Purgatory: Cleansing Fire
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The Most Misunderstood Doctrine?
Purgatory is surrounded by myths and misunderstandings. Many Catholics no longer believe in it.
Despite what some people say, however, the Church has never changed her teaching on purgatory.
Many of our loved ones are there now—and many of us will experience it one day.
Purgatory is for real. Souls have visited from the other side to prove it to us.
If you have questions about purgatory, now is the time to answer them.
All Your Questions: Answered.
In response to popular demand, we’ve created a series that answers your most common questions and confusions about purgatory.
No more myths. No more misconceptions.
In this 27-session series—which consists of video reflections by beloved GC contributor Fr. Matthew Kauth and engaging written content by our GC staff—you will learn:
- What “visitors” from purgatory have revealed to visionaries about their experience there (Sessions 20-23)
- Why purgatory is an incredible mercy (Session 6)
- What causes suffering to the Holy Souls there (Session 2)
- Where purgatory is found in Sacred Scripture (Session 12)
- What the saints tell us about purgatory (Sessions 17, 22, 23)
- How to avoid purgatory, with God’s grace (Session 7)
- Why purgatory is necessary even though Jesus’ sacrifice was perfect and complete (Session 9)
- …and much more!
When you sign up, you’ll receive daily email reminders to take each day’s lesson. But you’ll have access to the series for a full year, so you can take your time with it, repeat lessons, skip around, or absorb the content in whatever way works best for you!
Series Contributors
Father Matthew Kauth
Fr. Matthew Kauth is a priest of the Diocese of Charlotte, NC. After completing a Bachelor of Sacred Theology at The Catholic University of America, Fr. Kauth was ordained to the priesthood in 2000. He then served as a parochial vicar, administrator, and pastor for six years. During this time he gained popularity through his lectures with the Catholic Scripture Study International program. He was later sent to Rome to complete a license and doctorate in Moral Theology. After obtaining his doctorate in 2012, he was appointed chaplain of a diocesan high school while also teaching theology at Belmont Abbey College. In 2014 he spearheaded a commission to determine the feasibility of establishing a college seminary in the Charlotte Diocese in cooperation with Belmont Abbey. As a result, St. Joseph College Seminary was founded in 2016. Fr. Kauth became its first Rector, where he continues to serve today.
Peter Gohn
Peter Gohn, a proud Irish Catholic and Massachusetts native, studied History and Theology at The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. He then spent several years teaching at Christ the King Catholic High School near Charlotte, North Carolina, while also working as a freelance editor. He joined The Catholic Company in 2017 and became a key member of the Good Catholic project soon after it was launched. When not writing, Peter is likely to be found re-reading his many books, playing his piano, or watching Boston sports. His deep love of ancient and medieval history lends itself to unpacking the many rich traditions of our Catholic faith. He and his wife currently reside in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Genevieve Netherton
Genevieve Netherton, a native of Pennsylvania, was raised in a large Catholic family of nine children. She studied at the Franciscan University of Steubenville and received spiritual formation from the Poor Clare Nuns of Perpetual Adoration in Hanceville, Alabama. She is an editor, writer, and marketer for Good Catholic; a content writer for The Catholic Company; a blog contributor for Catholic Company Magazine; and a freelance manuscript editor for fiction, non-fiction, and collections of poetry. Her writing has been published by DKA Magazine, Humane Pursuits, and the acclaimed Catholic quarterly Dappled Things. She currently lives in California with her career-Navy husband.
Whitney Hetzel
Whitney Hetzel and her husband, James, have been married for thirty-three years. They have nine children ranging in age from twelve to thirty-two. Whitney, who has been homeschooling for twenty-seven years, is an exercise enthusiast who enjoys blogging about health and fitness over at 9 Kid Fitness. But her real passion is discussing faith, family, and the challenges of putting one foot in front of the other on a daily basis, all of which she writes about at Catholic Company Magazine and the Good Catholic blog. Whitney has a B.A. in English and Journalism from Indiana University and an M.A. in Counseling Psychology from Saint Louis University.
Rachel Shrader
Rachel Shrader is a British-American writer, artist, and musician living in the Carolinas. She is the managing editor of Good Catholic and its sister brand, Get Fed. A devotee of the traditional Latin Mass and the ancient liturgical traditions of the Church, Rachel spent three years working for the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter, where she was the founding editor of the FSSP news site The Missive. She particularly enjoys writing on military topics and the concepts of courage, self-sacrifice, fortitude, and what it means to love as God loves. She is an avid runner, nature-lover, and student of wilderness medicine and survivalism.
6 Reviews
Changed my life forever
I had no idea we need to pray for those souls in purgatory, for the loved ones passed, for those who have no one praying for them, for ourselves right now… I am grateful for the insights and testimonies, the information is overwhelming but hopeful. Thank You Lord for leading me to this series.
Purgatory - Cleansing Fire
Excellent! This series is a great way to learn all about Purgatory. Father Kauth does a great job in the lessons of fully explaining and going beyond what you will read about in each lesson. I have read several books on Purgatory, so my beginning knowledge level was already proficient. This series will take you beyond that, so it is excellent for the novice and veteran learner. Highly recommended!
Purgatory - the Holy Souls beg for our help!
An absolutely fantastic course on Purgatory. The content was beautifully presented and has deepend my faith. I’ve taken what I learned and educated my friends and family. I also have started praying daily for the Holy Souls. Thank you so much to Good Catholic for this much-needed content.
Purgatory
Excellent presentation and so easy to understand. Father Kauth does a phenomenal job of making purgatory understandable and less frightening of the unknown!
Excellent series! I learned many things about purgatory I didn’t know. Read/watch and you too will strive harder to avoid going there! Thank you all, especially Fr. Kauth, for making this series.
Purgatory - Cleansing Fire
I was blind to 99% of the content of this series. Very eye opening, powerful and needed presentation of Purgatory. This series should be promoted teaching to all adult Catholics. Suffering souls are awaiting our prayerful petitions on their behalf. Thanks to all the participants in this presentation. My love and gratitude to all, Jane Honea🙏❣️