Communion of Saints

During the recitation of the Creed, Catholics profess to believe in the ".... Communion of Saints ...."

Here the word 'saints' refers to all those who have been made holy--that is, reborn as children of God-- through baptism, not solely those who are in heaven. The Communion of Saints is the spiritual union, in and through Christ, of the saints in heaven, the souls in purgatory, and the faithful here on earth.

The Communion of Saints is an active union, involving members in the sharing of holy things across the divides of space and time. Through blessings, prayers, the faith, the sacraments; through any spiritual gifts they have received; through sacrifices and even sufferings members of the Communion of Saints can spiritually benefit one another.

It includes the intercession of the saints in heaven on our behalf, as we pray to them for their help and guidance, and the prayers and Masses we offer for the souls of our friends and relatives in purgatory.