Earlier this year, Bishop Robert Gruss shared a talk about purgatory at St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Saginaw. He invited those gathered to reflect deeply on God’s mercy, holiness and eternal life promised through Jesus.
"You never know the day nor the time," Bishop Gruss told those in attendance. "We always have to be prepared."
The evening began with prayer as Bishop Gruss asked the Holy Spirit to open hearts and minds to receive what God wanted to reveal through the discussion.
Understanding purgatory
Throughout the presentation, Bishop Gruss emphasized that purgatory is often misunderstood. While many people think of purgatory as a physical place, he explained that the Church teaches it is better understood as a process of purification.
"Purgatory is not a place," Bishop Gruss said. "It is a condition of existence."
Quoting St. John Paul II and the Catechism of the Catholic Church, Bishop Gruss explained that purgatory comes from the Latin word purgare, meaning "to make clean" or "to purify."
He pointed to paragraphs 1030 and 1031 of the Catechism, which describe purgatory as the purification of souls who die in God’s grace and friendship but are still imperfectly purified before entering heaven.
"Nothing unclean will enter the presence of God in heaven," Bishop Gruss said, referencing the Book of Revelation (Chapter 21, Verse 27).
Because of this, every soul must be fully purified before experiencing what the Church calls the beatific vision — seeing God face-to-face in His glory.
God’s mercy and purification
Bishop Gruss explained that after death, every person undergoes what the Church calls a particular judgment, where the soul immediately understands its eternal destiny.
"There are only two choices," he said. "Heaven and hell."
However, Bishop Gruss reminded those gathered that purgatory is not separate from salvation. Rather, it is part of God’s mercy for souls destined for heaven.
"If you’re experiencing purgatory, you’re in [going to Heaven]," he said. "There’s no turning back the other way."
The bishop emphasized that most people die in what he called an "imperfect state of grace," still carrying attachments to sin, selfishness or worldly desires.
He encouraged frequent confession and honest examination of conscience, asking participants to reflect on the areas of their lives that still need healing and conversion.
"People die with unforgiveness in their soul," he said. "People die with attachment to jealousy or envy or lust or hatred."
Yet the message of the evening was ultimately one of hope.
"The beautiful thing about purgatory," Bishop Gruss said, "is that it exists as a result of God’s mercy and His love and His desire for you and for me to be with Him for all eternity."
Created for love
At several points during the talk, Bishop Gruss reminded listeners that the Christian life is deeply personal because every person was created intentionally by God.
He encouraged those present to prepare their hearts for eternal life through prayer, repentance and trust in God’s mercy.
The evening concluded with a renewed invitation to holiness and deeper conversion, reminding the faithful that God’s desire is always to bring His people into the fullness of His presence.
"Purgatory is meant to purify us so that we can love as completely as God," Bishop Gruss said.
Watch Full Video of Bishop's Talk