time of St. Francis of Assisi, the Pope promulgated an indulgence that if you entered a church and prayed six Our Father's, six Hail Mary's, and six Glory Be's, you could release a soul from Purgatory on All Souls Day." So I did. Some years later, Maria Esperanza, the Venezuelan seer, was in town. I went and at the end of the day, she prayed over me and the first thing she told me was: "The one you love is in heaven." And I asked her who. She said my uncle and added: "Now he’s praying for you." My uncle never tried to contact me again after that first time.
l had a good friend who died suddenly from complication of an asthma attack. A few years later, l started to see him in my dreams. It was always misty, foggy, and it seemed that this fog created a kind of separation between us, so there was never a conversation. The dreams became more often and the fog more intense with each dream. I spoke to my sister about it saying: "This kid refuses to leave alone." My sister said to me that maybe he needs prayer. So l had Masses said for him for quite a while and prayed for him as well. To this day I have no more dreams about him.
On learning of the death of a former pastor, I felt a very unusual grief, very tender and physically felt in the centre of my chest. Being so unusual, I thought this must be a supernatural prompting to pray for this priest. I then arranged Masses for the repose of his soul. My husband and I then made a day pilgrimage to a Marian shrine where after praying at the altar of St Joseph, I felt impelled to buy another large candle and dedicate it with prayers for the deceased priest. I went to the altar with Jesus resurrected and seeing the image of Jesus Divine Mercy, I put the lit candle there and knelt to sat the chaplet of mercy. Upon saying the very last word of the chaplet, a burst of powerful joy exploded in my heart and chest where the tender grief once was and I had the certitude that the pastor had just been freed from purgatory. Praise God.
My husband and I have lived at our current home for about 10 years. Our children are adults and on their own. But during our stay here, we kept smelling smoke from time to time. There was nobody outside smoking, but we kept smelling smoke in our house. Then it would go away. Then it would come back. We never had this problem at our previous home. So one night after I was finished praying my rosary in my chair in the living room, right next to me I could smell cigarette smoke so heavy you could cut it with a knife. So I spoke to my husband again about this and the light began to dawn. He said his dad, whom I had never met, was a very heavy smoker and regrettably a heavy drinker as well. He had a rough life and never really had a Christian burial. So I spoke to a priest friend of mine about this. He said it was a troubled soul from purgatory asking for prayers. He said to have three Masses said, one for each Person of the Holy Trinity, and that should take care of it. So, that is exactly what we did. But we had four Masses said to hopefully put him to his eternal rest. I have not smelled smoke since. Praise God!
Several years ago, I briefly felt my father looking at me. He had passed several years beforehand. I didn’t acknowledge him, nor did I share this, but it made me realize that perhaps he wanted my forgiveness. Sadly, there were abusive situations I had experienced growing up. My younger sister mentioned to me one morning our Father had been strongly in her thoughts, sitting in her backyard quietly reflecting on things, she told me it was a startling experience. He had said to her: "This line I am standing in is very long, many are in front of me." It occurred to me that my father was searching to find people that he had in his life to ask them for their prayers of forgiveness. I mentioned to my younger Sister that he needs our prayers, perhaps he can move to the front of the line. After listening to many of your sessions Monsignor, I never consciously thought of the power of forgiving others. I have since forgiven my dear Father, and it’s been enlightening. Thank you sincerely for this prayer of forgiveness and the importance of praying for souls in purgatory.
When I first learned of the 'Chaplet of Divine Mercy' to release souls from purgatory, I thought of my childhood friend Ron, who died of a medical mistake during what should have been a routine surgery. I prayed the Chaplet, offered for his soul, just in case. Three days later he came to me in a dream and thanked me for getting him out of purgatory! Praise God! Thank you Jesus.
I am a priest and have a story of a priest in purgatory. I have a priest friend whose rectory was rather large, and one year I took my annual retreat in his parish. My priest friend arranged a room for me and came to check on me a couple days into retreat. I told him things were going well with one exception: I was having a hard time sleeping at night. My priest friend shut the door to my room and proceeded to tell me a story. The room in which I was staying used to be my priest friend's room and one night he woke up to find a soul from purgatory at the foot of his bed. He said, "I'll do whatever I can to help, but never appear to me again." The soul was that of a priest assigned to the same parish decades earlier where he committed suicide and he requested that a Mass for the repose of his soul be celebrated. My priest friend checked and verified that there was a priest stationed in his parish decades earlier who had committed suicide. He suggested that I should celebrate a Mass for this priest in the room I was staying which I did. During the rest of my stay in the rectory on retreat I had no troubles sleeping.
I am a Catholic Religion teacher. For years people talked about the school being haunted. Mysterious things would show up on the video cameras. The lights in the chapel would flick on their own and the construction workers when in the chapel reported strange things happening with their equipment. The attendance secretary reported that her chair in the office smelled like smoke every morning and that they had set up a video camera trying to catch a custodian etc., smoking in her chair and found nothing. One afternoon I was working in my classroom and had this very uneasy feeling like I was being watched. I ignored it thinking I was just being silly. I got up and opened my door and checked a few times in the hallway just to be sure. Ultimately I decided I was just being very silly and kinda laughed out loud at myself saying, "Ok, Mr. Ghost, please go away." What I heard in return made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. "Please Pray". I hightailed it out of the classroom but promised to pray for this soul. It came to be known that a number of souls had passed away in the building, one being a Catholic priest who died suddenly of a heart attack in his private chambers that were at the back of the chapel. So many strange things happened in that room people refused to go back there alone if it could be helped.
I shared the story with our parish priest. He shared that we could say a Mass in the chapel for any souls that passed away there. After the Mass, significantly less occurrences happened in the school. I had forgotten soon my resolve to pray for the soul not really knowing who it might be. About a year later I was back in the room cleaning it out. While back there the Air Conditioning unit in the middle of December started to switch on and off on its own. I started to feel a little panicky and remembered that I had promised to pray for this soul. I said a quick little prayer and headed out. The next day I was sitting in my office doing work when suddenly all I could smell was cigarette smoke. Finding no possible source for the smoke smell I remembered the story the attendance secretary had shared and made a beeline for her office. When I asked her about the smoke she shared with me that the priest that had died suddenly of a heart attack had been a chain smoker. I resolved to continue to pray for him and have another Mass said for him but this time by name. Since then there have been no reported strange things happening at the school.
My grandfather had died some years ago, and I never thought about praying for him. I just assumed he was in heaven. But I then had a dream of my grandfather. I was so surprised to see him! I asked him if he was in heaven and he shook his head. When I woke it affected me so much that I began to pray fervently and offer my sufferings with my first pregnancy for his release. I asked my grandfather to send me a dozen yellow roses from someone I never expected at his release. Soon after my first child's birth a young man whom my husband shared a friendship with in the past showed up at my doorstep with a dozen yellow roses. This man was basically someone my husband knew before our marriage and we never saw him much after that. So it definitely was from someone I never expected!!! This grounded my belief in the power of prayer for the poor souls and in their sufferings.
There were dozens of stories shared with us and all very similar. Some takeaways from the above stories:
• Purgatory does exist. It is a misty place of great suffering, but only a way station before heaven.
• Some souls in purgatory are allowed by God to contact the living, especially loved ones and close friends for help.
• Being visited by a soul in purgatory can be frightening to the living, but such souls cause no harm (however demons can and do cause harm).
• There are many souls suffering in purgatory. Prayers and Masses from the living make a great difference.
• People have a special efficacy and importance to pray for their passed loved ones.
• The Divine Mercy Chaplet seems to be especially powerful.
• Deceased loved ones who harmed us in life benefit from our forgiveness.
Pray daily for your loved ones and all the souls in purgatory. They will pray for you!
Fr. Shouppe relates a story about Souls in Purgatory
Fr. Shouppe relates that Teresa Gesta, a religious of the Franciscan Sisters in Foligno, Italy, who had served many years as a mistress of novices and was a model of fervor and charity, died suddenly on November 4, 1859, of a stroke of apoplexy. Twelve days later, the soul of Teresa appeared to Sister Anna Felicia in the sacristy of the same Convent. Sister Felicia described it:
"Then the room was filled with a thick smoke, and the spirit of Sister Teresa appeared, moving towards the door and gliding along by the wall. Having reached the door, she cried aloud, ‘Behold a proof of the mercy of God.’
“Saying these words, she struck the upper panel of the door and there left the print of her right hand, burnt in the wood as with a red-hot iron. She, then, disappeared." (ibid, p. 55)
Because of this apparition, Teresa Gesta’s body was exhumed, and the hand of the deceased, remarkable for its especially small size, fit perfectly into the impression mark. All of this is well documented. If one were to visit that Convent’s chapel today, he would find that very handprint on the upper panel of the door. [...]
Why did the deceased Sister Gesta speak about the mercy of God in her great suffering, demonstrated by the vivid and terrifying burn mark left on the door by her hand? I believe that the sign she left behind was, in fact, a mercy, a warning to us of what awaits those of us who are not prepared at death to enter directly into the presence of God. As Fr. Schouppe observed, "In giving us a warning of this kind, God shows us a great mercy. He urges us, in the most efficacious manner, to assist the poor suffering souls, and to be vigilant in our regard." (ibid, p.57)
True-to-Life Stories of Souls from Purgatory by Laudate Mariam
We are not unfamiliar with life after death stories - stories of departed loved ones who have made their “presence” felt. Sometimes, these can be pleasant moments; sometimes, however – and this is often the stuff of which ghost stories are made – the “encounter” can be a disturbing one.
Sister Lucia’s vision of hell, as she was allowed to see in Fatima, Portugal, are downright terrifying and should serve as a reminder of what lies in store for those who keep on defying God.
For souls that have not been damned, however, there is that “place” of eternal hope, where one is promised union with God after a certain period of purification or purging.
Could the following life after death stories give us an idea of life after death, in particular, of purgatory?
Desperately Seeking Forgiveness
While conducting a healing-and-deliverance seminar in one of the Catholic churches in the Philippines, Fr. X was told of the presence of a soul that kept on disturbing the place and asking people for prayers. They learned that a brutal murder had taken place there, that a person had been stabbed to death and his body cut into pieces.
The group, assuming the disturbed soul belonged to that murdered man, promised to pray for his soul before leaving the place. As they were in the car, they felt the presence of that soul with them so they decided to stop the car and pray for the soul before continuing on their way.
After a few days, they went back to the site and asked about that disturbed soul. After speaking to some villagers, they slowly became convinced that the disturbed soul actually belonged to the murderer not to the murdered.
He had murdered a relative by stabbing him to death and cutting up the body. Fr. X thinks that the disturbed soul of the murderer was going through some sort of purging and asking for forgiveness.
Prayers: Food for the Soul
A son, dreaming of his deceased father, saw that his father was sad and quiet. He offered prayers for his father everyday, particularly the “Fifteen Prayers” of St. Bridget.
One day, he dreamt of his father again. This time, his father was seated at the “Kabisera,” the head of the table, smiling and asking his son to dine with him.
Could it be that the son’s constant prayers had provided the father’s soul with some welcome relief in purgatory? Or was he already enjoying the eternal banquet in heaven?
Messages from Beyond
Flor has had several dreams about her departed mother.
In one of her dreams, she and her siblings were gathered around the table talking, when their mother asked them all to go some place with her. They rode in a jeep. After quite a distance, Flor suddenly remembered that she forgot something and told her mother about it. She remembered going down the jeep and that’s when she woke up. Did it mean that her mother was telling her she was not yet ready for the life beyond because she had many earthly preoccupations?
In another dream, Flor saw her mother in a crowd. Suddenly, the crowd dispersed leaving Flor alone with her mother. When she tried to hug her, she was gone. The dream made her cry and her sister had to wake her up. When she fell asleep again, her dream continued but this time in another place. She saw her whole family get into a motorboat, which was traveling over grassland.
When the boat could not go any further, they all went down and saw a crossroad. Flor insisted to her family that they take the shorter road, which had lots of thorns. Her other family members insisted that they take the longer but less hazardous road. Flor ended up taking the shorter road with her sister.
Somewhere down the road, she and her sister got separated. When Flor got to the end of the road, she saw a house with lots of sad people, some were sitting, some were standing, some looked as if they were waiting for somebody. When she asked where her mother was, someone told her to go to the church.
True enough, when she got to the church, she saw her mother and there was a feast going on. There were clouds of smoke everywhere and people seemed happy.
Interview with a Parapsychologist
Charina Jessica “Jinky” Amores, a family therapist, counsel psychologist, and parapsychologist, has the gift of clairvoyance or the ability to talk to spirits. Jinky has been featured several times in numerous prominent magazines. She noticed her gift when she was five years old and she learned to develop that gift as she grew. Her sessions with spirits showed her the meaning of purgatory.
One story narrated by Jinky was that of a cancer patient she helped with her transition to death. Two weeks later, she was visited by the dead cancer patient who talked about seeing pillars of light. She immediately thought she was in heaven but the one who welcomed her said that she was only in the first level before heaven. She described classes ongoing in places with no walls; of a space where some souls cannot go in. There is no essence of time and space and of material things. It is only the mind that works. There is a feeling of peace and joy.
One of Jinky’s most memorable incidents was when her aunt passed away on a Saturday, around 1 a.m. Jinky was supposed to meet with her at 8 o’lock. Not knowing that her aunt was already dead, Jinky called her up to confirm their meeting. Her aunt told her that she couldn’t keep their appointment anymore because she need to take a long rest, and that she left a rosary for her.
She insisted to her aunt that they meet at 8 o’lock (as agreed) because she had to take an exam by 10. (Jinky now believes that was probably why her aunt didn’t tell her that she had died; so she could take her exam.) After the exam, around 12 noon, someone told her that her aunt had passed away. She found it impossible because they had just spoken with each other earlier! The following day, Jinky went to her aunt’s wake. She saw her aunt standing by the coffin, smiling. Her aunt said, “I experienced God because He lives in my heart. I want you to put Him in your heart so that when you die, it won’t be scary.”
It was just like a normal lecture but it was in the way she said it, or the feeling that she saw enveloped by a green light, that made it remarkable. That was about ten years ago and every time Jinky thinks of it, she gets butterflies in her stomach and that feeling that there is no anger, no hatred, in that place where her aunt is.
