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Amazing stories from Purgatory and the afterlife

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Short stories of Purgatory -A remarkable collection of visits from the souls in Purgatory to various Saints and Mystics.

“I know when you pray for me, and it is the same with all of the other souls here in Purgatory. Very few of us here get any prayers; the majority of us are totally abandoned, with no thought or prayers offered for us from those on earth” (Message from a soul in Purgatory)

Over the years of studying the lives of the mystics of the Church I have amassed a large number of eye witness accounts from various books and manuscripts of the appearances of the souls in Purgatory to a number of persons-- a good number of these accounts are not widely known, so I thought it would make a very interesting study to compile a number of shorter accounts from a variety of sources for those interested in this subject.

St Padre Pio’s visions of the souls in Purgatory

In May, 1922, Padre Pio testified the following to the Bishop of Melfi, His Excellency Alberto Costa and also the superior of the friary, Padre Lorenzo of San Marco along with 5 other friars. One of the five friars, Fra Alberto D' Apolito of San Giovanni Rotondo wrote down the account as follows:

"While in the friary on a winter afternoon after a heavy snowfall, he was sitting by the fireplace one evening in the guest room, absorbed in prayer, when an old man, wearing an old-fashioned cloak still worn by southern Italian peasants at the time, sat down beside him. Concerning this man Pio states: ‘I could not imagine how he could have entered the friary at this time of night since all the doors are locked. I questioned him: 'Who are you? What do you want?'

The old man told him, "Padre Pio, I am Pietro Di Mauro, son of Nicola, nicknamed Precoco." He went on to say, "I died in this friary on the 18th of September, 1908, in cell number 4, when it was still a poorhouse. One night, while in bed, I fell asleep with a lighted cigar, which ignited the mattress and I died, suffocated and burned. I am still in Purgatory. I need a holy Mass in order to be freed. God permitted that I come and ask you for help."

According to Padre Pio: "After listening to him, I replied, 'Rest assured that tomorrow I will celebrate Mass for your liberation.' I arose and accompanied him to the door of the friary, so that he could leave. I did not realize at that moment that the door was closed and locked: I opened it and bade him farewell The moon lit up the square, covered with snow. When I no longer saw him in front of me, I was taken by a sense of fear, and I closed the door, reentered the guest room, and felt faint.”

A few days later, Padre Pio also told the story to Padre Paolino, and the two decided to go to the town hall, where they looked at the vital statistics for the year I908 and found that on September 18 of that year, one Pietro Di Mauro had in fact died of burns and asphyxiation in Room Number 4 at the friary, then used as a home for the homeless.

Around the same time, Padre Pio told Fra Alberto of another apparition of a soul from Purgatory which also occurred around the same time. He said:

One evening, when I was absorbed in prayer in the choir of the little church I was shaken and disturbed by the sound of footsteps, and candles and flower vases being moved on the main altar. Thinking that someone must be there, I called out, "Who is it?"

No one answered. Returning to prayer, I was again disturbed by the same noises. In fact, this time I had the impression that one of the candles, which was in front of the statue of Our Lady of Grace, had fallen. Wanting to see what was happening on the altar, I stood up, went close to the grate and saw, in the shadow of the light of the Tabernacle lamp, a young confrere doing some cleaning. I yelled out, "What are you doing in the dark?" The little friar answered, "I am cleaning."

"You clean in the dark?" I asked. "Who are you?"

The little friar said, ‘I am a Capuchin novice, who spends his time of Purgatory here. I am in need of prayers.’ and then he disappeared,"

Padre Pio stated that he immediately began praying for him as requested, and it is not known if he had any further dealings with this particular soul. However, in regards souls in Purgatory it is very interesting to note that later in life Padre Pio once said that ‘As many souls of the dead come up this road [to the monastery] as that of the souls of the living.” Without a doubt, many souls from Purgatory visited Padre Pio seeking his prayers, sacrifices and sufferings to obtain their release.

From the manuscript of Sister M. de L.C., written from 1874-1890

To get an idea of how Purgatory is arranged, we can get a good glimpse of it from a nun from France who had died on February 22, 1871 at the age of 36, and 2-1/2 years later (in November 1873) she began appearing from Purgatory to a fellow nun in her convent, named Sister M. de L.C (name kept anonymous in the manuscript to protect the nuns identity, as the manuscript was published while the nun was still living) as related in the booklet “An Unpublished Manuscript on Purgatory” published by The Reparation Society of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, Inc., 2002:

“I can tell you about the different degrees of Purgatory because I have passed through them. In the great Purgatory there are several stages. In the lowest and most painful, it is like a temporary hell, and here there are the sinners who have committed terrible crimes during life and whose death surprised them in that state. It was almost a miracle that they were saved, and often by the prayers of holy parents or other pious persons. Sometimes they did not even have time to confess their sins and the world thought them lost, but God, whose mercy is infinite, gave them at the moment of death the contrition necessary for their salvation on account of one or more good actions which they performed during life. For such souls, Purgatory is terrible. It is a real hell with this difference, that in hell they curse God, whereas we bless Him and thank Him for having saved us.

Next to these come the souls, who though they did not com¬mit great crimes like the others, were indifferent to God. They did not fulfill their Easter duties and were also converted at the point of death. Many were unable to receive Holy Communion. They are in Purgatory for the long years of indifference. They suffer unheard of pains and are abandoned either without prayers or if they are said for them, they are not allowed to profit by them. There are in this stage of Purgatory religious of both sexes, who were tepid, neglectful of their duties, indifferent towards Jesus, also priests who did not exercise their sacred ministry with the reverence due to the Sovereign Majesty and who did not instill the love of God sufficiently into the souls confided to their care. I was in this stage of Purgatory.

In the second Purgatory are the souls of those who died with venial sins not fully expiated before death, or with mortal sins that have been forgiven but for which they have not made entire satisfaction to the Divine Justice. In this part of Purgatory, there are also different degrees according to the merits of each soul.

Thus the Purgatory of the consecrated souls or of those who have received more abundant graces, is longer and far more painful than that of ordinary people of the world.

Lastly, there is the Purgatory of desire which is called the Threshold. Very few escape this. To avoid it altogether, one must ardently desire Heaven and the vision of God. That is rare, rarer than people think, because even pious people are afraid of God and have not, therefore, a sufficiently strong desire of going to Heaven. This Purgatory has its very painful martyrdom like the others. The deprivation of the sight of our loving Jesus adds to the intense suffering.”

Another explanation of the levels in Purgatory from this same book:

Retreat, August 1878: “Great sinners who were indifferent towards God, and religious who were not what they should have been are in the lowest stage of Purgatory. While they are there, the prayers offered up for them are not applied to them. Because they have ignored God during their life, He now in His turn leaves them abandoned in order that they may repair their neglectful and worthless lives. While on earth one truly cannot picture or imagine what God really is, but we (in Purgatory) know and understand Him for what He is, because our souls are freed from all the ties that fettered them and prevented them from realizing the holiness and majesty of God and His great mercy. We are martyrs, consumed as it were by love. An irresistible force draws us towards God who is our center, but at the same time another force thrusts us back to our place of expiation.

We are in the state of being unable to satisfy our longings. Oh, what a suffering that is, but we desire it and there is no murmuring against God here. We desire only what God wants. You on earth, however, cannot possibly understand what we have to endure. I am much relieved as I am no longer in the fire. I have now only the insatiable desire to see God, a suffering cruel enough indeed, but I feel that the end of my exile is at hand and that I am soon to leave this place where I long for God with all my heart. I know it well, I feel more at ease, but I cannot tell you the day or the hour of my release. God alone knows that. It may be that I have still many years of longing for Heaven. Continue to pray; I will repay you later on, though I do pray a great deal for you now.”

Why is it that I pray for you with less fervor than I pray for others and that often I forget to recommend you?

Do not trouble yourself about that. It is a punishment for me.

Even if you prayed more I should not be any the more relieved. God wills it thus. If He wants you to pray more He will inspire you to do so. I repeat again, do not be worried about me. You will never see me in my sufferings. Later on, when your soul is stronger, you will see souls in Purgatory and very awful ones, but let this not frighten you. God will then give you the neces¬sary courage and all that you need to accomplish His holy will.

Is this not a punishment?

No, certainly not, I am here for my relief and for your sanctification. If you would but pay a little more attention to what I say.

That is true but these happenings are so extraordinary that I do not know what to make of them; it is not an ordinary thing to hear you in this way.

I understand well your difficulty and I am aware of your sufferings on this account. However, if God wishes it and it relieves me, you will have pity on me, will you not? When I am released you will see that I will do far more for you than you have ever done for me. I already pray much for you.

Where is Sister --?

In the lowest Purgatory, where she receives no benefit from anyone's prayers. God is often displeased, if one may speak thus, when many religious come to die, because He has called these souls to Himself that they might serve Him faithfully on earth and go straight to Heaven at the moment of death, but because of their infidelity, they have to stay long in Purgatory - far longer than people in the world who have not had so many graces.

1879, Retreat in September. We see St. Michael as we see the angels. He has no body. He comes to get the souls that have finished their purification. It is he who conducts them to Heaven. He is among the Seraphim as Monsignor said. He is the highest angel in Heaven. Our own Guardian Angels come to see us but St. Michael is far more beautiful than they are. As to the Blessed Virgin, we see her in the body. She comes to Purgatory on her feasts and she goes back to Heaven with many souls. While she is with us we do not suffer. St. Michael accompanies her. When he comes alone, we suffer as usual. When I spoke to you of the great and the second Purgatory, it was to try to make you understand that there are different stages in Purgatory. Thus I call that stage of Purgatory “great” or “worst” where the most guilty souls are, and where I stayed for two years without being able to give a sign of the torments I was suffering. The year when you heard me groaning, when I began to speak to you, I was still in the same place.

In the second Purgatory, which is still Purgatory but very different from the first, one suffers a great deal, but less than in the great place of expiation. Then there is a third stage, which is the Purgatory of desire, where there is no fire. The souls who did not desire Heaven ardently enough, who did not love God suf¬ficiently, are there. It is there that I am at this moment. Further, in these three parts of Purgatory, there are many degrees of vari¬ation. Little by little, as the soul becomes purified, her sufferings are changed.

You sometimes say to me that the perfecting of a soul is a long process and you are also astonished that after so many prayers, I am so long deprived of the sight of God. Alas, the perfecting of a soul does not take any less time in Purgatory than upon earth. There are a number of souls, but they are very few, who have only a few venial sins to expiate. These do not stay long in Purgatory. A few well-said prayers, a few sacrifices soon deliver them. But when there are souls like mine - and that is nearly all whose lives have been so empty and who paid little or no attention to their salvation - then their whole life has to be begun over again in this place of expiation. The soul has to perfect itself and love and desire Him, whom it did not love sufficiently on earth. This is the reason why the deliverance of some souls is delayed. God has given me a very great grace in allowing me to ask for prayers. I did not deserve it, but without this I would have remained like most of those here, for years and years more.”

The immense power of the Mass for the souls in Purgatory

Next, from the excellent book “Purgatory –Explained by the Lives and Legends of the Saints” by Father F.X. Schouppe, S.J., Tan Books, 1986 we read the following accounts which highlight the power and importance of offering holy Masses for the departed. The following is a sincere testimony from the person who experienced several visits from a soul in purgatory, and thus she provides a detailed and frank eye-witness account with regard to the facts:

On October 13, 1849, there died at the age of fifty-two, in the parish of Ardoye, in Flanders, a woman named Eugenie Van de Kerckove, whose husband, John Wybo, was a farmer. She was a pious and charitable woman who generously gave to charity in proportionate to her means. She had, to the end of her life, a great devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary, and abstained from meat in her honor on the Friday and Saturday of each week. Although her conduct was not free from certain faults, she otherwise led a exemplary and edifying life.

Eugenie had a servant named Barbara Vennecke, aged twenty-eight, who was known as a virtuous and devoted girl, and who had assisted her mistress in her last sickness, and after Eugenie’s death, she continued to serve her master, John Wybo, the widower of Eugenie.

About three weeks after her death, the deceased appeared to her servant under circumstances which we will now relate. It was in the middle of the night; Barbara slept soundly, when she heard herself called distinctly three times by her name. She awoke with a start, and saw Eugenie before her, sitting on the side of her bed, clad in a working dress, consisting of a skirt and short jacket. At this remarkable sight, Barbara was seized with astonishment. The apparition spoke to her: “Barbara," she said, simply pronouncing her name. “What do you desire, Eugenie?" replied the servant.


Power of the Mass for souls in Purgatory
‘Please take," said the mistress, “the little rake which I often told you to put in its place; stir the heap of sand in the little room; you know to which one I refer. You will find there 500 franks; use it to have Masses said, two francs for each Mass, for my intention, for I am still suffering." “I will do so, Eugenie," replied Barbara, and at the same moment the apparition vanished. After awhile she fell asleep again, and reposed quietly until morning:

On awaking, Barbara thought that maybe it was all just a dream, but yet she had been so deeply impressed, so wide awake, she had seen her old mistress in a form so distinct, so full of life and she had received from her lips such precise directions, that she could not help saying, “This cannot have been a dream. I saw my mistress in person; she presented herself to my eyes and she surely spoke to me. It is no dream, but a reality."

She therefore immediately went and took the rake as directed, stirred the sand, and drew out a purse containing the sum of five hundred francs.

In such strange and extraordinary circumstances the good girl thought it her duty to seek the advice of her pastor before spending the 500 francs on having Masses said, and went to relate to him all that had happened. The venerable Abbe R., then parish priest of Ardoye, replied that the Masses asked by the departed soul absolutely must be celebrated, but, in order to dispose of the sum of money, the consent of the husband, John Wybo, was necessary, since the money was found in his house. The latter willingly consented that the money should be employed for so holy a purpose, and the Masses were celebrated, being given two francs for each Mass.

We call attention to the circumstance of the Mass donations, because it corresponded with the pious cus¬tom of the deceased. The fee for a Mass fixed by the diocese at that time was a franc and a half, but during her lifetime Eugenie-through consideration and charity for the clergy, many of whom were quite poor- always gave two francs for each Mass that she made offerings for. Thus the extra 1/2 a frank Mass offering that she normally made was an act of charity and additional financial support for the priests who celebrated them.

Two months after the first apparition, while Masses were still being said for Eugenie’s intentions, Barbara was again awakened during the night. This time her chamber was illuminated with a bright light, and her mistress appeared before her with a radiant smile, beautiful and fresh in appearance as in the days of her youth, and was dressed in a robe of dazzling whiteness—“Barbara," she said in a clear voice, “I thank you! For I am now delivered from the place of purification.' Saying these words, she disappeared, and the chamber became dark as before.

The servant, amazed at what she had just seen, was full of joy, and she soon spread the remarkable story to everyone about the town . This apparition made the most lively impression upon her mind, and she pre¬serves to this day the most consoling remembrance of it. It is from her that we have these details, through the favor of the venerable Abbe L., who was curate at Ardoye when these facts occurred.

This is but one of the many stories in regards to the power and efficacy of the Holy Mass wherein the Son of God Himself offers Himself upon the altar for the forgiveness of our sins, for it is a fact that of all that we can do in favor of the souls in Purgatory, there is nothing more powerful and precious than the offering of immolation of our Divine Saviour upon the altar. Besides being the express doctrine of the Church as manifested in her Councils, there are many mirac¬ulous facts, properly authenticated, which leave no room for doubt in regard to this point.

In evidence to this we now provide another incident, related by the historian Ferdinand of Castile. From 1324-1327 there was at Cologne two Dominican Religious of distinguished talent, one of whom was Blessed Henry Suso (1295-1366). They shared the same studies, the same kind of life, and above all the same desire for sanctity, which had caused them to form an close friendship.

When they had finished their studies, seeing that they were about to be separated to return each one to his own convent, they agreed and promised one another that the first of the two who should die should be assisted by the other for a whole year by the celebration of two Masses each week--on Monday a Mass of Requiem, as was customary, and on Friday that of the Passion, in so far as the Rubrics would permit. They promised each other that they would do this, gave each other the kiss of peace, and left Cologne.

For several years they both continued to serve God with the most edifying fervor. The priest religious whose name is not mentioned was the first to be called away, and Father Suso received the news with sentiments of resignation to the Divine will. As to the contract they had made, time had caused him to forget it. However, he prayed much for his friend, imposing new penances upon himself and many other good works, but he did not think of offering the Masses which he had promised a number of years previously.

One morning, while meditating in retirement in the chapel, he suddenly saw appear before him the soul of his departed friend, who, regarding him with tenderness, reproached him with having been unfaithful to his word from which he had a perfect right to rely upon with confidence. Blessed Suso, surprised, excused his forgetfulness by relating the many prayers and mortifications which he had offered, and still continued to offer, for his friend, whose salvation was as dear to him as his own.

"Is it possible, my dear brother;' he added, "that so many prayers and good works which I have of¬fered to God do not suffice for you?" "Oh no," dear brother, replied the suffering soul, "these are not yet sufficient. It is the Blood of Jesus Christ that is needed to extinguish the flames by which I am consumed; it is the Holy Sacrifice which will deliver me from these frightful torments. I implore you to keep your word, and refuse me not that which in justice you owe me."

Blessed Suso hastened to respond to the appeal of the suffering soul; he contacted as many priests as possible and urged them to say Masses for his friends intentions and, to repair his fault, he celebrated, and caused to be celebrated, a large number of Masses that very same day. On the following day several priests, at the request of Father Suso, united with him in offering the Holy Sacrifice for the deceased, and he continued his act of charity for several days.

After a short time the priest friend of Suso again appeared to him, but now in a very different condition; his countenance was joyful, and he was surrounded with beautiful light. "Thanks be to you, my dear friend” he said “behold, by the Blood of my Saviour I am delivered from my sufferings. I am now going to Heaven to contemplate Him whom we so often adored together under the Eucharistic veil."

Afterwards, Blessed Suso prostrated himself to ‘thank the God of infinite mercy, because he now understood more than ever the inestimable value of the Mass.’


Eugenie von der Leyen
Modern apparitions to Eugenie von der Leyen (1867-1929)

As to Saints and Blesseds, so far we have shared stories from St Padre Pio and Blessed Henry Suso. But there are many more canonized Saints who have been great helpers of the suffering souls. The most well known and recognized are St John Macias (who was known to have released literally thousands of souls from Purgatory during his holy lifetime), St. Augustine, St. Dom¬inic, St. Francis Xavier, St. Victor, St. Francis of Assisi, St. Nicolas of Tolentino, St. Margaret Mary Alacoque, St. Catherine of Genoa, St. Bernard of Clairvaux, St. Gregory the Great, St. Odilon of Cluny, St. Francesca Romana, St. Bridget of Sweden, St. Ambrose, St. Bonaventure, St. Thomas Aquinas, St. Efraim, St. Peter Damian, St. Francis de Sales, St. Catherine of Genoa, and in modern times the recently canon¬ized saints Gemma Galgani, St. Padre Pio, and St Faustina Kowalska, to name but a few.

Since many of the stories of Purgatory from the above mentioned Saints are well known, the emphasis here is to provide the lesser known and nonetheless fascinating stories from sources and individuals not widely known or read, because in His infinite mercy, history is full of “everyday” persons whom on occasion God has permitted to assist the souls in Purgatory. I will say however that the one notable thing about such occurrences is that seers of souls from Purgatory are often reported to be especially good and pious persons, which is logical, for God permits a soul to appear so that it can be released from Pur¬gatory, or at least, that its suffering be greatly lessened, and a pious, compassionate person is more likely to respond to its requests by the offering of fervent sacrifices, sufferings and prayers which are the means which help the poor souls. In other words, such souls are “saintly” persons, without of course ever becoming canonized Saints.

One such soul is Eugenie von der Leyen (1867-1929) who kept a diary of the appearances of the souls in Purgatory to her. Eugenie was a well educated woman of high German nobility; in fact Eugenie bore the title of princess and lived in the ancestral castle at Waal, Bavaria, Germany. By order of her confessor, she kept diary of her contacts with the poor souls, which after her death was handed over to Bishop Eugenio Pacelli, who later became Pope Pius XII.

The Shepherd named Fritz –From the diary of Eugenie von der Leyen, 1923.

June 11, 1923. At awakening, a long grayish form over me, completely nebulous; I can't say whether man or woman, but unsym¬pathetic; I am very frightened.

June 14. The phantom was already in my room when I wanted to sleep. Then I said my evening-prayer aloud, during which it came very near to me. If it hadn't been for his arms, it rather would seem a walking tree-trunk. It stayed perhaps twenty minutes, then came back at four o'clock.

June 16. It was very bad. It shook my shoulder. That is a horrible moment. I struck him and said: "You may not touch me!" Where¬upon it withdrew in a corner. At my push, I didn't feel a body, it was like a humid, warm towel. I believed I couldn't stand such terror any longer.

June 18. Again this horrible thing; it wanted to clasp my neck. I prayed in fear and took the particle of the Cross [a holy relic she possessed] in my hand. Then it remained with me, staying upright and big before me. It didn't answer questions." then it went out through the door, which it left open.

June 19. I can recognize now that it is a man; he was only there for a short while.

June 21. The horrible man more than an hour during the night, went back and forth continuously. He has disheveled black hair and horrific eyes.

June 22. This man from one o'clock until past five with me, it was very bad. He repeatedly bowed over me and sat down at my bedside. I really wept for fear, then prayed the "hours" so that I didn't need to see him. Then he went again back and forth and moaned horribly. Now it seems to me I must know him, however I cannot find out who it is. I have become very cowardly, for many times it is really a decision for me to go to my room in the evening. Yet ordinarily I am able to fall asleep very well.

June 24. He came back, seized me at my shoulder. I said: "Now tell me what you want and then don't come back."

No answer; he went again through the room a couple of times and then was gone. My rest however was completely destroyed. At six in the morning he came back. In daylight he even looks more horrific, makes a disgusting impression, belongs to the dirtiest category of ghosts who have already come. I said: "Don't disturb me, I want to prepare myself for holy Communion!" Then he drew very near to me and lifted his hands imploringly. I was so sorry for him that I promised him a lot. Then I said: "Can't you speak?" Whereupon he shook his head. "Do you have much to suffer?" Now he moaned terribly. I gave him much holy water" and then he was gone.

June 27. He was there again, in the night. Seems to know me; I racked my brains as to who he might be. He is very unsympathetic.?

June 29. He was again in the room when I went to bed. It could be the murdered shepherd Fritz. I asked him at once, but he didn't react. I prayed with him, during which he fixed his eyes on me so angrily that I was really frightened. I asked him to go and then he went indeed.

June 30. He came very briefly; his moaning waked me up.

July 1. Again, I really believe it is shepherd Fritz. However his face is so black that I have difficulty recognizing him. But figure, nose, and eyes are wholly "he," as I saw him so many times in life.

July 2. He came back, didn't look so terribly wild anymore and stayed not for a long time. I addressed him as "shepherd Fritz," which he apparently found quite natural.

July 3. He came very briefly. I asked: ''Are you the murdered shepherd Fritz?" Then he said distinctly: "Yes!"

July 4. He came to me in the morning, looked sadly at me and went away soon, answered nothing, too.

July 5. Now it struck me that everything about him is clearer. During prayer, he made the Sign of the Cross.

July 6. I am very happy for he can speak now. I asked him: "Why do you always come to me?" He: "Because you have always prayed for me." (That is right, for I had always been sorry for the poor fellow; he always looked so particular, even as a boy.) I: "Then what saved you?" He: "Insight and repentance." I: "Weren't you dead immediately?" He: "No." I: "Will you be released soon?" He: "Not by far." Then I gave him permission to continue coming to me, if it does him well. How remarkable it is, that someone who was so rude in life speaks like that when separated from his body. Now I am not frightened by him anymore, and would like to help him as best I can. How merciful is the good Lord!

July 8. He came very briefly.

July 9. He came at 6:00am and by doing so woke me up. Otherwise I had overslept. I: "Is it so important for you that I go to holy Mass?" He:"That way, you can help me a lot."

July 11. Only came very briefly.

July 12. We prayed together," then I: "Then what do you have to suffer?" He: "I am burning!" Then he came up to me and before I could defend myself, he pressed a finger on my hand. I was frightened so much and it hurt me so much, that I screamed. Now I have a red burn which I hope will heal soon. It is a very strange feeling, to have this visible mark from the other world.

July 24. Shepherd Fritz and the other one came two times in the night, all silent, but [the new one] not very pleasant.

July 29. Nothing special to mention. Now these two are coming every night. The new one looks horrible, while shepherd Fritz becomes ever more bright!!

August 10. Shepherd Fritz drew so near to me again, but looked very friendly. So I said to him, "Don't you have to suffer so much anymore?" He: "No." and I: "Can you pray for me yet?" He: "No." and I: "Where are you then all the time?" He: "In the forlornness." I: "Will you still come often to me?" He: "No." and I: "Why not?" He: "I am not allowed to any more!" and I: "Have I been able to help you?" He: "Yes." Then he was gone….

To close this remarkable account, Father Sebastian Wieser, Eugenie's parish priest and confessor, comments:

“The behavior of this apparition is like the echo of his earthly life. I have known shepherd Fritz well -he was like a "billygoat" in the parish. In him, the greatness of the mercy of God really manifests itself. Rarely did he come to church. He had an only son, who in school became well known for his meanness, falsehood, and deceptions and caused many troubles to his teachers and those in authority over him. When the boy had to be punished at school, the father pulled out all the stops of his indignation over the schoolmaster and priest. I prophesied at that time that someday the father himself would get a beating from this only son!

When this son was seventeen years old and was big and quite strong, he beat his father to death at around midnight .... Nobody knew if Fritz was dead immediately or if he came to for a moment. The latter seems to have been the case. The murderer had knocked him down in the hay-barn and abandoned him to his fate. Only in the morning was the dead man discovered ....On the sixth of July he states that: "…insight and repentance" have saved him from damnation! On the twelfth day of July he says, "I am burning!" and presses a finger on the hand of the princess, which leaves a red burn which I have seen myself.” –Father Sebastian Wieser

Another modern account: St Gemma Galgani obtains the relief of a soul in Purgatory

The final account in this article will go to the webmasters favorite Saint: St Gemma Galgani (1878-1903). It is taken from the excellent book “The Life of St Gemma Galgani” by Venerable Father Germanus Ruoppolo C.P.:

"Gemma knew by Divine inspiration that in the Convent of Passionist Nuns at Corneto [Italy] there was a Religious Sister very dear to God who was near death. She asked me about it, and on my answering that it was so, she at once began to implore of Jesus to make that particular Religious expiate all her faults on her deathbed, so that breathing her last she might enter Paradise at once. Her prayer, at least in part, was heard. The Sister suffered greatly and died in a few months. Gemma told those in her home of it in order that they might pray for the deceased, and she gave her name, Maria Teresa of the Infant Jesus, as she was not known in Lucca. After her death, this soul appeared to her full of sorrow, imploring her help as she was undergoing great torments in Purgatory for certain defects.

Nothing more was needed to set all the fibers of Gemma's heart in motion. From that moment she gave herself no rest: she fervently offered prayers, tears and loving petitions to Our Lord.

"Jesus, save her," she was overheard to exclaim. "Jesus, take Maria Teresa to Paradise without delay. She is a soul that is most dear to Thee. Let me suffer much for her; I want her to be in heaven."

