update

Please excuse the lack of updates to this blog.

The blog’s moderator, Maryann, was called by the Lord from this life in January of 2010.

In your charity, please pray for the eternal repose of her soul.

For any questions, inquiries, or concerns about this apostolate please email us at:

friendsofthepoorsouls@gmail.com

and we will do our best to assist you.

November & December 2009

Dear Friends of the Holy Souls in Purgatory,

When praying please pray for the souls of our families, our friends, our enemies, all pagans, all priests and religious, the just, all sinners, and for the souls who have no one to pray for them. Remember that the month of November is set aside for the Holy Souls in Purgatory and they receive more graces during the month of November.

When we sin and repent of our sin (repentance means asking for forgiveness with the intent of not repeating the sin), God will forgive us but we still have to pay for the damage we caused due to the sin. The damage is the "stain" we leave on our souls when we sin. Even though we are forgiven, the stain remains.

It should be understood that when we sin, it produces two effects on our souls: the debt of guilt and the punishment due to that sin. We are guilty of both and deserve punishment. When we repent of our sin, the guilt is removed but the stain remains. The souls in Purgatory must expiate for their temporal punishment due to their past sins. When the debt is paid they acquire Heaven.

An indulgence is the remission of the penalty due to sin, or in other words, it is a ‘payment" to remove the stain of pain from our souls. The payment can be made through prayers, acts of charity, and acceptance of the suffering we endure throughout our lives. There are two types of indulgences: partial and plenary. A partial indulgence is the easiest one to obtain. It will remit a part of the penalty of the sins we have committed, while a plenary indulgence will remove all
of the stains of sin in our soul.

In order to get a partial indulgence, we must have the intent of obtaining the indulgence, we must be in a state of grace (repented of all of our sins), and say the prayer or perform the act which would lead to an indulgence. We are permitted by the Church to get as many partial indulgences each day as we wish.

A plenary indulgence is more difficult to obtain. In addition to the conditions attached to a partial indulgence, we must go to Confession and receive Holy Communion. We must also pray for the intentions of the Pope by praying one Our Father, one Hail Mary and one Glory be. A plenary indulgence can be obtained only once per day but those who are in danger of dying may receive a second plenary indulgence in the same day.

We can apply the indulgences to pay for the sins we have committed, OR we can apply those indulgences to remit the penalty of sins for the souls in Purgatory. When we give our indulgences to the holy souls, it will shorten their stay in Purgatory, give them some comfort, and may release them from Purgatory sooner if their soul is completely purified from the stains of sin.
A partial indulgence given to the poor souls in Purgatory will shorten their time there, while a plenary indulgence has the great grace of completely purifying the soul and allowing them to
immediately entering Heaven. Unfortunately, in order to be granted a plenary indulgence, we must be completely free from the stain of sin which is difficult to do. But we should always try. If the indulgence is not granted, it will at least be partial and will provide some benefit for the souls.
It is a great act of charity and mercy to pray for the dead. The holy souls will not forget what we have done for them and they will repay us a thousand times over for all we do. May God have mercy on them and may we pray for them every day.

These Messages, prayers and promises were given to St. Elizabeth of Hungary

The Five Promises of Our Heavenly Mother to those who offer their lives to Her through "The Life Offering"

1. Their names will be written in the Hearts of Jesus and Mary, inflamed by love.
2. Their life offering, together with the infinite merits of Jesus, can save many souls from damnation. All souls who will live until the end of the world will benefit from their life offering.
3. None of their family members will go to hell, even if it seems otherwise, because they will receive, in the depth of their souls, the grace of sincere contrition before their soul departs from their bodies.
4. On the day they offer their lives, their loved ones suffering in Purgatory will be released.
5. I will be with them at the hour of their death. They will not know Purgatory. I will carry their souls straight to the Presence of the Glorious Trinity, where they will live with me in a special place created by God and will rejoice forever.
TEXT OF THE LIFE OFFERING should be made with a humble heart, firm resolution and clear intent. Make the Life Offering as soon as you feel ready and renew it from time to time:

