 |
Notitiae |
 |
| Month of the Poor Souls in Purgatory |
November is designated by Holy Church as the month of the poor souls in Purgatory. Let us be zealous, then, in practicing that spiritual work of mercy which exhorts us to pray for the dead. In these days of universal apostasy especially should we be exemplary in our charity toward the poor souls, remembering that they are deprived of the former alleviation provided them by the multitude of daily true Holy Masses once offered throughout the world. Their plight is made yet more severe by the widespread disbelief in Purgatory amongst the clergy and laity of the modernist church who have thus abandoned their former Catholic practice of praying for the dead. Even the most naive of apostates cannot deny that the replacement of the Requiem Mass with black vestments by the new "mass" of the Resurrection with white vestments signifies an obvious implication that all the deceased go to Heaven. Why, then, should anyone be inspired to pray for the release of souls from Purgatory? We exhort the Catholic faithful to daily reading during November from the excellent book, "Purgatory" by Father F. X. Shouppe. And, in order that as much merciful relief may be granted to the poor souls as possible, we publish here the Church's treasury of graces made available during the month of November:
"The Catholic faithful who devoutly offer daily prayers for the souls of the faithful departed for nine consecutive days may gain a plenary indulgence on the usual conditions.
Those who take part in the daily public prayers for the faithful departed at least 15 times during the month of November, may gain a plenary indulgence on the usual conditions.
From noon on November 1st until midnight on November 2nd, the Catholic faithful, as often as they visit a Chapel or oratory to pray for the dead, and recite six times during each visit, the Our Father, Hail Mary, and Gloria Patri for the intentions of the Church and of our Bishop may gain a plenary indulgence applicable only to the souls in Purgatory, on the usual conditions. This plenary indulgence may also be gained from noon on the following Saturday until midnight of the following Sunday, but only by those who did not gain it on the preceding November 1st and 2nd."
Public prayers for the deceased will be recited daily throughout the month of November before each Mass publicly in our Chapels.
The Catholic faithful who during the Octave following the Feast of All Souls, visit a consecrated grave or cemetery in a spirit of piety and devotion, and pray (even mentally) for the dead, may gain a plenary indulgence under the usual conditions, on each day of the Octave, applicable only to the dead.
All those who wish to have souls enrolled in the Purgatorian League for remembrance in Masses and public prayers throughout the month of November and the coming year should send their names in to Our Lady of Heede Purgatorian League.
Holydays of Obligation: November 1st--Feast of All Saints, and December 8th--Feast of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The Catholic Faithful are reminded of their obligation to attend at least one Holy Mass on these Feasts and that all unnecessary servile work is forbidden under pain of sin. The Vigil of the Immaculate Conception (Dec. 7th) is a day of fast and abstinence.