What is Purgatory?

Many Catholics aren’t fully sure what Purgatory is or why it exists; perhaps you may be in that boat, too. Hopefully, this can help illuminate the role of Purgatory in the life of a Christian and how we can participate in helping souls get to Heaven through the prayers of the mass.

To start, Purgatory is not a place a soul may dwell in permanently, unlike Heaven or Hell; rather, it is a place of purification of souls before they enter Heaven. All souls in Purgatory are eventually admitted to the glory of Heaven but are there to, as the name suggests, be purged of any lingering attachment or effect of sin. It is a place of joy where we are made ready to enter into God’s complete presence. The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches the following on purgation and purgatory: “All who die in God’s grace and friendship but still imperfectly purified are indeed assured of their eternal salvation, but after death, they undergo purification so as to attain the holiness necessary to enter the joy of heaven. The Church gives the name ‘Purgatory’ to this final purification of the elect, which is entirely different from the punishment of the damned” (CCC 1030-1031). Like cleaning a wound, there is a temporary pain as a soul passes through Purgatory, but it is for the health and betterment of a soul. The time each soul spends in Purgatory, and the severity of the pains it experiences varies.

We can and should pray for the souls in purgatory that they may soon be released and enjoy their Heavenly reward. We pray for those we know and those we don’t know and have been forgotten, who have passed from this world. The Feast of All Souls’ Day each year on November 2nd highlights these souls and offers special prayers for them. Many of the Fathers of the Church, such as St. Augustine and St. John Chrysostom, considered prayers for souls in purgatory to be essential.

Our prayers for these souls can help alleviate their sufferings and help them reach heaven more quickly. Although they can no longer pray for themselves, they can and do pray for us as well out of gratitude. In addition to saying prayers for souls in purgatory, we can help them by engaging in works of charity and sacrifice on their behalf and by having Masses said for the departed. This practice of having a Mass said for them is known as requesting a Mass Intention. It can be requested multiple times, is available for both living and deceased individuals, and is significantly different from Funeral Masses, which will be discussed next week. In each Holy Mass, the priest is able to offer the sacrifice for a particular soul. Requesting a Mass Intention through the Parish Office applies the special prayers of the priest and the grace from the Holy Mass to the soul that you wish to be prayed for. For more information on Mass Intentions, please visit or call the Parish Office.