Saint Faustina Kowalska was one of the greatest mystics of the 20th century.
In Poland in the 1920s-30s, she experienced many supernatural visions of Jesus and various saints and was given the Divine Mercy Chaplet, among other things.
During one of her mystical experiences, she had a vision of Purgatory and saw someone you might not expect.
“[M]y guardian angel… ordered me to follow him,” she wrote in mid-1926. “In a moment I was in a misty place full of fire in which there was a great crowd of suffering souls. They were praying fervently, but to no avail, for themselves; only we can come to their aid.”
She spoke to the souls in Purgatory:
“I asked these souls what their greatest suffering was. They answered me in one voice that their greatest torment was longing for God.”
Then she saw someone you probably wouldn’t expect:
“I saw Our Lady visiting the souls in purgatory. The souls call her ‘The Star of the Sea.’ She brings them refreshment.”
Amazing! Let this be a reminder that we should all pray regularly for the souls in Purgatory.
Here’s the full passage about Purgatory in Saint Faustina’s diary:
“I saw my guardian angel, who ordered me to follow him. In a moment I was in a misty place full of fire in which there was a great crowd of suffering souls. They were praying fervently, but to no avail, for themselves; only we can come to their aid. The flames, which were burning them, did not touch me at all. My guardian angel did not leave me for an instant. I asked these souls what their greatest suffering was. They answered me in one voice that their greatest torment was longing for God.
“I saw Our Lady visiting the souls in purgatory. The souls call her ‘The Star of the Sea.’ She brings them refreshment. I wanted to talk with them some more, but my guardian angel beckoned me to leave. We went out of that prison of suffering. [I heard an interior voice, which said] ‘My mercy does not want this, but justice demands it. Since that time I am in closer communion with the suffering souls.’”
(Diary: Divine Mercy in My Soul, 20)
Eternal Rest Prayer
V. Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord.
R. And let the perpetual light shine upon them.
And may the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.