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National Shrine of the Poor Souls
St. Odilo Church is the only parish in the United States dedicated to the Souls in Purgatory. It was founded and sanctioned as the Shrine of the Poor Souls by His Eminence, George Cardinal Mundelein in 1928, with a special indulgence of 200 days granted upon each visit to the shrine.
-Berwyn Home to National Shrine
-Berwyn Home to National Shrine
Church News
-Latin Mass every Sunday at 10:00am with music by the Schola Cantorum.
-Every Wednesday Evening at 6:30, Latin Mass in Honor of the Poor Souls with Benediction
-December 3, 2023 Bulletin
-Every Wednesday Evening at 6:30, Latin Mass in Honor of the Poor Souls with Benediction
-December 3, 2023 Bulletin
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St. Odilo Pastor Welcome Statement
Welcome and thank you for visiting this website for St. Odilo Church, the National Shrine of the Poor Souls.
St. Odilo was the abbot of the Benedictine Abbey in Cluny, France from the year 994 until his death on January 1, 1049. On the day after All Saints' Day, Saint Odilo instituted for all the monasteries dependent on the Abbey of Cluny an annual commemoration of all the faithful departed, to be observed with alms, prayers, and sacrifices for the relief of the suffering souls in purgatory. St. Odilo decreed that those requesting a Mass to be offered for the faithful departed should make an offering for the poor, thus linking almsgiving with fasting and prayer for the dead. From there the November 2nd custom of offering prayers, Masses, fasting and almsgiving for the souls in purgatory spread to other Benedictine monasteries. As word of this pious practice spread to local bishops, those bishops instituted the All Souls Day practices in their particular dioceses. Eventually, the practice of dedicating November 2nd to the souls in purgatory had made its way to the Vatican, and the Pope instituted that day as a universal day of prayer for the holy souls in purgatory for the Catholic Church throughout the world. Thus November 2nd became known as All Souls Day in the universal Church.
When our parish was founded under the patronage of St. Odilo, Cardinal Mundelein, the Archbishop of Chicago at that time, had our church officially declared the National Shrine of the Holy Souls in Purgatory. As the cover of our bulletin, aptly entitled The Shrine, states:
St. Odilo is the only parish in the United Stated dedicated to the Souls in Purgatory. It was founded and sanctioned as the Shrine of the Poor Souls by His Eminence, George Cardinal Mundelein, in 1928, with a special indulgence of 200 days granted upon each visit to the shrine [our parish church].
Anyone who visits our grace-filled church and prays for the souls in purgatory receives this indulgence for them. What an efficacious blessing!
When you visit our church, take a look at the beautiful stained glass window in our choir loft. You will see a depiction of St. Odilo, wearing the priestly Mass vestments, offering the Holy Sacrifice. Surrounding him are the angels, assisting him at Holy Mass and bringing his offering of The Holy Sacrifice to the throne of God’s majesty. Below him are depicted so many souls in purgatory, for whom he is offering The Sacrifice, reaching up to heaven, assisted there by the merits of the greatest prayer on earth, the Mass.
Also, on the church’s west side wall toward the front you will be able to pray at the altar of the Holy Souls. This side altar features a gold relief of the Holy Souls in Purgatory, our parish’s book of remembrance for the faithful departed, and votive candles for the devotion of visitors to The Shrine.
St. Odilo is both a parish church of the Archdiocese of Chicago and a shrine for any pilgrim who desires to gain the indulgence for the holy souls in purgatory. The church/shrine is open daily according to the times posted on this website. Our Mass schedule is also included. Please consider visiting us either for Mass or for private prayer to receive the spiritual benefits, graces and indulgences of St. Odilo Church, the National Shrine of the Holy Souls in Purgatory.
God bless you,
Fr. Bart Juncer
Pastor
St. Odilo was the abbot of the Benedictine Abbey in Cluny, France from the year 994 until his death on January 1, 1049. On the day after All Saints' Day, Saint Odilo instituted for all the monasteries dependent on the Abbey of Cluny an annual commemoration of all the faithful departed, to be observed with alms, prayers, and sacrifices for the relief of the suffering souls in purgatory. St. Odilo decreed that those requesting a Mass to be offered for the faithful departed should make an offering for the poor, thus linking almsgiving with fasting and prayer for the dead. From there the November 2nd custom of offering prayers, Masses, fasting and almsgiving for the souls in purgatory spread to other Benedictine monasteries. As word of this pious practice spread to local bishops, those bishops instituted the All Souls Day practices in their particular dioceses. Eventually, the practice of dedicating November 2nd to the souls in purgatory had made its way to the Vatican, and the Pope instituted that day as a universal day of prayer for the holy souls in purgatory for the Catholic Church throughout the world. Thus November 2nd became known as All Souls Day in the universal Church.
When our parish was founded under the patronage of St. Odilo, Cardinal Mundelein, the Archbishop of Chicago at that time, had our church officially declared the National Shrine of the Holy Souls in Purgatory. As the cover of our bulletin, aptly entitled The Shrine, states:
St. Odilo is the only parish in the United Stated dedicated to the Souls in Purgatory. It was founded and sanctioned as the Shrine of the Poor Souls by His Eminence, George Cardinal Mundelein, in 1928, with a special indulgence of 200 days granted upon each visit to the shrine [our parish church].
Anyone who visits our grace-filled church and prays for the souls in purgatory receives this indulgence for them. What an efficacious blessing!
When you visit our church, take a look at the beautiful stained glass window in our choir loft. You will see a depiction of St. Odilo, wearing the priestly Mass vestments, offering the Holy Sacrifice. Surrounding him are the angels, assisting him at Holy Mass and bringing his offering of The Holy Sacrifice to the throne of God’s majesty. Below him are depicted so many souls in purgatory, for whom he is offering The Sacrifice, reaching up to heaven, assisted there by the merits of the greatest prayer on earth, the Mass.
Also, on the church’s west side wall toward the front you will be able to pray at the altar of the Holy Souls. This side altar features a gold relief of the Holy Souls in Purgatory, our parish’s book of remembrance for the faithful departed, and votive candles for the devotion of visitors to The Shrine.
St. Odilo is both a parish church of the Archdiocese of Chicago and a shrine for any pilgrim who desires to gain the indulgence for the holy souls in purgatory. The church/shrine is open daily according to the times posted on this website. Our Mass schedule is also included. Please consider visiting us either for Mass or for private prayer to receive the spiritual benefits, graces and indulgences of St. Odilo Church, the National Shrine of the Holy Souls in Purgatory.
God bless you,
Fr. Bart Juncer
Pastor