Yes Padraig, I believe you are correct. I searched online and there are several "reports" that Our Lady told this to the Medjugorje visionaries, but I can't find any actual message that states it.
This was never in an official messages, but I did hear Miranja say this in an interview. This video does explain this, but there is a video with her saying this.
I think sometimes there are several saints doing the same job. I imagine taking care of so many cats counts as a big job.
I remembered reading something about Mary mentioning all religions . Fortunately, I was able to find it. The following was written by Michael Brown of Spirit Daily. "At Medjugorje -- where Catholics, Orthodox, and Muslims live side by side (as is the case elsewhere in former Yugoslavia, sometimes very tensely and even violently; sometimes in upheaval) -- Mary allegedly said during the early years, when a priest asked why an Orthodox boy had been cured but not a Catholic one (though thousands of Catholics have also been cured there): "Tell this priest, tell everyone, that it is you who are divided on earth. The Muslims and the Orthodox, for the same reason as Catholics, are equal before my Son and me. You are all my children. Certainly, all religions are not equal, but all men are equal before God." Belonging to a specific religion, she seemed to be saying, is thus not the sole standard in God's judgment." At the same time (and underscore this the Blessed Mother allegedly said that "it is not equally efficacious to belong to or pray in any church or community, because the Holy Spirit grants His power differently among the churches and ministers. All believers do not pray the same way. It is intentional that all apparitions are under the auspices of the Catholic Church."
"At our parish’s Memorial Mass in November, as we call the name and light a candle for each one who was buried in our church during the past year, we light an extra one “for those children who were miscarried, and for their mothers who often suffer alone and in silence, without anyone else knowing, and without the memory of a funeral or the comfort of a burial place.” Many a good woman and good mother, because of the panic and trauma of a hospital emergency or the heartbreak and aloneness of the moment at home by herself, has not asked for or did not search for what remained of her child. It is afterwards that parents, both mothers and fathers, might have guilt over what they did or didn’t do. They might wish that they had done something more or differently. Miscarriage is a terrible moment for which parents are not prepared; it is not a moment for which they plan. Their hope keeps them from even thinking that it is a possibility. No words can take away the pain of miscarriage, although faith and time can lessen it. Some parents find the words of St. Bernard of Clairveuax helpful. He wrote to a couple that had a miscarriage. In response to their question, “What is going to happen to my child? The child didn’t get baptized,” St. Bernard said, “Your faith spoke for this child. Baptism for this child was only delayed by time. Your faith suffices. The waters of your womb — were they not the waters of life for this child? Look at your tears. Are they not like the waters of baptism? Do not fear this. God’s ability to love is greater than our fears. Surrender everything to God.” A miscarried child, even in the very earliest stages of life, is in the hands of God. For Molly Moira, the faith of her parents suffices." From: https://www.thecatholictelegraph.com/the-catholic-moment-your-faith-spoke-for-this-child/1588
I have been very attracted to talks on Purgatory since I'd guess around 2015. I have told these stories before but it has been some time so will share again. I was a fallen away Catholic since taken from Catholic school in the 7th grade. Family never went to church except holidays. When I was older I heavily got into the New Age worlds especially around angels and 11:11 and all that business. In 2013 I was called back to the one church and for the first time in my life inspired to truly learn the faith. God brought me to this site and what an amazing miracle that was. I really never new much about purgatory but became fascinated with it and began to learn as much as I could about that. I ultimately began to pray for the souls and had some interesting experiences regarding those souls. Here is my favorite of those: I had a dream one night of my deceased now ex father in law. He died suddenly of a heart attack back in 2003 at age 60. He was not a religious man to my knowledge and never really was. He was raised Catholic and his kids were Catholic but they rarely went to masses. He also was not a very good husband and father from what I have learned but will leave it at that. I always got along with him and always felt he was a good man just had a rough lot in life that I will leave those details out. In any case, I will never forget this experience. I was having a family get together in my home in the dream. It was completely lucid in that it did not feel like a dream or had any strange dream occurrences in them but more like real life. There was a knock on the door. I went to the door and there stood my father in law. He looked much younger other than his hair was still white like it was. I knew he was dead in the dream and was startled to see him. I invited him in but he was not permitted to come. He told me he was only permitted to come to me. I asked him what I could do for him. He asked me to pray for him and offer masses. I asked him why his hair was still white yet he looked so young and without blemish. He told me his hair was to remain white as a reminder of all the things he did while living and that he needed many prayers. At that I told him I would and he smiled and that was that. I woke up. I began to pray for him and did offer masses officially as well as whenever I was in mass. It was my personal standing offer of the mass for some time. About a year later, I had another dream. This was a true dream in the sense it wasn't a real setting. We were in Florida on the beach near Tampa (the gulf coast was his favorite spot). We were visiting in going into a new home purchased on the beach. As I walked into the house there was my father in law. This time he was is older self as I remembered. He was happier than I have ever remembered him to be. He looked at me and smiled and I knew in my heart he was free from wherever he had been. I woke up so happy and became a huge believer in Purgatory and the power of prayer for those who need it. I have always tried to pray for the souls but sadly I don't do it at much as I should and tend to forget them. It's wake up calls like these discussions that kick me back into gear praying for the souls. I have had other souls come too but not in many many years now. I have devoted this month of prayer for the souls. Every rosary, chaplet, and mass I offer for them for the rest of the month.
