We aim to publish bi-annually, offering an article about Saints with special devotion to the Holy Souls, news of religious services and events here in Ireland and abroad specifically devoted to the Holy Souls, and some prayers that can be recited for the Souls in Purgatory. This issue tells a little of the story of Knock.

The Holy Souls Crusade was ‘born’ in 2002 and is growing both here in Ireland and around the world. Our purpose is to highlight the need for regular and constant prayer for the Souls in Purgatory. Christ left His Church , a Church with three components – the Church Militant made up of all believers here on earth, the Church Suffering made up of all those souls on their final journey to Heaven, and the Church Triumphant made up of those who have found their final peace in the glory of God’s heavenly kingdom. We here on earth should pray for the Holy Souls.

Purgatory is a Doctrine of the Faith, believed from the beginning and defined at the Council of Trent in 1563. We can help those souls on their final journey with our Masses, prayers and sacrifices. Traditionally in the Church the month of November has been devoted to prayers for the dead. Praying for the dead is a custom from the early Jewish Tradition where prayers are recited for 11 months following the death and continued on each anniversary. We need to pray all year round for all souls.

One of the aims of the Holy Souls Crusade is to be able to promote this prayer form among the younger generations. We also hope to be able to share a little on the meaning of suffering, dying and death from a Christian perspective as well as helping the young to come to terms with sudden and traumatic death situations.

Another aim is to hold an Annual Holy Souls Retreat day on the first Sunday in November, in Knock, County Mayo, Ireland, a Church-approved Shrine closely associated with the Holy Souls. It is also hoped to be able to hold an annual night vigil in the Basilica at Knock for the Holy Souls and details of this event will be available in our next newsletter. 

We hope you find the newsletter of interest and look forward to its growth and development. Your input is always welcome and contact details are listed on the back. Meanwhile why not join us as a member of the Holy Souls Crusade and help spread the message for the Holy Souls by handing out the little prayer booklets or just speaking to others about the needs of the Holy Souls in Purgatory. It is more than likely we will ‘visit’ Purgatory on our ‘journey home’ too!

The Story of Knock began on the 21st August 1879 when Our Lady, St. Joseph and St. John the Evangelist appeared standing beside an altar surrounded by angels and upon which was a lamb with a crucifix in the background. The apparition occurred at the south gable of Knock Parish Church. It was witnessed by fifteen people, young and old and lasted for about 2 hours. But we need to go back a little to the days and months leading into this miraculous event to be able understand the connection this famous Shrine has with the Souls in Purgatory.

Archdeacon Bartholomew Cavanagh had arrived as the Parish Priest of this small village in 1867. He had left the parish of Westport where he was curate for 21 years following his ordination in 1846. His years there saw Ireland at its most traumatic time, that of the Great Famine. Archdeacon Cavanagh was renowned for his work with the poorest of the poor and on his departure the Convent records for the Sisters of Mercy in Westport noted:

' This beloved priest was so good to the poor, so full of charity for all. He had not only nothing of the world's wealth but was greatly in debt. He was senior curate in the parish since 1848 and ordinary confessor to the community for seventeen years. From this holy priest we had always experienced the most uniform kindness and the most zealous co-operation in every work of mercy undertaken by us.'

This charitable nature was to continue until the day he died.

Ireland was living in troubled times and there was the 'smell of revolution' in the air. The harvest of 1878 had failed and the following year things were even worse. It was a time reminiscent of 'Black '47' and hunger and great poverty again loomed through unjust rack-rents and failure of the Government to provide any assistance. 

The Land League had just been formed to negotiate peacefully with the landowners for a cessation of evictions and a return of the land to the Irish people. Riding on the backs of this legitimate cause were secret societies determined to cause strife between the landowners and the tenants. In Ireland they were known as the Ribbonmen, a branch of the infamous atheistic originators of the French Revolution. The Bishops of Ireland had recognised the real motives of these groups and Archdeacon Cavanagh had preached against their illegal activities, leaving himself under threat by them. 