WHAT HAPPENS TO THOSE WHO ARE NEGLECTFUL OF THE HOLY SOULS? ST. ANTONINUS AND HIS FRIEND
St. Antoninus, the illustrious Archbishop of Florence, relates that a pious gentleman had died, who was a great friend of the Dominican Convent in which the Saint resided. Many Masses and suffrages were offered for his soul. The Saint was very much afflicted when, after the lapse of a long time, the soul of the poor gentleman appeared to him, suffering excruciating pains.
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"Oh, my Dear Friend, " exclaimed the Archbishop, "are you still in Purgatory, you who led such a pious and devout life?"
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"Yes, and I shall remain there still for a long time, " replied the poor sufferer, "for when on Earth I neglected to offer suffrages for the souls in Purgatory. Now, God by a just judgment has applied the suffrages which have been offered for me to those souls for whom I should have prayed. "
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"But God, too, in His Justice, will give me all the merits of my good works when I enter Heaven; but first of all, I have to expiate my grave neglect in regard to others. "
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So true are the words of Our Lord: "By that measure with which you measure, it will be measured to you again. "releasing many Carmelite nuns from Purgatory, that most of these had spent there terms of from 30 to 60 years! Carmelite nuns in Purgatory for 40, 50 and 60 years! What will it be for those living amidst the temptations of the World and with all their hundreds of weaknesses?
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So true are the words of Our Lord: "By that measure with which you measure, it will be measured to you again. "
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St. Vincent Ferrer, after the death of his sister, prayed with incredible fervor for her soul and offered many Masses for her release. She appeared to him at length and told him that had it not been for his powerful intercession with God, she should have remained an interminable time in Purgatory.
Maria Simma's Simple Prayer to save a Soul from Hell
Maria Simma....."One day, I was on a train and in my compartment there was a man who didn't stop speaking evil of the Church, of priests, even of God. I said to him: "Listen, you don't have the right to say all that, it's not good." He was furious at me. Afterwards, I arrived at my station, I got down from the train, and said to God: "Lord, do not let this soul be lost." Years later; the soul of this man came to visit me; he told me that he had come very close to Hell, but he was saved simply by this prayer I had said at that moment!
Yes, it's extraordinary to see that just one thought, one impulse of the heart, a simple prayer for someone can prevent them from falling into Hell."
The Prior of Cirfontaines gives us his story.
A return to Life.
A young man of my parish fell dangerously ill with a typhoid fever. His parents were overcome with grief and asked me to recommend him to the prayers of the members of the Association of the Holy Souls.
It was Saturday. The boy was at death's door. The doctors had had recourse to every remedy. All in vain. They could think of nothing more. They were in despair.
I was the only one who had hope. I knew the power of the Holy Souls, for I had already seen what they could do.
On Sunday I begged the Associates of the Holy Souls to pray fervently for our sick friend.
On Monday the danger passed. The boy was cured.
An escape from Brigands.
Father Louis Manaci, zealous Missionary, had great devotion to the souls in Purgatory. He found himself obliged to set out on a dangerous journey but confidently asked the Holy Souls to protect him in the dangers that he was likely to meet with. His road lay through a vast desert which he knew to be infested by brigands. Whilst plodding along, saying the Rosary for the Holy Souls, what was not his surprise, on looking round, to find himself surrounded as by a bodyguard of blessed spirits. Soon he discovered the reason. He had fallen into an ambuscade of brigands but the Holy Souls at once surrounded him and drove off the miscreants who sought his life. The Holy souls did not abandon him until he was well out of danger.
The cure of a Cancer
D. Joana de Menezes thus tells of her cure.
She was suffering severely from a cancerous growth in the leg and was plunged in grief.
Remembering what she had heard of the power of the Souls in Purgatory she resolved to place all her confidence in them and had nine Masses offered for them. She promised moreover to publish her cure if it were granted.
Gradually the swelling went down and the tumor and cancer disappeared.
The Printer of Cologne
The celebrated printer of Cologne, William Freyssen gives us the following account of how his child and wife were restored to health by the Holy Souls.
William Freyssen got the order to print a little work on Purgatory. Correcting the proofs his attention was caught by the facts narrated in the book. He learned for the first time what wonders the Holy Souls can work for their friends.
Just at that time his son fell grievously ill and soon the case became desperate. Remembering what he had read about the power of the Holy Souls, Freyssen at once promised to spread, at his own expense, a hundred copies of the book which his firm was printing. To make the promise more solemn he went to the Church and there made his vow. At once a sense of peace and confidence filled his soul. On his return home, the boy, who had been unable to swallow a drop of water, asked for food. Next day he was out of danger and soon completely cured.
At once Freyssen ordered the books on Purgatory to be distributed feeling sure that it was the best way to obtain help for the suffering souls, by interesting a hundred people in them. No one who knows what they suffer can refuse to pray for them.
Time passed and a new sorrow fell to the share of the printer. This time his dear wife was stricken down and, despite every care grew daily worse. She lost the use of her mind and was almost completely paralyzed, so that the doctor gave up all hope.
The husband, bethinking him, of what the Holy Souls had done for his boy, again ran to the Church and promised to distribute 200 of the books on Purgatory, begging in exchange the urgent succor of the Holy Souls.
Wonderful to relate the mental aberration ceased, his wife's mind became normal, she recovered the use of her limbs, and of her tongue. In a short time she was perfectly restored to health.
How Pius IX cured a bad memory.
The venerable Pontiff Pius IX appointed a holy and prudent religious as Bishop of a diocese. The priest alarmed at the responsibility put on him begged earnestly to be excused.
His protests were in vain. The Holy Father knew his merits.
Overcome with apprehension the humble religious solicited an audience with the Pope, who received him most graciously. Once more he pleaded earnestly to be excused but the Pope was immovable.
As a last recourse Padre Tomaso told the Holy Father that he had a very bad memory which would naturally prove to be a grave impediment in the high office put on him.
Pius IX answered with a smile: Your diocese is very small in comparison with the Universal Church, which I carry on my shoulders. Your cares will be very light in comparison with mine.
I, too, suffered from a grave defect of memory but I promised to say a fervent prayer daily for the Holy Souls, who, in return, have obtained for me an excellent memory. Do you likewise, dear Father, and you will have cause to rejoice.
An Adventure in the Appenines
A group of priests were called to Rome to treat of a grave business matter. They were bearers of important documents and a large sum of money was entrusted to them for the Holy Father. Aware that the Appenines, over which they had to pass, were infested by daring bandits, they chose a trusty driver. There was no tunnel through the mountains nor train in those days.
They placed themselves under the protection of the Holy Souls and decided to say a De profundis every hour for them.
When right in the heart of the mountains the driver gave the alarm and, at the same time, lashed the horses into a furious gallop. Looking around the priests saw fierce bandits at each side of the road with fixed rifles ready to fire. They were amazed that no shot rang out. They were completely at the mercy of the bandits.
After an hour's headlong flight the driver stopped and looking at the Priests said: I cannot understand how we escaped. These desperadoes never spare anyone.
The Fathers were convinced that they owed their safety to the Holy Souls a fact that was afterwards confirmed beyond doubt.
When their business was concluded in Rome one of their number was detained in the Eternal City, where he was appointed chaplain to a Prison. Not long after one of the fiercest brigands in Italy was captured, condemned to death for a long series of murders and awaited execution in this prison. Anxious to gain his confidence the Chaplain told him of several adventures he himself had had and, finally, of his recent escape in the Appenines. The criminal manifested the greatest interest in the story. When it was ended he exclaimed: I was the leader of that band. We thought that you had money and we determined to rob and murder you. An invisible force prevented each and all of us from firing, as we assuredly would have done had we been able.
The chaplain then told him of how they had placed themselves under the protection of the Holy Souls and that they ascribed their deliverance to their protection.
The bandit found no difficulty in believing it. In fact it made his conversion more easy. He died full of repentance.
How a poor boy became a Bishop, a Cardinal, and a Saint.
Peter Damian lost both Father and Mother shortly after his birth. One of his brothers adopted him but treated him with unnatural harshness, forcing him to work hard and giving him poor food and scanty clothing.
One day Peter found a silver piece which represented to him a small fortune. A friend told him that he could conscientiously use it for himself as the owner could not be found.
The only difficulty Peter had was to choose what it was he most needed, for he was in sore need of many things.
While turning the matter over in his young mind it struck him that he could do a still better thing, viz, have a Mass said for the Holy Souls in Purgatory, especially for the souls of his dear parents. At the cost of a great sacrifice he put this thought into effect and had the Mass offered.
The Holy Souls repaid his sacrifice most generously. From that day forward a complete change became noticeable in his fortunes.
His eldest brother called at the house where he lived and, horrified at the brutal hardships the little fellow was subjected to, arranged that he be handed over to his own care. He clad him and fed him as his own child, educated and cared for him most affectionately. Blessing followed on blessing. Peter's wonderful talents became known and he was rapidly promoted to the priesthood, sometime after he was raised to the episcopacy and finally created Cardinal. Miracles attested his great sanctity so that after death he was canonized and made Doctor of the Church.
These wonderful graces came to him after that one Mass said for the Holy Souls.
How a Girl found her Mother
A poor servant girl in France once heard a sermon on the Holy Souls which made an indelible impression on her mind. She was deeply moved by the thought of the intense and unceasing sufferings the souls endure and horrified to see how cruelly they are neglected and forgotten by their friends on Earth.
Among other things the preacher stressed was that many souls who are in reality near to their release one Mass might suffice to set them free are oftentimes long detained, it may be for years, just because the last needful suffrage has been withheld, or forgotten or neglected!
With her simple faith Jeanne Marie resolved, that, cost what it might cost, she would have a mass said for them, every month, especially for the soul nearest to Heaven. She earned little and it was sometimes difficult to keep her promise, but she never failed.
On one occasion she went to Paris with her mistress and there fell ill so that she was obliged to go to Hospital. Unfortunately the illness proved. to be a long one and her mistress had to return home, hoping that her maid would soon rejoin her. When at last the poor servant was able to leave the Hospital all she had left of her scanty earnings was one franc!
What was she to do? Where to turn? Suddenly the thought flashed across her mind that
She had not had her usual monthly Mass offered for the Holy Souls. But she had only one franc! That was little enough to buy her food. Yet her confidence that the Holy Souls would not fail her triumphed. She made her way into a Church and asked a priest, just about to say Mass, if he would offer it for the Holy Souls. He consented to do so, never dreaming that the modest alms offered was the only money the poor girl possessed.
At the conclusion of the Holy Sacrifice our heroine left the Church. A wave of sadness clouded her face, she felt utterly bewildered.
A young gentleman, touched by her evident distress, asked her if she was in trouble and if he could help her. She told her story briefly and ended by saying how much she desired work.
Somehow she felt consoled at the kind way in which the young man listened to what she said and fully recovered her confidence.
I am delighted beyond measure he said to help you. I know a lady who is even now looking for a servant. Come with me and so saying he led her to a house not far distant and bade her ring the bell, assuring her that she would find work.
In answer to her ring the lady of the house herself opened the door and inquired what she required. Madam, she said I have been told that you are looking for a servant. I have no work and should be glad to get the place.
The lady was amazed and replied: Who could have told you that I needed a servant. It was only a few minutes ago, that I had to dismiss my maid and that at a moment's notice. You did not meet her?
No, Madam, the person that informed me that you required a servant was a young gentleman.
Impossible, exclaimed the lady no young man, in fact no one at all, could have known that I needed a servant.
But, Madam, the girl answered excitedly that is the young man who told me pointing to a picture on the wall.
Why, child, that is my only son who has been dead for more than a year.
Dead or not, asserted the girl with deep conviction in her voice, It was he who told me to come to you and he even led me to the door. See the scar over his eye, I would know him anywhere.
Then followed the full story of how she had had Mass offered with her last franc for the Holy souls, especially for the one nearest to Heaven.
Convinced at last of the truth of what Jeanne Marie told her the lady received her with open arms. Come she said but not as my servant but as my dear daughter. You have sent my darling boy to Heaven. I have no doubt that it was he who brought you to me.
St. Nicholas Of Tolentino Declared Patron Saint Of Souls In Purgatory
St. Nicholas of Tolentino is declared Patron Saint of souls in purgatory. He freed countless number of souls..Souls appeared to him begging for prayers. Here is an account of a Friar appearing to him...
"I AM TORMENTED IN THESE FLAMES"
“Nicholas, man of God, look at me,” cried a soul to Nicholas of Tolentino. The young Augustinian priest had just begun to fall asleep when the voice surprised and alarmed him. The soul identified himself as Friar Pellegrino of Osimo, who Nicholas knew when that friar was alive.
“I am tormented in these flames,” Pelligrino lamented. “God did not reject my contrition and instead did not destine me to eternal punishment, which I deserved due to my weakness, but to purgatorial punishment, in virtue of His mercy.”
Then he begged Nicholas to “celebrate a Mass of the Dead for me, so that I may be freed from my torments.” But Nicholas could not because he was assigned to say the monastery’s community Mass.
“Then at least come with me … see our suffering … pity these unfortunates who await your help…If you celebrate Mass for us, most of these people will be liberated,” Pelligrino again pleaded. Nicholas was then shown a great sea of souls of all ages, sexes and conditions, stretching across the land.
Nicholas prayed all night. In the morning once the monastery’s prior heard his story, he gave Nicholas permission to immediately say the Masses for the Dead. Seven days later, Pelligrino appeared again — this time, accompanied by a victorious multitude also freed, because of this Nicholas was proclaimed patron of the souls in Purgatory.
After that occurrence in the late 13th century, Nicholas spent his years praying and offering Masses for the souls in purgatory. He freed countless numbers. During one Mass, Jesus appeared, thanked him and showed him the souls his Masses had released.
In 1884 Pope Leo XIII declared St. Nicholas of Tolentino universal patron of the Holy Souls in Purgatory.
Nicholas’s experience wasn’t a one-time event. Nor was it for other saints along the centuries as they, too, heard or saw souls in purgatory pleading for their help.
Bl. Henry Suso and his friend
Blessed Henry Suso, of the Dominican Order, made a compact with a fellow religious to the effect that when one of the two died the survivor would offer two Masses each week for his soul and other prayers as well.
It so fell out that his companion died first and Blessed Henry commenced immediately to offer the promised Masses. These he continued to say for a long time. At last quite sure that the soul of his saintly friend had reached Heaven he ceased offering the Masses.
