True Stories of Purgatory

Fr. Nieremberg, a Jesuit priest, died in the odor of sanctity at Madrid in 1658. Before he died, he related a fact that occurred at Treves. The incident he relates is as follows.

On the Feast of All Saints, a young girl of rare piety had an apparition. The person who appeared to her was a lady that she had known. This woman had died some time ago. The apparition was dressed in white, with a white veil on her head. In her hand she held a long rosary, a token of the tender devotion she had always had for the Queen of Heaven. But the apparition did not just stand silently. Before long, the lady explained why she appeared.

During her life, this woman had made a vow to have three Masses celebrated at the altar of the Blessed Virgin. She was not able to fulfill this vow before she died. And this added to her debt of suffering in Purgatory. So she had come now to beg this young girl to pay the debt in her place.

The girl willingly agreed to have the three Masses celebrated. And once the Masses were said, the deceased woman appeared again. She was filled with joy and gratitude towards her pious young friend. The dead lady was not out of Purgatory yet. But her sufferings had decreased, because the girl helped pay part of her debt.

The apparitions of the lady to the girl continued for years to follow. Every November, she would appear. Almost every time, she would be in the church, in adoration before the Blessed Sacrament. It was quite a sight to behold the poor soul in the chapel. She was overwhelmed with awe for God, but she was not yet able to see Him face to face. The Consecrated Bread and Wine were the closest that this woman could get to her loving God.

The girl often saw the deceased woman present during the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. And at the moment of the Elevation, the soul’s face became so radiant that the mere sight of her filled young girl with admiration. Later, in retelling the story, the girl would declare that she had never seen anything so beautiful.

Meanwhile time passed. Notwithstanding the Masses and prayers offered for her, that poor soul remained in her exile, far from her Creator.

On December 3, Feast of St. Francis Xavier, the charitable girl was going to receive Communion at the Church of the Jesuits, when she saw her deceased friend again. The woman accompanied the girl to the altar rail, and then stayed by her side during the whole time of thanksgiving. This was the dead woman’s way of participating in the happiness of Holy Communion and enjoying the presence of Jesus Christ.

On December 8, Feast of the Immaculate Conception, the lady appeared again. But she was shining with such a brilliant light that her young friend could not look at her.

Finally, on December 10, during Holy Mass, she appeared in a state that was more wonderful than ever before. After making a profound genuflection before the altar, she thanked the pious girl for her prayers, and rose to Heaven in company with her guardian angel.

There was a particular lesson which the charitable young girl learned in the apparitions with her lady friend. Some time in that period, before the woman’s flight to Heaven, she told the girl that she only suffered one kind of punishment in Purgatory - the pain of loss: that is, the sorrow of being separated from God. She told the girl that this alone caused her unbearable torture.

Indeed, the souls in Purgatory experience many pains that we cannot imagine. But this one is absolutely the worst, as St. Chrysostom said so many centuries ago.

"Imagine all the torments of the world. You will not find one equal to the deprivation of the beatific vision of God."


	Heartbroken Companion
	Fr. Nieremberg, a Jesuit priest, died in the odor of sanctity at Madrid in 1658. Before he died, he related a fact that occurred at Treves. The incident he relates is as follows. On the Feast of All Saints, a young girl of rare piety had an apparition. The person who appeared to her was a lady that she had known. This woman had died some time ago. The apparition was dressed in white, with a white veil on her head. In her hand she held a long rosary, a token of the tender devotion she had always had for the Queen of Heaven. But the apparition did not just stand silently. Before long, the lady explained why she appeared. During her life, this woman had made a vow to have three Masses celebrated at the altar of the Blessed Virgin. She was not able to fulfill this vow before she died. And this added to her debt of suffering in Purgatory. So she had come now to beg this young girl to pay the debt in her place. The girl willingly agreed to have the three Masses celebrated. And once the Masses were said, the deceased woman appeared again. She was filled with joy and gratitude towards her pious young friend. The dead lady was not out of Purgatory yet. But her sufferings had decreased, because the girl helped pay part of her debt. The apparitions of the lady to the girl continued for years to follow. Every November, she would appear. Almost every time, she would be in the church, in adoration before the Blessed Sacrament. It was quite a sight to behold the poor soul in the chapel. She was overwhelmed with awe for God, but she was not yet able to see Him face to face. The Consecrated Bread and Wine were the closest that this woman could get to her loving God. The girl often saw the deceased woman present during the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. And at the moment of the Elevation, the soul’s face became so radiant that the mere sight of her filled young girl with admiration. Later, in retelling the story, the girl would declare that she had never seen anything so beautiful. Meanwhile time passed. Notwithstanding the Masses and prayers offered for her, that poor soul remained in her exile, far from her Creator. On December 3, Feast of St. Francis Xavier, the charitable girl was going to receive Communion at the Church of the Jesuits, when she saw her deceased friend again. The woman accompanied the girl to the altar rail, and then stayed by her side during the whole time of thanksgiving. This was the dead woman’s way of participating in the happiness of Holy Communion and enjoying the presence of Jesus Christ. On December 8, Feast of the Immaculate Conception, the lady appeared again. But she was shining with such a brilliant light that her young friend could not look at her. Finally, on December 10, during Holy Mass, she appeared in a state that was more wonderful than ever before. After making a profound genuflection before the altar, she thanked the pious girl for her prayers, and rose to Heaven in company with her guardian angel. There was a particular lesson which the charitable young girl learned in the apparitions with her lady friend. Some time in that period, before the woman’s flight to Heaven, she told the girl that she only suffered one kind of punishment in Purgatory - the pain of loss: that is, the sorrow of being separated from God. She told the girl that this alone caused her unbearable torture. Indeed, the souls in Purgatory experience many pains that we cannot imagine. But this one is absolutely the worst, as St. Chrysostom said so many centuries ago. "Imagine all the torments of the world. You will not find one equal to the deprivation of the beatific vision of God."