"My dear Jesus, before the Holy Trinity, Our Heavenly Mother, and the whole Heavenly Court, united with your Most Precious Blood and your sacrifice on Calvary, I hereby offer my whole life to the intention of your Sacred Heart and to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Together with my life I place at your disposal all Holy Masses, all my Holy Communions, all my good deeds, all my sacrifices, and the sufferings of my entire life for the adoration and supplication of the Holy Trinity, for unity in our Holy Mother Church, for the Holy Father and priests, for good priestly vocations, and for all souls until the end of the world.
Oh My Jesus, please accept my life sacrifice and my offerings and give me your grace that I may persevere obediently until my death. Amen."

News from the Central Office

A Prayer Warrior sent us the following: These are very evil times in which we live and everyone must be on guard. The Church has given us from Our Lord many weapons to help us in our daily battle against the prince of darkness. Jesus said that we should lay up riches for ourselves in heaven. Well, we always tell others who are in the world that they will never see a Wells Fargo or Brinks truck in a funeral possession.

The riches are Prayers, Masses, Communions, Novenas, Rosaries, etc. These are what go to judgment with us. Fasting, good works, etc help to offset the punishment due to our daily faults and failings which are very displeasing to God. Most priests today will not tell you that Venial Sin is just as serious in God's eyes as Mortal. Mortal however will condemn one forever from God's Holy sight because nothing but perfection can go before God! We try hard each day to member what Jesus said in Mathew: Every God’s Holy sight because nothing imperfect can go before God! We try hard every day to remember what Jesus said in Mathew: Every hair on our head has been counted.....Further God will not be mocked or fooled....Today, there is too much false compassion and it clouds good judgment. The gifts of the Holy Spirit are needed to keep one with a good and right conscience and discernment. We enjoy praying for the Holy Souls as they will never forget us. It is part of the real Christian brotherhood of Love: The Saints in Heaven, the Holy Souls being purified in Purgatory, and we, the Church Militant!

We, the Church Militant, have a duty to those yet in Purgatory - they have gone on ahead, yet they still need our help, and we can help them, even if we don't know them now, we will reap those graces, because when we pray for "the poor souls in Purgatory" - the Church Suffering - and offer Masses for them, and light candles for them, and pray Rosaries for them, we obtain unbelievable graces, for this act of spiritual mercy.

St. Alphonsus Liguori called it "A Christian Duty" to pray for the souls in Purgatory. He also said that St. Catherine of Bologna, "when she wished to obtain any grace, had recourse to the souls in Purgatory, and her prayers were heard immediately. She declared that, by praying to those holy souls, she obtained many favors which she had sought through the intercession of the saints without obtaining them. The graces which devout persons are said to have received through these holy souls are innumerable."

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

August–September 2009

Dear Friends of the Poor Souls,

We recently read about the Heroic Act of Love and would like to share it with you.

HEROIC ACT OF LOVE

This act consists in giving to the Souls in Purgatory all our works of satisfaction, that is to say, the satisfactory value of all the works of our life and of all the suffrages which shall be given to us after our death, without reserving anything to discharge our own debts. We deposit them in the hands of the Blessed Virgin, that she may distribute them, according to her good pleasure, to those souls which she desires to deliver from Purgatory.

It is an absolute donation in favor of the souls of all that we can give them; we offer to God in their behalf all the good we do, of what kind so ever, either in thought, words or works, all that we suffer meritoriously during this life, without accepting anything that we may reasonably give them, and adding even those suffrages which we may receive for ourselves after death.

Pope Benedict XIII, Pius VI, and Pius IX, have approved this heroic act, and have enriched it with indulgences and privileges, of which the principals are as follows:

I. The Indult of a Privileged Altar, personally, every day of the year to all priests who shall have made this offering.

II. A Plenary indulgence daily, applicable only to the departed, to all the faithful, who shall have made this offering, whenever they go to Holy Communion, provided they visit a church and pray for some time for the intention of his Holiness.