Great was his sorrow and consternation when the soul of the dead Brother appeared to him suffering intensely and chiding him for not celebrating the promised Masses.
He replied with deep regret that he had not continued the Masses believing that his friend must be enjoying the Beatific Vision and added that he had ever remembered him in prayer.
St. Gertrude on her death bed
St. Gertrude was fiercely tempted by the devil when she came to die. The evil spirit reserves a dangerous and subtle temptation for our last moments. As he could find no other ruse sufficiently clever with which to assail the Saint, he thought to disturb her beautiful peace of soul by suggesting that she would surely remain long years in the awful fires of Purgatory since, he reminded her, she had made over long ago all her suffrages to others souls. Our Blessed Lord, not content with sending His Angels and the thousands of souls, she had released, to assist her, came Himself in person to drive Satan away and comfort His dear Saint. He told her that in exchange for all she had done for the Holy Souls He would take her straight to Heaven and would multiply a hundredfold all her merits.
A Blessed and a Cardinal.
1. Blessed John of Massias, the Dominican lay brother, had a wonderful devotion to the souls in Purgatory, he released from Purgatory more than a million souls, chiefly by reciting the Rosary and offering its innumerable indulgences for them.
He obtained by his prayers, (chiefly by the recitation of the Rosary), the liberation of one million four hundred thousand souls!
In return they obtained for him the most abundant and extraordinary graces and came at the hour of his death to help and console him and accompany him to Heaven.
This fact is so certain that it is inserted by the Church in the Bull of his Beatification.
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2. The learned Cardinal Baronius, recounts a similar incident.
He was himself called to assist a dying gentleman. Suddenly a host of blessed spirits appeared in the chamber of death, consoled the dying man and chased away the devils who sought by a last desperate effort to compass his ruin.
When asked who they were they made answer that they were eight thousand souls whom he had released from Purgatory by his prayers and good works. They were sent by God, so they said, to take him to Heaven without his passing one moment in Purgatory.
The Polish Prince and disbelief of future life
A Polish Prince, who, for some political reason, had been exiled from his native country, bought a beautiful castle and property in France.
Unfortunately he had lost the faith of his childhood and was at the time of our story engaged in writing a book against God and the existence of a future life.
Strolling one evening in his garden he came on a poor woman weeping bitterly. He questioned her as to the cause of her grief.
Ah! Prince, she replied, I am the wife of Jean Marie, your former steward, who died two days ago. He was a good husband to me and a faithful servant to your Highness. His sickness was long and I spent all our savings on the doctors and now I have nothing left to get Masses said for his soul.
The Prince, touched by her grief, said a few kind words and, though professing to no longer believe in a future life, gave her some gold coins to have Masses said for her husband's soul.
Some time after, it was again evening, and the Prince was in this study working feverishly at his book.
He heard a loud rap at the door and, without looking up, called out to the visitor to come in. The door slowly opened and a man entered and stood facing the Prince's writing table.
On glancing up what was not the Prince's amazement to see Jean Marie his dead steward, looking, at him with a sweet smile.
Prince, he said, I come to thank you for the Masses you enabled my wife to have said for my soul. Thanks to the saving Blood of Christ, which was offered for me, I an now going to Heaven, but God has allowed me to come and thank you for your generous alms.
He then added impressively: Prince there is a God, a future life, a Heaven and a Hell.
Having said these words he disappeared.
The Prince fell on his knees and poured forth a fervent: Credo.
St. Gemma Galgani, the young stigmatist whose heart burned for suffering souls.
Have you ever felt Heaven brush against your shoulder?
Such was the grace given to St. Gemma Galgani, the young stigmatist whose heart burned for suffering souls.
When Gemma learned that a Passionist nun, Mother Maria Teresa of the Infant Jesus, was dying, she prayed fervently that the sister might enter Heaven swiftly. Months later, after the nun’s death, Gemma was reading late at night when she felt a gentle hand upon her shoulder.
Startled, she turned—and saw a woman clothed in white.
“Gemma,” the figure whispered, “do you know me?”
“No… I don’t,” Gemma replied, trembling.
“I am Mother Maria Teresa. Thank you for your love. Because of your prayers, I draw near to eternal joy. But I still have a few days of suffering. Pray for me.”
For sixteen days Gemma offered everything—tears, sacrifices, sleepless nights.
Then, near dawn, Maria Teresa returned, radiant and free.
“Gemma,” she smiled, “I am going to my Jesus forever.”
And with her angel and the Lord, she rose into Heaven.
Terminally ill people may be able to see souls who need prayers...
There was a hospice nurse named Natalie. She'd been assigned to taking care of an elderly woman named Amy. Amy was very sick and hadn't left her house in several years. In fact, she hadn't left her bed in three months. She wasn't all gone mentally, but she'd always babble about all the people in the room. Even when she was alone, Natalie and her family members could sometimes hear her talking about other people in the room. This was very saddening to her family because they thought she was becoming delirious.
Natalie, Amy, and Amy's family were all Catholic, so they asked their priest about it. They asked him if a person could be in Purgatory before they died. The priest told them "Yes." Innocent people who are suffering in life, especially near the end of life, may possibly be living their Purgatory now.
Natalie asked her how many people she saw. "Oh, there's 1000," Amy told her. So Natalie went to Google in search of a prayer for the souls in purgatory. And sure enough, the first prayer that she found was St Gertrude's prayer for 1000 souls. Natalie and Amy's family prayed the prayer every day until one day Amy told them that the people were all gone. Later that evening she passed away. Natalie was there by her side. Being a hospice nurse, she had seen people die before, but Amy's death was the most peaceful she had ever seen.
The biographer of St. Catherine of Siena
Showing concern for the dead and the dying is a great sign of love.
Bl. Raymond of Capua, the biographer of St. Catherine of Siena, wrote that she attended her father, Jacomo, during his final hours. Learning in a revelation that this holy man nonetheless would require some purification in Purgatory, Catherine begged God to let her suffer pains of expiation on his behalf so that he might enter Heaven immediately. God agreed; Jacomo, who had been suffering greatly, thereupon experienced a happy and peaceful death, while Catherine was seized with violent pains that remained with her for the rest of her life. Raymond witnessed her suffering, but he also took note of her incredible forbearance and patience, along with her great joy on her father’s behalf.
Alms After Death
There was in Naples a very poor family whose livelihood depended on the scant daily earnings which the father brought home every evening. Things got so bad that one day, the poor father was sent to prison for a debt that he was unable to pay. The responsibility of supporting the family now rested upon the unhappy mother. She fervently asked God to come to the aid of their family, and especially to deliver her husband, who suffered in prison for no other crime than his poverty.
Shortly thereafter, the poor woman went to a wealthy gentleman, and explained the sad state of her family to him. With tears, she implored him to assist her family. But God permitted that such a plea from her would receive but a meager response from the gentleman. He gave her a trifling alms, a carlin, a piece of money worth about ten cents of our coin.
Deeply afflicted, she entered a church and begged God to help her in her distress. She was absorbed in her prayers and tears, when she was inspired to appeal to the Holy Souls in Purgatory. For she had heard much of their sufferings, and of their gratitude towards those who help them.
Rising from the pew, she went into the sacristy, and offered her carlin to the priest who was there. She asked if a Mass could be celebrated for the dead, and the good priest generously and immediately offered a Mass for her intention. The poor woman fervently assisted at the Holy Sacrifice, offering her prayers for the departed. Once the Mass had been offered, she felt quite consoled, as though she had just been assured that God would hear her prayer.
As she made her way home through the populous streets of Naples, she was met by a kind old man. He asked her where she came from and where she was going. The unfortunate woman explained her distress, and what she did with the small alms she had received.
The old man seemed deeply touched by her grief, and spoke some words of encouragement. Then he gave her a note enclosed in an envelope, and told her to take it to a certain gentleman whom he described. Having done this, the man turned and walked away.
The woman hurried to deliver the note to the gentleman. When this man opened the envelope, he became so shocked that he almost fainted!
"Where did you get this letter?" he cried, quite beside himself.
"Sir," replied the good woman, "it was from an old man who stopped me in the street. I told him of my distress, and he sent me to give you this note in his name. As regards his features, he very much resembles that portrait which you have there over the door."
That portrait was of the gentleman’s father, who had died some time previous. But as he turned over the strange circumstances in his mind, they made a deeper and deeper impression upon him. He then held up the note, and read aloud:
"My son, your father has just been delivered from Purgatory, thanks to a Mass which the bearer has had celebrated this morning. She is in great distress, and I entrust her to you."
He read and re-read those lines, traced by that hand so dear to him, by a father who was now among the happy souls in Heaven. Tears of joy coursed down his cheeks as he turned towards the woman and said.
"Poor woman, by your trifling alms you have secured the eternal happiness of him who gave me life. In my turn I will secure your temporal happiness. I take upon myself to supply all the needs of yourself and your whole family."
What joy for that gentleman! What joy for that poor woman! It is hard to know who was happier. What is easier and more important to see, from this wonderful incident, is that the smallest act of charity towards the Church Suffering is precious in the sight of God. And it earns for us powerful friends in Heaven who will always be ready to come to our aid - until we have the happiness of joining them in the next life.
The Story of One Soul Saved
Never one to propose a problem without also offering a solution, Our Lady taught the children at Fatima the power of sacrifice to liberate souls from damnation. Likewise, Sister Josefa was shown the same “economy of grace” by Our Lady. From her diary (July 27-31, 1921) we find narrated an episode regarding the Souls in Purgatory. Mary Most Holy said to Josefa, “You may suffer to save one of my dear daughters... Jesus wanted her for Himself, but she did not respond to the Divine call, she will be dying tomorrow. What a consolation for my maternal heart if she will not fall into Hell!”
Hail Holy Queen
Josefa prayed all night and the next day she was terrorized by infernal noises. Shocked and frightened, she took refuge near the statue of Our Lady. Suddenly everything became calm, Our Lady, smiling, placed her hand on the head of Josefa, saying, “She has already accounted for her life; poor little one, what a battle she had to endure! When the devil saw that her soul was fleeing him, he tried to take away her peace and how he made her suffer! He was furious against you, because you were helping me to pull her away from him. She died much repented and her end was serene; now she is in Purgatory.”
The following night Josefa was awoken and heard a voice saying, “I am the soul who Our Lady has asked you to save.” Josefa replied, “What devotion to Our Lady did you cherish to obtain her protection?”
"From the time that I had abandoned myself to sin my only devotion has been to recite every Saturday one Hail Holy Queen.” Three days later that soul ascended to Heaven, thanks to the supplications of Josefa.
Padre Pio: The Souls in Purgatory.
Everybody who met Padre Pio seemed convinced that he had a direct connection with the afterlife, and asked him about a dead relative or friend. It was fascinating that there was always an immediate answer. Gerardo De Caro had long conversations with Padre Pio in 1943. In his written notes he testifies:
"Padre Pio had an exact knowledge of the state of a soul after death, including the duration of the pain until reached total purification."
“More souls of the dead from Purgatory than of the living climb this mountain to attend my Masses and seek my prayers.”
"The souls in Purgatory pray for us, and their prayers are even more effective than ours, because they are accompanied by their suffering.
So, let's pray for them, and let's pray them to pray for us."
"You will be surprised to find in Paradise souls you never expected to be there."
"Most of the saved pass through Purgatory before arriving at the fullness of beatitude."
Dec. 30, 1937 Padre Pio was praying in the choir with the other friars. Suddenly he said: "Let's pray for our Provincial Father
Padre Bernardo Apicella who is in agony." Noboby knew that he was sick. The day after they were told that he had suddenly died.
Pope Pius XII died in Castelgandolfo on October 9, 1958. On that day Padre Pio told a friar: "Pius XII is in heaven. I saw him during Mass."
Padre Pio was in a room at the convent. A stranger introduced himself: "I am Pietro Di Mauro. I died on September 18, 1908, in this room during a fire.
The Lord let me come from Purgatory. If tomorrow you say the Mass for me, I will go to Paradise."
Padre Pio reported: "I was agitated. I told the superior Father Paolino da Casacalenda what had happened and asked to celebrate the Mass for Pietro." Father Paolino gave the permission and later went to consult the registry at City Hall. In that date a fire had killed a man with that name in that room.
Padre Pio to Cleonice Morcaldi, a month after the death of her mother: "This morning your mom flew to Paradise. I saw her during Mass."
Padre Pio reported to Padre Anastasio di Roio: "one night I was alone in the choir and saw a friar cleaning the altar late at night.
I asked him to go to bed since it was so late. He said: "I'm a friar like you. I did here my novitiate and when assigned to take care of the Altar,
and I passed many times in front of the Tabernacle without making the proper reverence. For this sin I am in Purgatory, and the Lord sent me to you.
You decide how much longer I have to suffer in those flames." Padre Pio: " I told him: until the Mass in the morning. He said "Cruel" and disappeared.
I still have a wound in my heart. I could have sent him immediately to Paradise, instead he had to stay one more night in the flames of Purgatory."
Padre Pio told Padre Onorato Marcucci who was helping him. "Last night I was not well and didn't make you sleep.
I have been thinking how to compensate you, so I took a plenary indulgence for your mother to send her to Paradise."
The following statement is taken from the book of John McCaffery "Tales of Padre Pio", Kansas City, 1979, page. 67
There is no similar statement in any other book about Padre Pio.
However, given the reliability of the source I leave it to the reader.
"I believe that not a great number of souls go to hell.
God loves us so much. He formed us at his image. God loves us beyond understanding.
And it is my belief that when we have passed from the consciousness of the world,
when we appear to be dead, God, before He judges us, will give us
a chance to see and understand what sin really is.
And if we understand it properly, how could we fail to repent?"
Florence Fine Ehrmand's father contracted in 1965 a severe form of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. He asked for Padre Pio's prayers. Her father died in January 1966.
She went to Padre Pio in October 1967 asking if her father, a devout Jew, was saved. "Julius Fine is saved, but we need to pray a lot for him."
One night in 1944 the friars heard loud voices coming from downstairs saying "Viva Padre Pio". The superior Padre Raffaele da S. Elia a Pianisi told the doorkeeper
Fra Gerardo da Deliceto to let those people out and lock the door properly. Fra Gerardo went downstairs, didn't find anybody, and the door was double locked as it was supposed to.
