Father Paul-Joseph Buguet was born on March 25, 1843, in Bellavilliers, Orne, France. His impoverished parents could barely support young Paul and his brother, yet God graced them. Paul entered the seminary in Sees and devoted himself to God, the Church, and souls. He was ordained on May 26, 1866.
Ten years later on November 1, 1876, his brother Auguste Buguet, was ringing the bells at the nearby Church when one of the bells broke loose and killed him. Father Paul was heartsick. He abandoned himself and his brother to the will of God with confidence, that not even a hair on one’s head falls without the permission of the divine will. The Lord cannot want or permit anything unless it is for our good.
Father Paul prayed for his brother’s soul to obtain his entrance into paradise. From this personal experience the priest considered this a call from heaven to commit himself to a work of mercy for the dead.
The 700-member parish of LaChapelle-Montligeon to which Father Paul was assigned was extremely poor. Employment was sinking. Father Buguet had two goals: To offer Mass for the neglected souls in purgatory; and in return, to obtain the means to support the worker to make a decent living. Each Monday, Mass was celebrated for the most forgotten soul in an oratory dedicated to St. Joseph, Patron of a Good Death. An extraordinary happening took place. A woman appearing in church wearing a sky-blue dress and her head covered by a long white veil, asked Father Buguet to celebrate a Mass for her intentions. He had never seen her before. She came twice more and disappeared suddenly. Father Buguet shared with his closest friends that they mysterious woman praised and thanked him “for this charity of offering Mass each Monday for the most abandoned soul in purgatory.”
In 1887, a printing apostolate was formed to publish magazines about the work for the poor souls. Pilgrimages from other regions were organized to pray to Our Lady of Montligeon in the parish church. A new church was raised. A magnificent statue of Our Lady of Deliverance designed by Father Buguet was made for the church.
Today, Our Lady of Montligeon is known as the World Center of Prayer for the Dead.
Fr. Buguet wanted his Opus of Prayer for the Departed to be the “Oeuvre of the poor.” At the time the offering for enrolling someone was renewable. Its amount allowed everyone, even the most humble of people, to become “associates” of the Work. Today, once you are enrolled it is permanent.
The suggested contribution is equivalent to that of four masses in your diocese at $40.
When enrolling someone in the Montligeon Fraternity, you demonstrate personal charity towards them; furthermore, your offering enables the shrine of Montligeon to pursue its mission and fulfill its vocation.
WHAT IS THE FRATERNITY OF OUR LADY OF MONTLIGEON ABOUT?
Montligeon is not a mere pilgrimage destination but a vast spiritual fraternity as well, that brings together the living and the dead. People enrolled in the spiritual Montligeon Fraternity benefit from the daily perpetual Mass celebrated to their intent at the Shrine and in various places worldwide by means of its associate members. Initiated by Fr. Buguet at the very start of his charitable endeavors, its members nowadays amount to millions.
The spiritual Fraternity of Our Lady of Montligeon is alike a small family encompassed in the vast family of the communion of Saints. All people enrolled in the Montligeon Fraternity are included in the shrine daily prayers, particularly in the daily Mass celebrated for all members of the Fraternity, whether deceased or still living,
The Fraternity of Montligeon celebrates on a daily basis, five Masses at the shrine itself, and at the Trappists Abbey of Soligny, in Brazzaville (Republic of Congo), at a monastery in the Netherlands, in Guatemala, and at St. Michael’s Abbey in Farnborough, England.
In addition, it also involves the prayer of 30,000 associates, committed to praying for the members of the Fraternity.
Together with, on a monthly basis, over 800 Our Lady Of Montligeon prayer groups meet to pray the Rosary for the members of the Fraternity.
- 5 daily Masses
- Over 30,000 praying associates
- 800 Montligeon Prayer Groups in 45 countries
Why enroll in the Fraternity of Montligeon?
Perpetual Mass
So as to benefit from the graces inherent to the perpetual Mass celebrated at the shrine since 1884, and from the prayer of the Montligeon Prayer Groups petitioning for the enrollees.
A Spiritual Gift
Offered to someone living, for example, as a gift for a birth, birthday, a First Communion, a wedding or to someone in distress, etc., it represents a spiritual present that endures even beyond death. Visit: www.montligeon.org
An Act of love, beyond death
Enrolling a deceased person in the Fraternity of Montligeon is a way of still demonstrating one’s love for them.
Once someone is enrolled in the Montligeon Fraternity, their name is entered into a register which, in turn, at the end of the year, is brought in a procession to the basilica and entrusted to the imposing “orbituary” cabinet. The names of all people enrolled since the beginning of the charitable opus of Our Lady of Montligeon.
Who can be enrolled in the Fraternity of Montligeon?
A living person or a deceased soul
You might enroll a loved one, a friend, a relative, or anyone, whether deceased or living, who might be in need of the prayers of the Fraternity. Even after they die, people enrolled remain members of the Fraternity of Montligeon and as such, they benefit from the prayer of the shrine and its associates perpetually.
Oneself
The Fraternity of Montligeon is open to all. Self-enrolling prior to enrolling someone is not compulsory; yet it demonstrates faith in the communion of Saints. Thus, by means of enrolling someone in the Fraternity of Our Lady Liberator, may it be a deceased, a living, or self, I am assured that enrollees will be remembered in the various prayers and Mass offered at the shrine on a daily basis.
Enrolling
You might wish to become a member of the Fraternity and enroll yourself. Thus you will benefit from the prayer of the shrine, and of its associates worldwide, in addition to the perpetual Mass celebrated every day.
Adhesion
You might wish to join and become an active member of the Fraternity. Although you will benefit from the prayer of the shrine, and of its associates worldwide, in addition to the perpetual Mass celebrated every day, adhesion entails offering and uniting your prayers to that of the whole Fraternity for the benefit of all its members, whether living or deceased.
Besides, you might wish to join one of the 800 Montligeon Prayer Groups worldwide.
I encourage you to enroll yourself and loved ones NOW. The world is in turbulent times.
We must be sure our families are covered with the protection of prayer especially the Holy Mass.
It gives you a great sense of peace to know you are being remembered in five daily Masses permanently! There is no other organization like this! EWTN LIVE interviewed the Rector of the Shrine on December 8, 2021. Check it out on YouTube.
What better gift can you give to them!
And remember, arrange to put Gregorian Masses in your wills!
The Pious Union of St. Joseph is one of the most reliable sources to have these special Masses offered for your deceased loved ones. You can also become a member of the Pious Union by praying for the dying every day. You will obtain the grace of a happy death. They also offer the powerful Holy Cloak Novena of St. Joseph.
Visit www.pusj.org.
Susan Tassone is the author of 14 best-selling, award-winning books, including Praying with Jesus and Faustina during Lent and in Times of Suffering, Jesus Speaks to Faustina and You. Excerpts taken from Praying with the Saints for the Holy Souls in Purgatory.
www.susantassone.com