III. A Plenary indulgence, every Monday, to all who hear Mass in aid of the Souls in Purgatory, provided they fulfill the other conditions mentioned above.

It is recommended that all true Christians give to the faithful departed all the fruit of their good works which are at our disposal. We cannot make better use of them, since they render them more meritorious and more efficacious, as well as obtain grace from God for expiating our own sins and shortening the term of our Purgatory, or even acquiring an entire exemption there from.”

These words express the precious advantages of the Heroic Act; and in order to dissipate all subsequent fear which might arise in the mind, we add three remarks:

I. This act leaves us perfect liberty to pray for those souls in whom we are most interested; the application of these prayers is subject to the disposition of the will of God.

II. It does not oblige under pain of mortal sin, and can at any time be revoked. It may be made without using any particular formula; it suffices to have the intention, and to make it from the heart. Nevertheless it is useful to recite the formula of offering from time to time, in order to stimulate our zeal for the relief of the Holy Souls by prayer, penance, and good works.

III. The Heroic Act does not subject us to the consequences of having to undergo a long Purgatory ourselves; on the contrary, it allows us to rely with more assured confidence on the mercy of God in our regard, as is shown by the example of St. Gertrude.

It is related that St. Gertrude made a complete donation of all her works of satisfaction in favor of the faithful departed, without reserving anything to discharge the debts which she herself might have contracted in the sight of God. Being at the point of death, and, like all the saints, considering with much sorrow the great number of her sins on the one end, on the other, remembering that she had employed all her works of satisfaction for the expiation of the sins of others, she was afflicted, lest, having given all to others and reserved nothing for herself, her soul, on its departure from this world, should be condemned to horrible suffering. In the midst of her fears our Lord appeared to her and consoled her saying: “Be reassured, my daughter, your charity towards the departed will be no detriment to you. Know that the generous donation you have made of all your works to the Holy Souls has been singularly pleasing to me; and to give you a proof thereof, I declare to you that all the pains you would have had to endure in the other life are now remitted; moreover, in recompense for your generous charity, I will so enhance the value of the merits of your works as to give you a great increase of glory in Heaven.”

Reasons for Making the Heroic Act

1. You gain many indulgences.

2. Souls are released from Purgatory; Heaven is filled with new saints who will glorify and praise God for all eternity, also on your behalf.

3. You will have the promise of Our Lord applied to you: “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.” (Matt. 5, 7)

4. The Poor Souls will labor in Heaven that you may not be lost, nor suffer Purgatory at all, or at least be released from it soon.

5. The Blessed Virgin receives an increase of veneration, since she will be invoked as the Queen of the Poor Souls, and the dispenser of our merits to them. She will have a special affection for those who love and honor her in this way, both while they are in this world and after they have passed into eternity.

Formula of the Heroic Act
“O Holy and Adorable Trinity, desiring to cooperate in the deliverance of the Souls in Purgatory, and to testify my devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary, I give and renounce in behalf of those Holy Souls all the satisfactory part of my works, and all the suffrages which may be given to me after my death, consigning them entirely into the hands of the most Blessed Virgin, that she may apply them according to her good pleasure to those souls of the faithful departed which she desires to deliver from their sufferings. Deign, O my God, to accept and bless this offering which I make to Thee at this moment. Amen.”

News from the Central Office

We have received emails and letters from many of you asking when we will be sending out the next newsletter. I had been in the hospital for months and am still recuperating from my surgeries. I am starting to feel stronger so we are ready to continue with the newsletter. We have received your stipends for masses for the deceased and for the souls in Purgatory which we have taken care of. We also had requests to enroll names in the Golden Book which we have done. Please continue to send us the names of your friends and relatives to be enrolled.

Many of you have also had individual masses as well as the Gregorian Masses said for the souls of your departed loved ones. We have more priests that are available to say Gregorian Masses as well as individual masses for your loved ones.

