Via Ad Caelum
Heavenward
Pray for the souls and journey toward Heaven.
Each prayer offered in faith may become an act of charity for the souls awaiting the light of Heaven.
If you knew how ardently the souls in purgatory desire the prayers offered for them, you would never forget them.
Saint John Mary Vianney
Why Pray for the Holy Souls?
The holy souls in purgatory are already saved and beloved of God. Having died in His grace, they are being purified before entering the fullness of Heaven. When you pray for them, you perform a work of mercy: your prayers, sacrifices, and intentions assist those who can no longer merit for themselves.
Among them may be our parents, siblings, children, relatives, friends, and many of the forgotten faithful departed. One day, we too may need the prayers of the Church. A prayer offered in faith, a Mass, a small sacrifice, or a daily intention can become an act of charity that helps a soul draw nearer to Heaven.
It is a holy and pious thought to pray for the dead.
2 Maccabees 12:45
What is Via Ad Caelum?
Via Ad Caelum is a Catholic lay apostolate dedicated to interceding for the holy souls in purgatory and for those approaching the hour of death.
Under the light of the Holy Spirit and the maternal protection of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, this apostolate seeks to help the faithful live with greater awareness of eternity through prayer, suffrages, and a Christian life ordered toward the salvation of souls.
The apostolate is currently under pastoral discernment, seeking to walk with the Church in fidelity and in a spirit of obedience.
Works of the Apostolate
Pray
We unite in prayer for the holy souls in purgatory, especially the most forgotten and those for whom no one prays. We commend them to the mercy of God, asking that they be purified, consoled, and brought into the joy of Heaven.
Offer
We offer Holy Masses, rosaries, sacrifices, indulgences, and works of charity for their purification. We also pray for the dying, asking the Lord to grant them final perseverance and a confident abandonment to His mercy.
Persevere
This work calls us to persevere in faith, to live in grace, to frequent the sacraments, and to remain faithful in prayer. It reminds us that we too are called to conversion, holiness, and the hope of eternal life.
In a Spirit of Prayer
A Work of Mercy
A prayer offered in faith, a Mass, a small sacrifice, or a daily intention, united to Christ and offered with love, can bring consolation where the souls can no longer help themselves.
We entrust this work to the Holy Spirit, source of light and charity, and to Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Mother and Queen, asking for the grace to pray with perseverance and love for souls.
If the Lord places in your heart a desire to assist the holy souls, you may join this work of mercy simply, through prayer and in communion with the Church.
Join Us in Prayer
If you would like to learn more about the apostolate, its prayers, or its meetings, we invite you to join our Facebook prayer group, where we currently stay connected.
Public Prayer Group on Facebook
A public prayer group of the apostolate, created so that we may unite in one intention for the holy souls in purgatory and for those approaching the hour of death. There you may join the common prayer, receive simple apostolate updates, and share this spiritual work with reverence and charity.