As November, month of Poor Souls approaches

Time to do some great spiritual works of mercy for those who can only intercede for you after being released from the cleansing penance of Purgatory to the Beatific Vision.

ESH invites all readers, friend or foe, to participate in this work of mercy, as well as gaining a Plenary Indulgence under the usual conditions:

• From Nov 1 to Nov 8 visit a cemetery with mental prayer for the poor souls
• On Nov 2nd, All Souls Day under the Roman Rite calendarvisit a church or an oratory with one Our Father and one Creed being recited
• A partial indulgence can be obtained any time of year by visiting a cemetery and praying for the poor souls

 

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Six rules for a plenary indulgence:

1. Be in the state of grace at least when performing the indulgenced act
2. Complete detachment from sin, including venial sin
3. Confession, within 8 days before or after the indulgenced act
4. Holy Communion, within 8 days before or after the indulgenced act
5. Prayers for the intention of the Supreme Pontiff
6. Indulgenced act: a special good work with special conditions of place and time, such as above for the poor souls

“Holy Souls are eager for the prayers of the faithful which can gain indulgences for them. Their intercession is powerful. Pray unceasingly. We must empty Purgatory.”

–St Padre Pio

“It is a good and wholesome thing to pray for the dead, so they may be loosed from their sins.”

–II Maccabees 12:45

For our Byzantine and other Eastern Rite friends, they have 5 All Soul Saturdays during the year to commemorate and pray for the poor souls in Purgatory, 3 of those Saturdays fall during Great Lent. The first All Souls Saturday is the day before Meatfare Sunday in pre-lenten terms for the Eastern Rites. The fifth and last All Souls Saturday is the vigil of Pentecost. The Church Militant submit names to be remembered in a reading out loud called hramoty.  It resembles the panachida prayed at funeral wakes for the dead.

For more info on the latter, check it out here…