If possible try to get seven relatives and friends to each take a day of the week and pray for the relief of the Poor Souls. How quickly we could empty Purgatory!

Please check out our website and help make the Holy Souls more known. Should you have any suggestions or wish to contribute any poems or testimonies, please do not hesitate to contact us.

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

List of Available Relic Badges

3RD CLASS RELIC BADGES-CROCHETED-$1.00 EACH
AGATHA
AGNES
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ANDREW, APOSTLE
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ANNE
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CLARE
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CRIB OF THE LORD
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EDITH STEIN
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EUGENE
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INNOCENCIO
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SYLVESTER
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VITUS


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November & December 2008

Dear Friends of the Holy Souls in Purgatory,

November—the whole month is dedicated to the Poor Souls in Purgatory. Below is part of the Pope’s General Audience of Wednesday, August 4, 1999.

Purgatory Is Necessary Purification

Following John Paul II’s catecheses on Heaven and Hell, the Holy Father reflected on Purgatory.

For those who find themselves in a condition of being open to God, but still imperfectly, the journey towards full beatitude requires a purification, which the faith of the Church illustrates in the doctrine of "Purgatory" (cf. Catechism of the Catholic Church, n. 1030-1032).

Before we enter into full communion with God, every trace of sin within us must be eliminated and every imperfection in our soul must be corrected. To share in divine life we must be totally purified.

Every trace of attachment to evil must be eliminated, every imperfection of the soul corrected. Purification must be complete, and indeed this is precisely what is meant by the Church's teaching on Purgatory.

Those, in fact, who find themselves in the state of purification are united both with the blessed who already enjoy the fullness of eternal life, and with us on this earth on our way towards the Father's house.

Just as in their earthly life believers are united in the one Mystical Body, so after death those who live in a state of purification experience the same ecclesial solidarity which works through prayer, prayers for suffrage and love for their other brothers and sisters in the faith. Purification is lived in the essential bond created between those who live in this world and those who enjoy eternal beatitude.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

GREGORIAN MASSES

There is perhaps no better way to let our loved ones - living and deceased - know that we are thinking of them than to celebrate the Eucharist in their name. The sacrifice of the Mass consists in the offering of the Body and Blood of Christ to God the Father. During the Consecration the Body and Blood of Christ become present on the Altar and available for us to offer them to God.

There are three different ways in which you can ensure that a loved one is remembered: Mass Offering, Spiritual Association Perpetual Membership and Gregorian Masses.

Gregorian Masses are a series of thirty Masses offered up on thirty consecutive days for the repose of a particular person in Purgatory. It is based on a tradition started by Pope St. Gregory the Great who saw the soul of one of his friends released from Purgatory after the 30^th mass.

The Sacred Congregation of Indulgences has declared that "the offering of thirty Gregorian Masses has a special efficacy for obtaining from the Divine Goodness and Mercy the deliverance of a suffering soul, and is a pious and reasonable belief of the Faithful" (Rescript, 1884).

We can still give a deceased friend or relative a Christmas gift—the gift of a mass for delivery of their soul.

(if any of you are interested in having Gregorian Masses said for a loved one, please contact us and we will give be able to set up the masses for you.

Friends of the Poor Souls

Eternal rest grant to them of Lord. Let perpetual light shine upon them. May they rest in peace. Amen.

News From the Central Office

Bob and I wish to thank all of you who sent us get well cards, masses and prayers. I am sure they all did wonders as I am now at home after 5 months in the hospital. You will remain in our prayers.

Since Christmas will be here soon remember to have said a mass or an extra rosary as a gift to your loved deceased ones.

Remember to pray for all those enrolled in the Golden Book. If you include them in your prayers it may help shorten their purgatory. You may not know them now but you will meet them in Heaven. We have received all your emails and letters with names for the Golden Book and have enrolled them all.

We also wish to thank those who have sent donations so we can continue with Friends of the Poor Souls.

