“The good God will render us back the good we do for them (poor souls in Purgatory) a hundred fold.”
— St. John Vianney
We Catholics intercede for others. We call upon the saints (Church Triumphant) to intercede for us and we frequently ask them to pray with us (the Church Militant). We also pray for our loved ones who have died (Church Suffering).
The Holy Souls cannot reach heaven by their own efforts, but only through our intercessory prayers and sacrifices. A person having gone to confession knows they have been forgiven by God, but there may be consequences to those sins either here on earth or in purgatory. A plenary indulgence frees the person from those consequences. Every year during the first 8 days of November, the Church grants a plenary indulgence that can be applied only to the souls in purgatory. The faithful can receive this indulgence during any and each of the eight days (Nov. 1-8) to apply to a particular departed soul—a parent, spouse, relative, friend, or anyone even unknown. This indulgence can only be earned if certain criteria are met:
- Catholics in the state of grace must:
- Go to confession
- Receive Holy Communion
- Pray for the intentions of the Holy Father (Our Father and Hail Mary, or other appropriate prayer, is sufficient)
- On any day from Nov. 1-8, a person seeking the plenary indulgence for a departed soul must devoutly visit a cemetery and pray, if only mentally, for the departed
- On All Souls’ Day (Nov. 2, or according to the ordinary, on the Sunday preceding it or following it) devoutly visit a church or an oratory and recite an Our Father and the Creed
Helpful resource on obtaining a plenary indulgence for the souls of the departed: https://www.ncregister.com/blog/here-s-how-you-can-help-the-holy-souls-in-purgatory