And during this time Gemma writes the following in her Diary:

"It was around 9:30 and I was reading; all of a sudden I am shaken by a hand resting gently on my left shoulder. I turn in fright; I was afraid and tried to call out, but I was held back. I turned and saw a person dressed in white; I recognized it was a woman; I looked and her expression assured me I had nothing to fear: "Gemma," she said after some moments, "do you know me?" I said no, because that was the truth; she responded: "I am Mother Maria Teresa of the Infant Jesus: I thank you so very much for the great concern you have shown me because soon I shall be able to attain my eternal happiness."

The extraordinary mystic, St Gemma Galgani

All this happened while I was awake and fully aware of myself. Then she added: "Continue still, because I still have a few days of suffering." And in so saying she caressed me and then went away. Her countenance, I must say, inspired much confidence in me. From that hour I redoubled my prayers for her soul, so that soon she should reach her objective; but my prayers are too weak; how I wish that for the souls in Purgatory my prayers should have the strength of the saints'."

And the dear victim of expiation suffered without ceasing for sixteen days, at the end of which God was pleased to accept her sacrifice and to release that soul. This is how Gemma herself told me of it:

“Toward half-past one it seemed to me that the Blessed Mother herself came to tell me that the holy hour I was making was drawing to an end. Then almost immediately I thought I saw Sr. Maria Teresa coming toward me clad as a Passionist, accompanied by her Guardian Angel and by Jesus. Oh, how she was changed since the day I first saw her! Smiling, she drew close to me and said: "I am truly happy, and I go to enjoy my Jesus forever." She thanked me again. Then she made sign of bidding me good-bye with her hand, several times, and with Jesus and her Guardian Angel she flew to Heaven. It was about half-past two o'clock in the morning.”

Those interested in the extraordinary life of St Gemma Galgani can visit the webmasters website here.

Theresa Caputo, Long Island Medium -The position of the Catholic Church concerning Mediums, Channelers & Psychics

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Theresa Caputo, from the Long Island Medium TV Show 
Theresa Caputo and the "Long Island Medium" television show -A Catholic perspective

By: Glenn Dallaire

Since I have such a great interest in all that concerns authentic mystical phenomenon (as is evident in this extensive website on the Mystics of the Church) I have been asked on several occasions my thoughts concerning Theresa Caputo and the popular TLC television show "Long Island Medium". While the alleged gifts of psychics or mediums is outside the realm of authentic Christian mysticism and is not within the scope of this website, it is still of interest and concern in that it deals specifically with spiritual realities concerning the afterlife. Also not within the scope of this article is to judge whether Teresa Caputo's alleged gift of being able to talk to the dead is authentic or fake. The Catholic church is full of occasions over the centuries where Saints and departed souls from purgatory have appeared to various mystics of the Church and other countless individuals, so the possibility does in fact exist within accepted Catholic belief that the spirits of the deceased could come and give messages to Theresa.

Concerning the show, I can sincerely state that I have watched with interest the majority of the episodes beginning with season one to the present end of season three, and so in this article I will present firstly (and most importantly) the position of the Catholic church concerning such matters, along with my own thoughts and perspective in light of the Church's teaching.

But first, for those who have not seen any of the episodes, Mrs. Theresa Caputo is a 45 year old Long Island (Hicksville, NY) wife and mother of two children who purports to receive messages from the deceased. She is a practising Catholic with a strong faith who attends Mass weekly, as stated in an interview here.  Even before the show aired for the first time, her appointment schedule was booked for close to 2 years, so her popularity even before the show began airing is evident. Having watched quite a few episodes, I personally find Theresa to be very sincere, and it would be very difficult to argue against the fact that she often makes some astonishingly remarkable statements concerning people and events she could not possibly know of through natural means. 

The position of the Catholic Church concerning mediums, psychics, channelers, clairvoyants etc.

The official Catechism of the Catholic Church is very clear about the position of the Church concerning mediums, psychics etc:

2115 God can reveal the future to his prophets or to other saints. Still, a sound Christian attitude consists in putting oneself confidently into the hands of Providence for whatever concerns the future, and giving up all unhealthy curiosity about it. Improvidence, however, can constitute a lack of responsibility.
2116 All forms of divination are to be rejected: recourse to Satan or demons, conjuring up the dead or other practices falsely supposed to "unveil" the future. Consulting horoscopes, astrology, palm reading, interpretation of omens and lots, the phenomena of clairvoyance, and recourse to mediums all conceal a desire for power over time, history, and, in the last analysis, other human beings, as well as a wish to conciliate hidden powers. They contradict the honor, respect, and loving fear that we owe to God alone.
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Additionally, the book of Deuteronomy in the Old Testament is also quite clear on the matter:

10 There shall not be found among you anyone who burns his son or his daughter as an offering, anyone who practices divination or tells fortunes or interprets omens, or a sorcerer11 or a charmer or a medium or a necromancer or one who inquires of the dead,12 for whoever does these things is an abomination to the Lord  (Deuteronomy 18:10-12)
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And so we can clearly see that God strongly condemns the action of invoking spirits or calling upon the dead. Actively calling upon, conjuring up and evoking the dead or spirits is the sin of necromancy and is strictly forbidden.

The important distinction between authentic prophets, mystics and visionaries versus mediums, channelers and psychics. -The sin of necromancy.

In both the Old and New Testaments of the Holy Scriptures we find that throughout salvation history God has brought forth a large number of prophets and mystics such as Abraham, Moses, Daniel, Jeremiah etc. and this has continued throughout the entire history of the Catholic church to the present day. In fact the Catholic church has canonised countless mystics and visionaries throughout the centuries and many of these Mystic-Saints such as St Francis of Assisi, St Catherine of Siena, St Theresa of Avila etc. are the "crown jewels" of the Catholic church. And so it is that the Catholic church greatly admires the holy prophets and mystics who have been chosen by God to be His spokespersons and the messengers of His holy Word and His desires for humanity. Therefore we can clearly recognise and state that the Catholic church is not adverse to or against authentic mystics, prophets and visionaries.

The Church honors the prophets, mystics and visionaries for their heroic obedience to the will and desires of God. Such persons are the instruments of God's holy will. And reading about such persons throughout history (most particularly in the Old Testament) we find how the prophets, mystics and visionaries are often persecuted and have faced severe condemnations from those about them. In fact Jesus himself points out that the majority of the prophets were put to death by their fellow compatriots. In Matthew 23:37 Jesus says:
"O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing."

And so in light of this we have to be very, very discerning and careful NOT to quickly condemn those who may have been given special gifts or charisms by God. But then what is the difference and the distinction between a authentic mystic or a medium? Firstly, authentic mystics don't normally relate messages from the dead, and certainly not on a daily basis, while mediums on the other hand claim to have this gift or ability, and some like Theresa Caputo often use this alleged gift on a daily basis and often charge a fee for doing so.  

The primary danger with mediums lies in the careful reading of the Scriptural condemnation by God in Deuteronomy quoted above, and also in the careful reading of the statement above from the Catechism of the Catholic Church. What God strictly condemns as the sin of necromancy is the act of conjuring or calling upon the dead or spirits by an individual.

At the same time, in the Chapter on Necromancy, the Catholic Encyclopedia states:
"The Church does not deny that, with a special permission of God, the souls of the departed may appear to the living, and even manifest things unknown to the latter."

Now, if a soul or spirit appears to a person without the person having actively called, channelled or conjured them, then in no way would this be a sin, because the person is not the originator of the action, that is, the person did not of themselves actively seek the experience.


Theresa Caputo on the "David Letterman" show
The possible problem with some of Theresa Caputo's "readings" from a Christian perspective

And so we come to the possible grave problem with some of Theresa Caputo the "Long Island Medium's" readings. It all boils down to the action of invoking or calling upon the dead (or "spirit" as she often calls it). When a person, referred to by Theresa as a "client" comes to her for a session, and Theresa then actively seeks a message for them from their loved one(s)--then this may very well be crossing the line into the grave sin of necromancy because for her part Theresa is then actively seeking to channel the spirits of the dead, and this is what is specifically condemned by God in the Old Testament and in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, as stated above. And what causes even further concern is that Theresa charges money from the person(s) involved for these hour long channeling sessions.  If a person receives a gift or charism from God, the gift should be given to others freely, without charge, however I do think that in such cases it would be permissible to accept free will offerings.

However, at the same time the show often depicts the many occasions where Theresa walks up to a person on the street or in a restaurant etc. and spontaneously begins to relate to this random person a very consoling alleged message from a deceased loved one. In these cases there is no obvious invoking or actively calling upon the dead or spirits, so in these cases it seems to me that there is nothing wrong with such circumstances, as they do not correspond with the sin of necromancy. Additionally in these type of circumstances there is no fee being charged by Theresa.

In other words, what it all comes down to is from what side the "channel" is being actively opened. Again, if a person is calling upon the dead or spirits, then this is the sin of necromancy and is condemned by God in Holy Scriptures. Additionally, when a person receives an authentic gift or charism from God, it should be used and given to others freely, without charge.

Additional concerns from a Catholic point of view
Having watched many of the episodes,  some additional concerns that immediately come to my mind is the fact the the (alleged) departed souls never talk about God or give thanks to Jesus for their own salvation. And also the Catholic dogma and concept of purgatory--that is, the purgation and purification of souls in preparation for heaven--is never mentioned or brought forth by any of the channeled spirits or souls.

And while the departed souls that allegedly come through NEVER mention Jesus, they also never ask for prayers. Additionally, other dogma's of the Church such as the reality of hell, the existence of demons, final judgement and other grave matters concerning the afterlife are also completely absent from the spirits that come through for the persons on the show.

Finally, perhaps one of the most disconcerting things that is missing from the show is the fact that the departed souls never thank of give any glory to God for their salvation, or for His love and His mercy shown to them. All of this makes one wonder then is it likely that a departed soul that is in heaven, or at least bound for heaven, would not wholeheartedly and fervently thank and bless Jesus for its own salvation and for God's infinite love and forgiveness towards him/her? One would think that this would be the primary message that a departed loved one would want to share as an important lesson and encouragement to those living here on earth.

The "Long Island Medium" during a group channelling session
Important comparisons: The souls who appeared to St Padre Pio and Maria Simma
As many are aware, St Padre Pio (1887-1968) was a contemporary mystic and stigmatic who was often visited by heavenly visitors and also the departed souls in purgatory. In fact, for those interested I have written about some of these extraordinary visits here.

Maria Simma (1915-2004) is another contemporary Catholic who was often visited by the departed souls from purgatory. In fact there is an excellent book entitled"Get Us Out Of Here -Maria Simma Speaks With Nicky Eltz" 2002 which consists of a series of interviews with Maria where the subjects of visits from departed souls in probed in depth, especially from a Catholic viewpoint.

In the cases of both of these individuals, the most profound lesson is that although they were often visited by souls of the deceased, they never sought or desired such visits, and they were told that the souls of the departed themselves where given special permission by God to come to them for a specific reason, usually the reason being was to request their prayers and sacrifices, so that the visitors time in purgatory being purified may be lessened.

In fact, during one interview Maria Simma was asked:
"What do you think of the practices of spiritism? For example: calling up the spirits of the departed, Ouija-boards, etc.?

"It is not good. It is always evil. It is the devil who makes the table move.
(-Here Maria is referring to the phenonmenon of the movement of a table when individuals join hands over a table with the hope and intention that spirits may move the table. It is a similar phenomenon to that of the Ouija board where the planchette moves on its own while being held by the participants in Ouija board sessions. --Interestingly, the phenomenon of table moving happened to Theresa Caputo on one of the "Long Island Medium" espisodes. And concerning the strange phenomenon of the table moving Theresa said "See, I have said it before that spirit can do remarkable things". What she didn't seem to understand and recognise was that the phenomena of moving tables is a common occurance when evil spirits are involved. In fact this phenomenon is always attributed to evil spirits and is often seen in house hauntings, ouija board sessions and quite often in cases of demonic possession--see the St Louis possession case of 1949 for example--editor)

"What is the difference between what you are living with the souls of the departed, and the practices of spiritism?

"We are not supposed to summon up the souls - I don't try to get them to come. In spiritism, people try to call them forth.

"This distinction is quite clear, and we must take it very seriously. If  people were only to believe one thing I have said, I would like it to be this: those who engage in spiritism (moving tables and other practices of that kind) think that they are summoning up the souls of the dead. In reality, if there is some response to their call, it is always and without exception Satan and his angels who are answering. People who practice spiritism (diviners, witches, mediums, etc.) are doing something very
dangerous for themselves and for those who come to them for advice. They are up to their necks in lies. It is forbidden, strictly forbidden, to call up the dead. As for me, I have never done so, l do not do so, and I never will do so."



Experiences and sessions with mediums and psychics should be strongly avoided by everyone
One of the obvious reasons why God condemns necromancy is because of the very real and grave danger of a medium or psychic being misled by an evil spirit(s), and thereby also seriously misleading the persons involved. The demons prowl about the world seeking to deceive and ruin souls and neglecting this fact is potentially catastrophic to one's soul. And then too there are of course those psychics and mediums who are complete frauds and who willfully deceive for monetary profit. 

Also, persons who actively seek out messages from the dead through channelling sessions with mediums and those who seek the advice of psychics run the possible risk of sin themselves by patronising and encouraging the act of conjuring of spirits invoked by mediums and psychics, along with also running the very obvious risk of being deceived, even by the most well meaning and sincere medium or psychic, because of the very nature of the sin of necromancy. Therefore, all persons should avoid seeking personal sessions with mediums and psychics.

But then what about the large "group reading" events?
As for myself, the popular group readings that Theresa and other mediums often host don't seem to be so much of a problem and concern as the personal readings, since Theresa is not specifically seeking to channel specific spirit(s). They seem to be similar to the spontaneous "stranger on the street" type of events--the big difference being that the stranger on the street is not being charged for the alleged message, while the participants in the large group events pay a significant ticket fee.

Finally, as to whether it is dangerous for one's soul to simply watch a television show such as "Long Island Medium". Obviously I am not a priest or theologian so I personally cannot answer this question from a authoritative position, but I personally see no harm in watching such shows so long as one views them from the proper christian perspective and understanding, in light of what is presented in the article above. Certainly there are segments of "Long Island Medium" that are very inspirational and edifying, and then too there is without a doubt some entertainment value also, given Theresa's affable personality, and also that of her family who frequently appears on the show. Also, the inspirational subject of life after death is at the center of the show, and over and over again the viewer is presented with strong evidence of the ongoing bond of love and concern that exsists between the living and the deceased, which in itself is very consoling.

In conclusion, while I personally find Mrs. Theresa Caputo to be very kind and loving person who is very sincere in her desire to help others, this does not however mean that she may not be sincerely at fault in the manner in which she uses her alleged gift at times, particularly during personal sessions where specific spirits of the dead (ie- the clients family members and friends) are being sought and channeled, and the person(s) involved are being charged a fee.

I welcome everyones thoughts and perspectives so long as they are charitable and respectful, so please feel free to comment below.

Why does God not answer my prayer?

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Praying

Why does my prayers seemingly go unanswered?

It is a question that many Christians ponder--"Why is God not answering my prayers?"

Firstly it is important to understand that our own will and desires are often quite different than God's will for us. While here on earth we cannot fully see or understand God's will, and so it is that we can often pray for something that is contrary to what God wills for us.

Yet, when we study the lives of the Saints, we can see how God gives us signs to discern His holy Will in our lives. The Saints show us how "man proposes, but God disposes". What this means is that when we unite our prayers with our actions for a specific intention, God will arrange things according to His holy will--whether it be in union with our desires and intentions, or not. In this way He always answers our prayers--just not always in the waywe desire and hope for.

The reason for this? We must first begin by realizing that Jesus always does what is best for our souls, most particularly for the salvation of our souls, and He will not grant any prayer that will harm our souls, or the souls of those whom we pray for.

St Padre Pio once said that "every grace has to be paid for" and what he meant by this is that with great graces comes also great sufferings along with them. And if in our weakness we cannot handle great sacrifices or sufferings, or if great sufferings would draw us away from Jesus instead of closer to Him, then of course He will not grant the great grace(s) that we are asking for, because it is not beneficial for our souls. 

Jesus hears all of our prayers and He arranges things in our lives according to His holy will and what is best for our souls. And looking over our lives, if we are attentive we will see His actions in the small, little everyday things. He opens a door here, and He closes another door there--all for the good of our souls. 


Rarely in our lives will Jesus work extraordinary miracles or give us extraordinary graces, because we cannot handle the extraordinary sufferings or sacrifices that often accompany them. But He is always there alongside us, helping us, encouraging us and watching us, although we do not see Him and often we do not recognize His everyday graces and His action in our daily lives. 

And so this is why in the Gospel of Mark Jesus said: "For what good would it do a man to gain the whole world and yet forfeit his soul?"  If for example Jesus was to answer certain prayers and miraculously cure this person or that person for example, afterwards would the cured person be always grateful and strive with all of his/her heart to become a saint, or would they soon return to their former way of life after having being given such a extraordinary grace? 

And then too, as St Padre Pio once pointed out, such extraordinary graces such as miraculous cures etc. have to be "paid" for, because the majority of souls do not receive such extraordinary graces, so Divine justice normally demands such "payment" when miraculous graces are granted. This is why great miracles often surround the great Saints. Those about them may receive the miracles and extraordinary graces, but it is often the Saint that "pays" for them in great sufferings. Who then among us can handle and benefit from such extraordinary sufferings and sacrifices that would be required to obtain an extraordinary cure for example, all the while drawing closer to Jesus without complaint, and not turning away from Him in their pain and suffering? 

And so given these points, should we still wonder why Jesus does not grant our prayers that ask for extraordinary miracles and graces that often?

So it is that we must accept that Jesus knows and does only what is best for us, and we must trust and love Him for this. And if He seems to not answer our prayers for certain graces that we are asking for, it is because it is not what is best for our souls and our salvation, or the salvation of others that we are praying for.  

The free will that God has given us allows us to freely make choices in our lives, according to the intentions in our hearts.  Each day He sends us many graces, most of which seem very natural and go unnoticed.  Because of our free will, He veils not only His will for us, but also His presence is unseen by us, though He is always very near to us. A child will always on his best behavior when he sees that his parents are watching him. And this is why Jesus normally always hides Himself from us in our lives. He wants to see how we behave in our daily lives when we are not aware of His presence,  because it is then that we show Him what we are TRULY made of by our daily actions, that is, whether we love others out of love for Him, or not. And we must realise that He answers all of our prayers in the manner that is best for our souls and our salvation, according to His will for us. 

-Lord Jesus crucified, have mercy upon us. Most Blessed Virgin Mary, pray for us!

Stories of Hell in the lives of the Saints

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Stories of Hell- How the holy fear of hell has made countless Saints

St Padre Pio (1887-1968) was once asked what he thought of people who did not believe in hell. He wisely replied: “They will very well believe in hell when they get there.”

God wills that we all be united with Him in heaven for all eternity. Yet, in the Gospels, Jesus often spoke of hell and eternal punishment, speaking of a place of “…external darkness where there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” (Matt 8:11-12) and of eternal punishment of those uncompassionate and uncharitable persons placed on His left at the Judgement, stating to them: “Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels.” (Matt 25:41) or again “If your hand or foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter into life maimed or crippled than with two hands or two feet to be thrown into eternal fire. And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter into life with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into fiery Gehenna.” (Matt 18:7-9)---and this is to name just a few of the many occasions Jesus spoke of hell.

Additionally, the teaching of hell is an infallible Dogma of the Catholic church. It is one of the “four last things” —heaven, hell, death and punishment-- which the Church presents to each of us to contemplate upon. In short, both Jesus and His Church have always encouraged a salutary fear of hell. And those who have studied the lives of the Saints and other devout persons have found that the majority of them had a very healthy and beneficial fear of hell that inspired and encouraged them to fight the evil temptations that came their way. Next, we will present a few stories to illustrate this important point, that we too may imitate and emulate them.

Stories of hell and its punishments –The Blessed Virgin Mary saves a soul from going to hell
We will begin with the testimony of Blessed Richard of St Ann- A Franciscan priest who was martyred by being burned at the stake in Nagasaki, Japan in 1622. This celebrated apparition of a damned soul which we are about to relate was attested by Blessed Richard as the primary reason which prompted him to enter the Franciscans. The testimony is related in three works: Adrian Lyroeus documented it in his “Trisagium Marianum, Book III"; Saint Alphonsus Liguori, who also cites the same facts in his “Glories of Mary”, and lastly the same occurrence is related in the authentic documents known as “The Annals of Franciscan Missions, for the years 1866-67.”

While Blessed Richard was living in Brussels in 1604 there were two young students who instead of applying themselves to study, thought only of how to live in pleasure and sin. One night, among others, when they had gone to indulge in sin in a house of prostitution, one of the two left the place after some time, leaving his companion in sin behind him.

Having reached home, he was about to lie down in bed, when he remembered that he had not recited that day the few “Hail Mary’s” which he had the habit of saying every day since childhood in honor of the Holy Virgin. As he was overpowered by sleep, it was very difficult for him to recite the short prayers; however, he made an effort and said them, although without devotion; then he fell fast asleep. Not long afterwards he heard a sudden, a rude knocking at the door; and immediately afterwards he saw before him his companion, disfigured and hideous. "Who are you?" he said to him. "What? Don't you recognise me?" replied the unhappy youth. "But how are you so changed? You look like a devil?" "Oh, take pity upon me, for I am damned!" "How is that?" "Well, know that upon leaving that accursed house a evil person sprang upon me and strangled me. My body has remained in the middle of the street, and my soul is in Hell. Know, moreover, that the same chastisement awaited you, but the Virgin preserved you from it, thanks to your practice of reciting every day the three Hail Mary’s in her honor. And blessed are you if you know how to profit by this information, which the Mother of God gives you through me."

While finishing these words, the damned soul partly opened his garment, allowed the flames and evil spirits that were tormenting him to be seen, and he vanished. Then the young man, sobbing uncontrollably, threw himself on his face on the floor and prayed for a long time, thanking the Holy Virgin Mary, his deliverer. Now, while he was praying in this manner he began reflecting upon what he ought to do next to change his life, and at that moment he heard the Matins bell ring at the Franciscan Monastery.

That very moment he cried out, "So there is where God is calling me to do penance."

Very early the next morning he went to the convent and begged the Father Guardian to receive him. The Father Guardian, who was well aware of his bad life, was not at all interested in accepting him. The young student, shedding a torrent of tears, related to him all that had taken place. The good priest immediately sent two religious to the street indicated, and there they found the corpse of the wretched youth. The young man was soon admitted as a postulant among the Brothers, whom he soon edified by a life completely devoted to penance and reparation.

It was these terrible facts that struck a deep chord of both the holy fear of hell, and the devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary into Blessed Richard himself, so he too immediately consecrated himself entirely to God and the Blessed Virgin Mary in the same Order into which the young student, so wonderfully protected by Mary, had just been received.

A burning handprint from hell -A lifelong reminder
The next incident is from an honorable priest and superior of a religious community. This priest had the particulars of the story from a close relation of the lady to whom it had happened. At the time of the writing, Christmas Day, 1859, this person was still living and was roughly forty years old, therefore no name is mentioned in the recording of this event to protect the persons identity.

The woman concerned in this story was living in London in the winter of 1847-1848. She was a widow, about twenty nine years old, quite rich and worldly. Among the young men who visited her there was young lord of bad conduct who courted her and of whom she eventually committed a variety of sins with.

Late one night she was in bed reading a novel when one o'clock struck on the clock; she blew out her taper and was about to fall asleep when, to her great astonishment, she noticed strange glimmer of light coming from the door of the drawing-room, which spread by degrees into her chamber. Stupefied at first and not knowing what this meant, she began to get alarmed, when she saw the drawing-room door slowly open and the young lord, the partner of her disorders, enter the room. Before she had time to say a single word, he seized her by the left wrist, and with a hissing voice, said to her in English: "There is a Hell!”  The pain she suddenly felt in her arm was so great that she immediately passed out.

When she came to again about a half an hour after she immediately rang for her chambermaid. The latter, on entering, noticed a strong smell of burning. Approaching her mistress who was frantic and could hardly speak she immediately noticed on her wrist a burn so deep that the bone was laid bare, and the flesh almost consumed. Moreover, she remarked that, from the door of the salon to the bed, and returning from the bed to that same door, the carpet bore the imprint of a man's steps, which had burned through the fibers. By the directions of her mistress, she opened the drawing-room door and there she found more tracks on the carpet.

The following day, the unhappy lady learned, with a terror easily imagined, that on that very night, about one o'clock in the morning, her friend the lord had been found dead-drunk under the table, and that his servants had carried him to his room, and that he had died of alcohol poisoning in their arms.

I do not know for certain, added the Priest-Superior, whether that terrible lesson converted the heart of that unfortunate lady, but what I do know is that she is still alive and that, to conceal from sight the traces of her ominous burn, she wears on the left wrist, like a bracelet, a wide gold band, which she does not take off day or night. I repeat it: I have all these details from her near relation, a serious Christian, in whose word I give the fullest belief. She states that this story is never spoken of, even in the family; and that she only confided it to me, suppressing every proper name.

Notwithstanding the anonymity beneath which this apparition has been revealed and must be enveloped, it seems impossible, states a writer, to call into doubt the dreadful authenticity of the details.


'I am damned! And if you do not wish to be like me, leave this place of infamy and return to God.'
Here is a third fact related by the writer Monsignor de Segur in his book “Opuscule on Hell”:

"In the year 1873," he writes, "a few days before the Assumption (August 15), there occurred again one of those apparitions from beyond the grave, which so efficaciously confirms the reality of Hell. It was in Rome. A brothel, opened in that city after the Piedmontese invasion, stood near a police station. One of the unfortunate girls who lived there had been wounded in the hand, and it was found necessary to take her to the hospital of Consolation. Whether her blood, vitiated by bad living, or brought on an infection of the wound, or from an unexpected complication, she nonetheless died suddenly during the night. At the same instant, one of her companions, who was completely ignorant of what had happened at the hospital, began to utter shrieks of despair to the point of awaking the inhabitants of the locality, creating a frenzy among the wretched creatures of the house, and provoking the intervention of the police. The dead girl of the hospital, surrounded by flames, had appeared to her and said: 'I am damned! And if you do not wish to be like me, leave this place of infamy and return to God.'

"Nothing could quell the despair of this girl, who, at daybreak, departed, leaving the whole house plunged in confusion, even more so when the news of the death of her companion at the hospital was made known.

"Just at this period, the mistress of the place, an exalted Garribaldian and known as such by her family and friends, fell sick. She soon sent for a priest to receive the Sacraments. The ecclesiastical authority deputed for this task a worthy prelate, Mgr. Sirolli, the pastor of the parish of Saint-Saviour in Laura. He presented himself and exacted of the sick woman, before all, in presence of many witnesses, the full and entire retraction of her blasphemies against the Sovereign Pontiff and the discontinuance of the sinful trade that she was managing. The unhappy creature did so without hesitating and consented to purge her house, then made her confession and received the Holy Viaticum with great sentiments of repentance and humility.

