Since November 2 landed on Sunday this year, the feast of All Souls Day is transferred to today, November 3rd. There’s no better way to know about the reality of Purgatory than reading the stories of those who’ve been there, experienced it, and the saints who’ve witnessed the events. Many years ago, after reading my favorite books, “Purgatory – Explained by the Lives and Legends of the Saints” by Fr. F.X. Shouppe S.J. and the booklet Read Me or Rue it by Fr. Paul O’Sullivan O.P., I wanted to develop a devotion in helping the poor souls in Purgatory and to make Purgatory known and believed. It’s no secret that Protestants have abandoned the belief in Purgatory and mock its very existence. Their doctrines of the devil have led their miserable souls to forget the Faith of the Fathers and cling to a strange god, they claim is our Holy Trinity. There will be no Purgatory for them, but only the everlasting fire of hell. May we pray and work out our salvation in order that we don’t find ourselves in the same lot as Protestants. Below are two stories from Chapter 14 of Fr. Shouppe’s book that may help us attain our final reward.>
The same rigor reveals itself in a more recent apparition, where a Religious who died after an exemplary life makes known her sufferings in a manner calculated to inspire all souls with terror. The event took place on 16 November 1859 at Foligno, near Assisi, in Italy. It made a great noise in the country, and besides the visible mark which was seen, an inquiry made in due form by competent authority establishes it as an incontestable fact.>
There was at the convent of Franciscan Tertiaries in Foligno, a sister named Teresa Gesta, who had been for many years mistress of novices, and who at the same time had charge of the sacristy of the community. She was born at Bastia, in Corsica, in 1797, and entered the monastery in the year 1826.
Originally published in Catholic Top Gun. Read original article
Original Tags: Protestantism, Purgatory, books, faith, fiction, jesus, writing