On the day of the apparition, Archdeacon Cavanagh had just completed one hundred days of Masses for the Holy Souls. Because of the extreme poverty in the parish no Mass stipends were outstanding as no one could afford to have Masses said for their needs. This allowed the Parish Priest the freedom to be able to devote every one of the hundred daily Masses for the Souls in Purgatory.

That evening at 8pm the apparition occurred on the gable wall of the parish church. 

The rest is history and today the Shrine at Knock welcomes over 1½ million pilgrims a year from all over the world. In 1979 Pope John Paul II was one such pilgrim, invited to celebrate the centenary of the apparitions. Mother Theresa has also been a pilgrim to Knock.

And so, is it possible that the Mother of God was granted permission to reward Her Priest son for his love of those souls needing prayers, by this wonderful, heavenly ‘visit’? An apparition that has the most profound of messages – The Eucharist, Mary’s role, the Church and teaching role of the Magisterium, The Holy Family (marriage) and the Angels. 

The Holy Souls Crusade has been placed under the intercessory care of the Blessed Mother, St. Joseph, St. Pio, St. Gertrude, St. Nicholas of Tolentino - Patron Saint of the Souls in Purgatory, and Archdeacon Cavanagh, a Priest with a tremendous love of God and of the Souls in Purgatory.

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How You Can Help the Souls in Purgatory

1. The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is the highest form of prayer that we can offer for the needs of the Holy Souls. It has been quoted that one Mass attended in our lifetime is worth hundreds offered for us after our death. 
2. Healing the Family Tree Masses are most beneficial both to those who attend and the ancestors of those attending. Many wonderful healings have been reported.
3. If possible, parishes could aim to have a monthly Mass specifically for the Holy Souls.
4. Spend some time in Eucharistic Adoration or doing the Stations of the Cross in a Church specifically for the Souls in Purgatory.
5. Pray the Rosary, the Divine Mercy Chaplet and the Chaplet of the Holy Souls daily, if possible.
6. Recite special prayers for the Holy Souls like the one given to St. Gertrude below which carries the promise of the release of 1,000 souls from Purgatory each time it is prayed.
7. Offer this invocation throughout the day: “Jesus and Mary I love You, save souls”.
8. Form prayer groups which include prayers for the Holy Souls. 
9. Offer up aches, pains and sufferings for the Holy Souls in Purgatory.

Prayer of Saint Gertrude the Great

Eternal Father, I offer You the most Precious Blood of Your Divine Son, Jesus, in union with the Masses said throughout the world today, for all the Holy Souls in Purgatory, for all sinners everywhere, for sinners in the universal church, those in 
my own home and within my own family. Amen

Annual Holy Souls Crusade Retreat

Sunday 7th November 2004 from 2pm – 6pm
The Blessed Sacrament Chapel, Knock Shrine, County Mayo, Ireland

2pm. Stations of the Cross (outside if dry – Old Church if raining), 
Blessed Sacrament Chapel - 2-30 Rosary, Mass 3pm followed by Eucharistic Adoration, followed by a talk on the Souls in Purgatory with Guest Speaker 

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We invite additions to this column to promote special Masses and prayers for the Holy Souls in your area. Below is just a start to this column, with your help it will grow and as it does we hope to start a country-by-country and parish-by-parish list on the website showing Masses, Rosaries, Prayer Groups etc. dedicated for the Holy Souls. Please send us your information and we will include it:

http://www.holysoulscrusade.org/
Email: mary@holysoulscrusade.org

Ireland:

St. Cornan’s Church, Kilcornan, Clarinbridge, County Galway 
Every Thursday at 3pm – Fr. Martin Keane
Healing the Family Tree Mass and Eucharistic Adoration

Abbey Parish, Loughrea
The third Thursday of the month 8pm – Fr. Cathal Stanley
Healing the Family Tree Mass

Northern Ireland:

Monthly Rosary and Prayers for the Holy Souls 
St. Bridget’s Church, Carnhill, Derry – 1st Sunday of the month at 5pm
Longtower Church, Derry – 1st Sunday of the month at 5pm
Contact Matt Dalton, Ph: 00353 74 9368014 

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CONTACTS