"Feeling that she was dying, she besought the good pastor with tears not to leave her, frightened as she always was by the apparition of that damned girl. Mgr. Sirolli of course was unable to satisfy her request on account of the public scandal spending the night in such a place would certainly cause, he therefore requested from the police two men who remained until the dying woman had breathed her last.

"Very soon, all Rome became acquainted with the details of these tragic occurrences. As usual in such circumstances, the ungodly and lewd ridiculed them, taking good care not to seek for any additional information about them; however the good profited by them and became more devout and more faithful to their duties.”

To doubt the existence of hell is foolish bravery
In his book on Hell, Father F.X. Schouppe, S.J. relates the following:

“Natural reason confirms the dogma of hell. An atheist was once boasting that he did not believe in hell. Among his hearers, there was a sensible young man, modest, but who thought that he ought to shut the silly speaker's mouth. He put to him a single question: "Sir," he said, "the kings of the earth have prisons to punish their wicked subjects; how can God, the King of the Universe, be without a prison for those who outrage His majesty?" The atheist of course had not a word to answer. The appeal was presented to the light of his own reason, which proclaims that, if kings have prisons, God must likewise have a hell.”

Pascals wager and fire insurance
Additionally there is the well known story of  “Pascal’s wager”. Blaise Pascal was a seventeenth-century French philosopher, mathematician and physicist. Unlike many men of science and knowledge these days, he used his gift of reason to support his faith and belief in God, heaven and hell, and he developed a logical presupposition commonly known as “Pascal’s wager” which states thus:

If one believes in God, yet upon death one discovers that God does not exist, ones loses absolutely nothing in life or in death, whereas if God exists, and one believes in God, one gains everything upon death (eternal reward in heaven).

However, if one disbelieves in God, and finds upon death that God does not exist, one gains nothing in life or in death, whereas if one erroneously disbelieves and shuns God, and upon death finds that God exists, one loses everything (eternal damnation in hell).

In short, Pascals Wager operates under the very logical presupposition that it does not harm one to believe in God and to fear hell. But to not do so, one takes a very grave risk; a risk of potentially devastating consequences for all eternity. We take out fire insurance on our property—would it not be wise to do at least the same for our persons, especially when in this case the insurance costs absolutely nothing, and while in reality such faith in God normally makes one a more caring and compassionate person?

More on Saints and the beneficial fear of Hell
Some Saints and devout souls, like St Teresa of Avila and Sr. Josefa Menendez where taken in spirit to hell. Others like St Gemma Galgani were shown horrible vision of the devil and the demons: Writing to her spiritual director Gemma says: "...Come quickly, Father, or at least make the exorcism from a distance. The devil has pursued me in every possible way. Oh, if you only knew how I have suffered. How pleased he was this night. He seized me by the hair and dragged me about exclaiming, 'Disobedience, disobedience, now there is no more time to begin again. Come, come with me,' and he tried to carry me off to Hell. He tormented me like this for more than four hours, and thus I passed the night."  (More on St Gemma's heroic battles with the demons here)

The three children of Fatima, Blessed Jacinta Marto, Blessed Francisco Marto and Sr. Lucia Dos Santos where shown by the Blessed Virgin Mary a terrifying vision of hell when they were only ages 9 and 10 years old- and this frightening vision completely changed them to their deepest inner spirit. Even though they were but young children, after the vision given them by the Blesssed Virgin, they would not hesitate in the least bit to make great sacrifices to prevent souls from going to hell. Among other things that the Blessed Virgin Mary and the angel of God taught them was this important prayer:
“Oh my Jesus; forgive us our sins. Save us from the fires of hell. Lead all souls into heaven, especially those most in need of Thy mercy”.

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“When I see Jesus weep, my own heart is pierced with sorrow; I think of how by my sins I have added to the oppression in which Jesus suffered in the Garden. At that time Jesus saw all my sins, all my omissions, and He saw the place I should have occupied in Hell, if Thy Heart, oh Jesus, had not granted me forgiveness”–St Gemma Galgani

Extraordinary Mystics of the Catholic Church

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Crucified with Christ -The extraordinary Mystics of the Church

"Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ on behalf of his body, which is the church..." -St Paul to the Colossians- (Colossians 1:24)

This website is devoted to the countless Mystics of the Catholic Church, including the popular Saint mystics, and also those who are not so well known. Some of the mystics presented here have been formally beatified or canonised, and others have not. Some may never be formally raised to the altars. It is not the authors intention to anticipate the judgement of the Catholic Church in presenting the lives of those not yet formally beatified or canonized. For those not canonised, the statements presented herein rest on human authority alone. The author submits wholeheartedly to the infallible wisdom and judgement of the Catholic Church in regards to the persons presented on this website. Please see this important note on judging mystics and private revelations and obedience to the Catholic Church

In 1 Thess. 5:19-22, St. Paul says: "Do not extinguish the Spirit. Do not despise prophecy. Test everything; retain what is good". So essentially Paul encourages us not to despise prophesy, but at the same time he tells us to be cautious and to test the spirits. The extraordinary life of the false mystic Sr. Magdalena of the Cross who was guided by the devil for 50 years is meant to be a warning to everyone of the dangers of false mysticism and phony visionaries.


Blood and Fire -The mystery of suffering and love in the extraordinary lives of the mystics
The central point of Christianity is that Jesus suffered a horrible death on the Cross so that we may be forgiven of our sins. Scripture says- "...Yet it was our infirmities that he bore, our sufferings that he endured, while we thought of him as stricken, as one smitten by God and afflicted. But he was pierced for our offenses, crushed for our sins, Upon him was the chastisement that makes us whole, by his stripes we were healed." (Isaiah. 53:4-5) Thus, Jesus became a victim for our sins, and because of this at the same time a sword of sorrow pierced the heart of His Mother, who suffered in union with Her Divine Son. (cf. Luke 2:34-35).

A Mystic essentially is anyone who actively and willfully seeks a direct relationship and union with God through prayer and devotion. A Mystic need not be one who receives extraordinary mystical graces such as visions, ecstacies or inner locutions. In other words, a mystic need not receive direct communication from God. This website however will explore the extraordinary Mystics who are called by God to a special sacrificial union with Him, and most of the individuals on this website have received extraordinary mystical graces from God to strengthen and guide them in their mission within the Church. By the express Will of God, the Mystics are united with Jesus and Mary in suffering for the conversion of sinners. As victim souls, they are fastened to the Cross in union with Jesus in order to continue our Saviours offering to the Father, in reparation for our sins. In other words, they are coredeemers with Christ and their mission is to lead souls to God. They are the great lovers of God who offer and give of themselves completely to "fill up what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ on behalf of his body, which is the church" (Colossians 1:24). Although the Mystics are often submerged in a sea of pain, as willed by God, they are also at the same time full of love, joy and happiness, ravished by the love of God, in a joyful union with Jesus and His Mother.

And so we have for example the remarkable Saint Gemma Galgani saying to Jesus in a ecstasy of love- "Jesus possesses my heart, and being in possession of Jesus I find that I can smile, even in the midst of so many tears. I feel, yes, I feel that I am happy even in the midst of so many sufferings." Because of their unique participation in the Passion, and consequently their special union with Jesus, the Mystics of the Church are known for their extraordinary expressions of love for God and souls. Often, these accents of love that dart forth from their hearts all on fire for the love of God are captured in their diaries and letters, or in many cases, in their words of love that escape from their lips while in ecstasy, and are carefully noted by those nearby. Such expressions of love are truly a treasure that inspires and inflames the heart of those of us who read them. The expressions of love and devotion that we have from the mystics coupled with the example of their lives of heroic sacrifice, suffering and virtue, form a treasure of the most exquisite spiritual gems and pearls, unique to each mystic, of which we hope to offer on this website. We can learn so much from the lives of the Mystics.

Because of our weak human nature, we naturally shy away from suffering and sacrifice, and the lives of many of the Mystic-victim souls are certainly full of sacrifices and sufferings! But we must not shy away from the Mystics, as they provide us with a treasure of devotion, inspiration and spiritual guidance, showing us first hand how God is to be loved with all ones heart, in all times and seasons, and especially during times of sufferings, trials and sacrifices. In fact, it is the mystic-victim souls in particular who address the "problem" of human suffering. They teach us how to suffer in union with Jesus, offering to Jesus our sufferings and sacrifices, and uniting our sufferings with Him. The Mystics teach us that quite often love and sacrifice go hand in hand, and that even amidst our adversities it is always our union with the Passion of Jesus that gives us strength, peace and joy.

Latest Articles: Hell stories- How the holy fear of Hell has made countless Saints and also Theresa Caputo-"The Long Island Medium" and the position of the Catholic church on psychics and mediums and also Beautiful relic lockets, relic locket rosaries, holy prayer cards etc. now availible in the New St Gemma Gift Store and also Amazing stories from the souls in Purgatory and also Teresa Musco -Mystic & Stigmatic who died at age 33 and also The remarkable stigmatic blood writings (hemography) in the life of Natuzza Evolo and also Medjugorje and the upcoming decision of the Church- A cause for concern? and also The miraculous conversion of prisoner Claude Newman in Mississippi in 1945 through the intercession of the Virgin Mary and also Sister Magdalena of the Cross -The nun who made a 40 year pact with the devil and also The Mystic Voice from the next life- The amazing story of Adam Livingston and also Blessed Elena Aiello, Mystic, Prophet & Stigmatic and also Little Nellie of Holy God -The amazing life of Nellie Organ and also Mary Crushes the Serpent -The Virgin Mary's role in the lives of the Victim Souls and also The miraculous intercession of St Therese of Lisieux in the lives of 5 Mystics and also Centuries old advice on how to get rid of evil spirits and also United with Jesus -Mystics who died at age 33

-Calendar of Feast days & Memorial dates for those highlighted on this website
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Quotes from some of the Mystics on this website:
St Gemma Galgani:"Two sentiments were born in my heart the very first time that I felt and saw Jesus dripping in blood. The first one was to love Him, and to love Him to the point of sacrifice....the other thing that was borne in my heart after seeing Jesus was a great desire to suffer something for Him, seeing how much He had suffered for me!.." -St Gemma Galgani -Click here for more of the great lover of Jesus, St Gemma Galgani
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Therese Neumann: Therese Neumann was once asked how it was possible that she never ate or drank and lived on the Eucharist alone, and she responded “The Saviour can do all things. Did He not say that “my Flesh is real food, and my blood is real drink?”-Click here for more on Therese Neumann
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Gabrielle Bossis:"As you look back over your life, don't you see that My will was always for your good? This is because I love you, and it's the same for everyone, since I love each of you individually. I see you all differently; I see every detail about you, do you understand? My love is not of global love. I need each one of you as though you were the only person in the world, as though the cosmos had been created for you alone, and My love is greater than the cosmos. So let this thought be a strength to you and your smiling calm." -Some of the many words of Jesus to Gabrielle Bossis
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Sister Consolata Betrone:"See Consolata, the enemy will make every effort to shake your blind faith in Me. But you must never forget that I am and love to be always kind and merciful. Understand my heart Consolata; understand my love, and never permit the enemy to gain entrance into your soul, even for an instant, with a thought of a lack of confidence in Me. Believe Me, I am solely and always kind; I am solely an always like a parent to you! So, imitate the children who at every little scratch of the finger, run at once to mother to have it bandaged. You should always do the same and remember that I will always cancel out and repair your imperfections and faults, just as a mother will always bandage the child's finger, whether it is really hurt or only seems so in his imagination. And if the child were to really hurt his arm, or his head, how tenderly and affectionately would he be cared for and bandaged by the mother! Well, I do this very same thing with regard to your soul when you fall, even though I may do so in silence. Do You understand Consolata? Therefore, never, never, never have even a shadow of doubt; a lack of confidence wounds My heart to the quick, and makes Me suffer." -Words of Jesus to the Servant of God, Sr. Consolata Betrone
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Blessed Anna Maria Taigi: "...Among her many spiritual gifts the most remarkable was the sun-globe which appeared ever next to her at for a space of forty-seven years. She had only to focus her thoughts and attention to the matter that she wanted enlightenment on, then turning to look into the sun-globe she would see into the matter in its completeness and fulness in the true light of God. Thus she saw and foresaw events pertaining to specific persons, and worldwide events, both in the present and in the future. Her gaze travelled to the ends of the earth and discovered there people on whom she had never set eyes, reading them to the depth of their souls. One glance sufficed; upon whatever she focused her thoughts, it was revealed to her and her under­standing. She saw the whole world as we see the front of a building. It was the same with nations as with individuals; she saw the cause of their distresses and the remedies that would heal them. By means of this permanent and prodigious miracle, the poor wife of Domenico Taigi became a theologian, a teacher and a prophet. The miracle lasted forty-seven years. Until her death the humble woman was able to read this mysterious sun as an ever-open book and she looked into it solely for the glory of God; that is, when charity suggested or obedience demanded it. Should things for which she had not looked or which she did not understand appear, she re­frained from knowing more or asking explanations.” Click here for more about Blessed Anna Taigi
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Sr. Maria Antonia (Cecy Cony): "Under Angel Wings" is the true story of a Brazilian girl named Cecy Cony (later Sr. Maria Antonia), who was born in 1900 and was led to high sanc­tity under the continual guidance, protection and inspiration of her Guardian Angel, whom she called her "New Friend." Thanks to her autobiography we can follow the extraordinary gift of the visible presence of her guardian Angel who guides her to an intimate relationship with God throughout her childhood and early adult life. Click here for the remarkable story of Sr. Maria Antonia and her guardian Angel
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Marie Rose Ferron: Beginning at age 6, the American mystic and stigmatic Marie-Rose Ferron had already had a vision of Jesus. "I saw Him with a cross," she said, "and He was looking at me with sadness in His eyes." Thus began a most remarkable life filled with an extraordinary love of God--a love lived out in deep sacrifice and suffering in union with Jesus for the conversion of sinners. Rose once asked of her mother and a couple of visitors near the bed: "How is it that I lose so much blood, when I have so little?" Hardly had she uttered this question when she was drawn into ecstasy and began to speak: "Oh! It is Your Blood that gushes from me! As for me, I am nothing, nothing, my Jesus!"-Click here for more of the American mystic Marie Rose Ferron
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Reverend (Pere) Lamy:“...Out in the orchard it was given to me to see Our Lord on the cross. I saw Him while some boys were stealing my pears. I was actually running after them with a rake, saying: ‘I will show you.' Then, suddenly, there He was." “It was in the month of September during the holidays, on a Sunday …I cannot remember the year. I was at the Guild. I had the key and went into the property. I was keeping a watch on the fruit because I used to give it to the children. There was quite a band of thieves there. I lay down in the grass to hide because the grass was very high. As they came near I got up, seized a rake, and ran after them as fast as I could, brandishing the rake and shouting: ' You rascals, you wait!' I raised the rake though I did not intend to injure them. When I reached the wall by the road, there was Our Lord on the cross-about where you are now. The boys were overcome with amazement and so was I. Our Lord did not want me to strike the boys, and so He appeared. I heard them saying: 'Jesus, Jesus is there with the Cure.' No doubt, some of them saw Him, but they kept running all the same. I had had wire-netting put up, and those boys got out above and below the wire-netting, scratching out the earth with their hands like dogs or rabbits." “Our Lord was almost torn asunder. The arms were straight out, at right angles to the body. He had on His Head what looked like a bush of thorns, like a basket upside down. It was a hood of thorns. What an outrage I He had one foot nailed upon the other, I think, but it was His Face I was looking it. To make the crown they must have put several branches together and twisted them, and then hammered them in with cudgel blows. It was a mass of sharp points. He wore grey linen round His loins, knotted at the back, not at the side." “I could almost have touched His Feet, by lifting my hand. It was an apparition willed by Our Lord and not the scene of Calvary. On Calvary the cross was very high, and it was set in the earth and choked with stones. But in the apparition no hole was marked in the ground. The cross appeared near the outer corner of the orchard, facing me, with its back to the street. The boys were running away from me very fast, but after the apparition they ran faster."-Click here for more mystical visions from Rev.(Pere) Lamy
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Servant of God Anne Louise Lateau:"On Friday, April 24, 1868, the first trace of the Stigmata appeared. She noticed that some blood flowed, on that day, from her left side. With her usual reserve she made no mention of it to any one, not even to her mother or sisters. On the next Friday, blood came again, from the same spot, and also from the upper surface of both feet. She now confided the matter to her spiritual director, the “Cure” or Parish priest of Bois d'Haine. The priest, though greatly struck by so extraordinary a phenomenon, wisely and prudently downplayed the event. He tried to restore her peace and tranquility, and told her to say nothing about it. On the third Friday, May 8, blood flowed, during the night, from her left side, and her feet; and towards nine o'clock in the morning, it came also abundantly from the palms and backs of her hands. She passed for the first time, into an Ecstasy, on Friday July 17, in the same year: and two months later, on Friday, September 25, the coronet or crown of bleeding points appeared around her head. All these phenomena, from the time of their first appearance, were repeated on each successive Friday, with little or no interruption: the only exceptions being, that the bleeding coronet was occasionally absent during the first year, and that the other Stigmas failed to bleed on two occasions. From the time that blood began to issue from her hands, the extraordinary condition of Louise could no longer remain a secret. The news spread abroad. Crowds assembled weekly round her mother's house; and the excitement soon became so great that the ecclesiastical authorities felt it their duty to take some action in the matter. It was then that they asked Doctor Lefebvre to institute a thorough scrutiny of the whole case, from a medical point of view. His study commenced on August 13, 1868, and continued for one and a half years. With a view to investigate its character still more closely, Doctor Lefebvre, as he tells us, "installed a microscope" in the cottage of Louise, and examined the blood, at the moment of its escape from the body. In this examination he was assisted by two of his medical colleagues, who were both skilled in medical and microscopical researches, Dr Hairion, Professor of Hygiene, and Dr. Van Kempen, Professor of Anatomy." Click here for more info on Anne Louise Lateau
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Blessed Alexandrina da Costa: "Alexandrina's life of suffering in expiation for sin was now to be challenged by the powers of darkness. From 1934 onwards, she began to be assailed by hideous visions and howling, blasphemous taunts that God had abandoned her, that suicide was the imperative alternative to a life of agonising futility. Whenever Fr Pinho was unable to visit her, he asked Alexandrina to inform him in writing of everything that happened to her. On Sept. 14, 1934 she wrote to him as follows: «Do you want to know what that "black face from Hell" recently beat into my head? Here it is: "Whatever I write to you will be the cause of my condemnation… and that if I do not obey him… the worst will happen." It makes me weep. » Seeing her so afflicted, Our Lord reportedly appeared to her a month later and said, "Whom do you wish to obey, Me and your director — or the devil ?" His words reassured Alexandrina, but the devil returned to the attack. He raved : 'Excommunication, a thousand excommunications if you continue to write to your spiritual director! Already you are burning in Hell. Be converted, unhappy one! Be converted, miserable wretch! It is the affection I have for you that makes me speak in this way. I come now from your Christ who told me to take you, because he can no longer save you. He was distressed by your writings.' The devil added that it was useless for her to pray, that there was no salvation for her, that nobody would be able to help her, that she would be condemned. Alexandrina recalled : 'One moonlit night after prayers I felt a need to sleep, when suddenly into my room came a great darkness... I perceived a black shadow and saw it jump towards me, and it said to me, "I come on behalf of your Christ to carry you to Hell, bed and all." I kissed the crucifix and the voice continued, "You kiss that wicked thing?" He then ordered me to do things that I cannot speak of... It was only when I took holy water that I was left in peace.' She continued: 'Every now and then I see a rapid light. Twice I have seen two very big eyes, wide open, staring at me, but they disappeared quickly. On Sunday, I heard a very sweet voice saying, "My daughter, I come to tell you not to write anything of what you see: your sight is deceiving you. Don't you feel how weak you are? You displease me with this; it is your Jesus who speaks to you, not Satan." I was suspicious and began to kiss the crucifix. The voice became enraged and thundered, "If you continue to write I will destroy your body. Do you think I could not do it?"' In a letter to Fr Pinho dated 14 February 1935, Alexandrina wrote, "The demon wanted me to remove the sacred objects which I wore and the crucifix which I held in my hand. He told me that he had secrets to confide to me, but first I must take off those objects which he hates." All this time her physical sufferings continued and her ecstasies grew more numerous and profound. Click here for more from Blessed Alexandrina da Costa
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Sr. Josefa Menendez: "The world does not know the mercy of My Heart. I intend to enlighten them through you. I want you to be the apostle of My love and mercy." “I would like these [those living with sin] to understand that it is not the fact of being in sin that ought to keep them from Me. They must never think that there is no remedy for them, nor that they have forfeited for ever the love that once was theirs.... No, poor souls, the God who has shed all His Blood for you has no such feelings for you!” “Come all of you to Me and fear not, for I Love you all... I will wash you in My Blood and you shall be made whiter than snow. All of your offences will be submerged in the waters in which I myself shall wash you, nor shall anything whatsoever be able to tear from My Heart its Love for you." Click here for more of Jesus' message of mercy through Sr. Josefa Menendez
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Marthe Robin ...The agony of Christ began for her on Thursday evenings. "He desires to relive in me His Passion up until his last breath and His descent into hell, and even his resurrection, although I remain on the cross so as to continue this life of crucifixion that is His will for me; that He wills for me for His glory and for the redemption of souls all over the world." Fr. Finet more than once told of his pathetic dialogue between them that preceded her entry into the agony of the Passion: "Father, do you know that today is Thursday'?" "Yes, my child." "You know, Father, that this evening ... " "Yes, my child." "Father, I worry I will not be able to bear it." "Yes, yes, my child!" And, little by little, during the course of the day on Thursday, Marthe increasingly felt the pangs of the Passion. She was in combat against the infernal regions unleashed, against the Devil, who beat her head against the furniture near her couch. And Marthe wept tears of blood. Like Christ at Gethsemane, she carried the sins of the world. She was overwhelmed and horrified; she became sin. Sometimes she would say to Fr. Finet, "Do not come near me! I will make you dirty!" She groaned, unable to say any more. For over 50 years (until her holy death in 1981) she offered he life and sufferings in union with Jesus for the conversion of sinners. Let us read these words of Marthe, which summarize well her life of love: “I am Thy prey, oh Jesus, in the Cross and in joy, in cruel trials and in sharpest pain; oh how sweet it is to suffer when it is a sacrifice to Thee! And when one has as one's sun the great fire of Thy heart. I know where love dwells, I have seen the shining of Its flame, And for Thy heaven, oh Jesus, I would gather flowers. Painful torments bloody my soul, but unceasingly I repeat, 'I thank Thee, my Savior." "Oh Virgin Mary, let me each day be more docile, more patient, more simple; unnoticed and forgotten. I do not ask that God bring about in me things that are visible, but only that I be a small, lowly child, sweet and humble of heart." "My Lord and my God, to You I abandon myself. You wish me here, and here I shall remain, with no thought of leaving; if you wish me elsewhere, that is what I too wish. I know, oh Jesus, that always and everywhere You are saving me for yourself. Oh my Jesus, how thy little victim suffers, but how she loves Thee, with as much love as she has received ... oh Jesus, keep me always. I belong to Thee; give me patience and peace in everything."Click here for more of the life of Marthe Robin
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An important consideration regarding mystics and visionaries that have been officially beatified or canonised by the Catholic church is that when the Church beatifies or canonizes a Saint, It is recognizing ONLY THE HEROIC VIRTUES OF THE PERSON. This understanding is absolutely key because the Church makes no pronouncements about the alleged mystical gifts that the person may have received, including spiritual gifts such as alleged heavenly messages, visions, stigmata, prophesies etc. The Church only concerns Herself with the heroic virtues of the person, and therefore leaves the faithful free to judge and discern the persons alleged mystical gifts and graces. With this in mind, when it comes to the extraordinary supernatural mystical gifts that have allegedly been given to many of the Saints and Blesseds on this website, the Church leaves us free to believe or disbelieve them, according to one's own opinion and discernment. This takes nothing away from the fact that the Saint or Blessed concerned had lived a extraordinarily holy life and practiced the divine virtues to a heroic degree, which is exactly what the Church has officially recognized in canonising them, and therefore they are presented to us as a holy example for us to imitate and emulate.

God's Warning for humanity has been delayed; The time of Mercy has been prolonged

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The prophesied world wide warning has thus far been delayed
Beginning with the Marian messages at LaSalette on September 19, 1846 and continuing to this very day, Jesus and the Blessed Virgin Mary have revealed to numerous visionaries and mystics throughout the world an upcoming "Warning" or "Purification" for all of humanity. During this prophesized worldwide Warning-Purification, it is said that each person on earth will have their souls spiritually illuminated in such a way that they will see themselves as God sees them; it will be a personal, private revelation between each person and God. We will see the damage that we have caused our souls and our relationship with God because of the sins that we have committed (most presumably those that have not yet been forgiven through the Sacrament of Confession). Many believe that this Warning will be similar to the “particular” judgment that each person goes through immediately after dying, when each person is shown all of the events and actions in one's life, as in a detailed biography (shown like a movie) of ones life, with special attention paid to our love for God and how we treated others.

We are living in the time of Mercy. The Warning has been delayed, but it is coming…..
Blessed Virgin Mary, our heavenly Mother

“I am prolonging the time of mercy for the sake of sinners. But woe to them if they do not recognize this time of My visitation” [Diary of St. Faustina, # 1160]

Since the prophesies of a worldwide Warning (and afterwards a promised Miracle and also a conditional Chastisement or Punishment) have been occurring for well over a century, some have justifiably wondered in this regard why all these prophecies have not already come to pass, as for example in the messages of Our Lady of Good Success which mentions that some of these events will occur in "the twentieth century," and similarly, the Marian messages to Father Gobbi which also seemed to warn that these events were to occur at the end of the twentieth century. [Message #389]

Yet, while this prophetic Warning and the events following it have not yet occurred, the reader should not think that they are not forthcoming. Thanks to the prayers of the Blessed Virgin Mary and also the prayers and sacrifices of the faithful, the time of the Warning-Purification, Miracle and possible Chastisement have been thus far delayed. To St. Faustina, Jesus stated, "I am prolonging the time of mercy for the sake of sinners. But woe to them if they do not recognize this time of My visitation." [Diary of St. Faustina, # 1160]

In the Blessed Mother’s messages to Fr. Gobbi, She stated “Many times have I intervened in order to set back further and further in time the beginning of the great trial, for the purification of this poor humanity, now possessed and dominated by the Spirits of Evil" (#553)
And again to Fr. Gobbi She reveals:  "... thus I have again succeeded in postponing the time of the chastisement decreed by Divine Justice for a humanity which has become worse than at the time of the flood. (#576).

Concerning the "Warning", what is expected to come will be a natural and/or supernatural event(s) on a worldwide scale, which will affect humanity as a whole, similar in scale for example to Noah and the great flood. And while it can be a natural event, for it to serve a spiritual purpose of converting people and bringing about repentance, it will initially been seen and interpreted by the masses as a event and a sign coming directly from God, and not just an event coming forth from natural causes. However, it had been predicted that soon after the great worldwide Warning, scientists, government agencies and others throughout the world will try to convince the peoples that it was merely a very significant natural event, stemming from natural sources and circumstances. 

