Within the Community of Warrior Penitents, the Rosary is not merely a private devotion, it is a disciplined act of love, offered daily for the salvation of souls. After praying the traditional five decades, we add a sixth decade, intentionally offered for the souls in Purgatory.
This practice flows directly from Catholic teaching, the witness of the Saints, and our commitment to live the Gospel through concrete acts of charity and mercy.
What is the Church’s Teaching on Purgatory
The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches that those who die in God’s grace but still require purification undergo a final purification before entering heaven:
“All who die in God’s grace and friendship, but still imperfectly purified, are indeed assured of their eternal salvation; but after death they undergo purification, so as to achieve the holiness necessary to enter the joy of heaven.”
(CCC 1030)
These souls are saved, but they suffer in longing for the fullness of union with God. The Church further teaches that our prayers truly assist them:
“The Church also commends almsgiving, indulgences, and works of penance undertaken on behalf of the dead.”
(CCC 1032)
Praying for the souls in Purgatory is not optional piety. It is an expression of charity rooted in the Communion of Saints.
The Church is not divided by death. The Catechism reminds us:
“In the communion of Saints, a perennial link of charity exists between the faithful who have already reached their heavenly home, those who are expiating their sins in purgatory and those who are still pilgrims on earth.”
(CCC 1475)
The souls in Purgatory can no longer merit for themselves. They depend entirely on the mercy of God and on the prayers of the Church on earth.
As Warrior Penitents, formed by fraternity and mutual reliance, we recognize this bond instinctively. We do not abandon our own, we never leave a fallen comrad, and we never forget the fallen.
Why the Rosary?
The Rosary places us in the school of Mary, who leads us to contemplate the life, death, and resurrection of her Son. It is a prayer of mercy, trust, and perseverance which is precisely what the souls in Purgatory most need.
St. Alphonsus Liguori, a Doctor of the Church, wrote:
“It is therefore a holy and wholesome thought to pray for the dead, that they may be loosed from sins.”
Through the Rosary, we ask Our Lady, our Mother of Mercy, to intercede for those undergoing purification, just as she intercedes for us.
But, Why a Sixth Decade?
The sixth decade is a deliberate act of intercessory love.
The traditional five decades draw us deeply into the mysteries of Christ. The sixth reminds us that prayer must move beyond ourselves. It trains the heart in spiritual generosity and mercy. The first five decades are internal reflection and contemplation on the Mysteries of the Holy Rosary, the sixth decade is for charity toward others, hope in eternity, and love for those in need.
St. Catherine of Genoa, whose writings on Purgatory are among the most profound in the Church, explains both the suffering and the hope of the holy souls:
“The souls in Purgatory willingly endure their pain because they see it as God’s will, and they are certain of reaching Him.”
Yet she also teaches that our prayers hasten their purification. If we can be helpful in helping people get to heaven, why would we not take action?
A Spiritual Work of Mercy
Praying for the dead is one of the Spiritual Works of Mercy, and the Catechism explicitly affirms its power:
“From the beginning the Church has honored the memory of the dead and offered prayers in suffrage for them.”
(CCC 1032)
St. John Chrysostom urged Christians not to neglect this duty:
“Let us not hesitate to help those who have died and to offer our prayers for them.”
For Warrior Penitents, men and women shaped by service and sacrifice, this practice is a natural extension of fraternity. It is loyalty beyond the grave. It is also an extension to our service where we were trained from the first day of Basic Training to never leave a fallen comrad.
Mercy That Forms the Heart
Praying daily for the souls in Purgatory also transforms us. It reminds us of our own need for mercy, our dependence on God’s grace, and the seriousness of the call to holiness. It takes our focus from the temporal to the eternal.
St. Padre Pio said:
“We must empty Purgatory with our prayers.”
By offering the sixth decade each day, we participate in Christ’s redemptive love and unite ourselves to His mercy.
Never Leaving a Soul Behind
The sixth decade of the Rosary is a simple act, but it carries eternal weight. It is a reminder that love does not end at death, that prayer reaches beyond time, and that the Church remains one body.
As Warrior Penitents, we commit ourselves to this daily offering, not out of obligation, but out of love.
May our prayers bring relief to the suffering souls. May Our Lady lead them swiftly to her Son. May we, in praying for them, grow in mercy ourselves. May we continue to live lives of charity and mercy for those present around us, and those who have passed on before us.
In Christ and Prayer,
WP
Prayer:
Deliver them from Purgatory
My Jesus, by the sorrows Thou didst suffer in Thine agony in the Garden, in Thy scourging and crowning with thorns, on the way to Calvary, in Thy crucifixion and death, have mercy on the souls in purgatory, and especially on those that are most forsaken; do Thou deliver them from the terrible torments they endure; call them and admit them to Thy most sweet embrace in paradise. Amen.
The Community of Warrior Penitents 