January & February, 2008

Dear Prayer Warriors,

Friends – Past, Present and Future

Throughout our lives, we have made many friends. There are the friends of our past who we grew up with and over the years have lost contact with. Then there are the friends who we associate with now, but then there are our friends in the future – namely, those whom we now pray for their release from Purgatory. They are now strangers to us but in the future they will be our friends in Heaven.

This newsletter will speak of a friend from our past. John had emailed us asking for a Chaplet of Our Lady of Sorrows. We emailed him back and asked him if he was affiliated with a Monastery where we worked prior to our retirement. (We had not known John’s last name at that time)He then realized Friends of the Poor Souls was our apostolate and was glad to be in touch with us once again. John has joined our apostolate and shared with us two experiences he had with a Soul from Purgatory. We would like to share them with you.

John’s first experience is as follows:

It happened at a Catholic Charismatic prayer meeting in 1989. At that time my wife was in a PVS (persistent vegetative state) coma due to an operating room accident -- since October of 1987, so at the suggestion of a friend I started going to Healing Masses and prayer meetings in the hope of asking for healing and prayers for her.

On this particular evening, after the prayer meeting ended, people would be allowed to ask to be "prayed over" by the prayer group members for whatever intentions they had. Several members of this prayer group had very discernable manifestations of the Gifts of the Holy Spirit (Word of Knowledge, Wisdom, Faith, Healing, Discernment, etc. -- as mentioned in St. Paul's letter to the Corinthians), and after the pray-over they would share with you (if God allowed it) what they "saw".

I asked to be prayed-over for my wife. When they were finished, one of the ladies had a somewhat puzzled look on her face. I asked her what she "saw", and she told me of her vision in very great detail. She said that she was shown a plain wooden casket, rising from the ground, and then standing upright. The lid opened, and then inside was a woman's skeleton. The skeleton's arm and hand reached out -- to me -- and pulled back in again, as if 'beckoning' me for something.......like it was saying "Come here." The lady saw her do it several times in row.

Well, I immediately thought that the skeleton was that of my wife, who was not dead .... yet. "Is this God's way of telling me that she is going to die soon?", I asked. "No.....I saw no indication of that.", she said. But the lady was quite certain of two facts: it was a woman's skeleton, and it was not my wife’s. She asked me if I had any idea of what this could mean. I had no explanation for it.

But, then after a minute or two, I remembered something! That very day I had been passing by Immaculate Conception cemetery, when -- on a lark -- I decided to go in and try to find my grandmother's grave. It was unmarked, but my mom had told me that it was over in the "St. Joseph" section, so I wandered over there near the statue of St. Joseph, but I did not see anything that I could recognize as possibly grandma's grave. As I was walking through that area, I almost tripped over a depression in the ground. It was a grave that had sunken in an inch or two....and apparently had not been visited or attended to for a very long time. There was no marker, no flowers......nothing but grass. I got such a lonely feeling when I walked over it, so I stopped and said a "Hail Mary" for whoever was buried there -- figuring that no one had probably prayed for this person in many years. Then I continued looking for grandma's grave, but to no avail.

I told this to the lady who had seen the vision, and immediately her whole face lit up in a wonderful grin! "That's it!", she said. "The 'woman in the casket' was the occupant of that grave. She was beckoning to you to pray for her. She kept beckoning to you for more prayers!"Then, the lady asked me if I regularly pray for the souls in Purgatory -- but I told her "No." My mom, when we were growing up, ALWAYS said a small prayer for the souls in Purgatory whenever we passed a cemetery......but I never did. It was just today that I felt I should. So the lady explained to me that I should start praying, regularly, for the holy souls in Purgatory. I've been doing that very thing, ever since.

The second experience happened about three years ago. I had been riding a bicycle back and forth to work for several years because my car broke down beyond my financial ability to have it repaired. Each day I would try to pass through Immaculate Conception cemetery on my way to work, and again on my way home. As I would go through the cemetery I would recite (and still do) the prayer of St. Gertrude, wherein Our Lord told her that every time that prayer was recited with devotion He would release 1000 souls from Purgatory into Heaven. My former landlady was a 3rd Order Carmelite, and she told me that prayers for the dead take on special beneficial strength if said while in a cemetery........s o that's why I started to say that prayer in my travels each day.

One winter's night, there was no moon and it was especially dark and bitterly cold out. I had stayed late at work, and was soon freezing on my trip home when I approached the cemetery. For some reason, I became very scared that particular evening to enter. I couldn't figure out why I was suddenly so scared to ride through the cemetery, as I had done hundreds of times before. Well, I went in anyway. After only riding a few feet I started to realize..."John, what are you so scared of? At worst, these are just some poor spirits waiting to get to Heaven! There's nothing to worry about."