The prophesised Chastisement-Punishment is conditional
And it must be remembered also that while the prophesied Warning and Miracle are not conditional, the Chastisement that may follow them is, or at least it may be greatly lessened. We see that while for example the Church approved messages of the Blessed Virgin Mary at Akita have spoken of a chastisement, it is important to make note of the conditional form in which the heavenly message is made: "As I told you, if men do not repent and better themselves, the Father will inflict a terrible punishment on all humanity” [3rd message of the Blessed Virgin Mary at Akita, Japan, October 13, 1973, anniversary of the final visions and miracle of Fatima]. Thus it is important to realize that the prophesied Chastisement or “Punishment” can be mitigated, delayed, lessened or perhaps even all together averted through the sincere repentant prayers of those who experience the Warning and Miracle, and will afterwards repent, pray and make sacrifices and reparation to God during the time afterwards.

In other words, much of what will happen depends upon us, as the Blessed Virgin Mary indicates through Fr. Stefano Gobbi (1930-2011): "These evils can be avoided by you; the dangers can be evaded. The plan of God's justice always can be changed by the force of His merciful love. Also, when I predict chastisements to you, remember that everything, at any moment, may be changed by the power of your prayer, reparation and penance. [January 21, 1984]

We should recall in the Holy Scriptures how Jonah was sent to Nineveh to preach a warning and a message of repentance to the very sinful people of that city, boldly preaching “Forty days and the great city of Nineveh will be destroyed”. To their great credit, together the Ninevites fasted and repented of their sins and “When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil way, God repented of the evil which he had said he would do to them; and he did not carry it out”. [Jonah 3: 1-10]


"God is Love"  [1 John 4:8]
While on the other hand, in fervent prayer Abraham had asked God to spare Sodom and Gomorrah if just ten good persons could be found in the city. God responded by promising "For the sake of the ten just persons I will not destroy it. They were not found, and God then destroyed the two cities that were completely full of wicked persons, after having led Abraham's nephew Lot and his family out of the city. [Genesis 18: 16-33]. The lesson in Scripture is that God’s anger can be lessened or even mitigated by calling upon His infinite mercy through sincere repentance and prayer. So let us repent of our sins, make reparation, and pray that we might endeavor to be among the just people that the Lord is pleased to see upon the earth at this time! And also we should remember that God does everything out of love, because "God is love." [1 John 4:8] Whatever is to happen in the future, we can be sure that God will be arranging everything for the good of humanity and for the salvation of our souls.

To Saint Faustina Kowalska Jesus said: "In the Old Covenant I sent prophets wielding thunderbolts to My people. Today I am sending you with My mercy to the people of the whole world. I do not want to punish suffering mankind, but I desire to heal it, pressing it to My Merciful Heart. I use punishment when they themselves force Me to do so; My hand is reluctant to take hold of the sword of justice. Before the Day of Justice I am sending the Day of Mercy.  [Diary of St Faustina, #1588]

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"I have been able to hold back the chastisement because of the prayers and sufferings of many of my children." (The Blessed Mother to Fr. Stefano Gobbi, December 31, 1977, #142)

"The times will be shortened, because I am Mother of Mercy, and each day I offer, at the throne of Divine Justice, my prayer united to that of the children who are responding to me with a ‘yes', and consecrating themselves to my Immaculate Heart." (The Blessed Mother to Fr. Gobbi, September 29,1995, #553)

The devastating effect of a false psychic reading

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The "Welcome Home" celebration for Amanda Berry
Psychic Sylvia Browne's false prediction concerning the death of missing Ohio teen Amanda Berry led the teens mother into a deep despair and purportedly was a important factor in her early death from heart failure at age 44
Mother dies "of a broken heart"  three years after what has turned out to be a incorrect psychic prophecy 

“She’s not alive, honey. Your daughter’s not the kind who wouldn’t call.” 
-Television psychic and best selling author Sylvia Browne to Amanda Berry's mother

May 8, 2013. The family of one of the three missing Ohio women is rejoicing today over the return of Amanda Berry who went missing on April 21, 2003, the day before her 17th birthday. She was one of three young woman in the locality who went missing during the same week back in 2003, and thankfully all have just been discovered in a home owned by a man named Ariel Castro, who authorities stated had kidnapped the woman and held them hostage in his home for the past 10 years.

Beginning on the day that Amanda went missing, her mother, Louwana Miller, hoped and prayed for her daughters safe return, and along with family and friends she did all that she could to find out what happened to her daughter, speaking with news organisations, posting signs on utility poles, etc.

Renowned psychic Sylvia Browne on the Montel Williams television show
Amanda's mother, Louwana, speaks with psychic Sylvia Browne
However as the days and months passed with no information concerning her daughter, Louwana's efforts became more desperate, eventually leading her to meet with the famed American psychic and best selling author Sylvia Browne on the "Montel Williams" television show in early September 2004, 17 months after Amanda's disappearance.  

Hoping to receive some details concerning the whereabouts of her daughter, the distraught Louwana Berry questioned psychic Sylvia Browne on the show, who replied: "She is not alive honey. You daughter's not the kind who wouldn't call."  Sylvia Browne continued with her revelation stating that her daughter was  “...in heaven, and on the other side.” and that her last words were “Goodbye, mom, I love you.”and she also said that she envisioned Amanda’s jacket in a dumpster "with DNA on it.”

Afterwards, a family friend reported that Sylvia Browne's prophesied death of her daughter "completely devastated" Louwana, and in an interview afterwards with "The Plain Dealer" newspaper, Louwana herself stated "I lost it" and that she "believes 98 percent" in Sylvia Browne's message. “I still don’t want to believe it,"  Louwana said in an interview after the show.“I want to have hope but what else is there?”

Activist Art McKoy who had befriended Louwana Miller during her ordeal said he could tell that the stress and heartache were wearing her down. "The visit with the psychic was the breaking point"McKoy saidFrom that point, Ms. Miller was never the same. I think she had given up.”


"She died of a broken heart"-Cleveland councilwoman Dona Brady
As we can imagine the psychic revelation by Sylvia Browne crushed Louwana's hopes for the safe recovery of her daughter Amanda. Many of those who knew Louwana believe that the message of Sylvia Browne concerning the death of her daughter was perhaps the most significant cause of Louwana's early death on March 2, 2006 from heart failure at age 44,  just over two years after the "reading" given to her by Sylvia Browne. Concerning her early death a friend of the family states: "She was never the same after the psychics message. I think that she had given up hope".

A warning for all
This story is yet another warning for everyone to be very, very skeptical and cautious when it comes to purported messages from psychics. As we can readily see, the completely false revelation in this story came from a very renowned psychic, and it had a devastating effect on the person concerned. As I have warned elsewhere on this website [see article on the Long Island Medium, Teresa Caputo], the Bible strictly forbids psychic-medium readings, fortune telling, conjuring up the dead, and other similar practices--(see Deuteronomy 18:10-12).  Further, in the "Catechism of the Catholic Church ", Catholics are forbidden to engage in such practices [see paragraphs 2115 & 2116].  

While it is a speculation, it is at least reasonable to think that if Sylvia Browne had not stated that her daughter was dead, thereby causing Louwana to lose much hope, it is quite possible to conjecture that  Louwana might have lived to see her daughters joyful release from her kidnapper this past week.  After all, she was only 44 years old when she died in 2006, and today she would have only been 51. Aside from this, the fact remains that today we are faced with the proof of a very grave psychic prediction that has since been revealed to be completely and utterly false, providing for us yet another warning of the grave dangers that can accompany the alleged messages given by psychic mediums.

Cristina Montella -Sister Rita of the Holy Spirit: "The Little Girl of Padre Pio"

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The “Little Girl” Of Padre Pio, Rita Montella
by Cristina Siccardi, Citta Ideale, 2003.
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Translation of selected passages.  [The webmaster would like to gratefully thank Mrs. Angelica Avcikurt for translating from the original Italian the inspiring and informative passages below. May God reward her for her efforts.]

Childhood                                                                                                                              
Cristina Montella was born in Cercola (Naples) on April 3, 1920. Once when she was just two years old, while at her aunt’s house where there was a picture of St Gerard Majella, a redemptorist saint, she saw the picture come to life and ran away scared. Several days later she took courage and came to see the picture again. This time St. Gerard extended his arms towards her, embraced her and told her, “Cristina, you will become a nun.” During her childhood, she continued experiencing mystical phenomena like frequent interaction with the child Jesus, the Virgin Mary and her Guardian Angel. Her heavenly friends told her not to say anything about it. She was also very penitential. She would sleep on the floor with a rock as a pillow. Her father took her out of school when she was in fifth grade because of the fascist government, whose ideology her father was against. After this, she remained home and became active in Parish work teaching Catechism to girls.
Padre Pio and the Stigmata

At the age of fourteen, she meets Padre Pio for the first time the night between the 25th and the 26thof August, 1934.  Padre Pio appeared to her while she was praying. She had never seen him before, so he introduced himself saying, “Cristina, I am Padre Pio,” and started calling her “bambina” (little girl) not because of her age but rather because of her innocence. This is what Father Franco D’Anastasio, a passionist priest, who has dedicated thirty years to gathering information about Sister Rita writes: “On September 14, 1935 (almost a year after the first apparition of Padre Pio) around 2:00 am, the fifteen year old was praying as usual in her bed. Suddenly, Heaven opened up to her. She saw in the forefront, Jesus alive on the Cross, with rays coming out of his wounds. Near him, were the Virgin Mary, St. Joseph and Padre Pio.”Sr. Rita herself remembering this in 1976 says that it was then that she received the stigmata. She recalls that Jesus asked her if she wanted to feel the pain of His wounds and she said yes. At that moment the rays of light from the wounds of Jesus penetrated her hands, feet and side and the wounds started to bleed. The following day, she went to the Shrine of the Madonna dell’Arco to seek advice from a priest. She found a young recently ordained passionist priest named Padre Paolo Guida whom she told what had happened. He told her to go pray in front of the statue of the Virgin Mary and ask her for the grace that Jesus may take away the stigmata. Sister Rita did as she was told. To the astonishment of Padre Paolo and Cristina herself, her prayer was immediately answered and the stigmata disappeared, however, the pain and the wound in her side remained until the end of her life. In one of her mystical encounters with Padre Pio, he told her, “Lucky you, little girl, who has them hidden,” and he kissed her hands and she kissed his.

Since that September 14, 1935, she kept the ‘Holy Hour’, which she called the Holy Hour for priests. During this time, she relived the Passion of the Lord in her body for three hours every night, but she did not suffer alone. Padre Pio joined her mystically every night.
Sister Rita of the Holy Spirit (Cristina Montella)
She frees her father from Purgatory
             
At this time she greatly desired to enter the cloister, but her father was against it. Then on January 10, 1940, her father, Luigi Montella, suffered a stroke and died calling on Our Lady of Mount Carmel. Cristina later said that:“The Lord called my father to Himself because he opposed my vocation to enter the cloister.” She also revealed,“In the days following his death, I prayed intensely for his soul. On the seventh day Jesus granted me the grace of freeing him from Purgatory. He embraced me and kissed me and then went with Jesus to Heaven.”

Cristina enters the convent
On August 10, 1940 she entered cloister of the Augustinian Nuns in Santa Croce sull’ Arno’s (Pisa, Italy) where she remained for fifty one years until her death on November 26, 1992.  She performed different jobs during this time including cook, nurse, sacristan, seamstress, and accountant. At the beginning, Cristina would pray the “Holy Hour” every night around eleven o’clock in the chapel behind the sacristy in order to be near the Blessed Sacrament. Here Padre Pio would meet her and they would pray together with two couples of angels who would hold their arms up. After two or three months of doing this, she decided to hold the “Holy Hour” in her room because it was more private.

Cristina had many extraordinary gifts such as visibly seeing her guardian angel, the gift of prophecy, reading of hearts, and bilocation. She also had the rare gift of accompanying souls into paradise, the souls of those on whose behalf she had suffered the pains of purgatory. During the last years of her life, she nourished herself exclusively on the Eucharist, which often she received directly from the side wound of Jesus.
Cardinal Joseph Mindszenty
Visits to Cardinal Mindszenty in Jail by Bilocation

She often went in bilocation together with Padre Pio to Budapest to comfort Cardinal Mindszenty in jail and to visit other victims of the Soviet government. Both Sister Cherubina Fascia and Father Franco D’Anastasio, a passionist priest who has collected much of the information about the life of Sister Rita in an unpublished manuscript [1], can attest to this fact. The following is from a conversation Fr. Franco had with Sisiter Rita:

"-Is it true that you were present when they condemned the Cardinal? What did you say?
I was there and I said that by doing that they were going to go to hell. One of them told me that he did not care about hell.
-Were you dressed as a nun?
No, I was dressed as a lady from the city.
-Did Padre Pio used to go with you to visit the Cardinal?
Yes, often.
-Where did you get the Sacred Vessels for the celebration of the Mass?
From the sacristy of my monastery.
-What language was spoken?
Different languages. That was not a problem.
-Did you use to take other things to the Cardinal?
Sometimes, I would take him a coffee.
-What if I asked the Cardinal personally to confirm these instances of bilocation?
He would not say anything because he has to keep it a secret."


But there is even more to this: Sister Cherubina Fascia, who was a spiritual daughter of Padre Pio, a devoted friend to Sister Rita and a disciple of Father Teofilo Dal Pozzo who was latter on the spiritual director of Sisiter Rita, was told the following by the Abbess of the convent of Sister Rita, Abbess Matilda:“One day Sister Rita came to my room and told me that Padre Pio had asked her to accompany him to visit Cardinal Mindszenty in jail to take him what he needs to celebrate Mass. I answered that perhaps she wanted my permission!? I also asked her when she had to go and she quickly answered: Tomorrow night. I in turn said to her: Take everything you need and bring it to my room beforehand. When the time comes for you to leave, you will come to my room for the things and then you can go. She did as she was told. In my room, which I had locked, I waited while praying; my heart was beating very fast. At a certain point I heard a knock and I said: Come in. Despite the fact that the door was locked, she entered, took everything she needed from the table and started to leave. While she was leaving, I tried to follow her, since the door to my room was now open. At a certain moment she disappeared in front of my very eyes. Then I went quickly to her room to check if her body was there, and she was lying in bed. Then I returned to my room to find the door locked. I had to use my key to enter and I locked it once more. I continued to pray waiting for Sister Rita to return. After a while she came back in exactly the same way; she knocked, entered through the locked door, returned everything to the table and said goodnight.”

Fr. Teofilo, her spiritual director, in order verify that she was really visiting Cardinal Mindszenty in jail asked her to ask the Cardinal to give her a post card or prayer card to be sent to the Pope. A short time later, when he saw Sister Rita again, she handed him a card with the picture of the Virgin Mary and baby Jesus with a message written in Latin for Pope Pius XII thanking him and asking for his blessing signed by Cardinal Mindszenty and dated May 26, 1949.

At the Monastery of Santa Croce sull’Arno
From the beginning of her novitiate at Santa Croce sull’Arno, Sister Rita had problems. She was very good in the kitchen, in the laundry room, as a nurse and as a tailor. Because of her superior intelligence the Abbess wanted to make her a choir nun, a higher rank than the lay sisters. Some of the nuns were jealous and opposed this decision, so the Abbess decided to transfer Sister Rita to the monastery of Radicondoli in Siena. After a short stay there, Sister Rita returned to Santa Croce because she felt this was the monastery where Jesus wanted her to be. She was readmitted and started her second novitiate here again. Soon afterwards, however, she became very ill at the age of 21; she had bone tuberculosis. This impeded her from doing hard labor and be near the other novices.

On October 1941, a priest named Giuntini came to the monastery and told Sister Rita that if she wanted to take the habit she would have to ask Jesus to heal her. She obeyed and was healed immediately. She was able to make her temporary vows at 9:00am on April 27, 1942 when she was vested with the Augustinian habit and received the religious name “Rita.”. Later on that same day, she experienced the mystical espousal. The following is another interview that Fr. D’Anastasio conducted in the sixties with Sister Rita about this event:
"-When did the mystical espousal with Jesus take place?
It began at 2:00 on April 27 which was the day of my investiture.
-Before that occasion had you done the ‘Holy Hour" with Padre Pio?
Yes, he even came that night.
-Who was present from Heaven?
The same ones I have told you before.
-Are they the Virgin Mary and St, Joseph, Padre Pio, St. Augustine, St. Cristina, St. Clare, Augustinian, St. Catherine of Siena, St. Gabriel of Sorrows, andSt. Gemma Galgani?
Yes. Yes.
-Did you get a wedding ring?
Yes, Jesus put it on me and I on him.
-Did they (the saints) congratulate you?
They gave me a simple hug and extended their wishes for holiness.
-It seems to me that this is about being a ‘crucified’ spouse.
Yes, of course. Otherwise, it would not make sense."

While the espousal was taking place Jesus showed Sister her future spiritual director, Fr. Teofilo dal Pozzo, capuchin. He became her spiritual director five years later. Sister Rita made her final profession on May 23. 1946.

In Mission with Padre Pio during World War II
During World War II Sister Rita often visited soldiers in danger together with Padre Pio. Their visits were “in flight” (by bilocation). One of those assisted was Alfonso Montella, Sister Rita’s brother who was a prisoner in Greece. She told Fr. D’Anastasio: “Alfonso was taken prisoner by the Greeks. During an allied bombing that took place in March 1943, he was hit in the head. We (Padre Pio and her) saw pieces of his brain scattered all over.” When Padre D’Anastasio asked her if she had accompanied her brother to Heaven as she did with her father, she answered, “Yes, the Lord received him in Paradise the same day he died.” She said that she went together with Padre Pio many times to help soldiers in danger and to take humanitarian aid. One time, she says, “We went to a concentration camp in Germany to free and Italian soldier. The guards thought we were spies and shot at us, but the shots did not do anything to us.”

Persecution
Inside the monastery Sister Rita suffered from the persecution of some of sisters that disliked her. They humiliated her and called her “strange” and “hypocrite.” She tried to keep her supernatural life hidden. The former Abbess wrote to the convent of Radicondoli about the situation with Sister Rita telling them that “Here, between you and I, we have a saint among us. And those who dislike her do because she is a reproach to them.” About two of the sisters that mistreated her, Sister Rita said, “Sister Giuseppa and Sister Cristina were good. Unfortunately, without realizing it they were used as instruments of the adversary,” referring to satan. Everything that happened remained within the walls of the monastery, however Jesus told her: “Everyone wants to be seen in order to be praised. My ‘little ball,’ instead, is always hidden. This is why I want everyone to come to know you. The one I will entrust you to (Fr. Teofilo Dal Pozzo) will be the first one to make you known.” Fr. Teofilo who would be her spiritual director from 1947-1962 believed that Sister Rita’s gifts of counsel, prophecy and prayer could help many people and wanted her to meet other religious and lay people; however, in the sixties after he died, her supernatural gifts were kept hidden.

Under Investigation
Jesus told Sister Rita,“Too late will they realize the treasure they have had among them, they will realize only when there is no more time left.” Fr. Teofilo was very impressed with Sister Rita’s spiritual experiences, especially her connection with Padre Pio with whom she relived the Passion of Christ and went in bilocation on missions all over the globe. Thus, he ordered her to write everything down in a dairy. So in the fifteen years as her spiritual director, he read one hundred and five autobiographical notebooks written by Sister Rita. These notebooks were also read by the Abbess Matilde Gazzarrini and a few other trustworthy nuns in the convent. These notebooks are still kept at the Monastery of Santa Croce but are not accessible. Eye witness Sister Maria Grazia Giunti wrote, “The guardian angel would dictate to her. Sitting down, she would stare at him not looking at all at notebook where she was writing very quickly with her pen. When she finished writing, she would not even reread it.”

Fr. Teofilo was convinced of the authenticity of her gifts and wanted to have her examined by others. Padre Pio had already given him a positive opinion of Sister Rita when he spoke to him. He also managed to have Fr. Giovanni da Baggio examine her. Fr. Giovanni put her to a test because he wanted to know if it was true that she met Padre Pio daily in her cell #4.  In 1949 Fr. Giovanni simply asked Sister Rita to give Padre Pio a book that was signed by him. A few months later, Fr. Giovanni went to San Giovanni Rotondo to visit Padre Pio. He had forgotten about the book, but when he was about to leave, Padre Pio with his characteristic sense of humor told him, “Reverend Father, this book is yours, but you should not make jokes like these.”
In the fall of 1949 they started medical and psychiatric evaluations of Sister Rita that would last seven months. The medical exams could not explain the reasons for her conditions such as migraines, vomiting, and insomnia. The psychiatric evaluation also found her to be normal. There is no medical report on the stigmata because except for the wound on her side, they were hidden, and the wound on the side disappeared when she was being examined.

Sister Rita had the mystical gift of inedia or “mystical anorexia” in which she was nourished exclusively on the Eucharist. She could not hold food in her stomach. In the seventies, she was ordered to take some food every day, and she obeyed which represented a great suffering because it would make her sick and she had to throw up. Her guardian angel would wipe her tears and tell her, “Poor daughter. What a penance!” And the Blessed Virgin Mary told her, “This happens to you because your body does not need food any longer.” She did not sleep either and yet was able to continue working in the kitchen and the infirmary.  She also suffered from hyperthermia, another mystical illness in which body temperature reaches a very high fever. She had fevers of up to 52 degrees C.

Sister Eleonora Pieroni, who was appointed by the Abbess of Santa Croce as some sort of secretary in the “Montella Case’’ wrote many letters to the Abbess of Radicondoli describing what was happening to Sister Rita. In a letter sent on July 21, 1950, Sister Eleonora writes, “Have I ever told you Mother Abbess, about Padre Pio? That when it was his feast day(day of his investiture), he ate an ice cream prepared by our Mother (Abbess Gazzarrini) in that cell (Sister Rita’s)? Imagine what condescension! “An ice cream- he said- I eat gladly because you (Sister Rita) and I burn inside. We were both born close to the Vesuvius.” 

The experiments they performed on her only worsened her poor health. In 1949 she was sent for a few days to a clinic in Florence to investigate her “mystical illness.” In another of the letters Sister Eleonora writes: “The other night Padre Pio and the angel came to make her bed, giving a good lesson to our nurses who had forgotten to do this. This morning the priest has brought her Holy Communion after four days of fasting, but actually she had received Holy Communion every morning from her angel or from Jesus Himself. Two trips to Florence for checkups. Think, Mother, what suffering. They had to inject liquid into both of her eyes which made her suffer terribly and not be able to see for a day. This happened because our daughter does not sleep at all and her eyes are exposed many hours to supernatural light, very different from natural light.” This test was done by the doctors who justified it by saying that her pupils were too dilated.

Anecdotes of supernatural interventions
There are accounts that speak of the ‘flights’ with the souls in purgatory and those in heaven. Once she was seen in Naples. The Abbess asked her, “How come?” and she replied “I was taking bread to a child who had not eaten for two days because he was screaming. Oh, how he was screaming! Jesus took me there.”

She had the gift of prophecy and foreseeing some future events. She predicted the earthquake that took place in Ancona on June 13, 1972. Sister Paola Caciari of the Institute of Daughters of the Immaculate Conception had a sister, Giovanna, living in Ancona. Sister Rita told Giovanna to move from Ancona to Bologna specifying that she and her family should be out of Ancona no later than June 13 before the evening. That night there was a great earthquake which damaged the building where Giovanna lived.
Sister Rita also knew that her spiritual director Fr. Teofilo was going to fall into a 12 meter deep ditch as Satan’s revenge for the new vocation that Fr. Teofilo and Sister Rita had obtained for the monastery. The priest was walking down the street after visiting a convent. Sister Rita appeared in bilocation at the moment the priest fell into the ditch injuring his head and his back. He did not die because Sister Rita rescued him. His glasses and the eggs he was carrying did not even get broken. Injured, he was accompanied home by Sister Rita who was invisible. He felt someone was holding him and he also could smell the mystical perfume she emanated. The Mother Superior later asked Sister Rita if it was true that she had helped him and she replied, “See for yourself, my habit is all full of mud.” She also asked God to let her take some of the priest’s suffering after the fall. She obtained her request and suffered for a while until the suffering suddenly disappeared.

Like Padre Pio, her presence was often detected by the smell of violets. Sometimes Fr. Teofilo would ask her to open her hands in front of visitors so that the perfume of violets could get stronger and Sister Rita greatly ashamed obeyed.
Fr. D’Anastasio mentions in his book Sister Rita’s bilocation to Rome on May 13, 1981 in order to help Pope John Paul II the day he was shot. According to a report, Ali Agca declared that at the moment of the shot a nun had diverted its course. The Italian newspaper Il Corriere della Sera on May 8, 1991 published a follow up article stating that the bullet’s path had been diverted; otherwise, the shot should have been lethal. Sister Rita revealed to Fr. D’Anastasio that she had been there together with the Virgin Mary.

Years before this, Sister Rita assisted Padre Pio in bilocation during his last agony on September 23, 1968. She said that at the moment of his passing, the Virgin Mary, St. Francis and St. Clare were there also. She suffered watching the doctors try to resuscitate him and said, “They should have let him die in peace.”
It was known that Padre Pio continued visiting Sister Rita after his death. During the seventies, Fr. D’Anastasio met Fr. Pancrazio Poli, the ex-provincial of the Capuchins of Tuscany. He wanted Sister Rita to ask Padre Pio how come the stigmata had disappeared when he died. This is Sister Rita’s written response dated October 9, 1976: 
                                                                                                                       
“Dear Fr. Pancrazio,
I have asked grandpa Pio why he did not have the stigmata when he died. He responded, “Who wants to know?” I answered, “Fr. Pancrazio.” He smiled and added, “Tell the mystic (this is what both Padre Pio and Sister Rita called this priest) that I myself asked Jesus for that grace.”

On July 21, 1992, Sister Rita bilocated in order to help her seventeen year old nephew Massimiliano Aurino, who was riding a moped and went through a red light crashing into a car. The moped was completely totaled but Massimiliano ended up with just a slight swelling on the face. He saw when his aunt took him in her arms and placed him gently on the ground.
Luisa Falchi sent a letter to Sister Rita to give to Jesus because she was convinced of the holiness of this nun. In the letter, she asked Jesus if Santa Croce sull’Arno would one day become a spiritual center like Assisi and San Giovanni Rotondo. She got her reply on July 8, 1974. Sister Rita told her behind the grill, “The letter was read to Jesus, who was pleased and smiled. He affirmed that Santa Croce sull’Arno will become a second Assisi and a second San Giovanni Rotondo.”

Padre Pio introduces Sister Rita to his spiritual daughter, Renata Adorni, during bilocation.
Renata Adorni has a beautiful testimonial of how she came to meet Sister Rita because of Padre Pio. Renata a spiritual daughter and close friend of Padre Pio, used to take many pilgrims to visit him and helped financially with the construction of Padre Pio’s hospital, “Casa sollievo della sofferenza.” Renata tells the story:

“It was 1954 when I had to go to Bologna to see Dr. Malfatti to receive treatments for facial myalgia. The treatment lasted a few months. The doctor in charge, Giovanni Malfatti was an admirer of Padre Pio. Talking to him, I found out that like me, he was a spiritual child of Padre Pio.
I confided to him that I often went to Padre Pio to ask his advice about the health of patients in the hospital of Parma. In this context, the doctor suggested a shortcut for me to contact Padre Pio.

