The Helpers of the Holy Souls

Written by Catholic Author Lady Georgiana Fullerton. Excerpts "IT IS A GOOD AND WHOLESOME THOUGHT TO PRAY FOR THE DEAD THAT THEY MAY BE RELEASED FROM SINS." THESE are the words of Holy Scripture. Since prayer for departed souls is good, must it not be good also to offer up in their behalf acts of heroic charity and the merit of a life consecrated to God in Holy Religion? Mdlle. was strongly impressed with the thought that there existed Orders intended to supply every need in the Church militant, but none exclusively devoted to the relief of the suffering portion of the Church, and it appeared to her that she was called upon to fill up this void. The idea seemed at the outset too bold a one. She felt startled, almost alarmed, at its magnitude, and earnestly entreated our Lord to make known to her if such was indeed to be her mission. She begged of Him, by His Five Sacred Wounds, to give her five indications of His will in this respect. Her prayers were heard, and during the course of the years 1854 and 1855 these tokens were successively vouchsafed to her. What she had asked for was: (1) That the Holy Father should approve in writing, and give his blessing to, the association of prayers set on foot on All Saints' Day, and on the 7th of July, 1854, Pius IX. wrote with his own hand at the bottom of the petition presented to him, Benedical vos Deus benedictione perpetua-"May God bless you with an everlasting blessing !" (2) that a great number of Bishops should approve of this Association; (3) that it should extend rapidly; (4) that a few pious persons should co-operate in the scheme, and devote themselves to works of charity in behalf of the souls in Purgatory; (5) that a Priest might be met with who had previously formed a similar project. In the month of July, 1855, Mdlle. thought of consulting the Curé d'Ars, whom she had for the first time heard of a little while before. The sanctity of this extraordinary man was beginning to be much spoken of, not only in France, but all over Europe. Pilgrims flocked to the insignificant little town of Ars, seeking the advice and help of the poor Curé, whose ascetic mode of life, spiritual discernment, heroic virtues, and even miraculous gifts, were gradually becoming known, in spite of the desperate efforts he made to conceal them. We can hardly imagine, when reading his Life, that in the neighbouring country of France, not more than a few years ago, a man was actually living that we might have seen and conversed with, and gone to confession to, the details of whose supernatural existence are like the marvels that we read of in the Lives of the Saints. Mdlle. felt persuaded that this holy Priest was the instrument appointed by God to make her acquainted with His will, and earnestly longed in some way or other to communicate with him. Excerpt: On the 5th of August, this friend sent her M. Vianney's answer: "Tell her that she can establish, as soon as she likes, an Order for the souls in Purgatory." The future Foundress never had any personal communication with the Curé d'Ars, and yet he always used to say, "I know her." On the 30th of October, Mdlle. - entreated him to pray on All Souls' Day for her intention, and on the 11th of November, the Abbé T, his assistant in his extensive correspondence, wrote to her as follows: "Your edifying letter reached me at Pont d'Ain, where our worthy Bishop, Monseigneur Chalandon, was preaching a retreat. This seemed expressly arranged by Providence, in order that I should speak to him of you and your pious projects. On my return to Ars, on All Souls' Day, I mentioned your wishes to my holy Curé, begging him to meditate on the subject in prayer before he gave me an answer. Three or four times since I have put to him the same question, and always received the same answer, "He thinks that it is God who has inspired you with the thought of an heroic self-devotion, and that you will do well to found an Order in behalf of the souls in