Although it has never encouraged tales of ghosts and apparitions in a superstitious sense, the Church has always recognized the possibility that souls “from beyond” can manifest in our world. This excludes any form of necromancy, spiritism, and other things in the same category. All these practices, categorically condemned in the Old Testament, are also prohibited by Christian Tradition, which denounces them as serious violations of the divine omnipotence and the mysterious ordinances of Holy Providence. Nevertheless, those apparitions meant to remind us of the existence of the world beyond and the fact that there are punishments – either eternal (in hell) or purifying (in purgatory) – are discerned and recognized with prudence. A place that proves this fact is the extraordinary Museum of Purgatory in Rome.
Citizens of the Eternal City pass daily in front of the Church of the Sacred Heart of Suffrage, located on the banks of the Tiber River at number 12, Lungotevere Prati. For those who have visited the famous Duomo in Milan, the resemblance between the sumptuous Church of Saint Charles Borromeo and the small neo-Gothic gem on Lungotevere is striking. It is no coincidence that the latter has been dubbed by the inhabitants of Rome “il piccolo Duomo di Milano” (“the small Duomo of Milan”). The casual pedestrians involuntarily confirm the effects of being accustomed to the everyday miraculous: the miracles collected in the sacristy of this beautiful church are far too little known.
The history of the so-called museum, also known as the Museum of Departed Souls or the Museum of Holy Souls, begins with the unusual experience of a zealous Jesuit missionary of the Most Sacred Heart, Father Victor Jouët (1839–1912). Following a fire that occurred on November 15, 1897, the small chapel – dedicated to the Holy Virgin Mary of the Rosary – that stood on the same site as the current church, was damaged. Present at the scene, the priest identified an incredibly well-defined shadow on one of the walls. It was the face of a soul from Purgatory. Shaken, in an era where disbelief, agnosticism, and skepticism were beginning to wreak havoc, he immediately decided that such testimonies from the beyond had to be brought before people. During the remaining years of his life, he gathered numerous traces in the newly built church – relics, fabrics, breviaries, wooden tablets, and Bibles – left by souls from Purgatory. Thus, the museum was born from the sacristy of the Church of the Sacred Heart of Suffrage.
A true encounter with a ghost took place in 1815 when her mother-in-law appeared to Mrs. Margherite Demmerlé in Germany. Dressed in the pilgrim costume of her country (did you know such a costume existed?), the mother-in-law, who had died thirty years earlier, in 1785, descended the steps looking at her daughter-in-law with a face pleading for mercy.
Today, in times when our faith is tested more than ever, such things need to be brought to the attention of as many people as possible—believers and non-believers, Christians and non-Christians, atheists, agnostics, or the indifferent. The stories of the traces in the Museum of Purgatory should become a source of inspiration for us all. Told whenever a suitable occasion arises, they can represent—just like the apparition of the Holy Virgin Mary at Fatima and all others approved by the Church—a call to repentance and conversion. To make such testimonies fruitful, obviously, we need to know as well as possible the stories behind the pieces collected by Father Jouët.
One of the testimonies belongs to the abbess of the Poor Clares of the Monastery in Todi, Venerable Clara Isabella Fornari (1697–1744). Virgin and mystic, she was deemed worthy to receive even the stigmata of the Savior Christ. But this was not without cost. From a young age, the future Franciscan nun showed an inclination towards extraordinary mortifications, which attracted not only the abundant graces of Heaven but also numerous temptations. However, a significant part of the mortifications she voluntarily subjected herself to were offered for the shortening of the purification period of souls in Purgatory. Such concern presumably led to an exceptional personal experience, traces of which can be seen in the Museum of Departed Souls.
During one of her long vigils, on the night of Thursday, November 1 to 2, 1731, the sensation of warmth suddenly intensified. For that autumn period, this was unusual even in that part of Umbria in Italy. Slightly intrigued, but rather prepared for who knows what new temptations from the powers of darkness, Clara continued her prayer with even more fervor. Towards midnight, as her confessor at that time, Fr. Isidoro Gazata of the Blessed Crucifix, later recounted, she received an unexpected visit. A soul from Purgatory, who identified himself as Father Panzini, a former abbot of a monastery in Mantua, came to ask the venerable for her intercession. Especially the liturgies of atonement and reparation, where the Savior Christ Himself offers Himself to the Heavenly Father as a sacrifice for our sins, are of great benefit. Also, fasting and mortifications can shorten the punishments of many of those in the purifying fire. Reminding her of all these things, marked by his sufferings but nonetheless comforted by the proximity of his deliverance, Father Panzini had come “from beyond” not only to ask for favors for his own benefit. With the permission of Holy Providence, he left concrete traces of his passage to remind all Christians to pray for all the souls in Purgatory.
Among all the exhibits that can be seen in the Museum of Purgatory, the signs of the holy cross and the left palm of the nocturnal visitor are absolutely remarkable. Burned onto a small wooden table in the room of the venerable Clara Isabella Fornari, they speak of the nature of the main form of purification in that place. Besides these two marks, the same handprint was imprinted on a sheet of paper. Two other marks, this time of the right hand, were made, one on the sleeve of the tunic and the other on its hem, allowing us to imagine Father Panzini as a beggar touching the hem of Clara’s garment, imploring her help. Undoubtedly, the prayers of such a holy woman and her penances obtained the shortening of the purification period for a significant number of souls.
As a memento, the “ghost” left the print of her right hand on the book that was open on the nightstand: The Imitation of Christ by the famous medieval mystic Thomas à Kempis. The book can be seen in the same place – the Museum of Departed Souls.
A true encounter with a ghost took place in 1815 when her mother-in-law appeared to Mrs. Margherite Demmerlé of Ellinghen Parish (somewhere in the diocese of Metz, Germany). How would any of us feel seeing a ghost descending an interior staircase? Frightened by such an initial apparition, she sought the advice of the parish priest. Sensing the nature of the visit, he advised her to keep her composure, make the sign of the holy cross, and wait. The next night, the apparition occurred again. Dressed in the pilgrim costume of her country (did you know such a costume existed?), the mother-in-law, who had died thirty years earlier, in 1785, descended the steps looking at her daughter-in-law with a face pleading for mercy. With a trembling voice, she dared to ask what she wanted. Only then did the distinguished lady speak:
“I am your mother-in-law who died in childbirth thirty years ago. Go on a pilgrimage to the Shrine of Our Lady of Mariental, and have two Masses said for me there.”
Without hesitation, the next day, Mrs. Margherite told the priest what had happened. Encouraged to set off on the pilgrimage as soon as possible, she fulfilled all that was asked. A few days after her return, as she had already extinguished the candle for a well-deserved night’s sleep, the radiant face of her mother-in-law appeared to thank her. She assured her that following her daughter-in-law’s sacrifice, she had already entered the joy of the righteous. As a memento, the “ghost” left the print of her right hand on the book that was open on the nightstand: The Imitation of Christ by the famous medieval mystic Thomas à Kempis. The book can be seen in the same place – the Museum of Departed Souls.
Confronted with such extraordinary facts, the first thing that comes to mind is the word of the Savior Christ: “The things that are impossible with men are possible with God” (Luke 18:27). Indeed, the visit of a deceased person in our world is absolutely possible. Without providing sensationalistic opportunities to satisfy mere human curiosity, such events are meant to give us the chance to revisit fundamental truths of faith. Among these, let’s not ever forget, none is more important than the existence of God and His eternal unseen world – in which, under the gaze of the Heavenly Father, live the angels and saints. This is the supreme and ultimate goal of our lives; for this, we live and suffer in this world.
If we are always urged by our Holy Church to pray for the souls in Purgatory, we must remember here the teaching of saints Roberto Bellarmino and Alphons Maria de Liguori, who affirm that the souls there can also pray for us. The latter of the mentioned saints invokes the testimony of Saint Catherine of Bologna, who said that whenever she called upon the intercession of the souls in Purgatory in her prayers, she was immediately heard. What would prevent us from listening to her?
Holy souls in Purgatory, pray for us!