In order to fulfill his professional duties and avoid unnecessary traveling to San Giovanni Rotondo, he frequently went to a town in Pisa where he visited a charismatic Augustinian nun who was in contact with Padre Pio.
This nun’s name was Sister Rita Montella, and according to him, every night Padre Pio used to visit her in bilocation. They would talk and pray, reciting the Holy Rosary.
The doctor, therefore, encouraged me to present to this nun all the requests I had for the patients so that I could get the response from Padre Pio during the following morning. He even offered to take me by car with his wife to meet this nun.

However, since I was so attached to Padre Pio, I did not want to have recourse to this nun. After two months of Dr. Malfatti’s constant insistence that I meet this nun, I had an incredible an unexpected experience.
One night in my bedroom I was half asleep when I felt a knock on the door. Assuming is was a family member I invited them to enter. Then I saw that the door was already open and that a Capuchin friar, which I recognized as Padre Pio was there together with an unknown nun.

They approached my bed. Padre Pio gave me a great smile while the nun caressed my face. Padre Pio spoke to me first saying: “Renata, I am here to make you meet Sister Rita in person.” I immediately replied, “Oh, Padre Pio, thank you!”
Then Sister Rita looking at me tells me, “Do you want to pray the Rosary with our “grandpa” (Padre Pio)?” I noticed that while she was saying this, she had a beautiful white rosary in her hands.

I, however, responded that I was too sleepy to pray. At that moment the nun looked at Padre Pio and said, “Padre, Renata does not want to say the Rosary.” Padre Pio very sweetly explained to her, “In fact, Sister Rita, good is not only done by staying for a long time on your knees. You should know that Renata has started a beautiful prayer group. With members from this group and other pious women, she goes daily to a hospital in Parma. At noon they help the nurses feed the patients that have returned from the Russian front who are invalid or mutilated because of frostbite and unable to feed themselves. I believe that this work is also a valid prayer.” Sister Rita replied in turn, “Padre, if it is OK with you, it is also fine with me.” To conclude, Padre Pio said, “Then, Sister Rita, should we leave? Let’s say goodbye to Renata.”
Padre Pio came close to me, gave me a few slaps on the cheek and a triple blessing. I kissed his hand. Sister Rita caressed my face as she had done when they came in. They both said “Good rest!” and left closing the door. When they disappeared, I had a vision of a great building that I had never seen before. I looked at the clock and it was around 4:00am.

I should clarify that regarding the nun that came with Padre Pio, I was under the impression that it was St. Rita of Cascia. In order to confirm this, early that morning I went a few Churches in the city to see a few paintings of this saint. But I did not get the confirmation I wanted. I couldn’t find any paintings of St. Rita in the Churches of Parma.
A few days later I went back to see Dr. Malfatti for treatment and I told him about my experience and St. Rita of Cascia. He immediately assured me saying, “It was not St. Rita of Cascia the one who came with Padre Pio. The one Padre Pio brought to you was Sister Rita, the Augustinian nun from Santa Croce sull’Arno, the one whom you had not wanted to meet.” I recall now that I did not want to meet her out of respect to my dear Padre Pio. On that occasion, Dr. Malfatti gave me a presentation letter to take to the Abbess in case I ever wanted to visit that nun.

A few months later I took the train to go visit the nun at Santa Croce sull’Arno.  My first surprise upon entering the monastery was the shape of the building which was exactly what I had seen in my vision. I handed the letter of presentation to the Abbess who welcomed me warmly. Then, I had a private meeting with Sister Rita which was amazing.
Before we started to talk through the grill, it was she who called me by name and told me, “Renata, I know you! I remember that night that I came with Padre Pio…When you go to San Giovanni Rotondo give him my regards.” That was my confirmation.

Padre Pio had also something to say about this. About three weeks later, I went to see Padre Pio in San Giovanni Rotondo because of some urgent business. I took advantage of the occasion to ask him about that dream in which I had seen him with whom I thought had been St. Rita. He answered me very kindly, “Don’t keep saying that you have seen me in a dream. I am not a magician or a fortune teller or something of that sort. You should know that when I go in bilocation, the Lord allows me to take another person with me that might be necessary even for prayer. That is why; it is just by the goodness of the Eternal Father that I go with Sister Rita to those in need of mercy and assistance.”
The next time a saw Padre Pio, just after my confession, I tried to extend the greetings Sister Rita had sent to him. However, in a moment of amnesia (which I had never had before) I could not even remember the simple name “Rita.” I had forgotten her name and her place of residence. Noticing my embarrassment, Padre Pio said, “Sister Rita Montella, Santa Croce sull’Arno, in the province of Pisa.”

Her last years of life and her death
In 1980 Sister was diagnosed with a benign brain tumor. Two years later she fell down the stairs and broke her left arm. From then on her health deteriorated. She had heart trouble, her legs were very weak and she had various pains. She spent most of the 1980’s enduring physical sufferings. She told her nephew, Arcangelo Aurino, that she would not make it to her 50thjubilee of her profession (April 28, 1993). In September 1992 her health took a turn for the worse until the day of her passing, November 26. At 1:00pm the Abbess found her prostrated and suffering and made her have some coffee to which she had a terrible reaction. She vomited so violently that she fell to the floor. When the Abbess returned, she found Sister Rita kneeling while holding on to her bed and with her gaze fixed on a painting of St. Michael. She passed away at 1:30pm on November 26, 1992.

She was originally buried in a cemetery in Florence, but on the tenth anniversary of her death, her remains were transferred to her monastery and placed behind the altar of the Church.
Her motto was: “For Jesus, all we do is too little”

Suor Rita dello Spirito Santo
PRAYER FOR THE INTERCESSION OF SISTER RITA OF THE HOLY SPIRIT:
Oh Lord, our God, You have called Sister Rita of the Holy Spirit to the full realization of her baptismal consecration by dedicating herself completely to You in the contemplative Augustinian life in order to find God and help the Church. You, Oh, Father, have made shine forth through her with the charisms You have given her the face of Christ, making Him visible among men and women of our time. With Your help she has taken on herself the troubles of her brothers by serving Christ suffering in her body and becoming through humble prayer a sign and witness to Your Love. Hear our prayer: deign to glorify her now on earth and through her intercession grant us the grace that we ask with faith. Amen.

Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory Be.

-With ecclesiastical approbation Diocese of St. Miniato

For more information and to report graces received:
Monastero Santa Cristina
Via Viucciola 1
56029 Santa Croce sull’Arno, (PI) Italy
Email: 
info@suorritamontella.it
_____________________________

[1]F. D’Anastasio, Promanuscripto Suor Rita Montella. Monaca Agostiniana.La grande missionaria associata all’azione riparatrice del Beato Pio da Pietralcina, 1999. (Promanuscript Sister Rita Montella. Augustinian Nun.The Great Missionary United to the Work of Reparation of Blessed Pio of Pietralcina.)

Little known stories of St Padre Pio

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Amazing testimonies of the holy life of St Padre Pio-A collection of little known stories from the historical archives of San Giovanni Rotundo

“So it was all just a dream, eh?”
A married couple who couldn't have children began to turn to Padre Pio so he could intercede for them before the Lord. Not long afterwards, the young woman became pregnant and was extremely worried she would lose the child. One night not long before she was due to give birth, she had a comforting dream. She was in the maternity operating room and before the gynecologist came in, she saw a man with a beard standing in a comer of the room. Then she woke up.

A few days later, a baby boy was born and all went perfectly well with no problems.
After a few months, the happy mother started to plan a trip to San Giovanni Rotondo; she wanted to see if Padre Pio-whom they had prayed to- really did resemble the person she had seen in her dream, and if so to thank him. She spoke about her dream to everyone; for her it had become almost an obsession.
Her husband, seeing how fervent she was about the matter, tried to calm her down, and had repeatedly kept saying: "Don't worry, it was all just a dream, just a dream--just a dream nothing else".

At last, they made the trip. When they arrived at San Gio­vanni Rotondo the couple took their place in the cloister where Padre Pio would pass. When after a moment the Saint arrived, he stopped near the husband, looked at him kindly, and then gently patting his shoulder, and with a wide smile said in an ironic and somewhat amused tone: "So, it was all just a dream, eh?".
(Testimony of Anna Baroni from Chiavari, Italy, 8/12/1994)

“See how much glory is being given to God!”
Father Antonio Durante from Monterosso, a capuchin friar also had the chance to observe how Padre Pio read his thoughts on one occasion.

One day while walking with the Pa­dre in front of the friary he noticed that Padre was the object of much affection and devotion from the people. Seeing this, Fr. Durante said to himself: "How can this man resist the temptation of vanity and of feeling pleased with himself'?

He had just finished saying this to himself when the Saint turned towards him, smiled and softly said to him: "See how much glory is being given to God!"."
(Testimony of Fr. Antonio Durante, born August 7, 1912 and died June 11, 1970. Testimony is given in Genoa by Fr. Riccardo Geminiani, capuchin friar, April 20, 1995.)

"So, the spir­itual life seems like climbing glass, eh?"
Father Pasquale Cattaneo also gives us a testimony showing Padre Pio’s ability to read hearts. Fr.Cattaneo had received permission from his superiors to visit San Giovanni and to go to confession to Padre Pio. During his bus trip he prepared himself with a good examination of his conscience so as to be ready to make a sincere confession of his sins. With the help of the Holy Spirit he looked into every comer of his soul, and made new promises of amendment. However as the bus going to the Gargano was on the last part of the journey and the town came into view, he ended his examination perplexed thinking: "The spiritual life at times seems like trying to climb glass."

When he arrived at the friary, he went into the sacristy and told the friar who helped with the confessions that he had come to confess to Padre Pio and afterwards he patiently waited for his turn. When the time came he entered the confessional, greeted Padre Pio and made his confession. After confessing his faults, Padre Pio gave him absolution. He then arose, feeling happy that he had made a sincere confession, when he turned one last time and glanced at the Padre--the Padre smiled at him and with an amused look he wittingly said: "So, the spir­itual life seems like climbing glass, eh?"

Father Pasquale was flabbergasted and couldn’t seem to utter a word, but from then on he was absolutely convinced that Padre Pio was enlightened by the Holy Spirit to guide souls.
Thus it is a very unusual truth that P. Pio could at times perceive what his spiritual children were thinking, even without them giving explanations to him.
(Testimony of Fr. Pasquale Cattaneo, Fiera di Primiero, Italy, July 31,1988)

A remarkable blessing
A woman named Alma De Concini had completely put herself into the Pa­dre's hands to be led to God; here is her testimony:
"Padre Pio was confessing the women and I was in the church at three or four metres from him. That day I definitely would not have had the chance to speak to him, so I spoke to him interiorly, saying: "Father, send me a blessing. I really need one".

I had just finished expressing my wish when I saw the Saint move from the confessional window grate which hid his face; he looked directly at me and then made the sign of the cross. Then he turned back and bowed his head once more to continue confessing."
(Testimony of Alma De Concini, Terzolas, Italy, July 23, 1995)

"Go ahead then and kiss it, before I give you a little smack."
Another woman named Teresa Venezia gives her statement:
“After confession I waited in the cloister corridor to be able to kiss his hand as he passed by. (The faithful always desired to kiss the stigmatized hands of P. Pio, as they considered this a great privilege and blessing –editor). When Padre Pio arrived he did not stop near her, so she was unable to kiss his stigmata. She immediately felt very saddened and deeply lamented about this in her heart. Suddenly, the Saint turned back, walked up to her, held out his hand, and like a father with a light smile he gruffly said: "Go ahead then and kiss it, before I give you a little smack."
 (Testimony of Teresa Venezia, Tolve, Italy, October 19,1986)

"How many times you called out to me!"
Testimonies also show that P. Pio listened to the voice of his spiritual children even when they were far from him.
Father Valentino was a capuchin friar from San Marco in Lamis who was a spiritual son of Padre Pio and was very devoted to him. During the second world war he was in Emilia Romagna while the Gothic line of the German Army was encamped on the Apen­nines, thereby dividing the region in two. Because of this separation, he hadn't heard from his family who lived in Puglia for a long time. So one day he finally decided to try to cross over and head for his family in the South. However, it was of course necessary to cross the military front, and to do so was very, very risky. He knew some people who were fighting against the Germans so he asked them for help and advice about what to do. They indicated a way through the mountains but warned that is was very dangerous. Additionally, it was in the middle of the winter and very cold. There were a few others also who longed to be united with their separated loved ones so together the group set a date. The day arrived and Fr. Valentino said to himself--"It's now or never”.

So together with a few others he set off walking. He prayed to God for the groups safety and in prayer he also sought the intercession and help of Padre Pio. Eventually the group came to a very high place in the mountains where the path was narrow and covered with snow. At this point the path descended down a steep slope. When Fr. Valentino was about halfway down the slope, he placed one of his feet wrong and suddenly started to slide.
"Padre Pio help me; Padre Pio help" he cried as he was sliding down. Suddenly, a bush broke his fall. 

The others helped him back up and he was able to continue his journey and eventually the group crossed the military line safely, without being discovered. When he reached San Marco in Lamis, after resting a few hours, he wished to go to San Giovanni Rotondo to see Padre Pio. As soon as Padre Pio saw him he said: "How many times you called out to me the other night!..how many times!"
The Saint then held him close to his heart and said: "Let us together thank the Lord"
(Testimony of Fr. Valentino from San Marco in Lamis. San Severo, Italy, April 8,1992)

"That night on the roofs!"
The testimony that follows is more on the lighter side and rather funny, even for the person concerned: 
Father Nello Masini, a priest of the Giuseppini of San Le­onardo Murialdo, met Padre Pio in the 1950's and became one of his affectionate spiritual sons, thinking very highly of him. He often went down to San Giovanni Rotondo to stay a while with the Saint.

He tells us that during one summer he went to Veneto to take part in a spiritual retreat with his confreres.
He was quite chubby and well built and when he went to bed he snored extremely loudly. Because of this, his fellow brothers put him in an isolated room at the bottom of a long corridor, far away from everyone, so he wouldn't disturb anyone.

One night poor Father Nello, went out of his room to go to the bathroom and went into the nearby toilet, but closing the door too forcefully he unintentionally fastened the outer latch.
After satisfying his need, he wished to go out, but he realized that he was trapped inside. He started to call for help but no one could hear him.

Losing all hope of being rescued, he climbed on a stool and looking out of the window saw the roof which was facing the rooms. He decided to try this way out, hoping he would find some window open. He squeezed into the little space available to him but his 120 kilos were not of help and he got stuck halfway. Helpless and knowing there was no one around to help him, his thoughts went to Padre Pio whom he called upon in thought and prayer.  

Finally after a short time he suddenly found himself outside on the roof top, without realizing how.
Holding onto the wall carefully and watching each step to avoid falling down into emptiness, he finally reached the windows. The first was closed but the second one—that of the reading room, was opened. Gratefully, he was finally able to go back to his bedroom.

The next morning he awoke thinking "It was a very good thing that Padre Pio helped me last night."
After a few months he returned once more to San Giovanni Rotondo to see and greet the Padre. He found him on the ve­randah praying.

He went towards him to kiss his hand. As soon as he saw him the Saint looked at him, smiled and exclaimed: "Don Nello, Don Nello, that night on the roofs!"
(Testimony given by Carla Riceputi of Spronelli, the priest's niece. Given at Cesena, Italy on November 29, 2001)

"If you cry, I won't come to your house any more" -The miraculous cure of Paolo Nigro.
Paolo Nigro received a degree in Humanities in 1936 and took a second degree in Philosophy in 1940. He considered himself an atheist and his Philosophy thesis was a denial of the existence of God. He later taught in high school, all the  while maintaining his ideas. His wife how­ever was strong in her faith. Because she was an orphan, she had been brought up and educated in a convent run by Car­melite nuns and she had stayed there until she was twenty-two. Together they made their home in Taranto.

When Paolo he was still very full of intellectual vigour and feel­ing quite fit he was suddenly struck by an grave illness. He had a dry pleurisy and in the spring of 1950 it was bringing him close to death; the doctors in fact had declared they could do nothing more for him.

St Padre Pio praying the rosary
One Saturday evening in April at 10pm two men knocked at the door of his house; they introduced themselves: Otello Risaliti was a warrant officer in the Navy and the other was a man named Carlo Lusardi. Since Paolo's wife Maria did not know them, she of course did not want to let them in the house. She was alone with her two children and her seri­ously ill husband. At this time, he was gravely ill and had had a very high temperature of 105°F for two weeks. At times he was delirious, and seemed at death's door.
The two men insisted saying: "Padre Pio has sent us and we have to say the rosary for the man here who is seriously ill".

The poor woman who had never even heard of Padre Pio was unsure what to do. She told the men to wait and went and had a word with her sick husband who having heard that the men spoke of saying the rosary, he gave his permission, and so finally she let them in.

Here it must be said that a few years before, in 1946, Prof. Nigro had slightly changed his opinion as an atheist. He had surprised everyone when he had requested to meet the Archbishop of Taranto, Mons Bernardi, to whom Prof Nigro related a story of how he had had a kind of vision in which he saw Our Lady's profile. After this vision he started to go to Mass, even though he didn't go regularly. We can surmise that this was the reason he let two strangers, who wanted to pray for him to the Blessed Virgin, come into his house.

Santina, Paolo's daughter, who was a child at the time tells us what happened next:
"I can see it as if it were yesterday. The two men, Risaliti in his white uniform and Lusardi, both kneel­ing and together devoutly saying the rosary. However as they were praying, dad was restless and said to mum: "Maria, send that hooded friar at the foot of the bed away". Mum said nothing; she imagined that vision was due to his high temperature".

Before leaving after finishing the rosary, the Padre's spir­itual sons discreetly begged Maria to accept some money: "It is sent by Padre Pio. You will need it next week to pay for your husband's journey from here to San Giovanni Rotondo. The Padre wishes to see him. And the remainder is for the medicines".
About this particular point Santina explains: "It was as if Padre Pio knew we had spent nearly all our money to buy penicillin which was very expensive at the time".

The following Monday, the sick man was much better. His temperature had gone down to normal and the doctors were amazed. His health had improved so much that on Thursday, three days later, at 9.00 in the morning, Risaliti and Lusardi came to collect him and take him by taxi to the Taranto train station, as he ardently desired to meet Padre Pio. In the evening they ar­rived at San Giovanni Rotondo and the three men together took lodgings in a little white house on the right, going up the road leading to the friary.

The next day, Friday, they took him to the sacristy where Padre Pio was confessing thr men. At the end of the confessions, P. Pio came out from the curtain, which hid him from view of onlookers.

"My Dad" said Santina, “immediately recognized in him as ‘the friar who the previous Saturday he had seen at the foot of the bed while the rosary was being said’. My dad immediately went up to him and threw him­self on his knees, crying. The Padre helped him up holding his wrists and said in our dia­lect: "If you cry, I won't come to your house any more".

The next day dad confessed to the Saint, who put him back in God's grace and accepted him as a spiritual son. He immediately became a different person. He went to Mass every day and received Holy Communion.

The Padre continued to be near him in those first steps into a new life. He came [spiritually, thru bilocation] to visit him at home. During his convales­cence dad sometimes said to me: "Santina, Padre Pio is putting his hand on your head".

Afterwards I had often seen him crying because of his past misbelieves. He tried to make up for it by leading people to God and also to Padre Pio.”
(Testimony of Santina Nigro, San Giovanni Rotondo, May 10, 2005) 

"Let that woman pass"  
Mrs Rachele Ricciardi of San Giovanni Rotondo, wished to confess to the Padre. As she had a large family to look after, she had to find a moment when she wasn't busy. Stealing some moments from her many duties and chores she went up to the friary and joined the queue in front of the confessional. It was before there were booked tickets. People were expected naturally to wait their turn in line. However that morning there were many people and it seemed as if her turn would never come. In fact she waited as patiently as she could but eventually her thoughts raced to preparation of lunch and the other jobs she had to do at home. She de­cided to go back home and as she was about to leave Padre Pio moved the confessional curtain and said to the women in the front:
"Let that woman pass". 
And so it was that the busy mother had been given the grace to make her confession.
(Testimony of Rache1e Ricciardi, Campitello Matese, Italy December 26, 1998)
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Testimonies are taken from the book "The Padre: St Pio of Pietrelcina- Testimonies" by Fr. Marcellino Iasenzaniro, Edizioni Padre Pio da Pietrelcina, Our Lady of Grace Capuchin Friary, San Giovanni Rotundo, Italy

A short prayer to become a spiritual child of Padre Pio:
Dear Padre Pio: 
I recall to mind your promise to Jesus: "Lord, I will stand at the gates of heaven until I see that all of my spiritual children have entered". 
Encouraged by your loving promise I ask you to accept me as your spiritual child and to always intercede for me before Jesus and Mary. And as my spiritual father, I ask you to obtain mercy for me from God for all of my sins and be with me throughout my entire life, Amen +


Sister Benigna Consolata Ferrero

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Servant of God Sr. Benigna Consolata Ferrero(1885-1916)

“O my Benigna! Be the Apostle of my love! Cry aloud so that all the world may hear, that I hunger, I thirst, I die to be received by My creatures.”– Our Lord to Sr. Benigna Consolata

(The webmaster would like to gratefully thank Littlestsouls for authoring this wonderful article and offering it for publication here.) 

Her Early Years
Maria Consolata was born in Turin on August 6, 1885, the Feast of the Transfiguration of Our Lord. At Baptism, her pious parents, Signor Sebastiano Ferrero and Signora Carolina Pansa, gave their little one the names Maria, Consolata, Rosalia, Theresa, Philomena, and Gaetano. Like St. Therese of Lisieux and Sr. Maria Consolata Betrone (d. 1946), Maria was a “little soul”. This fact is reflected in her life and in the revelations she received from Our Lord, which can be found in her biography, “The Tendernesses of the Love of Jesus for a Little Soul” (a title suggested by Jesus).

Suffering entered the life of this “little one” at an early age. As an infant, her afflictions grew daily. Her health continued to decline until Signora Ferrero, perceiving this sad turn of events, took her child to the Church of St. Dalmazzo, where she knelt before an altar of Our Lady and invoked the powerful intercession of the Immaculate Virgin for the welfare of her beloved daughter. Not long afterwards, little Maria was restored to full health.

At the age of five, Maria began to attend school by herself. In her second year of school, she was accompanied by her younger sister, Adeline, who, being withdrawn from the maternal caresses of her mother could not hold back her tears. Only Maria Consolata was able to console her. This fact seems to prefigure the later years in Maria’s life, as Our Lord would call her, His “Benjamin”, to console His aching Heart, which is so wounded by the ingratitude and coldness of sinners.

Three years later, Maria’s mother placed her children in a boarding-school of the Sisters of St. Joseph. In the words of the Reverend Antonio Piccinelli (Maria’s chaplain in later years), little Maria “imbibed their spirit so abundantly” that her “virile and punctilious” nature was completely transformed by grace. She “overcame her natural tendencies so far, even while in the family circle, as to effect a total and visible change in her temperament.” Furthermore, she “manifested an eagerness to please others without any regard to the sacrifice it might entail upon such a disposition as hers.”

From an early age, Maria exhibited clear signs of a great love for God. She was always willing to help her neighbour, and while she was indulgent with others, always seeking to excuse their faults, she never let herself become attached to the complements that she received.

Maria’s great pleasure as a child was to spend time with Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament. On one occasion, her family passed their summer holiday in the country-side, far from any Catholic Church. During this time, Maria had to content herself with frequent acts of spiritual communion, which Our Lord would later encourage, with the words: “I am in the Sacrament of My love for My creatures, and they make so little account of it! O do thou at least, My Benigna, make as many spiritual communions as possible to supply for the Sacramental Communions which are not made. One every quarter of an hour is not enough. Make them shorter, but more numerous. If a wife saw her spouse dying of hunger, she would go from door to door to beg for Him. My Benigna, seek to draw souls to receive Me in Holy Communion.”

The Stirrings of a Vocation
In one of her early manuscripts, Maria writes, "One day, my soul felt sweetly attracted and I heard the voice of my God; it was so sweet that I scarcely dared to make a movement for fear of hearing it no longer, and while listening I wept with emotion. Jesus told me that He would give Himself to me, that He would be to me as a mother to a child, and that He would furnish me occasions of suffering for Him." Though these words were penned at the age of seventeen, it is possible that Maria heard Our Lord’s call prior to this time.

While still living in the world, Our Lord manifested to Maria His will that she live as though she were already in the convent. He revealed to her his insatiable thirst for souls, and promised to grant her a great thirst for the conversion of sinners. Maria expressed the desires of her heart in the following words: “O Jesus, do with me all that Thou wilt; I place in Thee all my confidence and I abandon myself to Thy loving cares; henceforth I wish to serve Thee in peace, joy and love, as Thou Thyself hast taught me; but let me implore Thee to grant me the grace of knowing Thee that I may love Thee with all my heart, and of knowing myself that I may humble myself profoundly." Our Lord responded graciously to Maria’s firm resolution to become a saint. He said to her: "Thou hast taken the resolution to become holy: this is well and thou must not fail; but it is not to an ordinary sanctity thou art called; thou must aim at the most sublime perfection."

Maria certainly reached a sublime degree of sanctity, but not without the cross. Maria Consolata suffered particular torments at the thought of having consented to sin. Her conscience was very delicate and at times she succumbed to scruples; however, her resolute desire to please God- a desire that He alone implanted in her soul- ensured her victory over the Devil, of whom Our Lord said, “The infernal enemy conquers religious souls more easily by discouragement than by any other temptation.” To these words, Jesus adjoined a spiritual counsel that will be appreciated particularly by those tried by temptations to discouragement: “He (the Devil) is overcome by unlimited confidence in Jesus; the more frequent the falls, the more should confidence grow in the divine Mercy.” “Our miseries entitle us to God’s mercy”, says Bl. Dom Columba Marmion.
“Involuntary imperfections cannot displease Me, unless the soul loves them”, said Our Lord to Sr. Benigna; “I love men so much! Yes, they have too narrow an idea of the goodness of God, of His mercy, of His love for His creatures. They measure God by creatures, and God has no limits; His goodness is without bounds.” Surely these words should encourage us to confide in God’s mercy. We can rest assured that a firm resolution to love God, combined with a humble gratitude and trust in His mercy, will keep us firmly fixed on the path to eternal life. Our Lord confirmed this to Sr. Benigna on March 15, 1905: “Knowest thou the shortest way to arrive at Heaven? It is that of confidence in My merits and fidelity to grace.” Furthermore, Our Lord imparted a valuable lesson regarding the necessity, excellence and means of growing in humility: “There is no way that conducts more directly, more securely, more swiftly, and more sweetly to God than humility. But it is the humility studied in the Gospel, humility learned in My life, humility profoundly taught in the Holy Eucharist. If thou seek humility in these three sources, thou wilt ever find it… When there is humility, I give; when I find more, I give more…”

Like many Saints and victim souls, Sr. Benigna was chosen, not because of her strength or virtue, but because of her weakness and misery: “I have chosen thee because thou art wretched and miserable, in order that thou mayst attribute nothing to thyself and know that all good comes from God.” None need ever fear to approach Our Merciful Saviour, Who has said: “Even sinners can love Me and become saints” (revelation to Bl. Alexandrina). On September 12, 1915, Jesus dictated the “Decalogue of Mercy” to Sr. Benigna, which contain perhaps some of the most tender and encouraging words ever recorded: “(8) The more evil the state to which the soul is reduced by the sins of the past, by her disorders and passions, so much the more pleased is Love to have so much to accomplish in her. (9) Souls the most miserable, the most weak, the most infirm, are the best clients of Love, the most desired by the divine Mercy. (10) These souls, thus become, as it were, the predilette [favourite] of God, will, like so many living monuments, exalt and magnify the multitude of His mercies, sending up to God the reflections of living light, His own light, which they have received from Him during their mortal life- the multitude of kindnesses God has made use of to conduct them to eternal salvation. These souls will shine like previous gems, and will form the crown of the Divine Mercy.”