He went back to report. Padre Raffaele was puzzled and went straight to Padre Pio asking if he knew something.
"Oh! Those were soldiers who had died on the battleground, and came to thank me for their salvation."
In 1945 Fra' Modestino asked Padre Pio a comparison between a fire on hearth and the flames of Purgatory. "They compare like fresh water and boiling water."
One day Padre told his doctor: "I'm praying for the good death of my great-great grandfather". "But he died more than one hundred years ago!"
"Remember that for God there is no past and no future, and everything is present. So God made use at that time of the prayers I'm saying now."
In 1922 Bishop Alberto Costa asked Padre Pio if he had ever seen a soul in Purgatory. "I have seen so many of them that they don't scare me anymore."
A friar testified: We were all in the dining room when Padre Pio got suddenly up and walked at steady pace to the door of the convent. He opened it and started having a conversation.
The two friars that went with him didn't see anybody and started thinking that something might be wrong with Padre Pio. On the way back to the dining area Padre Pio explained:
"Don't worry. I was talking to some souls on their way from Purgatory to Paradise. They came to thank me that I remembered them today in the Mass."
Nina Campanile's brother Pasqualino died in combat on September 26, 1916. Her mom sent Nina with her teacher Vittorina Ventrella to ask Padre Pio if
Pasqualino was saved. " Yes he is saved, but he needs your prayers." She asked again on Christmas 1918, and the answer was: "He is up there!"
Carmela Marocchino's brother Padre Vittore da Canosa died suddenly on January 29, 1958. Carmela asked Padre Pio why the sudden death.
"Do you know what Jesus did of your brother? Jesus went into the garden, and there were many flowers, and one was more beautiful
than the others. He leaned on the most beautiful and picked it. " Is he saved?" Yes, but we need to pray for him." On July 29 she asked again if he was saved.
"My daughter, we priests are more responsible in front of God. Let's continue praying."
On December 29, 1958 she asked again were her brother was. "He is in Paradise."
Carmela Marocchino asked Padre Pio if her parents were safe. "Even if your parents are in Paradise we need to continue to pray.
If they don't need prayers the suffrages are applied to other souls."
Padre Francesco Napolitano reported what he had heard from Orazio, Padre Pio's father. Orazio went to spend some few days with hi son in 1926. He was assigned the cell #10.
When he tried to enter the cell, two friars stood in front of the door, not letting him in. He explained who he was, to no avail. When he made a step to force himself in, the disappeared.
He was terrorized, and went to Padre Pio. "Dad, don't get agitated, those are two poor friars in Purgatory.
They have to serve their Purgatory in the spot were they disobeyed the rule of St. Francis."
Padre Francesco Napolitano reported that in 1945 Fra' Pietro, entering his cell at night, saw a young friar sitting on his desk, with the head down like he was meditating.
He asked who he was, but he disappeared. Terrorized, he run to Padre Pio. Padre Pio accompanied him back to his cell and said:
"That young friar is a poor novice who is serving his purgatory in this cell.
But don't worry he will not bother you again, and you will never see him again."
"The souls in Purgatory repay the prayers that we say for them."
"When we pray for the souls in Purgatory we will always get something back."
"The souls in Purgatory pray for us."
Padre Giuseppe Antonio da San Marco in Lamis was ill in the Foggia convent. On December 30, 1936 Padre Pio was asked to pray for him because his heath was deteriorating.
That night somebody knocked at Padre Pio's door. Padre Giuseppe entered in the room. Padre Pio: "How are you doing? They told me that you were gravely ill and now I see you here."
"I'm well, Padre Giuseppe replied. All my suffering has ended, and I came to thank you for your prayers." Than he disappeared.
Padre Pio told to the other friars what had happened. Nobody knew yet that Padre Giuseppe had died. Later they found out that he had died at the same time that he had visited Padre Pio.
Maria Pompilio, when her brother died, asked Padre Pio to intercede so that he could come in her dreams. Her brother came in a dream and said:
"Padre Pio assisted me in my agony. He stayed until the Judge judged me. I was given eleven years of Purgatory, but for intercession of Padre Pio the pain was reduced to one year.
Many mysteries in the life of Padre Pio will be known only in the other world."
The morning after Maria went to see Padre Pio. From afar he said: "Are you glad now?" "Yes, it seems that you are everywhere."
"What sense has for me being on Hearth if I can't go up and down. I know.
Your brother told you that the mystery of my life will be known only in Paradise."
SAINT STORIES ABOUT THE EFFICACY OF THE ROSARY AND PURGATORY
St. Teresa of Avila, while praying the rosary saw purgatory. The souls were being purified by the flames. At the first "Hail Mary" the souls were relieved of their sufferings by fresh water. With every succeeding "Hail Mary" they were comforted in this manner. Saint Teresa understood that the recitation of the Holy Rosary gave great comfort to the poor souls.
St. Annibale Maria di Francia said souls in purgatory feels the surrounding fires diminish and experiences heavenly relief when the Rosary is recited for them.
St. Alphonsus de Liguori confirmed the efficacy of the rosary for souls in purgatory, stating it provides them great relief.
An interview with Maria Simma written by Sister Emmanuel of Medjugorje
The Interview with Maria Simma
Maria, Can you tell us how you were visited for the first time by a soul in Purgatory?
Yes, it was in 1940. One night, around 3 or 4 o'clock in the morning, I heard someone coming into my bedroom. This woke me up; I looked to see who on earth could have walked into my bedroom.
Were you afraid?
No, I'm not at all the fearful. Even when I was a little child, my mother said I was a special child because I was never afraid.
So, that night...tell us!
Well, I saw a complete stranger. He walked back and forth slowly. I said to him severely: "How did you get in here? Go away!" But he continued to walk impatiently around the bedroom, as if he hadn't heard. So I asked him again; "What are you doing?" but as he still didn't answer, I jumped out of the bed and tried to grab him, but I grasped only air. There was nothing there, So I went back to bed, but again I heard him pacing back and forth.I wondered how I could see this man, but I couldn't grab him. I rose again to hold onto him and stop him walking around; again, I grasped only emptiness. Puzzled, I went back to bed. He didn't come back, but I couldn't get back to sleep. The next day, after Mass, I went to see my spiritual director and told him everything. He told me that if this should happen, I shouldn't ask, "Who are you?: but "What do you want from me?" The following night, the man returned, definitely the same man. I asked him, "What do you want from me?" He replied: "Have three Masses celebrated for me and I will be delivered."So I understood that it was a soul in Purgatory. My spiritual father confirmed this.He also advised me never to turn away the poor souls, but to accept with generosity whatever they asked of me.
And afterwards, the visits continued?
Yes. For several years, there were only three or four souls, above all in November. Afterwards, there were more.
A Love Wound
What do these souls ask of you?
In most cases, they ask to have Masses celebrated and that one be present at these Masses; they ask to have the rosary said and also that one make the Stations of the Cross. At this point, the major question is raised: What exactly is Purgatory? I'd say that it's a marvelous invention of God. Let me give you an image which is my own. Suppose that one day a door opens, and a splendid being appears, extremely beautiful, of a beauty that has never been seen on earth. You are fascinated, overwhelmed by this being of light and beauty, even more so that this being shows that he is madly in love with you -- you have never dreamed of being loved so much. You sense too that he has a great desire to draw you to him, to be one with you. And the fire of love which burns in your heart impels you to throw yourself into his arms. But wait -- you realize at this moment that you haven't washed for months and months, that you smell bad; you nose is running, your hair is greasy and matted, there are big dirty stains on your clothes, etc. So you say to yourself, "No, I just can't present myself in this state. First I must go and wash: a good shower, then straight away I'll come back."
But the love which has been born in your heart is so intense, so burning, so strong, that this delay for the shower is absolutely unbearable. And the pain of the absence, even if it only lasts for a couple of minutes, is an atrocious wound in the heart, proportional to the intensity of the revelation of the love -- it is a "love-wound".
Purgatory is exactly this. It's a delay imposed by our impurity, a delay before God's embrace, a wound of love which causes intense suffering, a waiting, if you like, a nostalgia for love. It is precisely this burning, this longing which cleanses us of whatever is still impure in us. Purgatory is a place of desire, a made desire for God, desire for this God whom we already know, for we have seen him, but with whom we are not yet united.
Now I am going to ask Maria to clarify a fundamental point: Maria, do the souls in Purgatory have, nevertheless, joy and hope in the mist of their suffering?
Yes. No soul would want to come back from Purgatory to the earth. They have knowledge which is infinitely beyond ours. They just could not decide to return to the darkness of the earth. Here we see the difference from the suffering that we know on earth. In Purgatory, even if the pain of the soul is terrible, there is the certitude of living forever with God. It's an unshakeable certitude. The joy is greater than the pain. There is nothing on earth which could make them want to live here again, where one is never sure of anything.
Maria, can you tell us now if it is God who sends a souls into Purgatory, or if the soul itself decides to go there?
It is the soul itself which wants to go to Purgatory, in order to be pure before going to Heaven. The souls in Purgatory adhere fully to God's will; they rejoice in the good, they desire our good and they love very much: they love God, and they love us too. They are perfectly united to the Spirit of God, the light of God.
Maria, at the moment of death, does one see God in full light or in an obscure manner?
In a manner still obscure, but, all the same, in such brightness that this is enough to cause great longing. Actually, it's such a dazzling brightness compared with the darkness of the earth! And it's still nothing compared with the full light the soul will know when it arrives in Heaven. Here we can refer to "near death experiences." The soul is drawn by this light that it is agony for it to return to earth in its body, after this experience.
Chapter 2
Charity covers a multitude of sins
Maria, can you tell us what the role of Our Lady is with the souls in Purgatory?
She comes often to console them and to tell them they have done many good things. She encourages them.
Are there any days in particular on which she delivers them?
Above all, Christmas Day, All Saints Day, Good Friday, the Feast of the Assumption, and the Ascension of Jesus.
Maria, why does one go to Purgatory? What are the sins which most lead to Purgatory?
Sins against charity, against the love of one's neighbor, hardness of heart, hostility, slandering, calumny -- all these things.
Saying wicked things and calumny are among the worst blemishes which require a long purification?
Yes.
Here, Maria gives us an example which really struck her which I would like to share with you. She had been asked to find out if a woman and a man were in Purgatory. To the great astonishment of those who had asked, the woman was already in Heaven and the man was in Purgatory. In fact, this woman had died while undergoing an abortion, whereas the man often went to church and apparently lead a worthy, devout life. So Maria searched for more information, thinking she'd been mistaken -- but no, it was true. They had died at practically the same moment, but the woman had experience deep repentance, and was very humble, whereas the man criticized everyone; he was always complaining and saying bad things about others. This is why his Purgatory lasted so long. And Maria concluded: "We mustn't judge on appearances."
Other sins against charity are all our rejection of certain people we do not like, our refusals to make peace, our refusals to forgive, and all the bitterness we store inside. Maria also illustrated this point with another example which gave us food for thought. It's the story of a woman she knew very well. This lady died and was in Purgatory, in the most terrible Purgatory, with the most atrocious sufferings. And when she came to Maria, she explained why: She had had a female friend; between them arose a great enmity, caused by herself. She had maintained this enmity for years and years, even though her friend had many times asked for peace, for reconciliation, but each time she refused. When she fell gravely ill, she continued to close her heart, to refuse the reconciliation offered by her friend, right up to her deathbed. I believe that this example has great significance concerning rancor which is maintained. And our words, too, can be destructive; we can never emphasize enough how much a critical or bitter word can truly kill -- but also, on the contrary, how much a word can heal.
Maria, please tell us: who are those who have the greatest chance of going straight to Heaven?
Those who have a good heart towards everyone. Love covers a multitude of sins.
Yes, Saint Paul himself tells us this! What are the means which we can take on earth to avoid Purgatory and to straight to Heaven?
We must do a great deal for the souls in Purgatory, for they help us in their turn. We must have much humility; this is the greatest weapon against evil, against the Evil One. Humility drives evil away.
I can't resist telling you a very lovely testimony of Father Berlioux (who wrote a wonderful book on the souls in Purgatory), concerning the help offered by these souls to those who relieve them by their prayer and suffrages. He tells the story of a person particularly devoted to the poor souls who had consecrated her life to their relief.
"At the hour of her death, she was attacked with fury by the demon who saw her at the point of escaping from him. It seemed that the entire abyss was united against her, surrounding her with its infernal troops. "The dying woman struggled excruciatingly for some time when suddenly she saw entering her apartment, a crowd of unknown people of dazzling beauty, who put the demon to flight and, approaching her bed, spoke to her with the most heavenly encouragement and consolations. With her last breath, in great joy, she cried; 'Who are you? Who are you, please, you should do so much good to me?"
"The benevolent visitors replied: 'We are inhabitants of Heaven, whom your help has led to Beatitude. And we in our turn come in gratitude to help you cross the threshold of eternity and rescue you from this place of anguish to bring you into the joy of the Holy City.'
"At these words, a smile lit up the face of the dying woman, her eyes closed and she fell asleep in the peace of the Lord. Her soul, pure as a dove, presented to the Lord of lords, found as many protectors and advocates as souls she had delivered, and recognized worthy of glory, she entered in triumph, among the applause and blessings of all those she had rescued from Purgatory. May we, one day, have the same happiness."
The souls delivered by our prayer are extremely grateful: they help us in our lives; it's most perceptible. I strongly recommend that you experience this yourself! They do help us; they know our needs and obtain many graces for us.
Maria, I am thinking of the Good Thief who was next to Jesus on the Cross. I really would like to know what he did for Jesus to promise him that this very day onwards, he would be in the Kingdom with him?
He humbly accepted his suffering, saying that it was justice. And he encouraged the other thief to accept his too. He had the fear of God, which means humility.
