The Cry from Purgatory: Why We Have Forgotten the Church’s Most Vulnerable Souls

There is a quiet tragedy unfolding in our spiritual lives. In a world obsessed with immediate comfort and instant results, we have largely forgotten those who are in desperate need of our aid, yet completely unable to help themselves: the Holy Souls in Purgatory.

We often move past the death of loved ones with quick eulogies, comforting ourselves with the assumption that everyone goes straight to Heaven. But Church tradition, scripture, and the Saints tell us a different story. The souls undergoing purification in Purgatory are assured of their salvation, yet they endure a holy, cleansing fire—straining toward the God they love with an intensity we can barely comprehend.

And the saddest part? They are waiting for us to remember them.

1. The Power of Their Intercession (and Our Neglect)

Many Catholics do not realize that the Holy Souls are not only recipients of our charity—they are powerful intercessors once they reach their heavenly reward.

“If it were but known how great is the power of the good souls in Purgatory with the Heart of God, and if we knew all the graces we can obtain through their intercession, they would not be so much forgotten. We must, therefore, pray much for them, that they may pray much for us.”
– St. John Vianney

When we neglect them, we lose out on a profound exchange of spiritual grace. They cannot offer prayers for themselves to shorten their purification, but our smallest sacrifices on Earth carry immense weight before the throne of God.

2. The Pain of Being Forgotten

Saint Francis de Sales once lamented how quickly the living abandon the memory of those who have passed:

“Alas, we do not sufficiently remember our dear departed; their memory seems to perish with the sounds of the funeral bells.”
– St. Francis de Sales

We spend time, energy, and money on lavish earthly tributes, but we often forget the single thing the departed actually desire: a Mass offered for their soul, a Rosary, or a heartfelt Requiem Aeternam.

Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque echoed this deep longing from the spiritual realm:

“If only you knew with what great longing these holy souls yearn for relief from their suffering. Ingratitude has never entered Heaven.”
– St. Margaret Mary Alacoque

3. A Rescue Mission of Mercy

Praying for the poor souls is not merely a pious habit; it is a fundamental act of supernatural charity. Venerable Fulton Sheen famously described the moment we will experience when we enter eternity if we make a habit of praying for them:

“As we enter Heaven, we will see them, so many of them, coming towards us and thanking us. We will ask who they are, and they will say, ‘a poor soul you prayed for in Purgatory.'”
– Venerable Fulton Sheen

Imagine the joy of meeting a soul in Heaven and realizing that your simple daily prayer helped unlock the gates of paradise for them.

How You Can Answer the Cry Today

Restoring this devotion doesn’t require complex rituals. It simply requires fidelity and intention:

1. Offer a Mass: Have a Mass said specifically for the most forgotten soul in Purgatory.
2. Pray the Rosary (Especially in Latin): The Blessed Virgin Mary is the Queen of Purgatory, bringing relief and consolation to the souls undergoing purification. Offering a Rosary for them is one of the most powerful spiritual lifelines you can extend.
   • Praying the Rosary in Ecclesiastical Latin—the universal language of the Church—unites your prayers with centuries of tradition and offers a sacred, focused devotion for the deceased.
   • You can close your Rosary or decades with the traditional Latin prayer for the dead:
     

     “Requiem aeternam dona eis, Domine, et lux perpetua luceat eis. Requiescant in pace. Amen.”

     (Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May they rest in peace. Amen.)

3. Pray the St. Gertrude Prayer: Jesus promised St. Gertrude that this prayer would release many souls every time it is devoutly prayed:
   

   “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 own home and within my family. Amen.”

4. Visit a Cemetery: Offer a brief prayer for the dead while walking through a local graveyard, especially for those whose graves are untended or forgotten.

Let us not leave our spiritual brothers and sisters in the flames of purification without a lifeline. As Saint Padre Pio boldly exhorted us: “We must empty Purgatory with our prayers.”