Sr. Benigna Consolata knew well her own misery; the “Decalogue of Humility” helped to ensure that; but this did not halt her on the path to God. Her love was too great to settle for anything less than constant sacrifice and perfect fidelity to God’s grace, which is the essence of sanctity. She possessed an insatiable desire to be united to Jesus in Holy Communion, and ultimately in Heaven. How consoling and joyous, then, must have been the sublime occasion on which Our Lord spoke thus to Sr. Benigna: “Thou art the Apostle of My Love; but when thy body shall be under the earth, and thy soul in Heaven like a little atom in My Heart for all eternity.” This is one of many intimate colloquies that occurred between Sr. Benigna and her divine Spouse, Who frequently addressed her as “My Nigna”, “Nigna of gold”, “My joy”, “My lily”, “My queen”, “My Benjamin”, and “the apple of My eye”.

Maria Consolata, the seraphic spouse of Our Lord, had a heart aflame for God and for souls. In relation to her vow to love God with her whole heart, Our Lord assured Maria: “Thou doest this already, but I wish to oblige thee to do it ever more and more perfectly… I want thee to lend Me thy mind, thy life, thy faculties, which are My gifts, that thou mayst become wholly the instrument of My mercy. The desire of seeing My Adorable Heart ever more known and loved ought to move thee to receive this mission with docility. Accept it, then, through the love thou hast for My Sacred Heart.”

On October 23, 1903, Our Lord sent Maria, who was then 18 years of age, to address a discouraged stranger with the following words: “Have confidence, Jesus loves you.” Maria overcame her “embarrassment”, having never before seen this particular person. Maria would write that “the enemy… was trying to cause the loss of this soul by distrust.” Jesus would frequently encourage Maria to intercede for sinners, for whom she suffered, like Our Savior, with such constant and intense love.

To add to her sufferings, Maria’s brother, John, fell ill. She tenderly nursed him, so that he would say to her: “O you are more necessary to me than food!" John’s health continued to decline until the day he received the Last Sacraments and died peacefully in his sister’s arms. Later, while in the Monastery, Maria would reflect on these events with a humble gratitude, acknowledging the wise designs of providence: “Our Lord wished to detach me from everything, that I might be His alone. In taking away from me that brother so beloved, He began to dig in my heart a void which He alone could fill."

On one occasion, while she was suffering great desolation, Jesus consoled her thus: “Know that in those painful moments in which it seems as if the demon is about to tear thee from my Heart, thou art more closely united to Me by the strong bonds of love. Art thou not the happy prey of Love? How canst thou be afraid of the demon when the Almighty is with thee? I am the cuirass of thy soul; then fear not the blows destined for thee; a soldier fears not the snares of the enemy when he knows he is powerfully defended. And what I say to thee is not for thyself alone, but also for so many souls who are in the same state. I repeat it; I wish thee to make known to souls what I teach thee; CONFIDENCE IS THE KEY THAT OPENS THE TREASURES OF MY MERCY.”

On September 11, 1915, Our Lord dictated to his “Apostle of Mercy” the “Decalogue of Confidence.” The most beautiful doctrines are expressed through this Decalogue; for example, “(6) This God of love wishes to be to me a brother, friend and consoler. (7) This God of love carries His tenderness so far as to wish to be my physician, my medicine, and more than all, my spouse. (8) This God of love wishes to be despoiled of His gifts, as a tree is stripped of its fruits, which in no wise complains, but rather produces more fruit. The tree must wait another year, but I produce fruit at once. (9) This God of love seeks only miseries to consume, imperfections to destroy, weak wills to fortify, and good resolutions to strengthen.”

The confidence that Maria Consolata possessed was extraordinary. In her writings we find these words: “Jesus compares my soul to a ball, which when thrown violently to the ground, rises much higher than its point of departure; so my soul humbled by aridity rises again, by the grace of God, to the practice of pure love. He constantly predicts to me new sufferings, and does not fear to frighten me, assuring me that Crosses are most precious caresses which He reserves for privileged souls. He shows me the state of victim as a sublime state. At another time I heard from my Beloved a dolorous plaint. He revealed to me the sorrow of His Heart at being robbed of the love which is due to Him, while souls are making so bad a use of it everywhere. He compared Himself to a beggar who sees food thrown away and spoiled right before his eyes, food which would prevent him from dying of starvation."

Maria Consolata is called to the Order of the Visitation
In order to fulfil the designs of Providence, Maria was beckoned by Our Lord to “enter into the Order of the Visitation”, of which He said: “The Monastery will be the pulpit in which thou shalt make Me known. Having no need of strength, I shall lean upon thy weakness. I use the ignorant to confound the strong." Maria’s parents conducted their daughter to the Monastery of Pozzo Strada; the answer was not favourable, but in March of 1906, she was accepted by the Sisters of Pignerol. The biography of Sr. Benigna Consolata elaborates on this event: “Now it happened that while the venerated Mother of Pignerol was still in a state of indecision, our young Postulant was taken with a slight indisposition. This was at once made a pretext to restore her to her family; thus painful explanations were avoided; and her relatives were overjoyed at the final determination. Maria obeyed without a word. But who could reveal her martyrdom? Her heart was crushed. She repressed silently her bitter tears. Was this blessed Cloister, the object of her sighs, to be forever closed against her? Yet had not Jesus told her a thousand times He wished her to be a Visitandine? The fear of illusion, of having deceived herself and others, returned to torture her; and the enemy on his side tormented her incessantly, laying snares upon snares for her.”

What relief must Maria must have felt when Our Lord communicated to her interiorly His desire that she enter the Visitation of Como, which she was unaware existed. Again, we read in her biography: “Such were the ways of Providence over this soul, and the hidden and admirable designs by means of which Jesus introduced her into the "place of her repose." The Most Honored Mother Maria Louisa Sobrero, whom our dear Turin with incomparable kindness had lent us, was then Superior. She knew the Ferrero family and held them in high esteem. Having made inquiries at Pignerol as to the dismissal of Maria Consolata from that Monastery, and having been apprized that the only obstacle to her admission was the extraordinary way by which she seemed to be led, Mother Maria Louisa hastened to open her arms and her heart to the dear aspirant.”

“Maria Consolata arrived among us on December 30, 1907, accompanied by her venerable father and her dear aunt; she was then twenty-two years old. Matured, purified by suffering, enriched by the virtues she had so long practiced in the shadow of the Cross, she seemed already formed to the religious life.”

As a religious, Maria took the name Sister Benigna Consolata. She spent eleven months as a Postulant, before making her profession of the simple vows on November 23, 1909. On November, 1912, Sr. Benigna Consolata made her solemn profession. What incomparable joy must have been hers on this special day. In the words of a fellow Sister, when speaking of her Beloved Spouse, Sr. Benigna’s eyes “appeared beautiful and luminous; one could read in them the virginal purity of her soul and the divine love which devoured her.” Furthermore, “she always spoke sweetly, peacefully”, and she only spoke after having consulted Our Lord.

Although she was a model religious, Jesus, in order to preserve her humility, granted a special grace whereby others would perceive only her involuntary imperfections and defects. The Mother Superior made it known to several of the Sisters that it caused her suffering when she was required to give a reprimand; however, “when there was question of Sister Benigna Consolata, He gave her a special grace, for she humbled her severely and fearlessly.”

Knowing her misery, Sr. Benigna possessed “not only a real contempt for herself, but she desired that everyone else should despise her.” Speaking of such a humble disposition, which can in no way be compared with despondency or self-loathing, Our Lord said: "My Benigna, the purity of love consists in the perfection of sacrifice; and there is no sacrifice which pleases me so much as that of one's honor and reputation. When a soul has attained to the love of contempt in order that God may be glorified in her, I look upon her with so much love that if she could see Me she would die of joy.”

Combined with her profound humility was perfect obedience. Her fidelity to the Rule was a source of edification to her fellow Religious. “One day”, recalls a Sister of the Novitiate, “having gone with my Sister Benigna Consolata to the garden to gather the dry leaves, I observed that since there were so few, it would be a loss of time to carry them to the place assigned; but she answered with her ordinary sweetness: ‘My Sister, our Mother desires we should carry them there; we ought to obey although we had to pick up only a single leaf.’ I was greatly edified, and I saw that until then I had not understood obedience.”

On another occasion, Sr. Benigna Consolata and the other Sisters were asked by the Mother Superior to find a turtle that had been presented as a gift to the Monastery. After a brief period, all of the Sisters but Sr. Benigna Consolata discontinued their search. "My Jesus," she said, “obedience works miracles; help me to do our Mother's will." Her humble obedience was rewarded by God: she soon returned with the turtle. No sacrifice was too insignificant for Sr. Benigna.

The life of Sr. Benigna was marked with heroic sacrifice. Not only was she ever attentive and docile to the inspirations of the Holy Spirit, but she furnished every moment with mortification, so as to arrive more speedily at that “sublime perfection” which Our Lord had called her to. “Act in such a way”, said Jesus, “that wherever the body can find relief, it may meet, on the contrary, only constraint and suffering; refuse it even the least pleasure."

Speaking of her sufferings, Sr. Benigna said: “I am sometimes so oppressed with sorrow, so troubled through the fear of not corresponding with God's grace, that I can scarcely trust in His goodness- It is principally in prayer that my sufferings are augmented: while there I ought not and wish not to be mindful of aught but God; but alas! all sorts of thoughts present themselves to my mind. The demon, delighted, takes hold of the occasion to torment me. Overwhelmed, I am tempted to leave off prayer through dread of making it badly; but I do not yield, and continue in spite of suffering. If I could tell my sufferings to someone it seems to me I should be relieved; but God alone knows these interior pains. When I would manifest my state to my Director, I have so slight a remembrance of it that I cannot find terms to express myself; for these are spiritual sufferings that at times I myself cannot comprehend.''

Although this dear spouse of Jesus suffered greatly, she was encouraged frequently by Our Lord, Who assured her that her sufferings would not go unrewarded: “Cast a glance upon Jesus on the Cross, and thou wilt see thy program of mortification. Spiritual consolations will be thy recompense.” These words are reminiscent of the words that Jesus addressed to Ven. Concepcion Cabrera de Armida:“Penance is a great virtue… and receives in Heaven a most sublime recompense.”

One can imagine with what confidence Sr. Benigna, when afflicted by untold sufferings and temptations, must have hastened to find refuge in the Sacred Heart of her Beloved, Which ever seeks to comfort and bless His dear creatures: "Thou canst not imagine, O my spouse, the pleasure I experience in remaining with My creatures! I am always in search of hearts that love Me, and I find only a small number. I lavish upon them the plenitude of My graces; I have so great a love for the souls who are faithful to Me and let Me do what I please with them, that I am as ready to gratify them as if it were a law to Me." Such tender words are addressed to all souls: “I have immense treasures of grace for all: and whoever comes to Me shall be overwhelmed with them… I love men so much! … I love poor sinners so much! … Write, My Benigna, that all may know this: It is certain that a hundred sins offend Me more than one alone; but if this single sin is distrust of Me, it wounds My Heart more than the hundred others, because distrust wounds My Heart to Its innermost core.” 

Jesus often complained to Sr. Benigna of the unfathomable sorrow of His Sacred Heart.   “Behold”, said Jesus; “I beg the love of My creatures, who refuse it to Me and squander it upon things which pass away. They do not even think of giving it to Me- if thou knewest, Maria, how painful it is to love so much and not to be loved! I do not grow weary, I am always seeking love and no one gives it to me; not only they will not love Me, but they hate Me. Dost thou know what hinders Me from striking sinners? It is the prayers of the just; they disarm My divine Justice.”

If Our Lord complained of His sufferings, He also begged for the love of souls, including those who wound Him most. Even the most shameful sinners should be inspired with confidence in God’s mercy after reading the tender revelations given to Sr. Benigna Consolata. Jesus continually made known to her that He yearns to save even the most sordid sinners. He invites all sinners to bathe their souls in His Precious Blood, which was shed for our salvation: "Provided I find good will in a soul, I am never weary of looking upon its miseries- My love is fed by consuming miseries; the soul that brings Me the most, if the heart is contrite and humble, is the one that pleases Me most, because she gives Me an opportunity of exercising more fully My office of Saviour. But what I wish particularly to say to thee, My Benigna, is that the soul ought never to be afraid of God, because God is all-merciful; the greatest pleasure of the Sacred Heart of thy Jesus is to lead to His Father numerous sinners; they are My glory and My jewels… Sins may be enormous and numerous; but provided that the soul returns to Me, I am always ready to pardon all, to forget all.”

Her Final Conflict and Entrance into Eternal Life
Towards the end of 1916, Sr. Benigna was invited by Jesus to enter into solitude, in preparation for her death. "Ask permission of thy Mother," He said, "to withdraw into solitude from the eve of the 20th of June to July 2 inclusively… Twelve days are not too much to prepare thee for death."She returned from this treat with a glowing countenance, but this happiness was to be followed by great trials.

On the 28th of August, Sr. Benigna was plunged into an ocean of sadness. At about four o’clock in the afternoon, a great interior struggle commenced. Her countenance was transformed from one of great serenity into one of immense agitation. She was frequently heard to repeat, “I am lost”, and other terrible words that reveal the extent of her interior martyrdom. The Monsignor was called on to administer the holy exorcisms, which successfully drove Satan away from his victim. As midnight drew near, Sr. Benigna Consolata’s usual, sweet appearance returned. Her Confessor consoled her, instructing her to consider herself, at such painful moments, as “the prisoner of the Heart of Jesus”. Joyously, she exclaimed: “Benigna, prisoner of Jesus!”

On Friday the 1st of September, 1916, Sr. Benigna Consolata received the Holy Viaticum for the last time, after which her health continued to decline, though without affecting her consciousness, which she preserved. Her biography describes the touching account of her passing into eternal life as follows: “Frequently with great fervor she murmured the sacred names of Jesus and Mary. Toward half past one she recited with pain, but intelligibly, the act of contrition. At half past two our Confessor entered to renew the holy Absolution and recite the prayers for the Recommendation of the Departing Soul- At three o'clock, while she rested peacefully in the arms of our Mother, Sister Benigna Consolata opened her eyes suddenly, appeared to fix them on a distant and luminous point, and expired sweetly. The Confidant of Jesus had gone to be united to the Heart of her God!”

"I will send you treasures of happiness from Heaven." – Sr. Benigna Consolata

Words of Sr. Benigna Consolata
“If souls knew what it means to suffer, and suffer for God, not a soul would be found who would not be willing to suffer for Him.”
'O my Mother, how I suffer! but I am happy."

“I weep because I see Jesus, who is doing Himself violence to make me suffer; He is forced to it, having chosen me for a victim; but it costs Him to hide from me His love."

“My Jesus, one would say that Thou canst not live without me. What is it that attracts Thee to my soul? Then hast Thou not the Angels? Dost Thou not find Thy happiness in Thyself?" "My Benigna," He answered, "it is true, all this is true; but it is also true that I have a human Heart, and that I love Men I have told thee this already, but I tell thee again that thou mayst write it, my little Secretary of Love; then I will cause it to be read, that souls may believe in My excessive love; men are my brothers."

"The enemy tried to tempt me to pride by making me out a saint: I complained to Jesus, who told me to answer him: ‘With the aid of my God I will be one, because of a sinner He can make a great saint."

"He said to me in a sweet, sad tone: ‘My Benigna, give me souls!’ The plaintive words of my Adorable Master moved me profoundly. ‘How shall I give Thee souls, my Jesus?’ ‘By sacrifices’, He responded.” (June 13, 1915, the Feast of the Sacred Heart)

Words of Our Lord to Sr. Benigna Consolata
“The attraction of the most sweet Heart of Jesus is to console those who suffer, to compassionate the miseries of His poor creatures, and ever to show them mercy. It will be thy mission to console the infinite love of God, which seeks solace from its little creature.”

“Let all thy actions bear the impress of Reparation and thou wilt console My Heart.”

“Finally, to attain more speedily to perfection, she should have God alone in view in all things, His glory, His good pleasure; doing this, she will always be at peace.”

''Maria, no longer go begging the love of creatures; were they to give themselves entirely to thee thou wouldst not be satisfied. God alone can suffice for thee. Maria, thou hast need of a heart which loves thee, which understands thee; it is the Heart of God thou needest. Speak to Me as thou wouldst to an earthly friend, to whom one tells everything. I know thee, I share thy sufferings, I offer Myself to be thy Model and on this thou must carefully form thyself.”

crament. On one occasion, when Benigna, the more a soul humbles herself, the more she approaches to Me."

"I wish thee to be faithfully faithful, my Benigna. A little act of fidelity may be the principle of great graces. Exact observance is, as it were, a perpetual Communion for the faithful soul; for with each point of the Rule well observed, she receives an increase of grace; and when the soul receives an increase of grace, I communicate Myself to her."

"My Benigna, if souls had more faith, they would live on mortification as they live on bread, whereas they fly it as they would the plague."

"Benigna, few souls walk with a rapid step in the way of love, because there are very few who enter generously into the way of sacrifice. If one is constant in sacrifice, she is constant in love: if she falters in sacrifice, she falters in love.”

“When I permit temptation, it is not through cruelty, but to give the soul an opportunity of merit.”

“What is here written in My Heart? Love Me! If thou lovest Me, thou wilt repair; if thou repairest, thou wilt console Me; and then thou wilt be a faithful spouse: Love, Reparation, Consolation, Fidelity.”

"Nigna of gold, goodnight, adieu!"

Some Comparisons between Sr. Benigna Consolata’s Revelations and those of other Victim Souls
The inspiring revelations given to Sr. Benigna Consolata share much in common with the spirituality of St. Faustina, Sr. Josefa Menendez, Bl. Dina Belanger, Sr. Consolata Betrone, St. Therese of Lisieux, and other holy “little souls.” Our Lord frequently manifested to Sr. Benigna Consolata the tender mercy of His Sacred Heart- especially towards little souls, of whom He said: “The little ones are my weakness.” To each of the aforementioned individuals, God has entrusted the message of His merciful love. The following themes are common to each of these holy women: confidence in the mercy of God, knowledge of our misery, childlike simplicity and humility, and the value of love, which transforms even the most trivial acts into something sublime.
Here are but a few examples of the similarities between Sr. Benigna Consolata’s writings and those of the aforementioned saints and mystics:
1. + “Thou art the Apostle of My Love.” (Jesus to Sr. Benigna Consolata)
+ “Apostle of My mercy.” (Jesus to St. Faustina)
+ “Apostle of Love.” (Jesus to Bl. Dina Belanger)
+ “Apostle of My love.” (Jesus to Sr. Josefa Menendez)

2. + “Thou shalt make thy Purgatory in the flames of My pure love-" (Jesus to Sr. Benigna, July 14, 1903)
+ “… the Fire of Love is more sanctifying than is the fire of Purgatory.” (St. Therese)

3. + “Even the single little prayer, ‘I trust in Thee’, ravishes My Heart, because Faith, Love and Humility are comprised in this short prayer.” (Jesus to Sr. Benigna Consolata)
+ “Jesus, I trust in You!” (Words repeated throughout Sr. Consolata Betrone’s diary)
+ “Jesus, I trust in You!” (Prayer dictated by Our Lord to St. Faustina)
+ "How easy it is to please Jesus, to ravish His Heart. We have merely to love Him, while, at the same time, forgetting ourselves." (St. Therese)

4. + “To exercise Justice is for Me to go against the current; it does violence to Me.” (Jesus to Sr. Benigna)
+ “If only you knew how I suffer when I must dispense justice. You see, My Heart needs to be comforted; It wishes to dispense mercy, not justice!” (Jesus to Sr. Consolata Betrone)
+ “I do not want to punish aching mankind, but I desire to heal it, pressing it to My Merciful Heart. I use punishment when they themselves force Me to do so; My hand is reluctant to take hold of the sword of justice.” (Jesus to St. Faustina)

5. "Little things are little things, but fidelity in little things is a great thing." (Sr. Benigna Consolata)
+ "Little things done out of love are those that charm the Heart of Christ.” (St. Therese)
+ "Great love can change small things into great ones, and it is only love which lends value to our actions." (St. Faustina)
+ “The smallest act, if done out of love, acquires such merit that it gives Me immense consolation.” (Jesus to Sr. Josefa Menendez)

6. + “One act of love alone will repair a thousand blasphemies.” (Jesus to Sr. Benigna Consolata)
+ “One ‘Jesus, Mary! I love You! Save souls!’ repairs a thousand blasphemies!” (Jesus to Sr. Consolata Betrone)

7. + “Souls are not saved if nothing is done for them. I died on the Cross to save them—I ask of thee no great thing—only a word withheld, a look repressed, a pleasant thought banished, in a word all that restrains and mortifies nature. These little things, united to My infinite merits, acquire a great value.” (Jesus to Sr. Benigna Consolata)
+ “One faithful soul can repair and obtain mercy for many ungrateful ones… Every soul can be instrumental in this sublime work [saving souls]… Nothing great is required, the smallest acts suffice: a step taken, a straw picked up, a glance restrained, a service rendered, a cordial smile… all these offered to Love are in reality of great profit to souls and draw down floods of grace on them.” (Jesus to Sr. Josefa Menendez)
+ “If only you knew how many souls can be saved by those little acts!” (Our Lady to Sr. Josefa Menendez)
+ “To pick up a pin for Love can convert a soul. It is Jesus alone who can give such value to our actions. Let us then love Him with all our heart.” (St. Therese)

8. + “As the fire is fed with combustibles, and increases according as they are supplied, so My mercy is nourished with the miseries it consumes, and the more it receives the more it increases.” (Jesus to Sr. Benigna Consolata)
+ “There is no misery that could be a match for My mercy, neither will misery exhaust it, because as it is being granted- it increases.” (Jesus to St. Faustina)

Many more comparisons could be made, but these few are sufficient to give us some idea of the importance of this message for mankind. Jesus wants each of us to love and console Him. To do this we must remain little, have great confidence in His mercy, and have a firm resolution to become holy. To do this, we may profit by keeping in mind the words dictated by Our Lord to Sr. Benigna in the “Decalogue of Confidence”: “(1) I have a God who is all mine. (2) This God, all mine, is my Father. (3)This God, all mine, wishes that I should be all His forever. (4)This God of love came down from Heaven to earth on purpose to seek me. (5) This God of love asks me for my heart… (10) This God of love goes in search of those whom the world despises, abhors and abandons, that is, of poor sinners; and after having converted them through the delicacies of His charity and the attractions of His mercy, if He meets with the correspondence He seeks, He makes them masterpieces of holiness.” At another time, Our Lord said: And why should you become a saint except to please your Jesus ever more and more.”
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Prayer written by the Servant of God Sr. Benigna Consolata Ferrero:
O' Jesus, True Charity and God of Love, Goodness without limits: I, a miserable sinner, in order to honor Thy incomparable mercy, offer, give and abandon myself forever to the love of Thy most amiable and tender Heart. 

Maria Simma & the visits from the souls in Purgatory

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Maria Simma (1915-2004)
Visits from the Holy Souls in Purgatory –The life of the Austrian Mystic, Maria Simma (1915-2004)
By: Glenn Dallaire
[Primary sources for this article are “The Amazing Secrets of the Souls in Purgatory -an interview with Maria Simma” written by Sister Emmanuel Maillard and also the book “Get Us Out Of Here- Maria Simma speaks with Nicky Eltz” by Nicky Eltz, The Medjugorje Web, 2002.]

Maria Simma was born on February 2, 1915 in Sonntag, Austria. She was the second of eight children.  Her mother and father were poor peasant farmers and the family lived a “hand to mouth” existence.  They were humble Catholic country folk who possessed a simple yet very devout faith in God. At around age 7, Maria began felt a strong call to help others, either through prayer and sacrifice in the religious life as a nun, or as a lay missionary.  With this in mind around this time she told her mother that she would never marry. Her mother replied “Well, we will see when you are age 20”. And to this Maria replied “It is firm inside of me- either I will enter the convent or I will work somewhere else in the world where I can be of help to others.”

However, at age 8 she fell very sick with pleurisy and pneumonia and this damaged and weakened her health for many years afterwards. Yet the call and desire to serve God by helping others continued to grow throughout her formative teenage years and by age 17 she received permission from her parents and the religious superiors to enter ‘The Sacred Heart of Jesus’  convent in Hall (Tyrol), Austria.  But after less than a year the mother superior informed her that she was too weak and sickly for the rigors of religious life in their particular convent, and thus she obligated to leave.    

Still determined that she was to be a nun she requested admittance to the Dominicans in Thalbach, Austria, but after only 8 days the mother superior informed her that she was too weak for life in their convent, so she was again obligated to leave. Soon afterwards for a 3rd time she once again sought admission to be a nun—this time with the Franciscans in Gossau, Switzerland—these were mission Sisters and she thought that perhaps this was were God was calling her. But again such was not God’s will and after a short time the Mistress of candidates told her that unfortunately she was too weak for the rigors of missionary work and with this last refusal she realized that God did not want her as a nun, but that her apostolate was to be a unmarried layperson living “in the world” amongst her fellow countrymen.  She spent much of her days doing housework and sewing, helping around the farm and surrounding farms, and watching neighbors children.  Most of all she lived each moment in a spirit of love, prayer and devotion to God and her neighbor, living out her Catholic faith to the best of her ability. And it should be noted that at a young age her mother had taught her to pray frequently for the poor souls in purgatory so this too was something that was a part of her life since childhood.

Visits from the suffering Souls in Purgatory
In 1940 came the first visit from a Holy Soul (a departed soul from Purgatory)  –Maria was age 25. The holy soul--a man-- appeared to her in a vision one night. He was pacing back and forth in her bedroom at the foot of her bed.  Confused, she called out to him and said “Who are you?” but she received no reply.  Then she hopped out of bed and tried to grasp him saying “How did you get in here? Go away”, he gave no response and as she reached out to touch him he disappeared. However, as soon as she got back into bed he reappeared, pacing back and forth once again. She wondered how is it that she could readily see this man, but not speak to or touch him. She thought to herself, “Well, so long as he does not come near me” and she remained watching him and after awhile he disappeared and she remained awake pondering the meaning of what happened.

The next day she immediately went to see her parish priest, Fr. Alfons Matt, to tell him all that had happened. After I explained everything to him he said “it could be a poor soul from Purgatory.  If such a thing should ever happen again, do not say “Who are you?” but say “What is it that you need from me?”     
The next night the man suddenly appeared again, once again pacing back and forth. This time Maria immediately asked “What is it that you need from me?” The man suddenly stopped, turned towards her and replied “Please have three holy Masses said for my intentions and then I will be delivered.”  And then he immediately disappeared and Maria said “It was then that I knew that he was a poor soul.” The next day she once again told her parish priest, Fr. Alfons Matt,  what had happened and the three requested masses were said.  The good priest also told her to always seek to do whatever she can to help the souls that might come to her.