Just then, about 50 feet inside the cemetery gate, I had to stop my bicycle. I didn't know why.......but I was starting to feel something 'funny' happening to my body.....all of a sudden I was starting to warm up, all toasty inside. I could no longer feel the bitter cold of the night. Then -- I'll never forget this as long as I live -- I could feel dozens of people crowding around me -- hugging me -- warming me. And, even though I could not see them with my eyes, my 'mind's eye' saw them all smiling! I stayed there, straddling my bicycle, basking in this wonderful warm loving feeling for about 10 minutes.Slowly, I started to realize that after being scared only a few moments before, here I was being warmed and 'thanked' by those souls whom I had realized "....were just waiting to go to Heaven..." It was WONDERFUL!

Many are the times, through the years, when I ride through that cemetery while praying for the poor souls -- hoping to relive that experience. Alas, nothing so far. But, at least I know that they are there -- in Purgatory -- and that they really do need and appreciate all of the prayers that we offer for their release.

God bless you both for caring so very much for our suffering brothers and sisters!

John

News from the Central Office

We would like to take this opportunity to wish you all a very Happy and Blessed New Year. We have truly been blessed with friends like you who have joined our (and your) apostolate to help release the Poor/Holy Souls from Purgatory so they may enter Heaven and be united with God for all eternity.

For those who have sent Christmas Cards and donations we thank you. We were not able to answer each and every card and email.

We would also like to thank John for sharing his experiences with us and we ask any of you who have had any experience with the souls in Purgatory to send us your testimony. We would like to share it with everyone. Please also check our website as there are many testimonies from Prayer Warriors.

In fact, from the reports of those who have been visited by Holy Souls, many prayers and Masses are needed for them. It is very important to remember them in our prayers, as, once their payment has been made in full (either by their sufferings there, or through the prayers, sacrifices and Masses offered for them) they then enter eternal glory where they will praise God forever. So, our act of love for the Holy Souls is also demonstrated love for God, for the sooner they reach Heaven, the sooner they surround Him and give Him His due praise and glory. It is also a simple act of compassion to remember those who have gone before us, who now are in need, as they are suffering for their sins. It is important to remember, in a special way, those who have no one to p ray for them.

We also ask you to please continue praying for all those enrolled in the Golden Book. They are sharing in the weekly masses offered and our goal is to have one mass per day said (365 masses per year) for all those in Purgatory thereby eventually emptying Purgatory and filling Heaven. Friends of the Poor Souls

Friends of the Poor Souls

Established September 15, 2004

Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows

Robert & Mary Ann Luetkemeyer, Coordinators

For more information,

email holysouls@att.net -

http://friendsofthepoorsouls.blogspot.com/

http://relicbadges.blogspot.com/

July and August, 2007

Dear Prayer Warriors,

One of the priests who joined us as a Prayer Warrior is studying communications in Rome. He has been very kind over the past year by making himself available to do the Gregorian Mass for many of you who had requested the Gregorian Mass for your deceased friends and relatives. Many of the priests who are continuing their studies in Rome do not get mass stipends or an income from their monasteries in their country of origin, and so depend on groups like Friends of the Poor Souls to help them with their basic needs by sending as many mass stipends as possible. Father has been chosen to do some internship this August at EWTN in Alabama which he says is quite an honor at his college. He is very excited to have been chosen. It will be his first trip to the United States. He recently sent us the following email:

Dear Mary Ann and Bob,

Greetings and peace to you from Rome. I am fine and getting busy now with exams which are here with us already. Soon I will be finishing and will start preparing for the journey to Alabama for my internship with EWTN on 1st August. I am excited to be coming there and it is so nice to know that with your continued support things are working out so well that I am left saying thanks to God for you.

I visited the Sacred Heart Parish (Sacro Cuore Parrocchia in Prati) here in Rome to see the relics, prayer books, clothing and table tops that were touched and scorched by the holy souls that were allowed to leave Purgatory and return to their family or fellow religious and beg them for Masses and prayers. (If you recall, we sent out a newsletter a few months ago about this very museum.) I said a prayer for your mission since I was so touched that I offered some masses for the Holy Souls to be celebrated in that church. It is so great a thing to see what the Holy Souls need from us, prayers and masses every day. I am happy to know I am associated with prayers for them through your great ministry. Thanks for being of great help to these souls that indeed need our prayers daily.

Some scorch marks were left on the table and on the book “The Imitation of Christ”. Everybody should be offering prayers for them every day. This is what St. Leonard of Port Maurice said, “If you deliver one soul from Purgatory, you can say with confidence – Heaven is mine.”
I am so happy every day to be offering masses for the Holy Souls through your ministry. God bless your mission always.