Another beautiful example related by Maria Simma shows how a good action makes up for a whole life of sin. Let's hear it from Maria herself:
"I knew a young man of about twenty, in a nearby village. This young man's village had been cruelly stricken by a series of avalanches which had killed a large number of people. One night, this young man was in his parents' house when he heard an avalanche just next door to his house. He heard piercing screams, heartrending screams, 'Save us! Come, save us! We are trapped beneath the avalanche! Leaping up, he rose from his bed and rushed downstairs to go to the rescue of these people. His mother had heard the screams and prevented him from leaving; she blocked the door, saying 'No! Let others go and help them, not always us! It's too dangerous outside, I don't want yet another death!' But he, because he had been deeply affected by these screams, really wanted to go to the rescue of these people; he pushed his mother aside. He said to her: 'Yes! I'm going! I can't let them dies like this!" He went out, and then he himself, on the path, was struck by an avalanche and was killed. Three days after his death, he comes to visit me, at night, and he says to me: 'Have three Masses said for me; by this, I will be delivered from Purgatory.' I went to inform his family and friends; they were astonished to know that after only three Masses, he would be delivered from Purgatory. His friends said to me: 'Oh, I wouldn't have liked to have been in his place in the moment of death, if you'd seen all the bad things he'd done!" But this young man said to me: "You see, I'd made an act of pure love in risking my life for these people; it's thanks to this that the Lord welcomed me so quickly into his Heaven. Yes, charity covers a multitude of sins..."
This story shows us that charity, a single act of love given freely, had been sufficient to purify this young man from a dissolute life; and the Lord had made the most of this moment of love. Maria in fact added that this young man might never again have had the opportunity to offer such a great act of love, and might have turned bad. The Lord, in his mercy, took him just at the moment when he appeared before him at his most beautiful, most pure, because of this act of love. It is very important, at the hour of death, to abandon oneself to God's will.
Maria told me of the case of a mother of four children who was about to die. Instead of rebelling and worrying, she said to the Lord: "I accept death, as long as it is your will, and I put my life in your hands. I entrust my sons to you and I know that you will take care of them." Maria said that, because of her immense trust in God, this woman went straight to Heaven and avoided Purgatory. Therefore, we really can say that love, humility and abandonment to God are the three golden keys to going directly to Heaven.
Offer a Mass for them
Maria, can you now tell us what are the most effective means to help deliver the souls in Purgatory?
The most efficient means is the Mass.
Why the Mass?
Because it is Christ who offers himself out of love for us. It is the offering of Christ himself to God, the most beautiful offering. The priest is God's representative, but it is God himself who offers himself and sacrifices himself for us. The efficacy of the Mass for the deceased is even greater for those who attached great value to the Mass during their lives. If they attended Mass and prayed with all their hearts, if they went to Mass on weekdays -- according to their time available -- they draw great profit from Masses celebrated for them. Here, too, one harvests what one has sown. A soul in Purgatory sees very clearly on the day of his funeral if we really pray for him or if we have simply made an act of presence to show we were there. The poor souls say that tears are no good to them, only prayer. Often they complain that people go to a funeral without addressing a single prayer to God, while shedding many tears; this is useless!
Concerning the Mass, I will quote a beautiful example given by the Cure of Ars to his parishioners. He told them:
"My children, a good priest had the unhappiness to lose a friend he cherished tenderly, and so he prayed very much for the repose of his soul. One day, God made known to him that his friend was in Purgatory and suffered terribly. The holy priest believed that he could not do better than to offer the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass for his dear friend who had died. At the moment of the consecration, he took the host between his fingers and said 'Holy Eternal Father, let us make an exchange. You hold the soul of my friend who is in Purgatory, and I hold the Body of Your Son in my hands. Well good and merciful Father; deliver my friend and I offer you your Son with all the merits of his death and Passion.'
"The request was answered. In fact, at the moment of the elevation, he saw the soul of his friend, shining in glory, rising to Heaven; God had accepted the deal.
"My children, when we want to deliver from Purgatory a soul dear to us, let us do the same; let us offer to God, through the Holy Sacrifice, His Beloved Son with all the merits of His death and Passion. He will not be able to refuse us anything."
Don't waste your earthly sufferings
There is another means, very powerful, to help the poor souls; the offering of our sufferings, our penance, such as fasting, renunciations, etc, -- and of course involuntary suffering like illness or mourning.
Maria, you have been invited many times to suffer for the poor souls, in order to deliver them. Can you tell us what you have experienced and undergone during these times?
The first time, a soul asked me if I wouldn't mind suffering for three hours in my body, for her, and that afterwards I could resume working. I said to myself: "If It will all be over after three hours, I could accept it." During these three hours, I had the impression that they lasted three days, it was so painful. But at the end, I looked at my watch and I saw that it had only lasted three hours. The soul told me that by accepting that suffering with love for three hours, I had saved her twenty years of Purgatory!
Yes, but why did you suffer for only three house to avoid twenty years of Purgatory? What did your sufferings have that was worth more?
It is because suffering on earth does not have the same value. On earth, when we suffer; we can grow in love, we can gain merits, which is not the case with the sufferings in Purgatory. In Purgatory, the sufferings serve only to purify us from sin. On earth, we have all the graces. We have the freedom to choose.
All this is so encouraging because it gives an extraordinary meaning to our suffering; the suffering which is offered, voluntary or involuntary, even the smallest sacrifices we can make, suffering or sickness, mourning, disappointment...if we live them with patience, if we welcome them in humility, these sufferings can have an unheard-of power to help souls. The best thing to do, Maria tells us, is to unite our sufferings to those of Jesus, by placing them in the hands of Mary. She is the one who know best how to use them, since often we ourselves do not know the most urgent needs around us. All this, of course, Mary will give back to use at the hour of our death. You see, these sufferings offered will be our most precious treasures in the other world. We must remind each other of this and encourage each other when we suffer.
And don't begrudge your prayers
Another very effective means, Maria tells us, is the Stations of the Cross, because, by contemplating the suffering of the Lord, we begin little by little to hate sins, and to desire salvation for all people. And this inclination of the heart brings great relief to the souls in Purgatory. The Stations of the Cross also move us to repentance; we start repenting when faced with sin. Another point, very helpful to the souls in Purgatory, is to say the rosary, all fifteen mysteries, for the sake of the deceased. Through the rosary, many souls are delivered from Purgatory each year; it must be said here as well that it is the Mother of God herself who comes to Purgatory to deliver the souls. This is very beautiful, because souls in Purgatory call Our Lady the "Mother of Mercy."
The souls also tell Maria that indulgences have an inestimable value for their deliverance. It is sometimes cruel not to make use of this treasure that the Church proposes for the profit of souls. The subject of indulgences would be too long to explain here, but I can refer you to the marvellous text written by Pope Paul VI in 1968 on the subject. You can ask your parish priest for it, or simply ask at your usual religious bookstore. Therefore, we can say that the great means of helping the souls in Purgatory is prayer in general; all kinds of prayer. Here I would like to give you the testimony of Hermann Cohen, a Jewish artist who converted to Catholicism in 1864 and greatly venerated the Eucharist. He left the world and entered a very austere religious order; he frequently adored the Blessed Sacrament for which he had a great veneration. During his adoration, he would beg the Lord to convert his mother, whom he loved so much.
Well his mother died without having been converted. so Hermann, sick with sorrow, prostrated himself before the Blessed Sacrament, in deep grief, praying: "Lord, I owe you everything, it is true. But what have I refused you? My youth, my hopes in the world, my well-being, the joys of a family, a rest -- maybe well deserved -- all sacrificed as soon as you called me. And you , Lord, Eternal Goodness, who promised to give back a hundredfold, you have refused me the soul of my mother. My God, I succumb to this martyrdom, I will stop my complaints." He cried his poor heart out. Suddenly, a mysterious voice struck his ear: "Man of little faith! Your mother is saved. Know that prayer is all-powerful in my presence. I gathered all those you had addressed to me for your mother, and my Providence took account of her in her last hour. At the moment she expired, I came to her; she saw Me and cried: 'My Lord and my God'! Have courage, your mother has avoided damnation and fervent supplication will soon deliver her soul from the bonds of Purgatory.
And we know that Father Hermann Cohen, soon afterwards, learned through a second apparition that his mother had risen to Heaven.
I recommend strongly as well the prayers of St. Bridget which are most recommended for the poor souls. Let me add something important: the souls in Purgatory can no longer do anything for themselves; they are totally helpless. If the living do not pray for them, they are totally abandoned. Therefore, it is very important to realize the immense power, the incredible power that each one of us has in his hands to relieve these souls who suffer. We wouldn't think twice about helping a child who has fallen in front of us from a tree and who had broken his bones. Of course, we would do everything for him! So, in the same way, we should take great care of these souls, who expect everything from us, attentive to the slightest offering, hopeful for the least of our prayers, to relieve them from their pain. And it might be the finest way to practice charity. I think, for example, of the kindness of the Good Samaritan in the Gospel, towards the man left half-dead on the roadside bleeding from his wounds. This man depended completely on the good heart of the passer-by.
Maria, why can one on longer gain merits in Purgatory, when one can on earth?
Because at the moment of death, the time to earn merits is over. For as long as we are living on earth, we can repair the evil we have done. The souls in Purgatory envy us this opportunity. Even the angels are jealous of us, for we have the possibility of growing for as long as we are on earth. But often, the suffering in our lives leads us to rebellion and we have great difficulty in accepting and living it. How can we live suffering so that it bears fruit? Sufferings are the greatest proof of the love of God, and if we offer them well they can win many souls. But how can we welcome suffering as a gift and not as a punishment (as we often do), as a chastisement? We must give everything to Our Lady. She is the one who knows best who needs such and such an offering in order to be saved.
On the subject of suffering, I would like to relate an extraordinary testimony that Maria told us of. It was in 1954, and a series of deadly avalanches had struck a village next to Maria's. Later, other avalanches had struck, but they had been stopped, in a completely miraculous way, before reaching the village, so that there was no damage. The souls explained that in this village had died a woman who had been ill and was not properly treated; she had suffered terribly for thirty years. And she had offered all her suffering for the sake of her village. The souls explained to Maria that it was thanks to the offering of this woman that the village had been spared the avalanches. She had borne her sufferings with patience. Maria tells us that if she had enjoyed good health, the village could not of been saved. She adds that sufferings borne with patience can save more souls than prayer (but prayer helps us to bear our sufferings).
We should not always consider suffering as a punishment. I can be accepted as expiation not only for ourselves but above all for others. Christ was innocence itself and He suffered the most for the expiation of our sins. Only in Heaven will we know all that we have obtained by suffering with patience in union with the sufferings of Christ.
Maria, do the souls in Purgatory rebel when faced with their suffering?
No! They want to purify themselves; they understand that it is necessary.
Chapter 3
At the point of death
What is the role of contrition or repentance at the moment of death?
Contrition is very important. The sins are forgiven, in any case, but there remain the consequences of sins. If one wishes to receive a full indulgence at the moment of death -- that means going straight to Heaven -- the soul has to be free from all attachment.
Here, I would like to share a very significant testimony given by Maria. She was asked to find out about a woman that her relations believed to be lost, because she had led an awful life. Well, she had an accident, she fell from a train and this accident killed her. A soul told Maria that this woman had been saved, saved from Hell, because at the moment of death, she said to God: "You are right to take my life, because in this way I will not longer be able to offend you." And this had erased all her sins. This example is highly significant, for it shows that a single moment of humility, of repentance at the moment of death, can save us. This doesn't mean that she did not go to Purgatory, but she avoided Hell which she perhaps deserved thought her impiety.
Maria, I would like to ask you: at the moment of death, is there a time in which the soul still has the chance to turn towards God, even after a sinful life, before entering into eternity -- a time, if you like, between apparent death and real death?
Yes, yes, the Lord gives several minutes to each one, in order to regret his sins and to decide: I accept or I do not accept to go see God. There, we see a film of our lives.
I knew a man who believed in the Church's teachings, but not in eternal life. One day, he fell gravely ill, and slid into a coma. He saw himself in a room with a board on which all his deeds were written, the good and the bad. Then the board disappeared as well as the walls of the room, and it was infinitely beautiful. Then he woke up from his coma and decided to change his life.
This is very much like the testimonies of "near death experiences"; the experience of the supernatural light is such that people can no longer live afterwards as they had lived before.
Maria, at the moment of death, does God reveal himself with the same intensity to all souls?
Each one is given knowledge of his life and also the suffering to come; but it is not the same for everyone. The intensity of the Lord's revelation depends on each one's life.
Maria, does the devil have permission to attack us at the moment of death?
Yes, but man also has the grace to resist him, to push him away. So, if man does not want anything to do with him, the devil can do nothing.
That's good news! When someone knows he is going to die soon, what is for him the best way to get prepared?
To abandon himself totally to the Lord. Offer all his sufferings. Be completely happy in God.
And what attitude should one have before someone who is going to die? What is the best that one can do for him?
Pray hard! Prepare him for death; one must speak the truth.
Maria, what advice would you give to anyone who wants to become a saint here on earth?
Be very humble. We must not be occupied with ourselves. Pride is evil's greatest trap.
Maria, please tell us: can one ask the Lord to do one's Purgatory on earth, in order not to have to do it after death?
Yes. I knew a priest and a young woman who were both ill with tuberculosis in the hospital. The young woman said to the priest: "Let's ask the Lord to be able to suffer on earth as much as necessary in order to go straight to Heaven." The Priest replied that he himself didn't dare to ask for this. Nearby was a religious Sister who had overheard the whole conversation. The young woman died first, the priest died later; and he appeared to the Sister, saying: "If only I had had the same trust as this young woman, I too would have gone straight to Heaven."
Thank you, Maria, for this lovely testimony.
At this point, Maria asked for a five-minute break, as she had to go and feed her chickens... But the minute she returned, we continued with our questions.
The Occupants of Purgatory
Maria, are there different degrees in Purgatory?
Yes, there is a great difference of degree of moral suffering. Each soul has a unique suffering, particular to it; there are many degrees.
Do the poor souls know what is going to happen in the world?
Yes, not everything, but many things.
Do these souls tell you what is going to happen, sometimes?
They simply say that there is something in front of the door; but they don't say what. They only say what is necessary for people's conversion.
Maria, are the suffering in Purgatory more painful than the most painful sufferings on earth?
Yes, but in a symbolic way. It hurts more in the soul.
Yes, I guess it's very difficult to describe... Does Jesus himself come to Purgatory?
No soul has ever told me so. It is the Mother of God who comes. Once I asked a poor soul if she could go to look for a soul I had been asked to find out about. She replied: "No, it is the Mother of Mercy who tells us about it." Also, the souls in Heaven do not come to Purgatory. On the other hand, the angels are there: Saint Michael...and each soul has its guardian angel with it.
Fantastic! The angels are with us...But what do the angels do in Purgatory?