The Story of St Lidwina and the Sins of Lust not Expiated

St Lidwina saw in Purgatory a soul that suffered also for mortal sins not sufficiently expiated on earth. The incident is thus related in the Life of the saint.

A man who had been for a long time a slave of the demon of impurity, finally had the happiness of being converted. He confessed his sins with great contrition, but, prevented by death, he had not time to atone by just penance for his numerous sins. Lidwina, who knew him well, prayed much for him.

Twelve years after his death she continued to pray, when, in one of her ecstasies, being taken into Purgatory by her angel-guardian, she heard a mournful voice issuing from a deep pit.

"It is the soul of that man" said the angel, "for whom you have prayed with much fervour and constancy." She was astonished to see him so deep in Purgatory twelve years after his death. The angel, seeing her so greatly affected, asked if she was willing to suffer something for his deliverance. "With all my heart," replied the charitable maiden.

From that moment she suffered new pains and frightful torments, which appeared to surpass the strength of human endurance. Nevertheless, she bore them with courage, sustained by a charity stronger than death, until it pleased God to send her relief.

She then breathed as one restored to a new life, and, at the same time, she saw that soul for which she had suffered so much come forth from the abyss as white as snow and take its flight to Heaven.

Taken from: Purgatory Explained (pp 89-90)

Authored by: Father F.X. Shouppe, S.J.

--
http://friendsofthepoorsouls.blogspot.com
http://relicbadges.blogspot.com

September & October, 2008

Dear Prayer Warriors,

A Continuing Journey

Those who've died in a state of grace are not truly "dead"; they are our beloved in Heaven or in Purgatory (on their way to Heaven) and will forever be, world without end, part of the Communion of Saints -- the Church Triumphant (the Saints in Heaven, whether or not they are beatified or canonized), the Church Suffering (the holy souls in Purgatory), and the Church Militant (the faithful on earth).

Because we can't know, aside from those the Church has beatified or canonized, who is already in Heaven, who is in Purgatory for a time, or who is damned, we pray for the dead for the rest of our lives -- assuming they are in Purgatory, while hoping they are in Heaven and not damned. We also ask those who've died to pray for us. While those whom the Church has deemed to be of the Church Triumphant (the canonized Saints) are in Heaven for certain and are, therefore, in no need of our prayers for them, we've always asked for them to pray for us. As to the Church Suffering in Purgatory, St. Thomas Aquinas teaches that they are not able to know our prayers; however, it is piously believed, and taught by St. Alphonsus Liguori, that God can make our prayers known to them -- not directly, as they are deprived of the Beatific Vision until they enter Heaven, but by infusing this knowledge into their souls. St. Robert Bellarmine teaches that because the Church Suffering is so close to God -- much closer than we are and having the great consolation of knowing they are saved -- their prayers for us are very effective. So, as you pray for your dead loved ones, ask them to pray for you, too!

As to the damned, there is no hope; no prayer can help them and we can't pray formally for those in Hell. The problem, of course, is that we can't know who is damned, and so we pray generally for "all the faithful departed." For those who've died outside of visible Communion with Christ's Church or for those Catholics who've died seemingly without repentance and in scandal, public prayer cannot be offered, but we can most certainly still pray privately with the hope that they've died in a state of grace (i.e., those who are denied a Catholic funeral can't be prayed for liturgically or publicly, but they can most definitely be prayed for -- and should be prayed for -- privately). Priests can even offer Masses for such people privately, without naming them.

Masses for the dead have infinite value for the souls of the departed. They also have great value for those who survive in that it is comforting to know that Masses are being offered for one's departed loved ones. So, while the bereaved can arrange such Masses, others, even non-Catholics, can arrange with a priest to have such Masses said, too, which would be a great gift of comfort to survivors.

St. Catherine of Genoa, a mystic of the 15th century, wrote that the 'fire' of purgatory is God's love 'burning' the soul so that, at last, the soul is wholly aflame. It is the pain of wanting to be made totally worthy of One who is seen as infinitely lovable, the pain of desire for union that is now absolutely assured, but not yet fully tasted"

"What is more Profitable and Meritorious--to have Masses Celebrated for Ourselves during Life, or after Death?"

