Pray for our beloved dead

It was a beloved friend who introduced me to the devotion to the Holy Souls in Purgatory.

Her story.

She had 2 friends, and were a threesome in med school. My friend married and relocated here in Davao. In touch only on occasions, she heard that her first friend was found dead in her home. Since then, she had recurring dreams of this friend inviting her to an outing. My friend always said yes, but was late for the train ride. Later, her second friend died in an accident. Like a tele-nobela, her dreams continued where it left off from the previous dream. Her next dreams had her two friends inviting her to an outing. Late as before, the train has left. My friend got seriously sick. The second friend who died visited her. Unsure if it was a dream as she felt she was half asleep, half awake, her dead schoolmate was real sitting by her bed. Gently berating her for always being late, she invited my friend to the same outing. By this time my friend already had babies, so she declined. Disturbed, she started to pray for the Holy

Souls, especially for her gang mates, and the dreams stopped

This special person died in 2006. I praise GOD that she has passed on to me this devotion. I have learned to make several signs of the Cross with holy water in any catholic Church and offer them for the relief of any soul. Also, the Pieta Prayer book writes that 60 souls are released from Purgatory everytime we prayerfully invoke “JESUS, MARY, JOSEPH, WE LOVE YOU, SAVE SOULS.

The Prayer Warriors of The Holy Souls (PWHS) has, for 22 yeears prayed for all the Holy Souls in Purgatory. November is a richly-indulgenced month for the Holy Souls, especially November 1-8 when we can gain plenary indulgences for them. PWHS-Davao did a pilgrimage for them with a set prayer for each day.

To gain plenary indulgence for the holy souls from November 1-8, my family did a pilgrimage of sorts (The 3rd prescribed way PWHS gave was to have a priest bless the tomb/resting place. We had no priest to do this, they were too busy). We went to a lumad cemetery, Toril old cemetery, Toril Memorial Park, San Pedro Memorial Park, Forest Lake, Orchard, Masonic, Chinese Cemeteries. In all the 8 days pilgrimage, we prayed The Divine Mercy Chaplet inserting the St. Gertrude prayer before each decade, and lifted all the souls in daily mass.
Any day of the year could benefit the souls with our prayers. We can start now. PWHS shares this prayer with everyone.

7 Days Prayer for the Souls in Purgatory

Prayers for Each Day
My JESUS, by the sorrows YOU suffered in YOUR agony in the Garden, in YOUR scourging and crowning with thorns, in YOUR journey to Calvary, and in YOUR crucifixion and death, have mercy on the souls in Purgatory, and especially on those that are most forsaken; deliver them from the torments they endure; call them and admit them to YOUR most sweet embrace in Paradise, where YOU live with The FATHER and The HOLY SPIRIT, one GOD, forever and ever, Amen. (from the Raccolta)

(Here say the prayer for the day)

Our FATHER, Hail Mary
Eternal rest, grant unto them, O LORD; and let perpetual light shine upon them. May they rest in peace. Amen.

Concluding Prayer
Merciful FATHER, hear our prayers and console us. As we renew our faith in YOUR SON, WHOM YOU raised from the dead, strengthen our hope that all our departed brothers and sisters will share in HIS resurrection, WHO lives and reigns with THEE and The HOLY SPIRIT, one GOD, forever and ever, Amen.

St Gertrude Prayer
Eternal FATHER, I offer THEE the most precious blood of THY Divine SON, JESUS, in union with the masses said throughout the world today, for all the Holy Souls in Purgatory, for sinners everywhere, for sinners in the Universal Church, those in my home and within my family. Amen. (Bella A. Sarenas/CBCP News)