For Michael LaMorte, a devotion to the holy souls in purgatory had his name all over it.
His last name means, “the death,” in Latin and Italian. It was no surprise then, perhaps, that he was devoted to praying for souls who have died but not yet achieved the glory of heaven.
His prayers later bore fruit in the form of the Central Ohio Purgatorial Society. The society is a lay apostolate in the diocese dedicated to offering prayers, fasting, Mass and other spiritual works of mercy to benefit the holy souls in purgatory.
The society is headquartered at Worthington St. Michael the Archangel Church. It is recognized by the diocese as a private association of the faithful.
The society is known as an association of the faithful because it is laity led. Confraternities are led by a member of the clergy and can be considered more ecclesial.
Confraternities have a constitution that prescribes rights and duties and certain attire for members. An archconfraternity is a confraternity with approval from the Holy See to form confraternities in other regions or attach indulgences to practices.
In its beginnings, LaMorte would pray for souls in purgatory during his time in Eucharistic Adoration.
“I had found some prayers for the holy souls, and I would pray this chaplet and litany when I would go in for my Holy Hour, and then, from there, it was just me on every Tuesday,” he recalled. “I decided that every first Tuesday I would fast and pray for the holy souls.
“One day, during the fish fry at St. Mike’s, I turned to Bill, who was making the macaroni and cheese, I believe, and we started talking and found out that he also has a devotion to the holy souls. And I was like, ‘Hey, I do this thing on every first Tuesday. Would you be interested in joining with it?’”
The rest was history.
LaMorte and Bill Hinger, also a parishioner at St. Michael, joined forces. The two began praying for the holy souls in purgatory every first Tuesday of the month after their parish’s 6:30 a.m. Mass.
“At some point in time, I made the conclusion that praying for the holy souls will benefit them firstly but also may help me out in the long run when I leave this earthly life and stand before the judgment seat of God myself,” Hinger said.
Others caught on and began joining LaMorte and Hinger for the first Tuesday devotion.
A few years ago, Father Michael Lumpe, St. Michael’s pastor at the time, encouraged Hinger to see Msgr. Stephan Moloney, the then-vicar general, about writing a formal constitution. With the bishop’s approval, the Central Ohio Purgatorial Society was established.
Any Catholic in good standing, of good moral character and who has reached the age of reason in the Church is invited to join the Central Ohio Purgatorial Society in praying for the dead, one of the spiritual works of mercy.
Those interested in participating are encouraged to join in the first Tuesday devotion.
The devotion includes making a suitable fast on the first Tuesday of the month, such as water only, bread and water, or a day-long mortification through 7 p.m.; attending Mass and offering it for souls in purgatory; and praying the Chaplet for the Dead and Litany for the Holy Souls in Purgatory.
“The Chaplet for the Dead that we pray was promulgated by the Archconfraternity of Our Lady of Suffrage in Nimes, France, and the indulgences attached to it were approved by Pope Pius IX in 1873,” LaMorte said.
Although similar to a rosary, the chaplet has four decades instead of five and no center medal. It contains red Paternoster (Our Father) with black Ave (Hail Mary) beads.
The five Paternoster beads are in memorial of the Five Wounds of Christ. The 40 Aves are in memorial of the 40 hours that Christ is believed to have spent after His death in the Limbo of the Fathers, releasing the holy souls there.
The chaplet also contains a Pardon Crucifix with indulgences attached to it, which can be applied to the holy souls, LaMorte said.
While the society meets routinely on the first Tuesday of the month, this month, which the Church dedicates to the holy souls in purgatory, the devotion was moved to Saturday, Nov. 2, All Souls Day.
“On Nov. 2, we did have Father (Stash) Dailey lead the litany and chaplet after Mass, and almost everybody who came to that Saturday morning Mass stayed – the 8:15 a.m. Mass – and we had probably about between 30 and 40 people reciting the litany and the chaplet.”
The association is made up of officers and members. LaMorte serves as director, while Hinger is the vice director, and Father Dailey, the pastor at St. Michael, serves as chaplain and provides spiritual direction.
About five or six individuals join LaMorte and Hinger regularly for the monthly devotion. As many as 80 people are on the society’s mailing list.
LaMorte said they are discussing with Father Dailey ways to enhance the society and draw more individuals to pray for the holy souls.
“Father Dailey has expressed being open to having that votive Mass, where it could be a requiem Mass with the dark vestments and do specific readings for the holy souls, as opposed to being just a … Mass of the day,” he said.
A votive Mass is offered for a votum, or special intention. Votive Masses do not correspond to the Church’s Divine Office and Mass of the day, but rather, respond to devotional desires and preferences and intend to foster devotion to one of the central mysteries, such as the angels, saints or Our Lady.
The Mass for the Dead, or the requiem Mass, is celebrated on All Souls Day and for funerals.
LaMorte recognized that each person’s devotion to the holy souls will be different.
“Everyone’s encouraged to form their own devotion, but the first Tuesday is the one day that we want to set aside where we all pray the litany and the chaplet,” he said.
“If some people want to be a prayer warrior like Bill and pray for the holy souls every single day of the month, then that’s awesome. If they just want to do the first Tuesday, that’s awesome. If you want to do something in between, that’s awesome, too. The main point is just to increase the awareness and increase the prayers.”
“It’s not a, ‘If you want to be a member of the club, you got to show up every first Tuesday.’ That’s not it either,” Hinger added, “but we want to give those who are interested an opportunity to formally meet … on a monthly basis, and right now, that venue is St. Michael’s on the first Tuesday after 6:30 a.m. Mass. It’s kind of a springboard into their own personal devotion, too.”
St. Catherine of Genoa (1447-1510) was selected as the patron saint of the Central Ohio Purgatorial Society. Catherine was a married woman who devoted her life to God and caring for the sick. She was also a mystic who had a conversion experience and wrote about purgatory.
In medieval Europe, associations formed to pray, fast and offer Masses for the dead. Names of members who died were often recorded, and names in the book were prayed for perpetually. Confraternities would sometimes build a chapel next to the town church.
Confraternities dedicated to praying for the dead have gained and lost popularity in Europe throughout the centuries. Few purgatorial societies or confraternities exist in the United States.
For more information on the Central Ohio Purgatorial Society, and prayers for the Chaplet for the Dead and Litany for the Holy Souls in Purgatory, visit www.HolySoulsColumbus.com.