Your friend,

Fr. George

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Another Prayer Warrior sent us the following email:

I was reflecting on the second judgment and how we will be judged for all our actions & the repercussions of those actions. For example, if one made the horrible mistake of aborting a baby. We will be judged on how we snuffed out that life & how that life was planned by God to do great things. On the flip side I think of how you & Bob have touched and inspired so many earthly creatures to pray for the deceased. God has a special love for His souls in Purgatory. These are the ones who won the battle. But now the poor souls rely on us. And God is counting on our prayers as well. What joy there will be on the final judgment for you & Bob. How you touched so many souls in Purgatory & souls on earth. We cannot even fathom the domino affects and good acts that are attached to your souls.

The Blessed Mother said at one of the apparitions that more souls go to hell for impurity more than any other sin. While the devil is trying to dissuade all hearts from purity, the Blessed Mother is stronger than he, and she loves to help retain and restore innocence. "It is in beauty that God and the devil are fighting, and the battlefield is the heart of man."
Let us pray for each other as we try to imitate St. John's purity and fight the good fight! Keep up the good works.
God bless – G.D.

It is our duty to pray for the dead. We must fulfill our obligation as a Catholic.

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How many of these souls in Purgatory are beginning their painful imprisonment this very moment! How many of them have been there for a long time and shall be there for a longer time to come! And what a holy legion, almost entirely purified and cleansed at the present moment, shall rise to heaven this very day!

How happy the Poor Souls are! They have escaped hell forever. They are certain to obtain eternal happiness. They are friends of God; they are saved. And yet, how miserable they are at the same time. They must still suffer temporal punishment for the sins which have been already forgiven them. The gates of the heavenly fatherland are still closed to them; they are sentenced to expiating fire.

I Regret: Wasted time.
I Regret: Extravagance in the use of earthly possessions.
I Regret: Neglect of so many splendid graces. - The benefit of a single grace is greater than all the material value of the whole world." (St. Thomas)
I Regret: The evil which I have done.
I Regret: The scandal which I have given.
I Regret: My neglect of acts of mortification.
I Regret: The little amount of charity I have shown the Poor Souls in my life on earth

Pray for the souls of priests, religious, and all those in Purgatory. The sufferings of the souls in Purgatory are so great that a single day appears to them like a thousand years. Pray also for the most forsaken soul in Purgatory. Pray for the soul nearest to Heaven.. Pray for the soul in Purgatory which is farthest from eternal rest. Pray for the souls for which you are most bound to pray.

Offer the Poor Souls, by way of suffrage, the benefit of some indulgence gained by prayers or some devotional exercise in honor of the divine Heart of Jesus.

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A CERTAIN mother, inconsolable at the death of her only son, wept for his loss long and bitterly, without however, helping him by those means which religion affords such as masses and good works. To give her affection a useful direction, God sent her a vision. She beheld a procession of youths, clad in white garments, enriched with various ornaments, and directing their joyous course toward a magnificent temple. This temple represented heaven, the white garments were the garb of faith, and the ornaments upon them were the works of charity. The bereaved mother, having her lost son unceasingly in her mind and heart, anxiously looked for him among this chosen band, but her searching glance could not discover him till all the rest had passed. She then beheld him, but clothed in a dark robe, and she saw that he advanced but slowly and with difficulty. This sad sight caused her tears to flow anew, and, with a voice broken with sobs, she exclaimed: "Why, O my son, are you so sad, and differ so much from your companions? Why do you remain so far behind?"

The young man sorrowfully replied: "Mother, you see these mournful and sullied garments. Behold in them what your obstinate grief and tears for me produce! Your unreasonable grief weighs heavily upon me and impedes my progress. Ah! Cease to abandon yourself to mere natural feelings, and, if you truly love me, if you desire to see me happy, arouse your faith, and aid me by works of faith and charity. Assist me by your pious suffrages, as is done by other mothers not less affectionate, but more wise and more religious than you. Then I shall be enabled to join the happy company you have seen, and attain to that heavenly bliss, for which I long with so much ardor."

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Please remember to pray for all those enrolled in the Golden Book. Please also remember to have masses said for your deceased loved ones. They are counting on our prayers and sacrifices to shorten their Purgatory.

Friends of the Poor Souls
Established September 15, 2004
Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows
Robert & Mary Ann Luetkemeyer, Coordinators
For more information, please write us at:
436 Vasey Oak Dr.
Keller, TX 76248
OR email holysouls@att.net
http://friendsofthepoorsouls.blogspot.com/