Soon more souls from purgatory would come asking for her prayers and sacrifices, and thus began a lifetime apostolate for the holy souls.  Over the next few years, only 2 or 3 poor souls came to her each year, but as time went on, more and more were coming to her seeking her assistance through prayers and sacrifices.
From the onset however it must be noted that Maria never sought visits from the souls in purgatory—she never called upon them or “channeled” them in any way. They always came to her without any seeking on her part.  In fact the holy souls have told her that it is God in His great mercy who gives them permission to come to her to obtain sacrifices and prayers that their time in purgatory might be lessened. 

In fact, during an interview by Sr. Emmanuel she was asked the following:
-What is the difference between what you are living with the souls of the departed, and the practices of spiritism (by mediums/psychics etc):?

"We are not supposed to summon up the souls - I don't try to get them to come. In spiritism, people try to call them forth. This distinction is quite clear, and we must take it very seriously. If  people were only to believe one thing I have said, I would like it to be this: those who engage in spiritism (calling forth the dead, moving tables and other practices of that kind) think that they are summoning up the souls of the dead. In reality, if there is some response to their call, it is always and without exception Satan and his angels who are answering. People who practice spiritism (diviners, witches, mediums, etc.) are doing something very dangerous for themselves and for those who come to them for advice. They are up to their necks in lies. It is forbidden, strictly forbidden, to call up the dead. As for me, I have never done so, l do not do so, and I never will do so."

Some important things that the holy souls have taught her over the years:
The holy souls have repeatedly told her that the greatest help for them that they can obtain from those here on earth is the offering of holy Mass. Next to the Mass, the holy Rosary and the Stations of the Cross are very beneficial to them.  Any sacrifice we make--even the smallest ones-- offered specifically for them have a great value in the eyes of God, and greatly lessen their sufferings and time in purgatory.  The poor souls have told her that even the smallest prayer or sacrifice is like giving a cool glass of water to a parched sojourner travelling in the driest desert.  

They normally appear to her in their normal clothes, that is, the ones that they most often wore during their lifetime, and they often have the appearance of one earnestly begging and desiring help.  Sometimes they appear somewhat distraught but this presumably is to elicit compassion on the part of Maria.  They normally appear to her looking as they did in the prime of their life, however children and teenagers always appear as they did right before their deaths.  And while there are indeed some children in purgatory, their Purgatory is normally not very long or painful, since during their lifetimes they often could not have committed any grave sin since they did not attain much understanding or discernment, and are therefore not accountable to the extent that an adult is.

The holy souls have also told her that there are many, many degrees in purgatory, and that the lower parts of purgatory are the most difficult and the most purifying, and this is where those with grave (severe) sins go--that is,  grave sins that have not been forgiven in the sacrament of Confession. As each soul makes reparation for his/her sins that they have committed against God and there fellow man, they are slowly purified and therefore they slowly make progress to the higher levels of purgatory. The souls that appear to Maria are almost always souls that are residing in the higher levels of purgatory.  Essentially, the more repentant and sorrowful one is for the sins committed against God and neighbor during ones lifetime, the quicker one progresses from the lower to the higher degrees of purgatory.

The greatest complaint from the souls in Purgatory- Abandonment by their loved ones
According to Maria, the greatest "complaint" of the souls in Purgatory is how they are almost completely forgotton by their family and loved ones--that rightly complain that they receive no spiritual help from those they themselves helped so much during life! How few prayers are ever offered up for them--even at their funerals! Yet prayer is precisely what they need the most! All the beautiful memorials, celebrations, tattoo's etc done and given in their honor, while they may be good intentioned, in reality do nothing for them and in no way help to relieve them of their suffering/purification.  

The poor souls have told Maria that because they no longer possess a physical body,  they can no longer make sacrifices for themselves in reparation for their sins; nor can they physically give an offering(s) in request for a holy Mass(or Masses) for themselves—essentially they are able only to offer up to God their prayers and the repentance for their sins, so in many ways they are almost helpless, and are forced to rely on the mercy of God, the most extraordinary and blessed help of the Virgin Mary, the prayers of the Saints in heaven, and the prayers and sacrifices of the Church and of all the peoples here upon the earth.

And concerning the fact that even the littlest prayers can help those living and most especially those deceased Maria Simma shared a story with Nicky Eltz:
-Can you give me an example of where a very small prayer made a very big difference?
'Yes, every smallest prayer is heard. Let me think. Oh yes, and here again it concerned a Poor Soul who came to me some years ago.
'A man appeared one night and after he'd told me what he needed to be delivered, he remained standing in front of me and asked, "Do you know me?" I had to answer no. He then reminded me that many years ago, in 1932, when I was only seventeen he had traveled with me briefly in the same compartment of a train to Hall, [Austria]. Then I certainly did remember. He had complained bitterly about the Church and about religion, and I felt I had to respond to this by telling him that he was not a good person to pull down such holy things. This response surprised and annoyed him, and he told me, "You are still too young for me to let myself be lectured by you." And I just couldn't resist being a bit rude and fired back at him, "Still, I'm smarter than you are!" That was that, he sank his head into his newspaper and didn't say another word. When his station came by and he left the compartment, I simply prayed under my breath, "Jesus, do not let this soul get lost." And now that he was with me, he told me that that tiny prayer had saved him from getting lost for all eternity."

The story of the priest and the woman
Maria Simma tells us the following story:
"A very important thing is to accept before you die all the suffering that God has sent us. 
I know of a woman and a priest who were in the same hospital with tuberculosis. The woman said to the priest, "I have asked the Lord to give me the opportunity to do my purgatory here while I am still alive." 
To this the priest replied: "I dare not ask for that."  and right at this moment there was a nun who had been there listening to this conversation. 
When they both had died from tuberculosis, the priest appeared to the nun in a vision and told her that the woman had gone directly to heaven, while he had to spend a lot more time in purgatory for not accepting his suffering and offering it to God in reparation for his sins. Here God gives us the importance of the value of our sufferings are offered with love. The sufferings of the earth are worth far more in reparation for our sins compared to the sufferings of purgatory. For this reason, a major illness before dying can in reality be a great blessing and grace of God."

According to Maria the holy souls have revealed to her the following:
-That priests and nuns should always wear their habits/clerics, in as much as possible.
-That Extraordinary Eucharistic Ministers should be used very rarely, that is, only when it is absolutely necessary; that priests and deacons should make every effort to distribute Communion to the faithful, even though it takes longer to do so.
- That receiving Holy Communion in the hand should be avoided as much as possible.
-That holding hands during the Lords prayer and that the sign of peace after the Eucharistic prayer should be avoided in as much as it is possible, since both of these are a distraction from Jesus who is present upon the altar and that we should be concentrating upon Jesus alone during this important time of the Mass.
-That dogs are the most hated animals by the devil and the demons because they are the closest and most helpful animal to mankind.  
-That outside of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Saint Joseph is one of the greatest Saints who advocates for the souls in Purgatory.  The Angels, especially St Michael the archangel, and also the poor souls own guardian angel are also very powerful in helping to obtain mercy and pleading their cause before God. Also very important is any Saint that the person might have had a devotion to during one’s lifetime.  Maria also pointed out that the Patron Saint of the poor souls in purgatory is St Nicholas of Tolentino
-The holy souls have also revealed to Maria that it is on Christmas day that the most souls are released from purgatory and then also Good Friday, Ascension day, All Souls day and the feast of the Assumption.

Stories from Maria Simma revealing the power of the Rosary and Sacramentals for ourselves and the Poor Souls
(Taken from the book “Get Us Out Of Here- Maria Simma speaks with Nicky Eltz” by Nicky Eltz, The Medjugorje Web, 2002.)

-Has a Poor Soul ever appeared to you asking that you pray a Rosary with him or her?
'Yes, that happens. One time I can remember now was in the '50s, as I was taking a train from Bludenz. It was a day when many people were traveling so I chose, as I often do anyway, the last car of the train. I got in and soon found a compartment with only one woman sitting in it, and so I joined her. I had not even settled in yet when she proceeded to pull a Rosary out of her bag saying, "Now, here is some­body who will pray a Rosary with me." My very first thought was, "If you do this with everybody, it's no wonder that you're sitting all alone." But, of course, I was happy to pray it with her and, while we did, no one else entered our compartment. Upon finishing it, she said, "Thanks be to God", and was gone instantly. So there I was sitting alone in the empty compartment with many people milling around everywhere else. Not for a second until then did I have an inkling that she had been a Poor Soul.

Sacramentals –The story of a candle lit every Saturday for the poor souls
Maria Simma says: ‘I knew of a woman who had made the Poor Souls the promise to light a blessed candle for them every Saturday. On one such Saturday her husband said, "Oh stop that, you don't have to do that. It's old ­fashioned, and the dead are happy. They hardly need that, and I don't care what you promised them." 

The woman, of course, was saddened but still wanted to go ahead with it, but without being disobedient to her husband. So she thought, "All right, I'll just stick it in the wood stove where George won't see it. He hasn't lost anything in there." So she went ahead and put it in there, closing the little door that, by the way, had a small window in it. Then she left the house and soon her husband returned. As he was about to throw something away he glanced over to the stove and to his surprise saw some light inside. This puz­zled him, and he opened the little door to look inside. To his great astonishment, turning somewhat pale, he not only saw the burning candle, but around it six pairs of perfectly folded hands. Shocked, he closed the door and waited for his wife to return. When she did, he said, "Why put your candle inside the stove? You might as well put it out here on the table."

_______________________
Maria remained single and lived alone her entire life in a poor, simple chalet in the mountain village of Sonntag, Austria. She  received countless letters over the years from people all over the world seeking spiritual advice and assistance, and she spent many hours each day replying to these requests in writing and in prayer, to the best of her ability. She spent her life giving spiritual advice and consolation to countless souls, along with assisting the poor souls in Purgatory through her daily prayers and sacrifices. She never accepted donations or gifts from anyone and lived off her garden and her skillful sewing work.
Maria Simma passed from this life to eternity on March 16, 2004. Eternal rest grant unto her O’ Lord, and may perpetual light shine upon her. May her soul and the souls of all the departed rest in peace, AMEN +

See also: A remarkable collection of visits from the souls in Purgatory to various Saints & Mystics

Are the end times coming upon us?

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The great Purification that is (soon) to come for all of humanity
By: Glenn Dallaire
(Nov. 7, 2013) As I write this, an alleged mystic that I personally know is deathly ill---She is bedridden and has lost so much weight that sadly she currently weighs approximately only 50 or so pounds; from a original normal weight of approximately 170 pounds. She has been completely bedridden since May 2010--that is, for 3-1/2 years.

Over the years God has allegedly revealed to her many things concerning the future of the Church and the future of the world--prophesies that are often referred to as "The End Times" or "Great Warning". She was told by God to reveal these apocalyptic events, so encouraged and guided by her priest-spiritual director she obeyed and did as she was told. The majority of those who knew her and her life came to believe; but others have scorned and calumniated her, along with the alleged prophesies that were revealed to her. And before I go any further with this I must state that I will not reveal her identity here, because I "know" that I am not to do so. For sure, some remarkable events have surrounded her. Yet this author endeavors to be cautious, prudent, discerning and always in communion with the Catholic church. But I know that it can be that one can look someone in the eyes and "see" honesty, sincerity, the love of God....

And so it is that I spent literally years studying and reflecting in a spirit of prayer upon the events of her life and the revelations and prophesies that were revealed to her, and having done so I eventually came to the following conclusion:
IF--and this is a very big "IF"-- what has been revealed to her is of God, and is therefore true, then ALL PEOPLES OF THIS EARTH WILL SOON UNDERGO A DIVINE PURIFICATION BY THE EXPRESS WILL OF GOD THAT WILL BE NOTHING LIKE THE EARTH HAS EVER EXPERIENCED BEFORE.
-There will be unimaginable suffering on a worldwide scale and yet at times there will be unimaginable grace and mercy: For God will punish and He will heal--for the great purification that has been prophesied is solely for the salvation of souls. It will be a series of great events on a completely unimaginable spiritual and material scale.




Be assured that I don't present such extraordinary statements simply based upon a single mystics private revelation. Throughout the years my spiritual studies have led me to many, many other mystics (though I have only known three alleged mystics personally)--and the "fruits" of some of this research is this very website.

Essentially what I have discovered, and this definitely is no secret, is that all of the recent mystics--that is, those of the past 100+ years--have all been prophesying and pointing to this end times purification that is soon coming upon humanity. The question is, when exactly is "soon"?  And the answer is that God alone knows. But many in this current day, myself included, feel that the "soon" is indeed very soon.  In fact, I have already written how God's Purification-Warning was delayed, and the time of Mercy extended for humanity.

But I can only say that at this point the mystic that I spoke of above definitely let it be known on a number of occasions that the prophesied Great Purification is to take place in the very near future--literally at any moment. And she certainly is not the only one to reveal this. A recent poll published through Reuters announced that when people all over the world were asked, one in seven (that is, 15%) of the earths population today feel that the end of the world--or at least the end of the current epoch, is coming. Why such a large percentage? Are souls throughout the world being enlightened concerning what is to come? Time will tell, as the popular saying goes.

And for those interested in this subject of the End Times, I would like to suggest a new book that I just read entitled "The Signs of the Times, the New Ark, and the Kingdom of the Divine Will"  by Kelly Bowring (Two Hearts Press, 2013). Using only Church approved/recognized sources, the author has compiled an excellent treatise of End Times prophesies and events, along with what they mean for all of us, and what should be our spiritual preparation, understanding and mindset for these upcoming times.

In closing one thing is for sure: If what is prophesied concerning the Warning or Great Purification by the many recent Mystics of the Church comes to pass in our present days, then we are all in for the most unimaginable sufferings, and also the most unimaginable graces. I believe that now is not the time for spiritual laziness and tepid devotion--it is a time for us to go back to the original "Sources"--a fervent love centered on Jesus on the Cross and in the Eucharist and tender devotion to the most Blessed Virgin Mary (and I say this first and foremost for myself than for anyone who might happen to read this!)

-May Jesus pour out His most precious blood upon all of humanity. Lord Jesus crucified, have mercy upon us!

Miracle stories in the life of St Padre Pio

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More miraculous stories in the life of Saint Padre Pio
(This article is a continuation of miraculous stories in the life of St Padre Pio. Part 1 can be found here. I would like to sincerely thank Brother Michael of the Cross and also Tomas Warner M.D. for transcribing these stories. -Webmaster)

The cure of Gaspare di Prazzo, Cianciana, Agrigento
Mr. Gaspare di Prazzo had a case of Mediterranean Fever which had become very serious. A woman, Signora Vacarro, knew of Padre Pio and recommended the patient invoke Padre Pio's help for a cure and Signora Vacarro gave Gaspare a picture of Padre Pio to use while invoking his intercession. Upon receiving the photo, the patient kissed the photograph of Padre Pio and begged him to cure him. 

A few days passed when one evening at 6pm the patient said to his wife: "Put someone at the door and don't let anyone in, because Padre Pio is coming, and I don't want to be seen by anyone.' 

The wife nodded assent and assured him that their nephew was already near the door.

Later that night, at eleven o'clock, when all were in bed and only his wife was sitting up by the patient's bedside, and the patient had a significant fever he said to his wife: 'Put out the light because Padre Pio is about to come, and I don't want to be seen by anyone, not even by you.' 

His wife obeyed and put out the light. All of a sudden the patient began to speak, very joyfully: "Oh! Padre Pio, are you here to heal me? I thank you. Pass your hand from my head to my feet. I cannot go on anymore and I do not want to leave my wife a widow...' 

The patient felt Padre Pio near his bed. He passed his stigmatized hand over all his body. His wife saw nobody, but understood that Padre Pio was beside her beloved spouse, and trembling in a corner of the room on her knees, weeping she also prayed to Padre Pio: ' As you have come, Padre Pio, ask Our Lord for the grace of my husband's cure.'
After a few minutes, the wife asked her husband if she could put on the light, and the patient replied: 'No, because Padre Pio has not gone out yet, he is still by my bedside.'

Another ten minutes passed, then the husband told his wife to put on the light, because Padre Pio was gone. After putting on the light, his sister and Dr. Giannone came around the bed of the patient, whose eyes were shining, and who was emitting deep sighs. He said he felt better, and then told them the following:
"A little while ago I found myself in a beautiful church, where Padre Pio was celebrating Mass, and I was on my knees . I saw the Holy Ghost in the beautiful form of a dove above the altar. After Mass, I drew closer to him, and he said to me: 'Have faith in God. But you must go to confession and you must not swear any more.' Being thirsty, I asked Padre Pio for water, and he accompanied me to a cistern. I filled a bottle with lovely fresh water; groaning with pain I drank it in one draught, burning with fever. As soon as I had drunk the water I smelt perfume which resembled the smell of vanilla. Then Padre Pio went away."

After this account the patient repeated that he felt better. The cousin,a medical physician, examined him an noted a very significant change: the fever had already diminished, and by the next morning he was without any, and the fever never returned. Early that next morning Signora Vacarro went to visit him - the reader will recall that it was she who lent him the photograph of Padre Pio - and joyfully upon seeing him she said:
"The grace has been given! I dreamt of Padre Pio last night and he said to me: 'The grace has been given.'"
-and truly the grace had been obtained, for a few days afterwards the patient got up cured and went to church to thank Our Lord. Later he had a solemn day of the Blessed Eucharist celebrated in the Church of the Liguorini, where he confessed and received Holy Communion, after having been away from the Sacraments for ten years. From then on Signor Piazzi has never swore again and he is very grateful to Padre Pio, whose photograph he always carries about with him."
 
Cure of a diabetic through a vision of Padre Pio 
On Corpus Christi, June 12 1946, at about 6pm a nun named Lucia was suffering from severe diabetes and because of this was impelled to drank quarts of water for relief. Suddenly however she no longer felt the need to drink water and she called the Mother Superior. She said she must now go to the chapel to pray. 

Nevertheless, the Mother Superior asked the sister to bring along a glass of water. The Mother Superior had a presentiment that it was the beginning of the end. Lucia told her with a happy smille: "I will die soon, Mother, Padre Pio came to see me. He was just like picture on the bureau. He said I could not be cured (i.e. by the doctors). But he also told me to hope, and to have faith in the help of Heaven. 

Evidently, from the succession of events we will read below, Lucia has initially misunderstood Padre Pio. Two sisters assisted her to the chapel. She did not ask for water, and even refused when offered the glass that had been taken along. It was now already a quarter of an hour since she had taken anything to drink. After finishing her prayers she was brought back to her little room as it appeared that she was fainting. The chaplain was called and a drinking tube was put into her mouth, but she immediately pushed it away. Suddenly she opened her eyes with a strange smile on her lips. She sat up in her bed and gesticulated joyously, saying Padre Pio had just told her in the name of God: "You are cured. Get up! Come immediately to my monastery. I want to bless you and thank the Almighty with you." Lucia went to the monastery with two of the sisters on June 17. When they appeared before Padre Pio, he said with a smile: "I was waiting for you," and he blessed her.
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A spiritual grace, Porto Maurizio, September 11, 1940
A gentleman from Porto Maurizio writes:
"No matter how much I say with regard to the graces received through Padre Pio, I could not say enough, for he procured me a great number, and continued to do so. When I saw Padre Pio for the first time, it seemed to me like a dream, and my heart leapt for joy.
"I assisted at the Mass he celebrated with saintly ardor. I was also fortunate enough to see him at close range, for I was kneeling at the side of the altar; large drops of tears fell from his eyes ... in that instant I repented of my sins and implored forgiveness for myself and for all mankind. At the Consecration, I was doubly wrapped in prayer, and at the Elevation of the Host I looked up with faith, and to my astonishment it appeared radiant and beautiful. I said nothing about it to anyone that day, but the following day I went to the confessional of the Padre and I said, 'Father,the Host consecrated by you does not look the same as the others.' 'What,' he said, 'is there something special about mine?' 'Yes, I replied, 'the Host of every other priest looks ordinary, and there is a crucifix in the center, while yours appears beautiful and radiant.' he did not reply, so I continued, "Tell me Father, is this so, or is it an illusion?' Entering into a state of recollection within himself, he replied with gravity, 'What you saw in fact was true.'

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Padre Pio predicts a boy to a childless couple, and later baptizes the baby under miraculous circumstances

A couple from Genoa visited Padre Pio to tell him they had no children. "Bring him to me to be baptized when he is born," was his answer. He could often foretell the sex of an unborn child.
The following year the fortunate couple returned to the monastery Church with their new baby boy, but in the Church of Our Lady of Graces there was such a large crowd that it was impossible to reach Padre Pio who was hearing confessions and then reciting the evening prayers . The mother remained in the parish house of San Giovanni Rotundo one mile away, whilst the father went to the monastery to talk to Padre Pio's fellow priests, telling them that Padre Pio had invited them to come there and that they were to meet with him; hoping to try to arrange a meeting with him in the next few days. Since by then it was getting quite late, he was told to come back in the morning. So, he returned to his wife at the parish house and when he arrived his wife informed him that Padre Pio had come to baptise the baby earlier in the evening. "But how is that possible!" he replied, because at the time specified Padre Pio was without a doubt in the Church reciting the evening prayers and hearing confessions of the many people assembled there.
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A woman is revived from a coma
On July 20, 1921, a Monsignor D'Indico of Florence, whom this author [Fr. Charles Carty] met in 1923 when studying theology at the Archbishop's Seminary in Florence, was alone in his study. He felt the sensation of having someone at his back. He turned and saw a monk, who disappeared. He left his room to tell a chaplain what happened. The chaplain thought it was mere hallucination due to his state of anxiety over his sister, who was very ill. He invited him to take a short walk for mental distraction. When they returned they went to see his sister in her sick room. His sister, who a little before had been in state of coma, at the same hour when her brother felt the sensation of being in the presence of Padre Pio, told how she had seen a monk enter her room who approached her and said : "Don't be afraid; tomorrow your fever will disappear, and after a few days there will be no trace of your illness in your body." But, Padre, she answered, "are you then a saint?" "No, I am simply a creature who serves the Lord through His mercies."
 "Let me kiss your habit, Padre."
"Kiss the sign of the Passion," and he showed his hands transfixed and bleeding.
"Padre, I recommend to you my husband and child."
"Pray, pray that you will be good, and be assured that your child will be under my protection," and blessing her, he vanished.
She immediately got better and in eight days was entirely cured.
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Fr. Antonio narrates that during the war in Africa an Italian soldier was standing behind a large rock, while a fierce battle was going on. Suddenly a monk stood beside him and pulled him gently by the sleeve, saying he should get out form behind the rock. The soldier did not want to leave what he thought was a safe place. The monk pulled a second time, and was more emphatic. he did not move. Then the monk pulled him out by force. Right after that the entire place where the soldier had been standing blew up. The monk disappeared. Some days after as he was relating this to a fellow soldier, the companion showed him a picture of Padre Pio which he always carried with him. The soldier whose life had been saved exclaimed: "Why, that is definitely the monk who saved my life!" 
Prior to this he had never seen Padre Pio or heard of him before.
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The Church approved miracle for the canonisation of Padre Pio 
January 20th , 2000,  was a  regular school day for seven years old Matteo Pio Colella of San Giovanni Rotondo until he started to shiver and develop a fever. He was brought home weak and vomiting. That he evening he was progressively worse with the development of bleeding into and necrosis of his skin. In the modern hospital of San Giovanni Rotondo (Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza ) he was found to have clots in his blood vessels, signs of kidney and liver failure and hyperacute meningitis with septicaemia : an extremely serious condition, which by next morning, had rapidly affected all organ systems with septic shock, respiratory failure, cyanosis, a heart rate of 20 , dilated pupils and cardiac arrest. Despite therapy, the prognosis for survival was hopeless. Meanwhile, prayers for his recovery were being offered by many through the intercession of Padre Pio. By mid-day, despite the most morbid prognostication, he showed signs of improvement. Even with a persistent lung problem he made great progress within ten days. In a few weeks recovery was complete.
The mortality from his illness ---fulminant meningitis with acute respiratory distress syndrome and multi-organ (nine organ systems) failure ---- is 100 percent. His recovery was medically inexplicable and was declared a miracle by the Congregation for the Causes of the Saints in the presence of Pope John Paul II.
An unusual visitor
While asleep, Matteo said that he was unable to pray to Padre Pio but started to do so, on awakening. “As soon as I awoke, I put out my hand searching for another hand saying: I want Padre Pio “. However during his ‘sleep’ he was not alone but was visited by an old man with a white beard and a long brown garment. This man, smiling, gave him his hand and said “Matteo don’t be worried you will soon be healed “. Beside this man he saw three angels, one dressed in white with green wings and two in red with white wings; their faces were not clear because of their brilliance. Another day afterwards, he told his uncle Giovanni that the very night he was healed there was a child with green eyes and black hair, lying rigid, on a little bed in a hospital in Rome. Subsequently he related the dream to his mother who asked: “How did you get to Rome? “. Matteo told her that he made a kind of flight with Padre Pio who held him by the hand and who spoke to him interiorly; when they arrived Padre Pio asked:“Do you want to be healed ? And Matteo replied “How will that happen? “ “Will it with prayer”.  
Then his mother asked: “How did you know you were in Rome? “  Matteo recognized Luna Park ( a theme park ) which he had visited with uncle Giovanni!  In conclusion, Matteo said “I was healed by Padre Pio          
Matteo was present in Saint Peter’s Square for the canonization of Padre Pio (June 16th,  2002 ) and at this Mass he made his First Holy Communion. Incidentally, Matteo has green eyes and black hair.
Finally, as if to remind us of an unusual ‘event’ in the Saint’s life, the official missal for the occasion had on the cover an icon depicting Jesus Christ crucified with Saint Francis beneath one arm of the Cross and Padre Pio beneath the other. This ‘event’, to be described briefly, was reported by Fr. Alberto D’Apolito, a friend of Padre Pio’s.

Jacopa and the Third Order
Giovanna Rizzani Boschi, a shy lady from Udine, became a spiritual daughter of Padre Pio in 1923. In 1905, while her father lay dying her mother gave birth to Giovanna in their courtyard where, during labour, she thought she saw a Capuchin friar. Meanwhile , in 1905, as a seminarian in the Capuchin friary Padre Pio wrote about a similar incident in which he found himself in a nobleman’s home during the birth of a child as her father was dying.  The Virgin Mary appeared to Padre Pio and said: “I am entrusting this child to you --- she will seek you out --- but first you will meet her in St. Peter’s.
The Boschi family moved to Rome in 1922. One afternoon Giovanna visited St. Peter’s where she discussed doubts about her faith in a confessional with a Capuchin friar. She waited for this “gifted man “ before the Basilica was closed to arrange a further meeting. The sacristan showed her that the confessional was empty; he had vanished. Later, she heard about Padre Pio for the first time and decided she must meet him and arranged a trip to San Giovanni Rotondo. While Padre Pio was passing through a large crowd he stopped in front of her and said: “Giovanna, I know you. You were born the day your father died.” And he continued to reveal details of her birth and her visit to St. Peter’s. On a later visit he asked her to join the Franciscian Third Order, giving her the name Jacopa which she didn’t like. But he insisted, saying that a noble Roman woman called Jacopa was present at the death of St. Francis of Assisi. “One day you will be present at my death”.
In September 1968, the anniversary of the stigmata, Giovanna heard his voice calling her to San Giovanni because he was going away. She arrived and went to confession. After Mass, on September 22nd, Padre Pio became ill, but not seriously. That night, either in a dream or a vision, she found herself in Padre Pio’s cell where he lay dying, surrounded by friars and two doctors. She woke up and cried out to her friend that Padre Pio was dying. She got dressed and outside the monastery was told by a friar that Padre Pio was dead. Later, she related the strange events to Fr. Alberto D’Apolito and described in detail the interior of Padre Pio’s room (which before his death had never been photographed). He agreed with her description. 

