Maria Simma: Life, Testimony, Prayer

A humble Austrian peasant woman, Maria Simma, was entrusted with an astonishing mission by the Lord: to help the souls in Purgatory! It is a rare charism within the Church to be visited by souls from Purgatory; discover the striking testimony of the mystic Maria Simma who experienced this gift for more than 50 years.

The history of the Church has seen other saints benefit from this charism, for example, Saint Gertrude, Saint Catherine of Genoa, Mary Anne of Jesus, Saint Margaret Mary, the Holy Curé of Ars, Saint John Bosco, Saint Faustina, Saint Mariam of Bethlehem, etc.

Biography of Maria Simma

Maria Simma was born in 1915 in Sonntag in the Austrian Alps, she was the second child in a modest family; her father was a caretaker and her mother a domestic servant. Since her childhood, Maria prayed a lot for the souls in Purgatory and became a fervent and humble Catholic. She wanted to become a religious sister but her request was refused three times due to her physical constitution being deemed too fragile. However, the Lord had plans for her; at the age of 25, she was granted a rare and particular charism in the Church: that of receiving visits from souls in Purgatory. The priest of her parish as well as the bishop of the diocese encouraged her in her task. At first, she received a few cases per year, but in 1954, these contacts became regular, both night and day. Maria then dedicated her life to alleviating and shortening the sufferings of the souls in Purgatory so that they might enter heavenly bliss as quickly as possible. Outside of this spiritual mission, Maria led an ordinary life as a peasant woman, simply and poorly in her native village. She died there on March 16, 2004.

Testimonies of Maria Simma: the visits of the souls from Purgatory

The first visit of a soul from Purgatory to Maria Simma

One night in 1940, Maria heard someone walking back and forth in her room. Being absolutely not of a fearful nature, she was not frightened but questioned the stranger to find out what he was doing there. Since he did not answer her, Maria got out of bed intending to grab him but she only managed to grasp air. She went back to bed but the footsteps could still be heard. Again Maria tried to catch him but without success. She lay down again but could not sleep. The next day, she told everything to her spiritual director who advised her not to ask "Who are you?" but "What do you want from me?". Indeed, the following night, the man returned and Maria asked him what he wanted, he replied: "Have three Masses celebrated for me and I will be delivered." Maria then understood that it was a soul from Purgatory and her spiritual father confirmed it to her. The priest advised her not to reject the souls from Purgatory but to accept their requests with generosity.

The young man who died in an avalanche

In 1954, a village neighboring Maria Simma's had been stricken by a series of avalanches. During one of these avalanches, a 20-year-old young man heard cries for help from people trapped under the snow. In a leap, he rushed to save these people even though his mother tried to stop him, fearing for his life. On the way, he was caught by an avalanche and died. Two days later, he was allowed to visit Maria Simma, to whom he said: "Have three Masses said for me, so that I may be delivered from Purgatory." His family was very surprised to learn that only three Masses would be enough to open the gates of Paradise for him, as he was not known to be particularly saintly, but he specified to Maria: "I performed an act of pure love by risking my life for these people and it is thanks to this that the Lord welcomed me so quickly into His Heaven. Charity covers a multitude of sins".

Questions/Answers to Maria Simma concerning Purgatory

• What do the souls in Purgatory ask for?
  "Most of the time, they ask to have Masses said and to have people attend these Masses. They ask for rosaries to be said and for Stations of the Cross to be made."

• Do the souls in Purgatory still have joy and hope in their sufferings?
  "Yes. No soul would want to return from Purgatory to earth because it has a knowledge that infinitely surpasses ours and it could no longer return to the darkness of earth."

• Is it God who sends a soul to Purgatory or does the soul itself decide to go there?
  "It is the soul itself that wants to go to Purgatory to be pure before going to Heaven."

• At the moment of death, does one see God in full light or in a confused manner?
  "In a still confused way but it is already such a clarity that it is enough to provoke nostalgia."

• What is the role of the Holy Virgin with the souls in Purgatory?
  "She often comes to console them by telling them that they have done many good things. She encourages them."

• Are there particular days on which She delivers them?
  "Yes, especially on Christmas, on All Saints' Day, on Good Friday, on the day of the Ascension and that of the Assumption."

• What are the sins that most lead us to Purgatory?
  "They are sins against charity, against love of neighbor, hardness of heart, hostility, slander... It is said that gossip and slander are among the worst stains and require a long purification."

• Who are the ones most likely to go straight to Heaven?
  "Those who have a good heart with everyone: for 'charity covers a multitude of sins' (Saint Paul)."

• What means can we take on earth to avoid Purgatory and go directly to Heaven?
  "We must do a lot for the souls in Purgatory, since it is they who help us in turn. We must have a lot of humility, it is the greatest weapon against the Evil One. Humility drives away evil."

The testimonies and questions and answers are taken from the book The Astonishing Secret of the Souls in Purgatory by Sister Emmanuel.

Pray for the souls in Purgatory

The Catholic Church recommends that the faithful pray for the souls in Purgatory; here is what the Catechism of the Catholic Church tells us: "the thought of praying for the dead, that they might be delivered from their sins, is a holy and pious thought". The month of November is specially dedicated to prayer for the deceased, whom the Church commemorates every November 2nd. The most beautiful form of prayer for the souls in Purgatory is the offering of the Mass, which has infinite value, as Maria Simma testifies: "the Mass is the offering of Christ Himself to God, the most beautiful of offerings". Furthermore, the prayer of the Stations of the Cross, the rosary, and indulgences also have great value in relieving the souls.

Continue your prayer for the deceased with Hozana

Hozana offers you many prayer communities to pray for your deceased and especially for the souls in Purgatory.

For example, you can pray a novena for the intentions of the souls in Purgatory.