Purgatorial Society

[The_Reginator]

Until I received this newsletter via email I’d never heard of a “Purgatorial Society”. Maybe if I was a cradle Catholic I would have heard of this before?
It could be that some of you, ahem, more mature CAF members are familiar with the concept.
Take a look at this ‘blog’: Join the About.com Catholicism Purgatorial Society

You may be unfamiliar with the concept of a purgatorial society, because they’re not that common today. Simply put, they are associations of Catholic laypeople, religious, and/or priests who work together to assist the poor souls in Purgatory.

In recent years, some parishes have begun to revive purgatorial societies, usually in the form of a series of Masses offered during the month of November. But purgatorial societies don’t need to be based around a parish; thus the idea for the About.com Catholicism Purgatorial Society.

What an interesting idea. I might enroll my Dad and brother here.

Or maybe CAF could start one …

 

[Joannm]

We have what is called a Purgatorial Society at our parish and at many of the parishes in the area. It is like a Mass Card that lasts a year. You enroll a deceased loved one and we put the name in a book that is displayed in the church. The mass on the first Sunday of the month is offered for all those named in the book. The names remain in the book for a year.

 

[Mark1970]

I’m not familiar with the organisation you mention in your posts, but I am a member of the “Friends of the Suffering Souls” (www.knocknovena.com).

I’m not sure where this is based, but you register with them over the Internet, giving your name, e-mail address and date of birth. The only obligation of membership is that on your birthdate, or as close to it as possible, you have a Mass offered for the holy Souls.

The aim of the orgainisation is to have a “perpetual novena” of Masses, with at least one Mass being offered every day of the year for the Holy Souls. As they already have well over 1000 members, this target is being achieved. The basis for this devotion is something called the “Knock Novena” in which a priest in Knock, Ireland, celebrated Mass on 100 consecutive days for the Holy Souls (a variation on the Gregorian Masses, observed for 100 days instead of 30).

There is also the “Purgatorian Archconfraternity”, based at Papa Stronsky near Scotland. This is run by a community of religious that were associated with the Society of Saint Pius X but has returned/is returning to full communion with Rome.

Hope this helps.