They relieve suffering and provide comfort. The souls can even see them.
Amazing! If this goes on, Maria, you're almost going to make me want to go to Purgatory, with all these stories of angels! Another question: You know, many people today believe in reincarnation. What do the soul tell you concerning this subject?
The souls say that God gives only one life.
But some would say that just one life is not enough to know God, and to have the time to be really converted, that it isn't fair. What would you reply to them?
All people have an interior faith (conscience); even if they do not practice, they recognize God implicitly. Some one who does not believe -- that doesn't exist! Each soul has a conscience to recognize good and evil, a conscience given by God, an inner knowledge -- in different degrees, of course, but each one know how to discern good from evil. With this conscience, each soul can become blessed.
What happens to people who have committed suicide? Have you ever been visited by these people?
Up to now, I have never encountered the case of a suicide who was lost -- this doesn't mean, of course, that that doesn't exist -- but often, the souls tell me that the most guilty were those around them, when they were negligent or spread calumny.
At this moment, I asked Maria if the souls regretted having committed suicide. She answered yes. Often, suicide is due to illness.
These souls do regret their act because, as they see things in the light of God, they understand instantly all the graces that were in store for them during the time remaining for them to live -- and they do see this time which remained for them, sometimes months or years -- and they also see all the souls they could have helped by offering the rest of their lives to God. In the end, what hurts them most is to see the good that they could have done but didn't, because they shortened their lives. But when the cause is illness, the Lord takes this into account, of course.
Maria, have you been visited by souls who "self-destructed," by drugs, overdosing, for example?
Yes, they are not lost. It all depends on the cause of their drug-taking; but they must suffer in Purgatory.
If I tell you, for example, that I suffer too much in my body, in my heart, that it's too hard for me and I wish to die, what can I do?
Yes, this is very frequent. I would say: "My God, I can offer this suffering to save souls"; this gives renewed faith and courage. But no one says this any more nowadays. We can also say that in doing this, the soul gains a great beatitude, a great happiness for Heaven. In Heaven, there are thousands of different types of happiness, but each one is a complete happiness; all desire are fulfilled. Each one know he has deserved no more.
Maria, I'd like to ask you: have people from other religions -- for example, Jews -- come to visit you?
Yes, they are happy. Anyone who lives his faith well is happy. But it is through the Catholic faith that we gain the most for Heaven.
Are there religions where are bad for the soul?
No, but there are so many religions on earth! The closest are the Orthodox and Protestants; there are many Protestants who say the rosary; but the sects are very, very evil. Everything must be done to bring people out of them.
Are there priests in Purgatory?
(I see Maria raising her eyes to Heaven as if to say: Alas!) Yes, there are many. They didn't promote respect for the Eucharist. So faith overall suffers. They are often in Purgatory for having neglected prayer -- which has diminished their faith. But there are also many who have gone straight to Heaven!
What would you say, then, to a priest who really wants to live according to the Heart of God?
I would advise him to pray much to the Holy Spirit -- and say his rosary every day.
Maria, are there any children in Purgatory?
Yes, but Purgatory for them is not very long or painful, since they lack much discernment.
I believe certain children have come to visit you; you were telling me the story of this little child, the youngest one you say, a little girl of four. But tell me: why was she in Purgatory?
Because she had received from her parents, as a Christmas present, a doll. She had a twin sister who had also received a doll. This little four-year-old girl had broken her doll; secretly, knowing that no one was watching her, she went to put the broken doll in the place of her sister's, swapping them, knowing full well in her little heart that she was going to upset her sister -- and she knew very well too that it was a lie and an injustice. Because of this, the poor girl had to do Purgatory.In fact, children often have a more tender conscience than that of adults. It is necessary above all with them to combat lying. They are very sensitive to untruth.
Maria, how can parents help to form the conscience of their children?
Firstly through good example -- this is the most important. Then through prayer. Parents must bless their children and instruct them well in the things of God.
Very Important! Have you been visited by souls who, on earth, practiced perversions? I am thinking, for example, about the sexual domain.
Yes, they are not lost, but they have much to suffer to be purified. For example, homosexuality, this truly comes from the Evil One.
What advice would you give, then, to all those people afflicted by homosexuality, with this tendency in them?
Pray a lot for the strength to turn away from it. They should above all pray to the Archangel Michael; he is the great fighter par excellence against the Evil One.
What are the attitudes of the heart which can lead us to losing our soul for good, I mean going to Hell?
It is when the soul does not want to go towards God, when it actually says: "I do not want."
Thank you, Maria, for making this clear.
Here I would like to mention that on this subject I questioned Vicka, one of the visionaries in Medjugorje, who also told me that those who go to Hell -- and she has seen Hell -- are solely those who decide to go there. It isn't God who puts someone in Hell -- on the contrary, He is the Savior, He begs the souls to welcome His mercy. The sin against the Holy Spirit that Jesus speaks of, which cannot be forgiven, is the absolute refusal of mercy, and this in full awareness, full conscience. Pope John Paul II explains this very well in his encyclical on mercy. Here too, we can do so much with prayer for souls in danger of being lost.
Maria, would you happen to have a story illustrating this?
One day, I was on a train and in my compartment there was a man who didn't stop speaking evil of the Church, of priests, even of God. I said to him: "Listen, you don't have the right to say all that, it's not good." He was furious at me. Afterwards, I arrived at my station, I got down from the train, and said to God: "Lord, do not let this soul be lost." Years later; the soul of this man came to visit me; he told me that he had come very close to Hell, but he was saved simply by this prayer I had said at that moment!
Yes, it's extraordinary to see that just one thought, one impulse of the heart, a simple prayer for someone can prevent them from falling into Hell. It is pride which leads to Hell. Hell is to stubbornly say "NO" against God. Our prayers can elicit an act of humility in the dying, a single instant of humility, however small, which can help them to avoid Hell.
But Maria, it is incredible, all the same! How can one actually say "NO" to God at the moment of death, when one sees him?
For example, a man once told me that he did not want to go to Heaven. Why? Because God accepts injustice. I said to him that it was men, not God...He said: "I hope that I do not meet God after my death, or I will kill him with an axe." He had a deep hatred of God. God grants man free will; he wishes each one to have his free choice.
God gives to everyone during his earthly life, and at the hour of his death, sufficient grace for conversion, even after a life spent in darkness. If one asks for forgiveness, sincerely, of course one can be saved.
Jesus said that it was difficult for a rich person to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. Have you seen such cases?
Yes! But if they do good works, works of charity, if they practice love, they can get there, just like the poor.
Maria, do you still have visits these days from souls in Purgatory?
Yes, two or three times a week.
Really! What do you think of the practices of spiritism, for example, calling up the spirits of the departed, Ouija-boards, ect.?
It is not good. It is always evil. It is the devil who makes the table move. It is so important to say this again and again! People really need to hear this because, nowadays, more than ever, these absurd practices are increasing dangerously!
What is the difference between what you are living with the souls of the departed, and the practices of spiritism?
We are not suppose to summon up the souls -- I don't try to get them to come. In spiritism people try to call them forth.
This distinction is quite clear, and we must take it very seriously. If people were only to believe one thing I have said, I would like it to be this: those who engage in spiritism (moving tables, and other practices of that kind) think that they are summoning up the souls of the dead. In reality, if there is some response to their call, it is always and without exception Satan and his angels who are answering. People who practice spiritism (diviners, witches, etc.) are doing something very dangerous for themselves and for those who come to them for advice. They are up to their necks in lies. It is forbidden, strictly forbidden, to call up the dead. As for me, I have never done so, I do not do so, and I never will do so. When something appears to me, God alone permits it.
Of course, Satan can imitate everything that comes from God, and he does. He can imitate the voice and the appearance of the dead, but every manifestation of any kind always comes from the Evil One. Do not forget that Satan can even heal, but such healings never last.
Have you personally ever been tricked by false apparitions? For example, by the devil disquising himself as a soul in Purgatory to speak to you?
Yes. Once a soul came to see me and said to me: "Do not accept the soul which is going to come after me, because it is going to ask you for too much suffering, which you will not be able to bear; you cannot do what it is going to ask." So, I was troubled because I remembered what my parish priest had said to me, that I had to accept each soul with generosity, and I was really troubled about whether or not to obey. So I said to myself: "Maybe it's the demon who is before me and not a soul in Purgatory; the demon in disguise?" I said to this soul: "If you are the demon go away!" At once he gave out a loud scream and left. In fact, the soul who came after him was a soul who had real need of my help; it was very important for me to listen to this soul!
When the devil appears, does holy water always make him leave?
It disturbs him very much and he flees at once.
Maria, you are now very well known, especially in Germany and Austria, but also throughout Europe, thanks to your talks and your book. At the beginning, however you were very hidden. How did it happen that, overnight, people recognized that your supernatural experience was authentic?
It was when the souls asked me to tell their families to give back goods which had been acquired dishonestly. They saw that what I said was true.
At this point, Maria related several testimonies, too long to quote here. Several times souls came to find her, saying: "Go to my family in such and such a village -- which Maria did not know -- "and tell my father, my son, my brother to give back a certain property or amount of money which I acquired dishonestly. I will be delivered from Purgatory when these goods are given back." Maria would have all the details of the field, or exact amount of money, or the property concerned, and the family would be staggered to discover that she knew all these details, because sometimes even they didn't know that these goods had been acquired dishonestly by their relative. Through this, Maria began to be very well known.
Maria, is there official recognition by the Church of this particular charism that you practice with regard to the souls in Purgatory, and also with regard to those who are touched by your apostolate?
My bishop told me that as long as there are no theological errors, I should continue: he has okay'd it. My parish priest, who is also my spiritual guide, confirms these things too.
I would like to ask you a question that may be indiscreet: you have done so much for the poor souls that surely, when you die, in your turn, thousands of souls will be your escort into Heaven; I think that you certainly won't have to pass through Purgatory!
I don't believe that I will go straight to Heaven without time in Purgatory because I have had more light, more knowledge, and therefore my faults are more serious. But all the same, I hope that the souls will help me rise to Heaven!
Certainly! And Maria, do you enjoy this charism? Or is it something burdensome and difficult for you, all these requests from souls?
No, I do not pay much attention to the difficulty, for I know I can help them so much. I can help many souls and I am very happy to do this.
Maria, I would like to thank you also in the name of all readers for this beautiful testimony. But please permit me one last question: so that we might know you better, would you be so good as to tell us a few words about your life?
Well...from when I was little I wanted to enter a convent, but Mother told me to wait until I was twenty. I did not wish to get married. Mother had told me a good deal about the souls in Purgatory and, already at school, these souls helped me a lot. So I said to myself that I had to do everything for them.
After school, I thought about entering a convent; I entered the Sisters of the Heart of Jesus, but they told me that my health was too poor to stay with them. As a child, I had had pneumonia and pleurisy. The Superior had confirmed my religious vocation but advised me to enter an easier order; to wait for some years. I wanted above all a cloistered order; and right away!
But after two more attempts, the conclusion was the same: my health was too poor. So I said to myself that entering a convent wasn't God's will for me. I suffered mentally a great deal. I said to myself that the Lord had not shown me what he wanted of me. Up to the moment he entrusted me with this task for the souls in Purgatory, at the age of twenty-five he'd made me wait eight years.
At home, there were eight of us children. I worked on our farm, starting at the age of fifteen; then I went to Germany as a servant for a peasant family. Afterwards, I worked here at the farm in Sonntag. From the age of twenty-five, when the souls began to come, I had much to suffer for them -- Now I am much better physically. So, there you are.
It was indeed a real pleasure for me to meet Maria Simma, a woman whose life is one of complete devotion. Each second, each hour of her life has a weight of eternity, not only for herself but for so many souls, known or unknown, that she, in many different ways and with so much love, has helped deliver from Purgatory and enjoy the eternal happiness of Heaven.
Chapter 4
A Proposition to all
Now, I have a proposition to make to each one of you: we could make the decision that none of us will go to Purgatory! This is really possible, we have everything in our hands to make it come true. I remember the words of St. John of the Cross: he says that the Providence of God always provides, in every life, the purification that is needed to allow us to go straight to Heaven at the hour of death.
Providence puts enough difficulties in our lives, trials, suffering, sickness, hardships -- so that all these purifications, if we accept them, may be enough to bring us straight to Heaven.
Why doesn't this happen? Because we rebel, we do not welcome with love, with gratitude, these gifts of trials in our lives, and we sin by rebelling, by non-submission if you prefer. So, let us ask the Lord for the grace to seize every opportunity so that on the day of our death He sees us shining with purity and beauty. Of course, if we decide on this, I do not say that the way will be easy, since -- let's remember this -- the Lord never promised that the way would be easy but our way will be in peace, and it will be a path of happiness: the Lord will be with us. Above all -- and this is what I would like to stress here -- let us make the most of the time which remains to us on earth, this time which is so precious, during which we are still given the chance to grow in love. This means to grow towards the Glory to come and the beauty which is destined for us. Each minute, we can still grow in love, but the souls in Purgatory can no longer grow.
Even the angels envy us this power we have to grow each minute in love while we are on earth. Each little act of love we offer to the Lord, each little sacrifice or fast, each little privation or battle against our tendencies, our faults, each little forgiveness of our enemy, all the things we can offer of this sort, will be later for us an ornament, a jewel, a real treasure for eternity.
So, let us seize every opportunity to be as beautiful as God desires us to be already in His prescence. If we saw in its full light the splendor of a pure soul, of a soul purified, then we would cry for joy and wonder, because of its beauty! A human soul is something of great splendor before God; this is why God desires us to be perfectly pure. It is pure. No, it is through our repentance of our sins, and our humility. You see, it's quite different! The saints are not "faultless" souls, but those who get up again and again each time they fall, and ask forgiveness; it's very different. So, let us make use of the wonderful means the Lord puts into our hands to help the souls still waiting to possess God and who yearn because of this delay, because of this splendid God they have already perceived and whom they desire with all their hearts.
Also, we mustn't forget that the prayer of children has an immense power over the heart of God. So, let's teach our children to pray. I remember a little girl to whom I had spoken about the poor souls. I said to her: "Now, you're going to pray for the souls of all the members of your family and friends who are already dead. Would you like to go before Jesus and ask him?" She went before Jesus, and five minutes later she returned, and I asked her: "What did you ask the Lord?" She answered: "I asked the Lord to deliver all the souls in Purgatory!" This answer struck me greatly and I realized I'd been miserly in my request, but she had understood straight away what to ask for. Children sense so much, they can obtain so much from the heart of God.
