The Souls in Purgatory and How to Assist Them

In November, the Church reminds us of our duty to pray for the poor, holy souls in Purgatory. These souls cannot help themselves by prayers, although they can help us by their prayers in exchange for our prayers for them. We should always be praying for these souls, but a specific month to do so is set aside each year because our Mother the Church knows that we can sometimes be forgetful with everything going on in our lives and requests for prayers that we receive from living persons. However, it is a good practice to begin offering prayers and sacrifices for these holy souls year round, not just in November, if you haven’t been already.

The souls in Purgatory suffer different degrees of loss and pain, but the one thing that they all suffer from is the temporary loss of God and longing for Him. These feelings are exceedingly painful and we can comfort them and hopefully bring them out of this suffering sooner by the different ways that we pray and offer sacrifices. There are many ways for us to do this:

1.     Of course, the most important and effective way to pray for those in Purgatory is to offer the Masses that we attend and assist for them. St. Padre Pio once said that most of his Masses were attended by those in Purgatory and that they benefit a great deal from every Mass said and offered for them. Offering our reception of Holy Communion for their souls as well is very beneficial.

2.     Indulgences. There can be a plenary (full) indulgence, or remission of punishment for sin, granted for the souls in Purgatory from November 1-8 to those who visit a cemetery and pray for the faithful departed. A partial indulgence can be granted to those who do this on any day in November or throughout the year or who recite Lauds or Vespers from the Office of the Dead. The normal conditions for an indulgence also apply, namely, that the individual is detached from sin, they receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation 8 days before or after the act is performed, they receive Holy Communion, and they recite prayers for the intentions of the Holy Father.

3.     The Chaplet of Divine Mercy is a powerful prayer that can be applied to our own souls or the souls of others, particularly the souls in Purgatory.

4.     Saying the Rosary is also a great way to help usher the souls in Purgatory into heaven. One of the promises of the Virgin Mary to those who pray the Rosary is that those who recite the Rosary will obtain all that they ask. Our Blessed Mother wants Her children to be happy with Her Son in heaven and those who earnestly pray for those in Purgatory using the Rosary will most certainly obtain their request in time.

5.     Offering up our daily trials and tribulations, however small, and making sacrifices for the holy souls are also things that we can do to help them, especially when we don’t feel like it. These sacrifices are especially pleasing to God and the holy souls will benefit from them greatly when we offer them for the intention of releasing these souls from Purgatory.

The souls in Purgatory, particularly those who have no one to pray for them, are in great need of our prayers so that they can at last be free of their suffering and be with God forever. Let us think about what we would want if we were in their situation and honestly, a majority of us probably will be. We should also remember that those of us who are still alive on earth still are able to gain merit and have the chance to help those who no longer have that chance, i.e. those in Purgatory, and as members of the Church with them, we have the obligation to help them. Let’s use this month, and every month, to fulfill this duty and help our brothers and sisters in Christ to get to their heavenly home.

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May they rest in peace. Amen.