“We came in great numbers, didn’t we!” exclaims Marie-Odile, beaming. She is surrounded by a group of 27 people from Les Mureaux. All share the same goal: praying for the deceased. Together, they form a dynamic prayer group, united in faith and caring for the souls. They gather once a month at the the Paris suburb of Les Mureaux, where they live.
“The dead are not dead”
“The strength of our Lady Liberator is at work for our group”, she explains. They arrived as early as Thursday and engaged in the services, the prayer times and the animation. This group’s fervor does not go unnoticed.
Why did they mobilize so massively? “We came for the deceased of our families. That’s very important. The dead are not dead.” For them, praying for the souls in purgatory is not just a slogan – it is a charitable work, an action of faithfulness, a living link.
The souls in purgatory are awake!
What those pilgrims experience, they express it convincingly – prayer has real effects. “We shook them and now, the souls in purgatory are awake!” With that strong image, Marie-Odile expresses what she feels, i.e. a living communion between the living and the dead. Such conviction is reflected in her enthusiastic, spirited demeanour, which drives her group in a festive, joyous movement.
The shrine is a place of grace for them. They do not come only for askiing, they also give thanks. “We go home with graces received through the intercession of Our Lady of Montligeon.” Prayer transforms them too.
As they leave, they want to send out a call: “Come pray as a family! A family that forgets their deceased is a family that is beginning to sever the bonds created by life.” Their faith, simple but deep, recalls that the bond of love is stronger than death.
A living tradition
Gisèle is in charge of the Montligeon prayer group in Les Mureaux. In her view, such faithfulness also extends to daily life. “Every month, we pray for the souls in purgatory in our parish.” Spiritual communion with the departed is indeed fostered by this assiduity.
The yearly pilgrimage in November is the pinnacle of this process. “We come for the souls of our relatives, but also for unknown people, to obtain rest for their souls.” This year, the group chose to come on November 8, to answer their parish priest’s call and pray in union with the whole parish.
“We come back every year. It’s important to us.” Praying for the dead is not a forgotten habit. It is a living tradition, passed down and lived out.
A pilgrimage of hope
As a member of the Senegalese Catholic community in the Paris region, Jean-Louis was delighted to join the pilgrimage. “The Lord has given us this grace to be able to share this among brothers and sisters, from Africa, the West Indies – and France too.”
Every year, they come to pray for the deceased. They pray “for the Lord’s mercy”. And they know that one day, they too will need this prayer. “We don’t know who will pray for us. But today, we’re the praying ones.”
Pilgrimage thus becomes an act of hope, a testimony of faith in eternal life. It is a silent but powerful exchange between heaven and earth. “They pray for us too. That’s for sure.”
Come and pray for your deceased at Montligeon
You too can entrust your deceased loved ones to the prayers of the Church. Every day, at the Montligeon sanctuary, a Mass is celebrated for the souls in purgatory.
