All Souls Novena Enrollment

Dear Friends of the Fraternity,

The solemn feast of All Souls’ Day is fast upon us. This means that our All Souls’ Novena arrives as well. It is not too late to enroll your departed loved ones in our Novena of Masses. It is a great duty of Charity for us to pray for the dead as well as the living, as well as one of the spiritual works of mercy. We know from our Catholic faith that souls, though the guilt of their sins be forgiven in the confessional, still owe a debt of temporal punishment due to sin.

In the Book of Revelation we read that “nothing that is unclean shall enter” heaven. St. Paul warns us that:

 each man’s work will become manifest; for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done.  If the work which any man has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. If any man’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire. (1 Cor. 3:13-15)

We have the opportunity to make up for this debt by our life of penance here on earth, but aside from special revelation, we cannot know the extent of our debt to God or the real effect of our penitence. If debt remains, we have the promise ahead of us of heaven, but what is left owed will be paid. We also know from various revelations that there are many souls in Purgatory who suffer now, though with hope in salvation, for the temporal punishment due to sin.

While these souls no longer have the ability to merit for themselves, we who are still wayfarers in this life have the ability to merit for them. We are still united to each other by grace, though they are now in eternity. Holy Mother Church leaves us many ways to do be of particular help to the Holy Souls in Purgatory.

From November 1 through November 8, Holy Mother Church makes it possible to earn a plenary indulgence each day for a soul in Purgatory. This indulgence is available to all those who visit a cemetery to pray for the faithful departed, and who fulfill the usual conditions, which are:

* Receive Communion daily

* Pray for the Pope’s intentions daily

* Make a good Confession that week

* Remain free from attachment to sin

Given our fallen humanity, this fourth condition may seem daunting, but we can rest assured that any Catholic in a state of grace strives to gain a plenary indulgence but fall short of this, Our Lord in his mercy still grants a partial indulgence from the merit of the work, which is still a great help to the Holy Souls.

Each and every Catholic can and should pray for the souls in Purgatory. Moreover, the Fraternity also offers a way to make your prayers all the more effective. From November 2 -10 , Holy Mass will be offered for the deceased.

Please fill out the online form with the names of your deceased loved ones to be remembered in this Novena of Masses. What could be more effective than having the very sacrifice of Our Lord for our salvation offered specifically for the souls of your loved ones? Every soul that leaves Purgatory is one more soul interceding for us in charity before the throne of God.

May God bless you,

Fr. Anthony Dorsa, FSSP

Director of Fundraising Operations

North American Province of the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter.