Viviane has lost all her brothers and sisters, in particular her twin brother. She remains the only believer in her family. She tells us how a mass celebrated for her deceased brother brought her peace.
A testimonial
“I am very aware of the souls in purgatory because I’ve lost many members of my family, including my brothers and sisters. So I made a point of enrolling them in the Fraternity of Montligeon. I pray for them a lot, especially for my twin brother. I am the only churchgoer in my family and I feel like I am supporting them through my faith.
I assisted my twin brother for a year before he died, and it seemed to me that he was on a spiritual journey. But as his family was not catholic, they buried him without any religious ceremony and cremated him. It was a terrible shock for me because when I saw him in the mortuary, it felt as if he was expressing some kind of anger. I went out and cried in the square next to the building, thinking, “Who can I tell this to?”
“I was angry to see my brother buried like a dog!”
Viviane
A mass was offered for my brother
On my way home, I passed the church. As it had a reception office, I went in, let my grief out and asked if I could get the Holy Mass offered for my brother. Quite incredibly, a mass was available the very next day, on the day of his cremation! I told the whole family, including to my grand-nephew, aged 17, who had never been to church in his life. Yet he followed me and attended the service with me. It was his first time hearing a mass. After being so distressed to see my brother buried like a dog, it restored my peace. Also, it allowed me to overcome my anger and continue to pray for him serenely.
“I truly believe in the links between heaven and earth.”
Viviane.
Since that event, my daughter died too. She had rejected faith, even though she was baptized. She too had been with me to church one day. I was not present when she died but got a lot of people to pray for her. She hovered between life and death for eight days – the doctors were puzzled. My friends would say, “She is in a struggle. Let’s pray!” One morning we felt she had stopped fighting and was accepting. She died at noon.
I truly believe in the links between heaven and earth. Montligeon, Pontmain or Lourdes, for example, are places where you can really feel those links and meet real Christians. It brings hope, we feel supported and driven forward.
