Praying with the Saints for the Holy Souls in Purgatory by Tassone Susan

Author:Tassone, Susan [Tassone, Susan]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Our Sunday Visitor
Published: 2009-09-08T16:00:00+00:00

St. Philip Neri and the “Purgatory Box”

“As you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me.”

— Matthew 25:40

Born in Florence, Italy, in 1515, St. Philip Neri, one of the most memorable of those raised to the altar, came from a poor family and was influenced by Dominicans. He preached on the street corners of Rome to whoever would listen. He is known as the “Apostle of Rome” for his evangelization. But the point is: This saint was vibrant with the most tender love for the poor souls in purgatory.

He prayed constantly for them, and bestowed on them the merits of his good works. St. Philip taught his oratorians to pray and do redemptive suffering for the poor souls. He was particularly anxious to help those souls who during life had been under his spiritual care. He considered he owed more to them because, as a priest, he had labored for the salvation of their souls. He was often made aware of their release.

Many dead appeared to Father Philip in the hope that they would be delivered through his intercession from purgatory — and indeed he never failed to pray for them. The saint was all the more anxious to pray for the dead, as they often obtained great graces for him.

After St. Philip died, a priest was praying at his tomb, and St. Philip appeared to him in radiant glory surrounded by blessed spirits. The priest asked him the meaning of the spirits. He said that these were the souls who had been under his spiritual direction during life. Having attained heaven through his intercession, they came to meet him upon his death and ushered him to the gates of paradise. They were so grateful to St. Philip for their release from purgatory, they had prayed for him until the day he died. The holy souls never forget their intercessors!

One member of St. Philip’s order, the Congregation of the Oratorians, Father Magnanti, prayed unceasingly for the dead and like Father Philip was often made aware of their entry into heaven — to the point where he kept an alms box that he called the “box of the souls.” Alms of the faithful were put in this box and distributed among the poor and sick. To the treasury of his alms, Father Magnanti added his Masses, fasts, and vigils. His burning love for the poor souls carried him so far that he was granted from Our Lord the sufferings of the souls in purgatory in order to give them relief.

The souls of the faithful departed were not ungrateful to him. He received numerous graces that he attributed to their intercession. He had the gift of discovering hidden sins, knowing the future, and escaping the snares of the enemy.

The devotional purgatory practice of the “box of the souls” was very common among religious orders. Consider Padre Pio. At the friary of San Giovanni Rotondo, this saint often made use of the “Purgatory Box” located on the landing in the cloister.

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