Holy Souls 
Apostolate
A Lay Apostolate in the Diocese of Lincoln
What is the Mission of the Holy Souls Apostolate?
It is to provide a coordinated means for lay persons wishing to embrace an intercessory vocation dedicated to praying regularly for the souls in purgatory.
Members follow a three-fold method of praying a special daily rosary, dedicating each day of the week to a different group of poor souls, and maintaining a personal deceased calendar so as to more easily remember those who have passed away.
Distinctive Rosary
Each decade’s intention focuses on a different group of poor souls: (1) Family & relatives (2) Friends, acquaintances & benefactors (3) Deceased of one’s diocese & parish (4) Those who suffer the most & those who have been forgotten (5) All of the souls in Purgatory. (There are an additional two, optional decades that can be prayed: (6) Priests & Religious [or any other group] (7) Those who must endure a very long purgatory [or any other group]). The rosary also finishes with a special set of closing prayers.
Deceased Calendar
Intercessors keep a calendar list of deceased loved ones, friends, etc. with space for every day of the year. Names and the year of death are entered and the persons are prayed for in a special way on the anniversary date of their death. That way family members and friends that have passed away are not forgotten and we can offer them a special remembrance in prayer.
Daily Intentions
Each day of the week also has its own special focus, which mirrors the rosary’s decade intentions. Therefore each day has a group of souls that one can dedicate their day to.
Saint Alphonsus Ligouri:
“The practice of recommending to God the souls in Purgatory, that he may mitigate the great pains which they suffer, and that He may soon bring them to His glory, is most pleasing to the Lord and most profitable to us. For those blessed souls are His eternal spouses, and most grateful are they to those who obtain their deliverance from prison, or even a mitigation of their torments. When, therefore, they arrive in Heaven, they will be sure to remember all who have prayed for them.“
The Holy Souls Apostolate has put together a “manual” for its members that contains:
• Decade intentions for the rosary
• Special rosary closing prayers
• The daily intention groupings of poor souls for each day of the week
• Deceased calendar list for each day of the year
• Additional beneficial practices that would help the holy souls
The PDF version is free. The printed version is available through Lulu and is priced at cost. Both items can be found on the Resources page.
Is the Apostolate approved?
The Bishop of Lincoln has provided his encouragement for this worthwhile mission. It is our hope that someday every parish in the diocese would have an intercessor. This would be a blessing both for the holy souls as well as for the diocese, our parishes, and our families.
If one joins and occasionally forgets to follow the observances, would that be sinful?
No, it is never considered a sin to forget to follow the Apostolate’s observances. If this occurs, just continue again and simply recommit to helping the holy souls. They are extremely grateful for all prayers that are offered up on their behalf.
I already pray a rosary daily for other intentions. Do I need to pray another rosary now?
If you choose, you can just add the closing prayers to your existing daily rosary, or you can substitute a rosary with a chaplet of divine mercy, or prayer other prayers in combination with the closing prayers, etc. The structure is there to provide members with a common method but the end goal is to have more people praying regularly for the holy souls, so if you need to do something different – not a problem. Just be sure to mention it in your contact email with the Apostolate. Again, we just want more people praying for the poor souls as regularly as possible. In the end it’s all a win for the souls in purgatory!
What are the requirements for joining and what happens afterwards?
Anyone who feels called to dedicate their life in a special way to assisting the holy souls in purgatory are encouraged to join. Simply reach out via an email (see the Contact page) and someone will respond confirming your membership.
Once you have joined, you may follow the observances as a solitary intercessor or you can also join together with other intercessors in your parish or town. Group gatherings are encouraged once a month and would include meeting at a member’s house to pray the rosary and closing prayers. It is also a good idea to have a short discussion on purgatory afterwards, sharing information from good Catholic books & sources.
I am very interested in this Apostolate but do not reside within the territorial boundaries of the Diocese of Lincoln. Can I still join?
Yes you can. Just note in the enrollment that you do not reside within the diocese. We will be happy to still consider you a full member of the Apostolate.
Can I just use a regular calendar to keep track of the deceased and/or print out the PDF?
Absolutely! Whatever works best for you is fine. The hard & softcover items through Lulu.com are conveniences so a person doesn’t have to copy things from year to year, as you would with a yearly calendar, and so that everything is in one location. But these are not required.
Is it possible to swap out a group of souls, in the rosary or for a day of the week, for a different, not listed group?
Privately that would be ok but you will need to let the Apostolate know at the time of enrollment just so we have a complete record of who might be praying for what groups of souls. With the monthly prayer meetings however, everyone should pray the rosary using the specified groups as listed in the manual.
When does Lincoln’s monthly prayer group meet?
The group in Lincoln meets the 2nd Sunday of each month from 3:00-4:00 pm.