Love this story Andy. I too, had a similar experience after my uncle passed a few years back. There is no mistaking a visit from a soul in purgatory, it is something that you carry with you forever. I try to pray for these poor souls each day, but I know I need to pray more.
Agree Jo. I too have had these experiences more than once. A few months ago I dreamed of a wife of a friend of my husband. A strange dream. She died of cancer maybe 5 years ago. I didn't really know her but she and I had a long conversation one afternoon about abortion and why it was wrong. She considered herself a good Catholic but thought abortion must be available to poor women. It was a respectful discussion and went on for hours but no minds were changed. Well out of the blue I had this dream. So vivid. I was holding her passport and slips of paper were falling out of it. Scraps really. Written jaggedly as if in distress. "Why won't you help me? I keep calling and you don't answer." I took it to be a cry ftom purgatory so I have been praying and had a Mass offered. Last night I dreamed of her again. This time she was in person. I was surprised. She smiled and said something like "oh I have seen my doctor. I am still terminal." But she seemed light hearted. I said a DM chaplet for her right then and there. I am guessing she still needs prayer. But better off.
AED, It is amazing how a brief encounter with someone who you barely knew led to to this plea from purgatory. The Lord works in mysterious ways. This poor soul knows that you will pray for her.
I have the book ‘Get Us Out of Here’ which Nicky Eltz wrote after meetings with Maria Simma. I get the feeling that he has strong views and one should take this into account. It is a powerful and fascinating read however. Maris Simma was Austrian and had in early life wanted to be a nun. Either family or health (I forget which) made it not possible so she lived a holy single life in hidden ness and poverty. She ate the gizzards of chickens which people gladly gave her and she lived on a mountain but went to Mass daily. She strongly disapproved of communion in the hand. In his book on discernment Fr Groeschel wrote that one mark of authenticity in a mystic is their obscurity while alive. The one apparent exception would seem to be St Pio but during his life the friar was far less well known than he is now, decades after his death, so for me this still works. Maria Simma was not known during her lifetime. She saw countless souls from Purgatory and people would ask her about their deceased loved ones. She would write down their names and consult the holy souls who would know. She said she was never told of anyone in hell since the holy souls could only speak of other souls in Purgatory. She said she only knew of one damned soul and that was not from her own experience but accounts of exorcisms when the name of Hitler was mentioned. As Michael Brown says - for your discernment.
A priest once told me that he was staying at (I think) a monastery- it might have been a boys school though - when he noticed a strange figure at his morning mass in the church. It was very quaintly dressed like someone in a re-enactment. He asked around about this but no one knew of such a person. The priest decided that it was a holy soul asking for prayers. On a more cheerful note. Pluscarden Abbey in Scotland was rebuilt over a monastic ruin, destroyed since the reformation. After it had been finished and before the dedication of the church the building awaited the new community. At the dedication the Bishop mentioned in conversation that he had been passing a couple of days earlier and was surprised to see the chapel lights were on. He had been tempted to stop by but the monks were obviously at prayer so he drove on. Only the monks weren’t there yet… I spoke to a monk some years ago and he said he believed that the long-dead monks were rejoicing at the resurrection of their home. What a beautiful thought!
Apparently in Fatima Fatima Mary said that the best prayer in the area was a Muslim man. Perhaps this is the story people were thinking of.
A knowledgeable catholic friend told me that. Apparently she said to one of the visionaries that the best prayer in the town was a Muslim.
