November is the month especially set aside for remembering in our prayers and good works the Poor Souls in Purgatory. While they are helped tremendously by everything we do for them, sometimes it is easy to forget that they are not the only ones who benefit.

A few years before his death in 1861, the well known Fr. Lacordaire gave of a series of sermons on the immortality of the soul to the pupils of Soreze. At the beginning of this conference, Fr. Lacordaire related to them this following incident.

A Polish prince, who was an avowed atheist and materialist, had unfortunately lost the Catholic Faith of his childhood. So much so, that he poured out his time and effort in writing a book against God, and against the reality of a future life. He had just finished writing this work against the immortality of the soul, and was nearly ready to send it to the press.

Strolling one evening in his garden, this Prince came upon a poor woman weeping bitterly. He asked the sad woman what was the cause of her grief, and she replied, "My good Prince, my husband has just died. I am the wife of John Marie, your former steward, who died two days ago. At this moment his soul is perhaps suffering in Purgatory. He was a good husband to me and a faithful servant to Your Highness. His sickness was long and I spent all our savings on the doctors, and now I have nothing left to have Masses said for the repose of his soul. In your kindness come to my assistance in behalf of my poor husband."

The prince was touched by the widow’s grief and said a few kind words to console her. Although he was convinced that the woman was deceived by her beliefs, he had not courage to refuse her. Though he professed no longer believing in a future life, the prince slipped a gold piece into her hand, and the happy woman hastened to the church to have Masses said for her husband's soul.

Five days later, towards evening, the prince was in his study, reading over his manuscript and retouching some details, working feverishly on his book against God and the spiritual realities. He heard a loud knock at the door and without looking up called out to the visitor to come in. The door slowly opened and a man entered and stood facing the prince's writing table.

The prince glanced up to his visitor. Imagine his amazement to see John Marie, his dead steward, standing right before him. Looking at the prince with a sweet smile, the visitor spoke.

"Prince," he said, "I come to thank you for the Masses you enabled my wife to have said for my soul. Thanks to the saving Blood of Christ, which was offered for me, I am now going to Heaven, but God has allowed me to come and thank you for your generous alms."

He then added, in a very serious tone: "Prince - there is a God, a future life, a Heaven and a Hell."

Having said these words, the peasant disappeared. The emotion of the prince was indescribable. Throwing his book into the flames of his fireplace, the bewildered prince immediately fell to his knees and from the depths of his soul began to fervently pray the Credo, "I believe in one God…"

So entirely was he convinced of the truth, and so complete was his conversion, that the prince remained faithful to the Catholic Faith for the rest of his life.