November is the month traditionally dedicated by the Church to praying for the Holy Souls in Purgatory. It is a time specially enriched by the Church with indulgences, with grants of the graces necessary to hasten the time a soul spends in Purgatory as it awaits heavenly glory. That means we Marian Fathers — among whose founding charisms was praying for the dying and dead — and Marian Helpers have a special duty to take advantage of these grants of grace from Holy Mother Church and set the captives free. Now this November is different in a number of important ways, thanks in large part to our new Holy Father and his religious order. Let me explain. A Pope of firsts We are living and practicing our faith under a new Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV. He is the first American pope; definitely the first Chicago native to be elected pope, and the first member of the Augustinian Order (the OSAs) to be elected pope. As you read in the summer issue of this magazine, our General Superior of the Marian Fathers, Fr. Joe Roesch (a member of our American Province), was in Rome for the announcement of the new Holy Father. We Marians live By Fr. Dan Cambra, MIC Patron of the Holy Souls 18 Marian Helper • Fall 2025 • Marian.org “Madonna and Child with Saints,” Giovanni di Paolo, 1454. Saint Nicholas of Tolentino, canonized in 1446, appears at far right wearing the Augustinian habit.
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