We are approaching the Feast of the Holy Souls and the month which is dedicated to them. This year the feast falls on a Saturday which makes the attainment of the plenary indulgence on the feast easier than usual. Most people can get to confession and Mass and visit a cemetery fairly easily on that day. When I was about 7, our teacher, Mrs. Callaghan (God bless that lady) told us that at any point in time some souls stand at the very border between purgatory and heaven and need only one short prayer by an innocent child on their behalf to gain them their long awaited goal. She invited the class to pray with her and, when we had finished, said that she was sure that 40 (the size of the class) souls had reached heaven through our prayers. She also said that the last thing we should do, before going to sleep, was to say the 'May the souls of the faithful departed...' to release a soul because God so loved the prayers of children, he would respond. That night I said the prayer, then decided to say it again for another soul and then didn't want to disappoint the next soul etc. etc. I think I spent half the night repeating the prayer and woke up exhausted. So if you pass on this wonderful suggestion to your children, you might tell them that they should stop after 10! Mrs. Callaghan inspired in me a sense of responsibility for the souls and, although I have sometimes drifted from the Church, I have always been called back and I thank the Holy Souls for their intercession and have tried to repay them with prayers and Masses. Let's not forget them during the liturgical time devoted to their welfare.
God bless Mr's Campbell. What a beautiful , innocent Faith. People like this will not have to stay long in Purgatory; if they have to go there at all.
The feast of the Holy Souls is now almost upon us, so I hope no-one minds me giving this a 'bump' as a reminder. Also, if you have not already put the names of your deceased loved ones, friends (and enemies) on the list for daily TLM Masses, you can do so by following the simple instructions on this link. https://rorate-caeli.blogspot.com/2019/10/reminder-rorate-caeli-purgatorial.html
A plenary indulgence, applicable only to the souls in purgatory, is granted to the faithful who, on any and each day from November 1 to 8, devoutly visit a cemetery and pray, if only mentally, for the departed; on All Souls' Day (or, according to the judgment of the ordinary, on the Sunday preceding or following it, or on the solemnity of All Saints), devoutly visit a church or an oratory and recite an Our Father and the Creed. A partial indulgence, applicable only to the souls in purgatory, is granted to the faithful who, devoutly visit a cemetery and at least mentally pray for the dead; devoutly recite lauds or vespers from the Office of the Dead or the prayer Requiem aeternam (Eternal rest..) To gain a Plenary Indulgence (only one per day), the faithful must be in the state of grace and the following conditions must accompany the prescribed act: To have the interior disposition of complete detachment from sin, even venial sin; receive the sacrament of confession receive the Holy Eucharist (it is certainly better to receive it while participating in Holy Mass, but for the indulgence only Holy Communion is required) and recite prayers for the intentions of the Holy Father (one Our Father and one Hail Mary is suggested as a minimum, but any other additional prayers may be added). All attachment to sin, even venial sin, must be absent. If one's disposition is less than perfect or if some of the above conditions are not fulfilled, the indulgence becomes partial.
