A few years ago I suddenly began thinking about a priest I knew who had died about ten years earlier.
We remember the special priests in our lives. Fr. Brian was the priest who baptized my first child. Two years later, he prayed with us at my mothers’ wake.
He was well-liked at our parish. After a few years, talk began about him having approached some teenage boys inappropriately when he’d been drinking. It was unimaginable.
He announced he’d be taking a sabbatical that would include time at an alcohol rehab center. His honesty about his drinking was applauded, while the other behavior remained a rumor at that point..
Over a few years, the facts came out about the priest’s homosexual proclivities. At least two families were victimized, with their sons very involved in parish activities.
There were no charges. The families wanted the priest gone, and that’s what happened. He didn’t come back, and after a while, we learned that he’d left the priesthood. A while after that, we learned that he’d died from alcoholism.
I hadn’t thought about him in years when suddenly he kept coming to mind. Over a period of about three or four weeks, his name or image kept popping into my head. I assumed it was a nudge to pray for him in purgatory. I began praying for him then, and still include him in prayers for the deceased.
God wants us all to be with Him, and that includes priests who have fallen. It includes those who have hurt us deeply, deceived us, and were not as holy as they seemed.
The Rosary for the Souls of Priests in Purgatory is a six-decade rosary and comes to us from the Te Deum Foundation.
Rosary for the Souls of Priests in Purgatory
The first five decades are meditations on the Sorrowful Mysteries. The final decade is a meditation on the Lord’s Holy Wounds and Precious Blood.
Make the Sign of the Cross
Recite the Apostle’s Creed
Say:
One (1) Our Father
Three (3) Hail Marys (for the virtues of Faith, Hope, and Charity)
One (1) Glory Be
The First Decade
Meditation:
Lord Jesus Christ, through Your bloody sweat of fear that You shed on the Mount of Olives, we ask You to have Mercy on the Souls of Your Priests in Purgatory! Deliver them from their fear and pain and console them with the Cup of Heavenly Comfort!
Say:
One (1) Our Father {Large Bead}
Ten (10) Hail Marys {Small Beads}
Instead of the Glory Be, conclude with:
Lord, grant them Eternal Rest and let Perpetual Light shine upon them!
The Second Decade
Meditation:
Lord Jesus Christ, through Your painful Scourging which You tolerated so patiently for us sinners, we ask You to have Mercy on the Souls of Your Priests in Purgatory! Retract from them the pain of Your Anger and give them Eternal Relief.
Say:
One (1) Our Father {Large Bead}
Ten (10) Hail Marys {Small Beads}
Instead of the Glory Be, conclude with:
Lord, grant them Eternal Rest and let Perpetual Light shine upon them!
The Third Decade
Meditation:
Lord Jesus Christ, through Your painful Crowning which You suffered so patiently for us sinners, we ask You to have Mercy on the Souls of Your Priests in Purgatory and give them the crown of Eternal Delight!
Say:
One (1) Our Father {Large Bead}
Ten (10) Hail Marys {Small Beads}
Instead of the Glory Be, conclude with:
Lord, grant them Eternal Rest and let Perpetual Light shine upon them!
The Fourth Decade
Meditation:
Lord Jesus Christ, through Your painful Carrying of the Cross, which You suffered so patiently for us sinners, we ask You to have Mercy on the Souls of Your Priests in Purgatory! Remove from them the heavy burden of suffering and lead them into Eternal Peace.
Say:
One (1) Our Father {Large Bead}
Ten (10) Hail Marys {Small Beads}
Instead of the Glory Be, conclude with:
Lord, grant them Eternal Rest and let Perpetual Light shine upon them!
The Fifth Decade
Meditation:
Lord Jesus Christ, through Your painful Crucifixion, which You suffered so patiently for us sinners, we ask You to have Mercy on the Souls of Your Priests in Purgatory! Turn Your Holy Face toward them and let them today be in Paradise with You!
Say:
One (1) Our Father {Large Bead}
Ten (10) Hail Marys {Small Beads}
Instead of the Glory Be, conclude with:
Lord, grant them Eternal Rest and let Perpetual Light shine upon them!
The Sixth Decade
Meditation:
Lord Jesus Christ, through your five Holy Wounds and through all of Your Sacred Blood that You shed, we ask You to have Mercy on the Souls of Your Priests in Purgatory, and in particular {Insert the name of the particular priest for whom you are offering this rosary}! Heal their painful wounds and let them enjoy and participate fully in Your Salvation.
Say:
One (1) Our Father {Large Bead}
Ten (10) Hail Marys {Small Beads}
Instead of the Glory Be, conclude with:
Lord, grant them Eternal Rest and let Perpetual Light shine upon them!
Conclusion
Upon completion, say:
The Memorare
Hail Holy Queen
Prayers for the Intentions of the Holy Father
One (1) Our Father
One (1) Hail Mary
One (1) Glory Be
Conclude with the Sign of the Cross
6 thoughts on “When We Pray for the Souls in Purgatory, Let’s Remember the Priests There”
We all expect our priests to be holy men of God. Yet, we forget that they are human like all of us and sometimes fall from grace and need God’s mercy and forgiveness. It is a tremendous act of charity to pray for priests living and deceased.
That’s a great thing you did, Ms Patty. We must pray for all priests. They were handpicked by Christ Himself yet for some human reason, things end up the way they should not be. We can always help them through prayers.
Patty,
Some years ago I came across “The Chaplet For Priests in Purgatory”. As a rosary maker I soon made and gave away these chaplets, along with the prayers that go with them. This explains it a little better https://veilofveronica.blog/2020/10/21/chaplet-for-priests-in-purgatory/comment-page-1/ Larry Landolfi (I used to live in Islip / East Islip !)
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Beautuful!