Also, Let's mention here retired people and all those who have free time; if they went to Mass often, daily...What a treasure of grace they would store up, not only for themselves but for their deceased and for thoughts of souls! The value of one single Mass is immeasurable. If we only realized!... What riches our ignorance, our indifference, or simply our laziness lead us to waste! Whereas we have the power in our hands to save our brother, by becoming co-redeemer ourselves, together with Jesus our Savior and our Redeemer!
Don't forget about Indulgences
Mother Church has some wonderful treasures in store for us -- let's take a closer look at some of them!
"Through indulgences the faithful can obtain the remission of temporal punishment resulting from sins for themselves and also for the souls of Purgatory"
(Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1498)
What is an indulgence? Here is what the Catechism of the Catholic Church has to say:
An indulgence is a remission before God of the temporal punishment due to sins whose guilt has already been forgiven, which the faithful Christian who is duly disposed gains under certain prescribed conditions through the action of the Church which, as the minister of redemption, dispenses and applies with authority the treasury of the satisfactions of Christ and the saints.
"An indulgence is partial or plenary according as it removes either part or all of the temporal punishment due to sin." Indulgences may be applied to the living or the dead."(1471)
Jesus gave to his disciples, and therefore to the Church, the power to bind and to loose, and down through the centuries, in many different ways, the Church has used this channel of the mercy of God towards the living and the dead.
Everything concerning indulgences was revised by Pope Paul VI; the results can be found in The Book of Indulgences, Rules and Grants, published June 29, 1968 (Vatican Publishers).
"The aim pursued by ecclesiastical authority in granting indulgences is not only that of helping the faithful to expiate the punishment due to sin, but also that of urging them to perform works of piety, penitence and charity--particularly those which lead to growth in faith and which favor the common good."
"And if the faithful offer indulgences in suffrage for the dead, they cultivate charity in an excellent way and while raising their minds to heaven they bring a wiser order into the things of this world."
"Although indulgences are in fact free gifts, nevertheless they are granted for the living as well as for the dead only on determined conditions...the faithful have to love God, detest sin, place their trust in the merits of Christ and believe firmly in the great assistance they derive from the communion of saints."
As a result of the reform, all distinctions of day, month, and year have been abolished; the only distinction retained is that between plenary and partial indulgence.
We should also note the following:
NO ONE PERSON CAN GIVE THE INDULGENCE HE OBTAINS TO ANOTHER PERSON WHO IS STILL LIVING.
BOTH PLENARY AND PARTIAL INDULGENCES CAN ALWAYS BE GIVEN FOR THE DEAD.
"The faithful who use with devotion an object of piety (crucifix, cross, rosary, scapular or medal) properly blessed by any priest, can acquire a partial indulgence. But if this object is blessed by the Supreme Pontiff or any bishop, the faithful who use it devoutly can also acquire a plenary indulgence on the feast of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul, provided they also make a profession of faith using any legitimate formula."
In Medjugorje, on July 18, 1995, Our Lady said:
"Dear children, today I call you to place more blessed objects in your homes and call everyone to put some blessed object on their person. Bless all objects, and thus Satan will attack you less because you will have armor against him."
"To acquire a plenary indulgence it is necessary to perform the work to which the indulgence is attached and to fulfill three conditions: sacramental confession, Eucharistic Communion and prayer for the intentions of the Supreme Pontiff. It is further required that all attachment to sin, even to venial sin, be absent."
The condition of praying for the Supreme Pontiff's intention is fully satisfied by reciting one "Our Father" and one "Hail Mary." Nevertheless, the individual faithful are free to recite any other prayer according to their own piety and devotion toward the Supreme Pontiff.
The new reform provides for three concessions:
1. Partial indulgence is granted to the faithful who, in fulfilling their duties and in facing the adversities of life, raise their souls to God with humble confidence, and add in their heart a pious invocation.
2. Partial indulgence is granted to the faithful who, with a soul full of faith and mercy, give themselves of their goods to their brothers in need.
3. Partial indulgence is granted to the faithful who, in a spirit of repentance, deprive themselves spontaneously of something.
Plenary indulgence can be obtained on the following occasions:
1. Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament for at least one half-hour.
2. Recitation of the entire rosary in church, as a family or in community.
3. Making the Stations of the Cross.
4. Reading Holy Scripture for at least one half-hour.
5. A church visit between Noon of November 1 and Midday of November 2, for the intention of the deceased.
6. Visiting a cemetery, for the intention of the deceased.
7. Taking part in a First Holy Communion ceremony, or the first Mass of a Priest, or the anniversary of 25, 50, or 60 years of priesthood.
8. Renewing one's baptismal promise during the Easter Vigil.
9. Adoration of the Cross during the Good Friday liturgy.
10. Papal benediction, even when received listening to the radio or watching on television.
By going to confession regularly, one can obtain many plenary indulgences.
Only one plenary indulgence a day is permitted, but one may obtain a number of partial indulgences on one day by reciting certain prayers suggested by the Church,. Below are some prayers for the Holy Souls.
Prayers for the Holy Souls
1. To you, Blessed Joseph
2. Angelus Domini
3. Chaplet of the Holy Souls
4. Daily Prayers for the Holy Souls
5. Cardinal Newman’s Prayer for the Holy Souls
6. Liberera Me
7. Psalm 130 (De profundis)
8. O Salutaris Hostia Sacra
9. Prayer to Mary, Queen of Heaven and Earth
10. A prayer for the Dead
11. A Prayer for Our Dear Departed
12. Prayers for the Holy Souls
13. Deliver Them from Purgatory
14. Prayer of St. Gertrude for the Holy Souls
This list is not complete.
Partial indulgences are obtained through concerted acts of faith, hope, and love, in the midst of the trials of life and as we carry out the duties of our daily lives. Indulgences are also obtained by acts of charity towards our neighbor, voluntary fasting, and ejaculatory prayers or spontaneous thought addressed to God, to the Blessed Mother, to the Holy Family. The Book of Indulgences contains a list of suggest prayers; it is a precious book to read.
As Holy Souls purified, they became more recognizable.
Princess Eugenie von der Leyen had many encounters with the faithful departed, all of whom were in varying stages of purification......As seems to be common with such apparitions, souls that appeared to her were not clearly visible at first; but as prayers and sacrifices were offered, and their purification advanced, the features of their faces became more recognizable.
By God’s clear disposition and will, many souls presented themselves in the form of animals, signifying the sin they had committed. A large monkey, for example, caused her enormous suffering in the last months of 1925. Its disgusting appearance horrified her and was almost impossible for her to bear. Its hide, wet and dirty, had purulent sores which seethed with devouring worms. It was a symbol of the passions and sins of lust which that soul still needed to purge.
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Another soul, whose name was Catarina appeared to her with a swollen mouth, misshapen and repulsive, so as to arouse real disgust. After a few weeks, she confessed: “I always created disunion.” This is the price to pay when the senses turn to the things of the world to perpetrate evil. The Church calls this purification the pain of sense, in which a real but mysterious fire chastises the spirit for having subjected itself to the misdeeds of the flesh.
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On another occasion, when Eugenie asked a soul what her sufferings consisted of, the latter approached and, before the princess could prevent it, touched her hand, causing her to cry out in pain and leaving a red burn mark.
Terminally ill people may be able to see souls who need prayers....
There was a hospice nurse named Natalie. She'd been assigned to taking care of an elderly woman named Amy. Amy was very sick and hadn't left her house in several years. In fact, she hadn't left her bed in three months. She wasn't all gone mentally, but she'd always babble about all the people in the room. Even when she was alone, Natalie and her family members could sometimes hear her talking about other people in the room. This was very saddening to her family because they thought she was becoming delirious.
Natalie, Amy, and Amy's family were all Catholic, so they asked their priest about it. They asked him if a person could be in Purgatory before they died. The priest told them "Yes." Innocent people who are suffering in life, especially near the end of life, may possibly be living their Purgatory now.
Natalie asked her how many people she saw. "Oh, there's 1000," Amy told her. So Natalie went to Google in search of a prayer for the souls in purgatory. And sure enough, the first prayer that she found was St Gertrude's prayer for 1000 souls. Natalie and Amy's family prayed the prayer every day until one day Amy told them that the people were all gone. Later that evening she passed away. Natalie was there by her side. Being a hospice nurse, she had seen people die before, but Amy's death was the most peaceful she had ever seen.
Revelations from numerous saints have confirmed that our Guardian Angels’ devotion and service to us continues in Purgatory....
Blessed Emilia was a Dominican religious in Italy, and her convent had a rule never to drink between meals without the express permission of the Superior. Not that this permission was lightly given. Prioress Amelia advised her sisters to make the sacrifice cheerfully, in memory of the burning thirst our Savior had endured for us on the Cross. To encourage them, she suggested that they confide the water they would have drunk to their guardian angels, that their protector might preserve it to temper the heat of purgatory.
One day a sister named Cecilia was very thirsty and asked for water. When the Prioress did not give permission, but instead encouraged her daughter as mentioned before, the young nun went away grieved but she obeyed her superior.
A few weeks later Sister Cecilia died, and after three days she appeared to Mother Amelia, shining gloriously. “O Mother,” she said. “How grateful I am to you! I was condemned to a long purgatory for having had too great affection for my family, and behold, after two days, I saw my guardian angel enter my prison, holding in his hand the glass of water which you caused me to offer as a sacrifice to my Divine Spouse. He poured that water upon the flames which devoured me, they were extinguished immediately, and I am delivered. I take my flight to heaven, where my gratitude will never forget you.”
A Holy Soul engulfed in flames
Venerable Stanislaus Choscoca, a Polish Dominican, was at prayer one day when a soul from Purgatory appeared to him engulfed in flames. He asked him if that fire was more active and penetrating than earthly flames, and the soul exclaimed: “Compared with the fire of Purgatory, that of earth is like a light and refreshing breeze.” When Stanislaus courageously asked to feel it, the soul replied: “It is impossible for a mortal to bear such torments, but if you want a taste of it, stretch out your hand.” He did so, and the soul let a drop of searing sweat fall into his palm. Instantly, with a frightful shriek, the religious fell to the floor in a death-like swoon. After being revived by his confreres, who rushed to help him, he told them what had happened and recommended that the fact be published, to warn people of the terrible expiations of Purgatory. Finally, after a year, during which he felt continuous pain in his right hand, Brother Stanislaus died, urging his brothers to flee from sin in order to avoid the atrocious chastisements of the next life.
The pious woman was lifted from death bed depression by the same holy souls she had helped...
Cardinal Caesar Baronius (1538 - 1607) recorded the story of a pious woman who had been singularly generous to the Holy Souls. When she was dying, the pious woman was burdened by a deathbed depression where she thought so badly of her life that she started to despise herself so much she was induced to self-deception that there was no hope for her soul. Simultaneously there was a concerted effort by the powers of Hell to drive the pious woman to lose faith and to think that Our Lord would never have mercy on her. This was done in a bid to reduce her to the mortal sin of despair, so the demons could claim her soul. Suddenly, the pious woman saw the souls of thousands of supporters come towards her who bolstered her confidence and assured her victory in the good fight was hers for the taking and that she could attain the Heavenly Prize. She was lifted up from her depressive fugue, but she didn't recognize these myriad souls and so she asked them who they were, only to get the answer, "We are the souls which you have delivered from Purgatory, we, in our turn come to help you, and very soon we shall conduct you to Paradise." The pious woman's heart was gladdened, and soon afterwards she died in enviable happiness.
The power of the Mass..
St. Elizabeth of Portugal, who reigned as queen of that country at the beginning of the fourteenth century, had a much-loved daughter named Constance. The young princess died very suddenly after being married, causing Elizabeth and her husband, King Denis, much grief. Soon after this, a hermit came to the queen with a shocking story: while he was praying, Constance had appeared to him, beseeching him to take a message to her mother. She was suffering terribly in Purgatory and would remain there a very long time unless Mass was offered for her each day for a year.
The king responded, “I believe that it is wise to do that which has been pointed out to you in so extraordinary a manner. After all, to have Masses celebrated for our dear deceased relatives is nothing more than a paternal and Christian duty.” Elizabeth accepted this advice, and arranged for the Masses to be said by a holy priest. One year later her daughter appeared to her, clothed in a brilliant white robe, and said, “Today, dear mother, I am delivered from the pains of Purgatory and am about to enter Heaven.” St. Elizabeth gave thanks to God and expressed her gratitude by distributing alms to the poor.
The Burden of Unordered Grief:
A Theological Account from Thomas of Cantimpré, the incident happened in his own family.
Thomas’s grandmother had lost a son in whom she had placed all her hopes. She cried for him day and night and refused to be comforted. Her grief was so overwhelming that she forgot her Christian duty of love, and she did not think to pray for the soul she loved so much. Meanwhile, that soul suffered in Purgatory with no help or relief.
At last, God took pity on him. One day, while the grieving mother was lost in sorrow, she received a miraculous vision. She saw a beautiful road where a joyful procession of young men, as graceful as angels, was walking toward a magnificent city. She understood that these were souls from Purgatory entering Heaven in triumph.
She looked eagerly to see if her son was among them. But he was not there. Instead, she saw him far behind the others—sad, suffering, exhausted, and with his clothes soaked with water.
“Oh, my beloved child,” she cried, “why are you so far behind that glorious group? I long to see you at the front with your companions.”
“Mother,” the child answered sorrowfully, “It is you. It is the tears you shed for me that soak and stain my garments and slow my entrance into Heaven. Stop giving yourself over to blind and useless grief. Open your heart to more Christian feelings. If you truly love me, help me in my suffering. Apply indulgences for me, pray for me, give alms, and offer the fruits of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass for me. This is how you will show your love, because by doing so you will free me from the prison in which I languish and bring me to eternal life, which is far more precious than the earthly life you once gave me.”
Then the vision faded. Corrected and guided back to genuine Christian love, the mother stopped her excessive grieving and devoted herself to every good work that could bring relief to her son’s soul.
