Thank you for both of your kind responses.
I was raised Roman Catholic and when I was in my early twenties I got saved when I was reading Ephesians chapter 1. I lost a wrestling match with God that day and he persuaded me that salvation is by grace through faith alone in the full sacrifice of Christ for my sins.
However, the idea of purgatory died a slow death with me, and I think it only did so when I read God’s Word cover to cover about seven times.
I’m not bragging about that, because I have not read his Word cover to cover since many years ago, which is quite regretful.
So consider (as Cromwell so memorably said) that you may have been imperfectly catechized or have a misunderstanding regarding your early teachings. Don't know how old you are, but if you were in CCD back in the 60s or 70s, many parishes fell prey to relativism and a desire to 'fit in' by being as 'mainstream' as possible. So a lot of folks were mis-instructed or not instructed at all.
Fwiw, not only is there Scriptural support for Purgatory (e.g., 1st Cor 3:15, 2nd Macc 12:43), but sacred tradition and the earliest writers of the Church confirm it - St. Augustine, Tertullian, Cyprian, Clement of Alexandria. Sacred tradition is present in all churches, Catholics just acknowledge it and conserve it.
And Purgatory does not conflict with salvation or the concepts of grace or faith -- it is simply a cleansing, the tree lies where it falls. Have you read C.S. Lewis's The Great Divorce? Splendid book with some very illuminating thoughts on heaven, hell, and purgatory -- and Lewis was an Anglican.