Holy Souls Sodality

"God allows souls to suffer here so that they may be purified to share in His holiness."

What is Purgatory?

"Correct!"

Whoops. Please excuse the odd locution. I'm still saddened by the death on Nov. 8 of Alex Trebek, the longtime host of the television game show "Jeopardy!" where contestants were given the answers and then tasked with coming up with the questions.

A well-mannered, no-nonsense fixture in American living rooms for 37 years, Mr. Trebek succumbed to pancreatic cancer. I miss him. My mother misses him. Many of us miss him.

We Can Put a Face to Them

They are calling to us, these fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, sons, and daughters from throughout the ages.

They built nations. They built our roads, our town halls, schools, libraries, churches, and civic organizations.

They created medicines to cure deadly illnesses. They developed technologies that made life a little less cruel for the suffering.

They produced art — paintings, music, literature, films — that redirected our affections toward the anointed realms of truth, beauty, and goodness.

by Fr. Dan Cambra, MIC

We Catholics are in the business of growing in holiness and bringing others along with us. Our journey toward Heaven begins with our singular resolve to identify our own sins, repent, and sin no more.

On the Feast Day of St. John Chrysostom on Sept. 14, I was doing a little studying up on this Doctor of the Church who died in the fifth century. I came across a homily of his that should interest all of us whose life mission is to help souls to Heaven.

It happens to most people at some point: Our prayer life can hit a dry spell. Over the summer, I (Fr. Dan Cambra, MIC) got a phone call from a Holy Souls Sodality member, Dr. Robert Kulo of Apache Junction, Arizona. He had recently emerged from an astounding 20-year "spiritual valley," during which time he could not bring himself to pray the Holy Rosary. He told me a beautiful story about how our Sodality played a part in his renewal in this powerful daily prayer. I'll let him tell you in his own words: