My friend David Avignone of the John Paul II Renewal Center recently shared the story below with supporters of the organization.

I attended a funeral recently in the Chicago suburbs for a relatively young man. Priests rarely remind mourners at funeral Masses to actually pray for the deceased person that is being buried. This Mass was no exception.

Why do many priests largely fail to tell the faithful that purgatory is real?

(With this being said, some more orthodox churches I know of do remind attendees of the existence of purgatory and are refusing to allow for a eulogy during the funeral Mass to avoid heterodoxy and to prevent the “canonization” of the deceased.)

When I was growing up in the ‘80s/‘90s, I don't recall ever hearing about purgatory – let alone hell – within the confines of our parish. “God is Love” is what I was largely taught. It wasn’t until I began diving deeper into the Faith in my 20s that I came to realize there’s not only heaven; there’s also hell and purgatory.

It wasn't until one night in 2011 when purgatory became very real.

My grandmother, Peggy, on my dad's side – who had died 15 years previously – appeared to me in a dream. It was the second dream I recall seeing her in a dream. It was unlike any dream I ever had. It was really vivid. I felt her in my presence.

Here she’s pictured with my grandpa, Mario, on their wedding day on Dec 26, 1942.

I was sitting on the couch in the front room of my grandparents’ home in the Roseland neighborhood of Chicago. She walked in wearing a long gray gown. She was in her elderly years and appeared melancholy. She did not crack a smile. She immediately approached me and touched the back of my hand. I can still feel the touch.

She appeared to be coming from purgatory.

(I understand that any visit by a deceased person, in a dream or not, doesn't necessarily mean it was that person's soul. Satan can mess with us. Therefore, it's important to pray and seek spiritual direction to properly understand such experiences.)

She didn't speak. I had heard others speak of dreams where deceased relatives would visit but be in the distance, not saying a word.

Well, I really wanted to talk to my grandmother since she was right in front of me, so I began a conversation. I cut to the chase and immediately started with this question: “Where in purgatory are you?” (I had learned from some alleged private revelations that there might be different levels in purgatory, although this isn’t defined in official Catholic teaching.) She responded: “I don't know.”

I then asked: “Well, is my mom with you?”

I asked this question because my mom (Claudia) passed about five months prior.

[AUTHOR NOTE: I wrote about the passing of Claudia about 15 years ago. You can read the article here.]

Furthermore, a couple months prior in a dream is the only other time my grandmother appeared. She was in the back of the car I was driving, sitting next to my mom and the mother of a childhood classmate of mine – odd for sure. None of them said a word. The dream was very brief, but I still remember it.

My grandmother responded: “She was here, but she left.”

About this time a young boy appeared. He looked like he was about 11 or 12 years old. I didn't recognize him, but he and my grandmother seemed to know each other. He began speaking, introducing himself to me. He said his name. It was pronounced “Oh-knee.” I still don't know if it was a first name, last name, nickname, or part of a name. Though he didn't say it, I knew he was from Northwest Indiana.

My grandmother then turned to him and said: “He wouldn't know who you are.”

The encounter then ended. I recall in the dream being upset that the conversation was over, wanting it to last for much longer.

After waking up in the morning I immediately called my friend Susan Tassone. She’s “the purgatory lady.” Her books are wonderful. She helped me really understand purgatory.

If you ever see me sprinkling holy water on the floor when entering a church, it's to bless the holy souls in purgatory. Susan taught me that tradition, which began with St. John Macias. It's one of many ways to pray for the souls.

Well, I explained everything to Susan. She didn't doubt the reality of the dream and thought my grandmother's visit was significant. As an expert on purgatory she knows how real dreams can be.

Once I told her my grandmother passed away 15 years before, she said: “Haven't you been praying for her and having Masses offered?” I said not at all. She was not happy, and I had to explain that I was a teenager when she passed and wasn't knowledgeable about the afterlife, etc. I told her that there likely were hundreds of Masses offered for her and that she was a very pious woman.

She said we need to continually pray for our deceased loved ones no matter how pious/religious they were. Susan then said I needed to immediately get a set of 30 Gregorian Masses offered for her...like I had done for my mom after her passing.

And we did get the Masses offered.

Well, 14 years ago today (Dec. 29, 2025) is the day my grandfather Mario (Peggy’s husband) passed away.

Here is the timeline to make things clear:

• Peggy passed in 1995.

• Peggy appeared to me in a dream in February of 2011.

• Gregorian Masses were offered in the spring of 2011.

• In late December of 2011, Mario's health began deteriorating.

• Mario passed on Dec 29, 2011.

In the days leading up to his passing in December, my aunt contacted me to tell me of a dream she had!

It was Peggy again. This time, she was looking much different than when she appeared in my dream; she was smiling and aglow! Though she didn't talk, it seemed to be confirmation that she had finally entered paradise.

Just a few days later, Mario passed. What timing!

It seemed that the Gregorian Masses we had ordered for her helped her journey to Heaven – and at such a special time. Coincidence?

We hope that Peggy was there to greet Mario when he passed. But we don't know for sure, which is why we also had the Gregorian Masses offered for Mario and continue to pray for both of them. If you would be so kind, please offer up a prayer today for both of them on this memorable day.

Finally, I encourage you to begin offering a set of Gregorian Masses for those in your life who have passed...recently or long ago. It's never too late. It's the best gift you can give someone. Here’s a link to a website that Susan told me to share with you. There, you’ll learn more about the tradition and ways to register your deceased loved ones…and maybe you’ll come to understand purgatory just a little more.