Alms After Death
There was in Naples a very poor family whose livelihood depended on the scant daily earnings which the father brought home every evening. Things got so bad that one day, the poor father was sent to prison for a debt that he was unable to pay. The responsibility of supporting the family now rested upon the unhappy mother. She fervently asked God to come to the aid of their family, and especially to deliver her husband, who suffered in prison for no other crime than his poverty.
Shortly thereafter, the poor woman went to a wealthy gentleman, and explained the sad state of her family to him. With tears, she implored him to assist her family. But God permitted that such a plea from her would receive but a meager response from the gentleman. He gave her a trifling alms, a carlin, a piece of money worth about ten cents of our coin.
Deeply afflicted, she entered a church and begged God to help her in her distress. She was absorbed in her prayers and tears, when she was inspired to appeal to the Holy Souls in Purgatory. For she had heard much of their sufferings, and of their gratitude towards those who help them.
Rising from the pew, she went into the sacristy, and offered her carlin to the priest who was there. She asked if a Mass could be celebrated for the dead, and the good priest generously and immediately offered a Mass for her intention. The poor woman fervently assisted at the Holy Sacrifice, offering her prayers for the departed. Once the Mass had been offered, she felt quite consoled, as though she had just been assured that God would hear her prayer.
As she made her way home through the populous streets of Naples, she was met by a kind old man. He asked her where she came from and where she was going. The unfortunate woman explained her distress, and what she did with the small alms she had received.
The old man seemed deeply touched by her grief, and spoke some words of encouragement. Then he gave her a note enclosed in an envelope, and told her to take it to a certain gentleman whom he described. Having done this, the man turned and walked away.
The woman hurried to deliver the note to the gentleman. When this man opened the envelope, he became so shocked that he almost fainted!
"Where did you get this letter?" he cried, quite beside himself.
"Sir," replied the good woman, "it was from an old man who stopped me in the street. I told him of my distress, and he sent me to give you this note in his name. As regards his features, he very much resembles that portrait which you have there over the door."
That portrait was of the gentleman’s father, who had died some time previous. But as he turned over the strange circumstances in his mind, they made a deeper and deeper impression upon him. He then held up the note, and read aloud:
"My son, your father has just been delivered from Purgatory, thanks to a Mass which the bearer has had celebrated this morning. She is in great distress, and I entrust her to you."
He read and re-read those lines, traced by that hand so dear to him, by a father who was now among the happy souls in Heaven. Tears of joy coursed down his cheeks as he turned towards the woman and said.
"Poor woman, by your trifling alms you have secured the eternal happiness of him who gave me life. In my turn I will secure your temporal happiness. I take upon myself to supply all the needs of yourself and your whole family."
What joy for that gentleman! What joy for that poor woman! It is hard to know who was happier. What is easier and more important to see, from this wonderful incident, is that the smallest act of charity towards the Church Suffering is precious in the sight of God. And it earns for us powerful friends in Heaven who will always be ready to come to our aid - until we have the happiness of joining them in the next life.
Showing concern for the dead and the dying is a great sign of love.
Bl. Raymond of Capua, the biographer of St. Catherine of Siena, wrote that she attended her father, Jacomo, during his final hours. Learning in a revelation that this holy man nonetheless would require some purification in Purgatory, Catherine begged God to let her suffer pains of expiation on his behalf so that he might enter Heaven immediately. God agreed; Jacomo, who had been suffering greatly, thereupon experienced a happy and peaceful death, while Catherine was seized with violent pains that remained with her for the rest of her life. Raymond witnessed her suffering, but he also took note of her incredible forbearance and patience, along with her great joy on her father’s behalf.
The Story of One Soul Saved
Never one to propose a problem without also offering a solution, Our Lady taught the children at Fatima the power of sacrifice to liberate souls from damnation. Likewise, Sister Josefa was shown the same “economy of grace” by Our Lady. From her diary (July 27-31, 1921) we find narrated an episode regarding the Souls in Purgatory.
Our Lady said to Josefa, “You may suffer to save one of my dear daughters... Jesus wanted her for Himself, but she did not respond to the Divine call, she will be dying tomorrow. What a consolation for my maternal heart if she will not fall into Hell!”
Josefa prayed all night and the next day she was terrorized by infernal noises. Shocked and frightened, she took refuge near the statue of Our Lady. Suddenly everything became calm, Our Lady, smiling, placed her hand on the head of Josefa, saying, "She has already accounted for her life; poor little one, what a battle she had to endure! When the devil saw that soul was fleeing from him, he tried to take away her peace and how he made her suffer! He was furious against you, because you were helping me to pull her away from him. She died much repented and her end was serene; now she is in Purgatory.”
The following night Josefa was awoken and heard a voice saying, “I am the soul who Our Lady has asked you to save.” Josefa replied, “What devotion to Our Lady did you cherish to obtain her protection?”
"From the time that I had abandoned myself to sin my only devotion has been to recite every Saturday one Hail Holy Queen.” Three days later that soul ascended to Heaven, thanks to the supplications of Josefa.
John Bosco and his best friend
When John Bosco and his best friend, Luigi Comollo, were seminarians, they promised each other that the first of the two to die would come back to inform the other of his eternal fate.
This solemn oath was perhaps a bit foolish, because they knew that the Church condemns attempts to communicate with the dead, but it was motivated by their desire to relieve the possible expiatory sufferings of whichever died first.
In the first half of the 19th century, premature death was not unusual, nor was it unusual for 24-year-olds to think about it. Death was omnipresent and, in Catholic circles, the thought of the end of life was constant.
The first to die was Luigi, in 1839, just a few months before his ordination. John’s grief was immense, but he hadn’t forgotten the oath he had exchanged with his friend. The night after Romollo’s death, while the seminarians were asleep, a loud voice was heard throughout the dormitory, waking everyone up as it shouted: “Bosco! Bosco! I am saved!” Everyone, including John, recognized the voice of their missing comrade and felt a healthy fear of the disembodied voice. It surely put an end to further desires to ask for news from the beyond.
When he became a priest, one of his fellow priests died suddenly. The two men had promised each other that as soon as either was informed of the other friend’s death, the survivor would celebrate Mass for the repose of his soul. On the day of the friend’s death, Fr. Bosco had already said his own Mass so he postponed the celebration for his departed friend’s soul until the following day. However, during the night, the deceased appeared to him, prostrate, in tears, and in terrible pain. He bitterly reproached him for having forgotten his promise, abandoning him “for so long” in the torments of Purgatory.
When John replied that he was doing his best, but that it had not even been 12 hours since his visitor died, the deceased friend appeared stunned. There’s a small detail that we tend to forget: in eternity, there’s no more time. Needless to say, at dawn, John celebrated the promised Mass, with all his saintly fervor, and delivered his unfortunate friend from Purgatory.
St. Perpetua and her little brother...
We can look to St. Perpetua for an example. In 204, she had a vision of her deceased little brother – a pagan who died at the age of 7 from cancer of the face – suffering from terrible thirst, sadness, and anguish in the darkness. In order to open the gates of Heaven to him, she offered up the many abuses she suffered in the stinking and suffocating dungeons of the prison of Carthage, the sorrow she felt at being separated from her baby, and the expectation of her own martyrdom. On the eve of facing the beasts, she had the consolation of seeing her radiant younger brother drinking “in great gulps from the source of Life.”
Carmelite nun Mary Magdalene of Pazzi’s brother
Carmelite nun Mary Magdalene of Pazzi’s brother also appeared to her, asking her to pray to save him from the torments resulting from his dissolute life as a Florentine aristocrat. While the saint accepted, she didn’t miss the opportunity to advise him to give thanks for having escaped from hell instead of complaining about an atonement that he had well deserved.
St. Margaret Mary Alacoque
St. Margaret Mary Alacoque had a more terrifying experience when a religious devoured by flames appeared to her and begged her, in order to rescue him from one of the lowest levels of Purgatory, to take upon herself all or part of his torments. After having asked permission from her superior, the nun accepted. The next three months, she would say, were the worst of her life – and that’s no small thing when she was already accustomed to physical, moral, and spiritual penances and suffering. During that time, Margaret Mary prayed, offered her suffering, and atoned for that Benedictine who had not been faithful to his vows and the demands of his priesthood.
After a frightening three months, during which he followed her step by step, she had the relief of seeing him, freed from his prison of fire, dashing off resplendent towards the Paradise that the messenger of the Sacred Heart had finally opened to him.
Purgatory Museum in Rome..
Built to prove Purgatory exists, the museum’s collection includes scorched handprints of those seeking our prayers.
Located on the bank of the River Tiber, not far from the Vatican, is a church that contains a tiny museum with a unique purpose to convince people that Purgatory exists and that their departed loved ones need their prayers.
Its collection is made up not of sacred art, but of actual physical evidence purporting to prove the existence of Purgatory – namely the tangible marks souls in Purgatory left in order to convince their loved ones to pray for them.
The scorched papers and clothing displayed in the vestry of the Church of the Sacred Heart of Suffrage in Prati testify to the trials of those who managed to avoid going to hell, but sought escape from the purifying fires of Purgatory. The story of how the church and its museum came about begins in 1897 when a fire broke out in the small chapel that once stood at the same spot. After the fire was put out and the smoke cleared, a Fr. Victor Jouët, who – not incidentally – had a devotion to the souls in Purgatory, noticed that the image of a sad, suffering face was left behind on the wall. Convinced that it was a soul crying out for help, he was from that moment inspired to build a church dedicated to the souls in Purgatory.
According to Fr. Domenico Santangini, the parish priest of the church for the last 14 years, Fr. Jouët accumulated the museum’s collection while traveling to raise funds to build the church.
“Once the money had run out, little by little as the church was being built, he would travel through Europe both to look for money and to look for testimonies that bore evidence of visits from souls in Purgatory, and he brought them all here to Rome. Those that we have in the museum now are authentic,” Fr. Santagini told Aleteia’s Diane Montagna.
At the Museum of Purgatory in the sacristy of the church of the Sacred Heart of Suffrage in Rome, you can see many of these reminders: burned fingerprints in prayer books; a burned handprint on a table; a hole burned in a nightcap; a copy of a ten-lire note left at a monastery as a stipend by a deceased Italian priest who desired Masses to be said for him.
One of these items is a photocopy of a burned handprint on a nightshirt sleeve. The shirt belonged to a Belgian man who, in 1789, heard frightening, ghostly noises in his house for eleven straight nights. He was then visited by the ghost of his mother, who reminded him of his obligation to have Masses said for her and reproached him for his dissolute life. The man obeyed, founded a pious lay society, and died in sanctity.
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Branding an imprint of his left hand on to a light-brown wooden table was one 18th-century friar's way of reminding colleagues to say more masses and speed his soul to heaven.
On a single day in 1731, the deceased Friar Panzini not only marked the table, but burnt a handprint on to paper and twice clutched at the sleeves of a nun's tunic, leaving scorch marks.
Woman helps her son in Purgatory
A woman who was anguished over the death of her son in World War II, did not know whether he (a soldier) had died in a state of grace and escaped hell. The mother was tormented by the possibility that her son may have died without a final confession and was therefore facing an unfavorable judgment.
She was visited by another soul in purgatory who asked for her help in assisting it to enter heaven and after she helped this soul, she was told that her son was in heaven. The soul's message was that her son—bleeding to death from his wounds in a shell crater overnight—had “placed his wounds in the wounds of Jesus.” and had offered his suffering as a spiritual act.
This story provides comfort and confirmation of a soul's salvation, even for those who die in battle.
Efficacy of the sacrifice of the Mass to deliver souls from purgatory.
This story shows the efficacy of the sacrifice of the Mass to deliver souls from purgatory, perseverance in faith and how the devil uses distractions and illusions (discord, fire) to stop the bishop from completing his duty, but his final perseverance frees the soul....(extract from leaves of the golden legend)
Fishers from the area of S. Thibault catch a large piece of ice, which they give to the local bishop to relieve a great burning pain in his leg. One day, the bishop hears a human voice within the ice. Upon being conjured (commanded by a sacred oath) to identify himself, the voice reveals that he is a soul tormented in the ice for his sins and can only be delivered if the bishop says thirty Masses for him continuously over thirty days. The bishop promised to say them and when he had said half of them, the devil, fearing the loss of a soul to heaven, sought to disrupt the bishop's efforts. He created a disguise (or a dissemblance bringing false news of the bishops family that required the bishop's immediate attention. The bishop, a dutiful man, was distressed by this news and felt compelled to leave his ongoing Masses to tend to his family but at that point, said only half of the required thirty Masses. If the bishop abandoned the continuous Masses, the soul in the ice would not be delivered.
And on the morning, he began all new again and when the Mass was done the ice was molten, and the fire that they had supposed to have seen was but a phantom and did no harm. Upon the completion of the thirtieth Mass, the deceased person appeared to a fellow monk (or the bishop) in a vision, announcing their deliverance and entrance into heaven.
Sometimes souls are punished in the places where they have sinned...
A certain Priest was accustomed to using a public bath. Each time he visited, he found a diligent man ready to serve him, preparing the bath and assisting him. The priest knew this man from his past secular life. Grateful for the man's regular and diligent service, the priest one day offered him a "holy loaf" (likely a portion of the Eucharistic bread, or Eulogia). The man began to weep and refused the gift, explaining its sacred nature. He revealed, "Father, why do you give me this thing? I may not eat it for it is holy. I was sometime lord of this place, but after my death, I was deputed to serve here for my sins." He begged the priest to offer the bread as a sacrifice to Almighty God for the remission of his sins, stating, "I pray thee that thou wilt offer this bread unto Almighty God for my sins, and know thou for certain that after thou shalt offer it, I trust that by God's mercy I shall be no longer tormented in this place."
The priest did as the man requested, offering the Holy Eucharist for the soul of the deceased man. When he returned to the bath later, he never saw the man again, leading Gregory to believe that the soul had been released from its punishment through the efficacy of the sacrifice.
A Bishop stops a Priest from helping the Holy Souls...
Peter Abbot of Cluny, says that there was a priest that sung every day a Requiem Mass for all Christian souls, and for this he was accused to the bishop, and was suspended therefore of his office. And as the bishop went on a day of great solemnity in the churchyard, all the dead arose up against him, saying: This bishop giveth to us no Mass, and yet he hath taken away our priest from us, now he shall be certain that unless he amends he shall die. And then the bishop absolved the priest, and sang himself gladly for them that were passed out of this world. And so it appears that the prayers of living people be profitable to them that be departed…..