"Many Catholics are solicitous to have a number of Masses celebrated after their death for the repose of their souls. For this purpose they save money and devise a portion of their estate in their last will and testament. This is good and praise worthy, and persons intending this should by no means be dissuaded from doing so; yet it is more profitable and meritorious to have these Masses celebrated during life. St. Leonard of Port Maurice exhorts us most earnestly to have Masses celebrated for ourselves during life-time rather than after our death; and he declares that one Mass before our death is much more profitable to us than many after it. He gives the following reasons: First, if we have a Mass said for us during life-time, we are the cause of its celebration and can assist at it, which latter is impossible after our death. Secondly, if a Mass is celebrated for us during life-time, and we are perhaps in the state of sin, we may hope to receive from God's mercy, in virtue of this Mass, the grace to perceive our sinful state, to be moved to true contrition, and to reconcile ourselves with God by a sincere confession. True, God is not obliged to grant us this grace; for whosoever remains consciously in the state of mortal sin, is not capable of gaining supernatural merit. But as God is infinitely merciful, He usually grants to sinners who perform a good action the grace of true contrition for their sins. This grace or efficacy of Holy Mass cannot be obtained after death. For if we die in state of sin, even thousands of Masses would not transfer us into the state of grace; we remain forever enemies of God and children of wrath.

Thirdly, Holy Mass can obtain for us the grace of a happy death, because in virtue of its being offered for us God will assist us with special aid to triumph over the enemy of our souls in that decisive hour. Fourthly, if Masses are said for us before our death, their merit will accrue to us after it, and we shall thereby either be preserved entirely from Purgatory, or our punishment will be mitigated and lessened. For by every Holy Mass we pay to God a great Part of our indebtedness; and if we hear it with special devotion we moreover blot out many venial sins, so that we many reasonably hope to escape a great part of our punishment after death. But if we defer these Masses until after our death, we shall be obliged to wait for their celebration in case we are in Purgatory, and this waiting is most distressing and painful. Hence it is better that the benefits accruing to us from Holy Mass be obtained in advance, than to wait for them in the torments of Purgatory."

News from the Central Office

Here is another email we received from a Friend of the Poor Souls:

Dear Brother and Sister in Christ and Mary,

I received an email sent out by one of your Prayer Warriors. I just had to write to you to tell you that I love the Holy Souls. I began praying for the Holy Souls after my first pilgrimage to Medjugorje in 2004. (I had prayed for my deceased family members and people I knew sporadically prior to that)Each and every day upon waking, I offer my day to the Sacred Hearts of the Most Blessed Trinity and Immaculate Heart of Mary for the greater glory of God the Father. Then there is a list of people I include with petitions. One of these petitions if "for the Holy souls in Purgatory, especially those I know, those in my family, and those who have no one to pray for them." I also offer this as one of the intentions during mass and while saying the rosary and Divine Mercy Chaplet. To me the Holy Souls are very important in my life to pray for. This devotion to offer prayers, masses, pilgrimages, my suffering, etc. for them is my honor and I do so with humility.

One day, while having a Pet Scan to determine if I had cancer, I was inside the scanner. Spontaneously and repetitively, I kept asking Jesus, through the intercession of the Immaculate Heart of Mary and all the heavenly angels and Saints, to please send me a Holy Soul or Souls from Purgatory so they may tell me what they need or want me to do for them so they may be released from Purgatory. I kept getting the feeling that I was being called to do this.

Please pray for me that if it is God's will, a Holy Soul or Souls will come to me to tell me what they need and want me to do for them to be released into the waiting and loving arms of Jesus. This is a burning desire from within. I will patiently await a response to my prayer.

Please send me some more information. It would be greatly appreciated.

God bless – Your sister in Christ – Jo Ann

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

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/