Who is the visitor to purgatory that the souls there most long to see? Our Blessed Mother, of course. Our Lady does go there to help souls. Some saints have been shown or told this and they attest to it. What a wonderful realization, especially as we observe All Souls Day Nov. 2.

In the 14th century, St. Bridget of Sweden was taken on several trips to purgatory. During that time, the Blessed Virgin Mary revealed to her, “I am the Mother of all the souls in purgatory, and I am Mother of Mercy to these my children who are in the greatest need of my assistance, since in their torments they cannot help themselves.”

Our Blessed Mother also told her that because she is a compassionate Mother, she goes there often to visit and comfort her suffering children.

Centuries later, in her Diary, St. Faustina recorded that one night her guardian angel took her to “a misty place full of fire in which there was a great crowd of suffering souls. They were praying fervently, but to no avail, for themselves; only we can come to their aid.” The souls told her “in one voice that their greatest torment was longing for God.”

Faustina continued, “I saw Our Lady visiting the souls in purgatory. The souls call her ‘The Star of the Sea.’ She brings them refreshment.”

In his book The Glories of Mary, St. Alphonsus Ligouri wrote, “And what other consolation have they in their sufferings than Mary, and the help of this Mother of Mercy?”

He continued, “Too happy are the servants of this most kind mother, since not only in this world they are aided by her, but also in purgatory they are assisted and consoled by her protection. For succor being there more needed, because they are in torment and cannot help themselves, so much the more does this Mother of Mercy strive to help them.”

St. Alphonsus then recounts what other saints have seen or said. He said that St. Bridget also heard Jesus saying to his mother: “Thou art my Mother, thou art the Mother of Mercy, thou art the consoler of those who are in purgatory.”

The Blessed Virgin Mary, recounted St. Alphonsus, “said to St. Bridget that as a poor sick person, suffering and deserted on his bed, feels himself refreshed by some word of consolation, so those souls feel themselves consoled in hearing only her name. The name alone of Mary, a name of hope and salvation, which these beloved children often invoke in that prison, is for them a great comfort.”

St. Vincent Ferrer, who converted thousands of people, was also of this mind. In The Glories of Mary, St. Alphonsus wrote that Vincent made known “how kind and beneficent is the holy Virgin to those who are suffering in purgatory … through her they receive continual consolation and refreshment.” Alphonsus also said that St. Bernardine of Siena explained that in purgatory those “who are spouses of Jesus Christ, Mary has a certain dominion and plenitude of power to relieve them, as well as deliver them from their pains.”

According to St. Alphonsus, “Not only does Mary console and succor her servants in purgatory; she also releases them from this prison, and delivers them by her intercession.”

Mary Carries Souls Heavenward

Saints have said that on the day of Mary’s Assumption, she asked Jesus for the favor of taking with her all the souls in purgatory, and that place was emptied that day. No less than the great 15th-century French theologian Jean Gerson seconded that many scholars believed this. Then the 15th-century St. Denis the Carthusian related that on celebrations of Jesus’ birth and resurrection, his Mother goes with throngs of angels to purgatory and releases many souls.

It makes perfect sense. As St. Alphonsus again noted. “St. Bernardine says that the blessed Virgin has the power of delivering souls from purgatory by her prayers and the application of her merits, especially if they have been devoted to her.”

Add to this the appearance of our Blessed Mother to Pope John XXII, telling him to make known the brown scapular and a promise with it. In 1322 he issued a papal bull about the scapular and what became known as the Sabbatine Privilege. In it, he wrote what the Blessed Mother told him: “If among the Religious or members of the Confraternity of Mount Carmel there are any who, on account of their faults, are condemned to purgatory, I will descend into the midst of them like a tender Mother on the Saturday after their death; I will deliver them and conduct them to the holy mount of eternal life.” (Of course, those who wear the scapular have to live a holy life.)

Pope John added, “I therefore accept this holy indulgence; I ratify and confirm it upon earth, as Jesus Christ has graciously granted it in heaven through the merits of the most Blessed Virgin.”

Those who wear this sacred scapular of Carmel are Carmelites and Confraternity members — we automatically become confraternity members when we are invested in the scapular. Several subsequent popes, including St. Pius V, confirmed: “That Christians may piously believe that the Blessed Virgin will aid by her continual intercession, by her merits and special protection, after death, and principally on Saturday, which is a day consecrated by the Church to the Blessed Virgin, the souls of the members of the confraternity of holy Mary of Mount Carmel, who shall have departed this life in the state of grace, worn the scapular, observing chastity according to their state of life…” (See the history.)

“Why should we not also hope for the same graces and favors, if we are devoted to this good mother?” asked St. Alphonsus. “And if with more special love we serve her, why cannot we hope to obtain the grace of going immediately after death to paradise, without entering into purgatory?”

Mary During and Before Purgatory

On All Souls Day — any day, in fact — we can help our Mother of Mercy for souls in purgatory — relatives, friends, the abandoned and forgotten. Pray to our Blessed Mother to help and comfort these souls and bring them to heaven.

As St. Alphonsus advised, “If we would assist the holy souls in purgatory, let us endeavor to remember them in all our prayers to the Blessed Virgin, applying to them especially the Holy Rosary, which procures for them great relief.”

St. Dominic was told by a soul leaving purgatory and on the way to heaven that “one of the principal sources of relief to the souls in purgatory is the Rosary which is recited for them; and that, as soon as they arrive in paradise, they pray for those who apply to them these powerful prayers.”

St. Alphonsus also shared that according to St. Bernardine, “The servants of Mary tormented by those pains are often visited and succored by her. See, then, how important it is to be a servant of this good Lady; for she never forgets such when they are suffering in those flames. And although Mary succors all the souls in purgatory, yet she always obtains more indulgences and alleviations for those who have been especially devoted to her.” That is an excellent reason why we should also be devoted now to our Mother of Mercy.

Looking to the future for ourselves and others to avoid or shorten purgatory, Jesuit Father F.X. Schouppe, in his book Purgatory, Illustrated by the Lives and Legends of the Saints, advised, “In the first place, in order to obtain great purity of soul, and in consequence to have little reason to fear purgatory, we must cherish a great devotion towards the Blessed Virgin Mary.” Have “fidelity in wearing her scapular; charity toward the living” and perform works of mercy.

He added, “This good Mother will so assist her dear children in cleansing their souls and in shortening their purgatory, that they may live in the greatest confidence. She even desires that they should not trouble themselves on this subject, and that they should not allow themselves to be discouraged by excessive fear, as she herself deigned to declare.”

This All Souls Day, pray that Mary, our Mother of Mercy, visits purgatory and brings many souls from there to heaven. Let us help her with a Rosary for them.