New purgatorial society encourages the faithful to pray daily for the souls in purgatory
A tragedy in Maurice Prater’s family led him to a renewed devotion.
His nephew died suddenly in 2008, leaving his family stunned and hurting. Amid the grief, “the family started thinking more about having Masses offered for each other and for our deceased family members,” Prater said.
“That’s what got me thinking about the souls in purgatory and how to help them,” he continued. “And that’s by praying for the dead, which is one of the spiritual works of mercy of the Church.”
Prater, a parishioner at St. Wenceslaus in St. Louis and advancement director for the Missionaries of the Holy Family religious community, co-founded the St. Joseph Purgatorial Society earlier this year to encourage others to pray for the deceased. Members of the society — open to anyone from anywhere, not just in the Archdiocese of St. Louis — commit to daily prayers for the souls in purgatory, as well as an additional prayer on the first Friday of each month.
Maurice Prater, co-founder of the St. Joseph Purgatorial Society, prayed the Rosary on Oct. 21 at St. Wenceslaus Church in St. Louis. Part of Prater’s prayer routine includes daily prayers for the souls in purgatory.
While many of the faithful think about praying for the dead around All Souls Day, celebrated on Nov. 2 each year, Prater hopes the purgatorial society will help them continue that work of mercy year-round.
“It’s something that is simple, but at the same time, will be very effective for the souls in purgatory who need our prayers and are depending on us,” he said.
“The Issue of Souls in Purgatory” by Peter Paul Rubens
The Church has a long tradition of praying for the souls of the deceased in purgatory, which the Church teaches is a time of purification before a soul enters heaven: “All who die in God’s grace and friendship, but still imperfectly purified, are indeed assured of their eternal salvation; but after death they undergo purification, so as to achieve the holiness necessary to enter the joy of heaven” (Catechism of the Catholic Church 1030).
“From the beginning, the Church has honored the memory of the dead and offered prayers in suffrage for them, above all the eucharistic sacrifice, so that, thus purified, they may attain the beatific vision of God,” the catechism says. “The Church also commends almsgiving, indulgences, and works of penance undertaken on behalf of the dead.”
Because God is loving and merciful, He hears our prayers and receives the sacrifices we offer, pouring out His grace upon us and our intentions, said Father Philip Sosa, provincial superior of the Missionaries of the Holy Family.
“Our prayers and works of mercy that we do here on earth, others can benefit from them,” he said. “And we can do it for the intention of those individuals who need purification to be ready to see the full vision of God.”
The Missionaries of the Holy Family charism is supporting faithful families — and that includes encouraging people to pray and sacrifice for family members who have died, Father Sosa said. The order also connects their missionary priests around the world with requests for Gregorian Masses, which are 30 consecutive Masses celebrated for the intention of the deceased.
One idea is to start by praying for a particular loved one’s soul on the monthly anniversary of their death. “I think that date becomes the date we were born into eternity — it becomes a new birthday,” he said. “So I think there would be one way of praying, also perpetuating that love for the loved one, remembering the birthday of their death, the new birth into eternal life.”
And, at the same time, we can remember the other souls in purgatory who need our prayers, he said.
“We’re all one family, whether we know each other or not, no matter what color we are, what part of the country you’re from, the souls in purgatory — we’re all one family, sons and daughters of God,” he said.
Cindy Huger leads the grief ministry at Ascension Parish in Chesterfield and co-founded the St. Joseph Purgatorial Society with Prater.
Praying for the dead can be a constructive way to turn anger or sadness after a loss into action, by praying and doing works of mercy for the intention of a loved one’s soul, Huger said.
“I talk about that a lot in our grief support with people who feel like the floor has gone out from under them — they feel helpless, they feel like they can’t do anything,” she said. “And so it’s through prayer and fasting and works of mercy and all that — it all goes together.”
“Even for kids — when they don’t know how to handle grief, what can they do? They can make small sacrifices and pray for grandma, who died,” she added.
The grief ministry emphasizes praying for the dead as part of the ministry, including gathering parishioners to pray the Rosary before funeral Masses and continuing to remember deceased parishioners and loved ones by name during group prayer times.
“This gives some peace — not that it’s all on (a grieving person), but to know that all of us are holding up their loved ones in prayer and in works,” Huger said. “So if they don’t have the capacity to do that because they’re grieving, and they’ve got a lot going on, to know that we, the community, are doing that for their loved ones.”
It can be tempting to talk about a deceased family member as if they are already in heaven. But the reality is that we don’t know, Huger said.
“God’s time and our time are not the same,” she said. “So we very much believe that they very much need our prayers, whether they died last week or 50 years ago…God’s providence is God’s providence, and we just do what we can.”
A spiritual work of mercy
All who die in God’s grace and friendship, but still imperfectly purified, are indeed assured of their eternal salvation; but after death they undergo purification, so as to achieve the holiness necessary to enter the joy of heaven.
From the beginning, the Church has honored the memory of the dead and offered prayers in suffrage for them, above all the eucharistic sacrifice, so that, thus purified, they may attain the beatific vision of God. The Church also commends almsgiving, indulgences, and works of penance undertaken on behalf of the dead:
‘Let us help and commemorate them. If Job’s sons were purified by their father’s sacrifice, why would we doubt that our offerings for the dead bring them some consolation? Let us not hesitate to help those who have died and to offer our prayers for them.’
—Catechism of the Catholic Church 1030, 1032
The St. Joseph Purgatorial Society
The St. Joseph Purgatorial Society was created to encourage the faithful to pray for the release of the holy souls in purgatory. Members commit to praying four prayers every day and an additional prayer on the first Friday of each month (prayers are said by the individuals on their own schedules; no group meetings). Additional prayers and sacrifices for the intention of the souls in purgatory are suggested.
Membership is free and open to anyone. For more information or to join the society, visit stlreview.com/3BNugd4 or call 314-577-6300.
Prayers for the souls in purgatory
“The Issue of Souls in Purgatory” by Peter Paul Rubens
Prayed daily by members of the St. Joseph Purgatorial Society
1. Divine Assistance Prayer
May the Divine Assistance remain always with us, and may the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen. Saint Joseph, Patron of the Dying, pray for us!
2. Eternal Rest Prayer
Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let the perpetual light shine upon them. Amen. May the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.
3. Prayer of St. Gertrude
Eternal Father, I offer thee the most Precious Blood of thy Divine Son Jesus, in union with the Masses said throughout the world today, for all the Holy Souls in Purgatory, for sinners everywhere, for sinners in the Universal Church, those in my own home, and within my own family. Amen.
4. Petition to Mary for the Suffering Souls
O Immaculate Mother, Queen of Heaven, hear the cries of your suffering children in Purgatory and intercede for them at the throne of the Almighty. Behold in them, O Mother most faithful, the image of your Divine Son, who offered Himself in their behalf. Recall His bitter Passion and Death, and see in them His very sufferings. We feel confident, then, O Mother of Mercy, that you will obtain their liberation; so that they, in union with you and the Choir of Heaven, may contemplate the Beatific Vision in Heaven forever. Amen.
