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My daughter told me recently that she always prays for the dead and the souls in purgatory because Ken Colby taught her that. Ken Colby was her religion teacher in grade school.  Ken's teachings left a huge impact on my daughter and myself.  I remember the "Children's Mass" always had great visuals.  To this day, we parents talk about Ken burying the "Alleluia" for Lent. You can read the rest at Being Catholic ... Really .

Thus he made atonement for the dead that they might be freed from this sin. ~2 Maccabees 12:46 November 2 nd marks the Commemoration of All Souls; the day in which the earthly faithful are called to pray for the faithful departed in Purgatory. Often considered connected to Pagan or other ritualistic ceremonies, All Souls Day is, in fact, a practice with roots in the early Church where the names of the faithful departed would often be posted so that church members could pray for each soul by name. All Souls Day follows on the heels of All Saints Day, November 1 st ; which itself is traced back to origins as early as the fourth century when St. Basil of Caesarea invited neighboring dioceses to share relics of martyrs and to join in celebrating those whose lives had been given for the Church. Eventually Pope Urban IV instituted the practice of using All Saints Day as a way to honor all saints, known and unknown, thus acknowledging our limited knowledge of how each person ha...

The Church Militant, The Church Suffering, The Church Triumphant     These terms are the terms I learned when growing up and learning about our Catholic Faith.  Although not used in the modern Catechism, they are referred to by their meanings, not the terms.     The Church Militant is we who are alive and battling the battle, fighting the fight against sin each day.  We are the part of the Church who can still intercede for those who have died and speed their entry into heaven.     The Church Suffering refers to those souls who have been saved but are suffering in Purgatory, waiting to be cleansed, longing for the day they can be united with God.     The Church Triumphant are those souls who have been purified and live in heaven praising God and interceding for those of us on earth and in Purgatory.     We are all united as a part of the Church, the Catholic Church, found...