Indeed, in 1209, when St. Francis travelled to Rome to submit the rule of his new order to Pope Innocent III, he was supported by a Roman noblewoman called Jacopa de Settesoli. Subsequently she followed St. Francis’ life of austerity and was probably the inspiration for the founding of the Third Order of St. Francis. Jacopa was present at the death of St. Francis in Assisi. She died in Assisi in 1239 where her remains were placed in the “Saint’s Crypt“ bearing the inscription : HIC  REQUIESCIT  IACOPA SANCTA NOBLISQUE ROMANA

Beatification-Canonisation
Patience is a virtue and a virtue that was recognized as such by the devotees, prayer groups and spiritual children of Padre Pio. Even though the cause for canonization could have been initiated in 1973, ten more years elapsed before the complex process of beatification would begin with anihil obstat in 1982. In December 1997 the Decree of heroic virtue was promulgated in the presence of Pope John Paul II. The Servant of God was now Venerable. The medical board of the Congregation for the Causes of the Saints examined a miracle attributed to the intercession of Padre Pio and the Decree on the miracle was promulgated again in the presence of the Pope in December 1998. His beatification by the Pope followed on May 2nd.1999 in the presence of a huge crowd.

Pope John Paul met Padre Pio in 1947, confessed to him and attended his Mass. This made a lasting impression on Fr. Wojtyla who recalled that Padre Pio “physically suffered “during the Eucharistic celebration. Also, in 1962 Bishop Wojtyla wrote to Padre Pio asking for his prayers for a friend who had advanced cancer. The malignancy disappeared the day before scheduled surgery.

There was no shortage of miracles during the life of “the man of prayer and suffering”, as Pope Paul VI called him. However, only those miracles occurring after death are considered for beatification with another, following that, for canonization. Again, the canonical documents were sent from the diocese of Manfredonia-Vieste to the Congregation and the medical testimony from Matteo’s cure was examined. In December 2000 the Theological Consultors met, followed by the Session of Cardinals and Bishops. Finally, the Decree of miracle and subsequently the Decree of Canonization were promulgated in the presence of Pope John Paul II.

Piazza San Pietro was packed for Mass on Sunday, June 16th. 2002. A large tapestry with the image of Padre Pio hung over the main door of the Basilica. No doubt many of his followers and spiritual children were ecstatic. The introduction included prayers, hymns and readings from Padre Pio’s writings. The choir sang the “Canto d’ingresso” followed by Psalm 97. Then the Pope recited a beautiful prayer in Italian, beginning with: “My dear brothers and sisters, today the Church inscribes the name of Blessed Padre Pio of Pietrelcina in the Register of the Saints---“,followed by the Miserere nostri ---. The Litany of the Saints preceded the Rite of Canonization with the Formula solemnly read in Latin by the Pope “ --- Beatum Pium a Pietrelcina Sanctum esse decernimus et definimus, ac Sanctorum Catalogo adscribimus ----“. “In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti”. Amen.

Padre Pio's feast day falls on September 23rd, the anniversary of his holy death.

References:
1. San Pio da Pietrelcina: Gerardo di Flumeri & Luciano Lotti; Frati Minori Cappuccin,Provincia di  “Sant’ Angelo e Padre Pio”.
2. "Padre Pio, Man of Hope" Renzo Allegri; Servant Publications, Ann Arbor, MI.
3. "Witness to Hope" George Weigel; Harper Collins, New York.
4. "Padre Pio, The Stigmatist". Fr. Charles Mortimer Carty. Tan Books.

The Messages of Maria Divine Mercy -Truth or Fraud?

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An investigation into the alleged heavenly messages of Maria Divine Mercy --Authentic or Fake?

Earlier this month (November 2013) the news broke out upon the Internet that the identity of the visionary known as "Maria Divine Mercy" was finally being revealed, thanks to the excellent investigative work of a several bloggers; most especially the article Maria Divine Mercy, the Woman Behind the Curtain by a investigative blogger named Saseen, along with another article by Ron Conte entitled "The Identity of Maria Divine Mercy."

Suffice it to say that the facts that have been revealed concerning Maria Divine Mercy, who as stated in the articles above is believed to be Mrs. Mary McGovern-Carberry, age 58, of Dublin Ireland and her Public Relations firm McGovernPR, seriously cast into doubt the alleged heavenly messages that are promulgated through her website "www.TheWarningSecondComing.com"

The webmaster would like to thank Janet Walton for providing the majority of the information in this exposé. -May God reward her for her efforts and bless her in her fervent pursuit of the Truth.

The numerous failed prophesies of Maria Divine Mercy
"For false Christs and false prophets will arise and will show great signs and wonders, so as to mislead, if possible even the elect"  (Matt 24-24)
Today we have many alleged prophets claiming they have been sent by God with special revelations for mankind, but scripture warns us that “Satan himself can be transformed into an angel of light” (2 Cor. 11). With this warning in mind we should know that it is ONLY the Church that can discern if such and such a prophet is receiving genuine messages from heaven. Jesus told us that we HEAR Him if we LISTEN to His Church. If we don’t listen to the Church then we are despising both Him, and the one who sent Him; that is both the Father and the Son (Lk 16) and also St John reminds us of this command, “We are of God. He that knoweth God, heareth us. He that is not of God, heareth us not. By this we know the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error. ” (1 John 4)

1) Failed prophesies concerning the Pope
“The Church has been infested from the inside, by enemies of God. They – and there are twenty of them who control from within – have created the greatest deceit. They have elected a man, not of God, while the Holy Father, accorded the Crown of Peter, has been carefully removed." (MDM July 22nd 2013)
Maria Divine Mercy would have us believe that Pope Emeritus didn't have any say in his resignation!  He’s a ”virtual prisoner” who has been “carefully removed!”   Was he lying when he told the faithful.  ”I will continue to be close to you in prayer, especially in the next few days, so that you are fully accepting of the action of the Holy Spirit in the election of the new pope” He continued with “May the Lord show you what he wants. Among you there is the future pope, to whom I today declare my unconditional reverence and obedience.” Benedict also stated when speaking to the Cardinals before the election  ”among you is the new Pope that from now on I promise my obedience.” 

Along with being very disturbing and shocking this statement is also schismatic and is a blatant attack against our current Pope who was validly and authentically elected by the college of Cardinals.  

2) Pope Francis---the "False prophet"?
And this was only the beginning of the false prophesies concerning our holy Father, Pope Francis.
On August 19, 2012 , that is, seven months before Pope Francis' election which occurred on March 13, 2013, came the startling message : “…the False Prophet is preparing and is already present in the Vatican. But he hides his true façade very carefully.”
Well, we all know that Cardinal Bergoglio of ARGENTINA certainly WAS NOT “..already present in the Vatican”.  
This therefore is a COMPLETELY FALSE PROPHESY. Maria Divine Mercy or the "spirit" that gives her the messages thought for sure that a Vatican insider would be elected. She–or whatever inspires her– had conjured up a completely false prophecy, with no wiggle room. Cardinal Bergoglio was NOT in the Vatican, hiding his “true façade”–unless as one astute commentator has posted"The Vatican had been miraculously moved to Argentina!"

3) Pope Francis the "Head of the Serpent?"
“Pope Benedict will suffer much . . . Then THE HEAD OF MY CHURCH WILL BE REPLACED BY THE HEAD OF THE SERPENT.” [Jesus] Nov.13, 2012. Message # 614,
This alleged "Message" from Jesus specifically states that the successor to Pope Benedict will be the "Head of the Serpent". With this, we would have to ask you, the reader, this simple question: Having now witnessed the many humble and inspiring actions and words of our current Holy Father Pope Francis over the past many months, does he appear to you to be the "head of the Serpent?" 
Who possibly would not agree that this prophesy is absolutely and completely false and is furthermore in reality an evil attack against the current papacy? 

4) Pope Francis the "Impostor?"
Many followers Maria Divine Mercy grew very concerned as the alleged "heavenly messages" got more and more negative against the newly elected Pope Francis, yet many watched his every move, seeking confirmation of the "messages" to prove that he was the "False Prophet". 
A very disturbing alleged message came 5 months after Pope Francis' election: 
There can only be one head of the Church on Earth, authorized by my Son, who must remain pope until his death. Anyone else, who claims to sit in the Seat of Peter, is an impostor. This deceit has one purpose, to turn souls over to Lucifer and there is little time for such souls, who will be none the wiser, to be saved” 
-July 22, 2013

The fact is, the Holy Father may retire if he feels inspired to do so and throughout the history of the Church, a few popes have resigned for various reasons, and a few have been deposed for various reasons. The Code of Canon Law states, "If it should happen that the Roman Pontiff resigns his office, it is required for validity that he makes the resignation freely and that it be publicly announced...." (Canon 332, No. 2). 
So the part of the message that states "There can only be one head of the Church...who must remain Pope until his death" is completely contrary to the official canon of the Church, and even more disconcerting is the fact that the "message" would make our current Pope an "impostor" and would also imply that the other Popes who have retired also "impostors". So here we have yet another heretical and schismatic "message" of Maria Divine Mercy.

5) Pope Benedict, Emeritus is "viciously ousted"?
On February 19, 2013 we find the following message:
"My dearly beloved daughter, please inform My disciples that My Reign is near.

They must not fret, because although the Crown of Thorns has descended on My Vicar, appointed by Me, Jesus Christ, to rule over My Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church, has been viciously ousted – I now come, at last, to bring you peace.


The next year will be very cruel and very distressing for you, My beloved disciples, and My last True Pope. He, who was maliciously and deliberately plotted against, has been treated just as I, Jesus Christ, was beaten and scourged. They will now try to kill him, just as they killed Me. They will say that he was guilty of a crime of which he is totally innocent...."

Well, almost a full year has since passed and not only do we very well know that Pope Francis is a true Pope, validly elected by the College of Cardinals, and Emeritus Pope Benedict (the alleged 'last True Pope') by his own admission WAS NOT 'viciously ousted'--for he himself openly and publicly proclaimed that he resigned freely and of his own will and desire, stating in writing:
"I have come to the certainty that my strengths, due to an advanced age, are no longer suited to an adequate exercise of the Petrine ministry.

For this reason, and well aware of the seriousness of this act, with full freedom I declare that I renounce the ministry of Bishop of Rome, Successor of Saint Peter. "



Additionally, does it not seem completely outlandish to even reasonably imagine a 'plot to kill him because he is guilty of a crime'. Really? This is all so ridiculous that it barely even falls into the realm of being remotely plausible, even by the most extreme conspiracy theorists.

Message of June 6, 2011: “Pray for My beloved Pope Benedict…Prayer can help delay his imminent departure when he will be forced to leave the Vatican as foretold.”

Here we have yet another alleged message concerning Pope Benedict being ousted, even though the Pope Emeritus himself says otherwise.

Other Failed Prophecies of Maria Divine Mercy

 “The Chastisement will now befall on the world.” (Message of April 4th, 2011) 

“The prophecies given at Garabandal will now become a reality. Prepare now for this event for you have only a few months left to prepare your souls.” (Message of May 31st, 2011)

A "few months?" Well, 2-1/2 years have now passed since this alleged prediction....
Then, since many M.D.M followers began questioning the "few months" prediction, Maria Divine Mercy revealed the following prophecy:
“If I say months that could mean anytime within a year.” (Message of July 1st, 2011) 

Yet, here we are some 2 1/2 years later.....and then 3 weeks later we are given this alleged heavenly Message: 
“You are now, My children, in the middle of what is called the Tribulation…The second part, the Great Tribulation will commence as I have said before the end of 2012.” (Message of July 20th 2011)
So we have "The Great Tribulation before the end of 2012"??????
-Obviously we have here a completely failed prophesy.

“There will be three world leaders assassinated shortly one by one…Two of them from the Arab world and one from mainland Europe.”  (Message of Feb 17th 2011)
Well, for sure "shortly" must not really be all that shortly since certainly three "world leaders" have not been assassinated thus far, almost three full years later! Yet MDM claims that the assassination of Colonel Muammar Gaddafi fulfilled this 'prophecy'. At most, Coloniel Gadaffi who was assassinated on October 20, 2011 could have only fulfilled ONE of the THREE in the prophesy.

In conclusion, what can be said of all of these failed predictions? We will let the Holy Scriptures condemn them:
If the prophet speaks in the LORD's name but his prediction does not happen or come true, you will know that the LORD did not give that message. That prophet has spoken without my authority and need not be feared." (Deut 18-22)

My Testimony, by Janet Walton
I was a cautious reader of the messages of Maria Divine Mercy, (MDM) an Irish woman who claims to be receiving messages from heaven.  I liked the idea that God was ‘speaking’ to us, warning about events that would take place sometime in the near future, especially since we were being offered protection for ourselves and our families during the purification period.  However, the predictions in MDM’s ‘Book Of Truth,’ concerning a worldwide warning chastisement etc, were telling us nothing new. 

Many alleged seers warn of these events - but MDM’s writings were different in that they were almost daily messages, and this added to the interest.  Still, I knew it all depended on who would be the next pope as to whether Maria was genuine or not, because she had predicted that the next Pope after Pope Benedict would be the false prophet!  

I ignored the use of bad grammar in the writings, putting this down to human error, because I really wanted the messages to be true.  The promises were beautiful - I wanted to see an end to the sufferings in this world - I wanted to be living in that “era of peace,”  Our Lady of Fatima had told us about.  But still I remained cautious and prayed constantly asking God to not let me be deceived, because I had begun to notice that the messages seemed to be straying further away from the teachings of the Catholic Church.  I now began to have serious doubts about the messages.  

Then.. out of the blue Pope Benedict resigned… Was it possible that he was being “ousted” as the messages had warned?  I carefully listened to every word of his resignation speech.  He was most definitely resigning of his own free will due to ill health, and no doubt the recent scandals had had a part in his decision also.  So could we call this a kind of “forcing” out of the Vatican?

I had read some older prophecies from the saints speaking of a time when a “deceiver” would sit on the throne of Peter, but he would not be a validly elected Pope.  MDM, on the other hand, had 'predicted' that he would be validly elected by the Cardinals.    
“They, My daughter, are being sent to prepare God’s children to accept the next Pope, who comes after My beloved Vicar Pope Benedict. This Pope may be elected by members within the Catholic Church but he will be the False Prophet. His electors are wolves in sheep’s clothing and are members of the secret Masonic and evil group led by Satan. This is how Satan will try to destroy My Church.” (M.D.M., April 12th, 2012)

Then came the election.  I waited with bated breath as the white smoke from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel signaled that we now had a new pope.  Finally he appeared on the balcony on St. Peter’s Basilica as thousands cheered.  Then it dawned on me…this man dressed in white was Cardinal Jorge.  He could never be an anti-pope, a deceiver!  He spoke out for the poor, and was well known for the austere life he led.  This was our new Pope!   All those warnings that a “deceiver” would be elected had come from Satan’s vile mouth, in order to divide the faithful.  I knew then without a shadow of a doubt that it was MDM who was the deceiver, the false prophet.

I could hardly wait to go into Facebook and see the reactions of the other followers of MDM.  How would they feel now that we knew we had been deceived?  I was shocked to find that the majority hadn’t come to the same conclusion that I had.  It was awful to see them so intent on searching for anything they thought negative to post about the new Pope.  I stayed around in the hopes I could persuade them that MDM was just another false prophet.  Eventually I couldn't take anymore of the hate filled remarks towards the Pope, so feeling sad and frustrated I left them to it.  If they’d rather believe an anonymous woman’s words against the overwhelming evidence that we now had another wonderful Pope then there was nothing I could do to change their minds, except pray for them.   

'Maria' says that Jesus has asked her to remain anonymous in order to protect her family and to avoid any distraction from the messages - but does God work this way? Well we do know there have been many child seers whom God has allowed to be in the public eye, most notably the young Fatima seers.  Those children had to endure the horror of being thrown into jail and threatened with boiling oil! 

Some condemnations of the messages of Maria Divine Mercy by various Bishops 
Archbishop Denis J Hart, Melbourne Australia 
Bishop Fabbro, London Diocese, Ontario, Canada
Bishop Stephen Secka of Spisska, Slovakia
Bishop Richard. J. Malone, Archbishop of Buffalo, NY
Archbishop Mark Coleridge, Bishop of Brisbane, Australia
Bishop Greg O’Kelly SJ , Bishop of the Diocese of Port Pirie, South Australia

The judgement of the Church
The host of this website would like to formally join many others in humbly requesting that the local Bishop of Maria Divine Mercy (a.k.a. Mary Carberry, maiden name of Mary McGovern of Dublin, Ireland), His Excellency Archbishop Diarmuid Martin, Archbishop of Dublin, to consider formally making a public official pronouncement concerning “Maria Divine Mercy” and her alleged heavenly messages. 
Those interested in humbly requesting a formal declaration can contact Archbishop Diarmuid Martin at theDublin Archdiocese here.

While we await the formal judgement of the Church, we should consider that any alleged "heavenly message" that obviously contradicts the teachings of the Church would therefore make the whole of the alleged visions false, because the Church has declared that nothing should be found in any authentic private revelation that openly contradicts the teachings of the Church.
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As stated in the beginning of this article, most of the information provided here was provided by Janet Walton. Those interested in investigating further into the alleged messages of Maria Divine Mercy should visit Janet's blog"Uncovering the False Prophet, Maria Divine Mercy"

Consecration of a new baby to Jesus and Mary

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Consecration of a new child to Jesus and Mary

Jesus and Mary: We kneel before You today to consecrate and entrust our new baby to You. We pray that this child may be always united to You through an unbreakable heavenly bond of love. As for ourselves, we reaffirm our own personal consecration to Jesus and Mary, and we pray for the grace of being always united to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary, never to be separated from these two loving Hearts.

We humbly ask Jesus to pour out His most precious Blood upon our new child and upon all of our family, that we may be cleansed of all of our sins and protected from all evil. May our Blessed Mother cover all of us under Her heavenly mantle, draw us close to Her and lead us ever closer to Her Divine Son. We ask this in Jesus Holy Name, AMEN +

Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy upon us! Immaculate Heart of Mary, pray for us!
Jesus and Mary, we love You, save souls!


The battle for souls -The mystic saints vs. the demons

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St Wolfgang versus the devil
The battle for souls -Stories of the attacks of the demons against modern day mystic saints

"....And to keep me from being too elated by the abundance of revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a Angel of Satan to beat me, to keep me from being too exalted." 
-St Paul to the Corinthians  [2 Corinthians 12:7]

The primary mission of the mystics is to be victim souls—that is, they are especially called by God to suffer in union with Jesus for the conversion of souls. It is a spiritual battle for souls between God and the demons, where the victim soul is essentially the “battle ground”, and the stakes is the possible conversion of many persons who are at that moment in the hands of the devil. 

For the majority of us, the devil and his demons prefer to wage a silent, hidden war, primarily because it is through this method that the demons stand the best chance of tempting and deceiving us, for if we physically saw a demon in its efforts to tempt and lead us to sin, we would be absolutely horrified by its hideous appearance and would in fact be strengthened in our resolutions against sin and evil deeds. So  it is in our daily lives that we are subjugated to unseen temptations and attacks by the demonic spirits. 

“War! War against you and your spiritual director!”
When it comes to the mystic Saints however, there is much more at stake than one individual soul, for it is the victim soul who, through their mystical union with Jesus on the Cross, actually snatches souls out of Satan’s hands. And with the victim soul, the devil is met with resolute resistance from the one who has offered him/herself in union with Jesus for the conversion of sinners; and with the prospect of losing souls in his grasp, and unable to make the victim soul sin in any serious way, he takes the most fearful vengeance against them, using all the powers of hell in a demonic torrent of attacks in countless forms, all in an effort to cause the victim soul to despair and lose their trust and love for God.

So it is that in the case of many mystics, the battle with the demons is not hidden one but it is in fact open warfare. And this open battle is permitted by God to manifest to everyone the reality of both the devil and hell, which unfortunately many today try to disclaim the existence of.  For the devil and the demons are very much a reality, and in their dealings with God's mystic saints they show themselves in their most horrid and undisguised perversities of their vicious and corrupt nature, in the wicked hope of snatching from Christ the souls He loves, and for whom He has paid such a high a price in the shedding of His Precious Blood.  

These battles between the demons and the victim souls are often epic, and terrible to witness or to even read of.   Just one of many examples will be that of St Gemma Galgani, who died in 1903. The devil, in the form of either a hideous, hairy, ape like man or sometimes in the form of a black dog who would grab her by the hair and rip her out of bed onto the floor, taking out clumps of hair in the process, and would proceed to beat her mercilessly, dislocating her shoulder among many other things in the process, horribly cursing God and shouting“War! War against you and your spiritual director!” (Those interested can read about Gemma’s epic battles against the demonic here). 

But for the many reasons that God allows such diabolic and hellish attacks in the lives of the mystics, certainly one of these reasons is to teach us to have a great horror for grave sin.  And so let us contemplate a few of these battles of the mystics vs. the demons, so as to gain some new perspectives on the beneficial fear that we should have within ourselves for sin.

A representation of a hairy, ape like man
The demons apparitions under different forms and what they mean
Before we get started with the stories of these epic spiritual battles in the lives of a number of 20th century Saints, it is very important to note that Satan and perhaps a good number of the higher ranking demons can appear in most any form imaginable--commonly called "phantasms", the demons can visibly appear as any variety of animals and animal-like creatures, as Angels, Saints, the Virgin Mary and even as Jesus Christ Himself, as we shall see in the stories below. However, in this writers investigations of the lives of the mystics I would list the following as the most common forms. We should bear in mind that everything the devil and the demons do is in direct opposition to God and they often seek to mock God and anything that is holy and pertains to Him.
-Black ape or hairy man–Symbolizes satan’s mockery of Jesus, for he is really the "ape" of God.
-Black serpent or snake-  Symbolizes satan’s intelligence and cunning temptations (as in the book of Genesis)
-Large black cats and black dogs make there appearances quite often in the lives of the mystics. There precise symbolism seems to be unknown, but they both are very often used in physical attacks. Note, the demonic black dog is not to be confused with the large grey dog who often mysteriously appeared in the life of St John Bosco and whom literally saved his life on several occasions.  
-Black human-shaped "shadow people" are also quite common, and are demons in "raw" form. There purpose seems to be to terrorize and scare.
-The devil has been often known to take on the form of a goat, to mock Jesus as the lamb of God who takes away the sins of humanity.

-Some of the Saints describe being watched by a pair of fiery-red glowing "burning" demonic eyes which contradicts the ever watchful "Eye of God", which itself symbolizes the omnipresence and omniscience of God, who watches over all things, For example on July 2, 1961 the children of Garabandal, Spain purportedly saw a very large "Eye of God" above and to the right of the Blessed Virgin Mary as She was appearing to them. After the apparition, each of the children individually all described this to be precisely the "Eye of God" who presumably was revealing to the children that He is watching over all events.. 
  
Stories of the great battles between the victim souls and the demons
Sr. Josefa Menendez
The devil drags Josefa Menendez into hell.

 “The devil will work assiduously to make you fall, but My grace is more powerful than his infernal malice” -Jesus to Josefa Menendez,  April 6, 1921

One of the many victim souls who had to undergo horrific attacks from the evil spirits was the Spanish born mystic, Josefa Menendez (1890-1923), who became a nun in France. The devil often appeared to her in the form of a terrifying black dog, a black snake, or in the form of a "shadow" man. 

On December 4th, 1921 Josefa was violently pulled from her bed and she was
thrown to the ground, and then pummeled by a barrage of demonic blows she was
made to listen to abominable blasphemies against Our Lord and Our Lady. Long hours were so
spent, and the torture renewed on the two following nights. After one such terrible night, she
wrote on the morning of Tuesday, 6th December:
"Unable to bear any more, I knelt beside my bed, endeavouring to forget the horror of that
malevolent voice insulting Our Lord and Our Lady. Suddenly I heard gnashing of teeth and a
yell of rage. Then all vanished and before me stood Our Lady, all loveliness.
"Do not fear, my daughter; I am here."
"I told her how terrified I was of the devil, who made me suffer so much.
"He may torment you, but he has no power to harm you. His fury is very great on account
of the souls that escape him . . . souls are of such great worth . . . If you but knew the value of a
soul!"
"Giving me her blessing, she said:'Do not fear.' 
"I kissed her hand and she went away."

Later Jesus appeared to Josefa, and she immediately told Him of her greatest concern--the fear that in those hellish torments that her soul had lost something of its purity, or at any rate of its former innocence. "Because I never know anything about all those things with which the devil torments me."

Jesus replied to her: "Do not be afraid; your soul is steeped in My Blood, and none of that can stain it."
Then alluding to the word which more than once in the preceding days had given her
strength: "Your Mothers have found the word . . . "Abandonment". The devil has no power but
what is given him from on high. Tell them that I am supreme."

Nevertheless, the demons sought to discourage her from her mission of sacrificing and suffering for souls, and the endeavored by all means to drive her to despair, and she overheard them saying such things as:
“You will be one of us! ... we shall tire you out! ... we shall overcome you! ...Don't let go of her; be on your guard to plague her in any way you can! ... she must not escape!...we must induce her to despair! ...

In the life of Josefa Menendez there occurred a phenomenon very rare in the lives of the Saints: God permitted the devil to take her down to hell. There, in hell, she spent long hours, sometimes a whole night, in
unspeakable agonies. Though she was dragged down into the bottomless pit more than a hundred
times, each sojourn seemed to her to be the first, and appeared to last countless ages. She
endured all the tortures of hell, with the one exception: that of the hatred of God. For Josefa, the most painful of these torments was to hear the horrid confessions of the damned, their cries of hatred, of pain and of despair.

Under the eyes of those in her convent, Josefa would suddenly disappear, and after long search she would be found thrown into some loft, or beneath heavy furniture, or in some unfrequented spot. In their
presence she was burnt, and without seeing the devil, they saw her clothes consumed and on her
body unmistakable traces of fire, which caused wounds that took very long to heal. Likewise the
effects of fire which burned her were seen on her garments and flesh; fragments of scorched
linen are still preserved to this day. Ten times in all Josefa was thus set on fire. She saw the devil vomit on her flames of which visible traces were seen not on her clothes only, but on her person. Painful wounds which took long to heal left on her body scars which she carried to the grave. The evil one suggested despairing thoughts, blasphemies, and wicked temptations that continued for days and nights, during which God hid Himself, and Josefa, bewildered, felt as if abandoned and at the mercy of the most ignoble and infamous of tormentors.

Yet, when at long last she came back to life, completely worn out and spent, her body
agonized with pain, she looked upon no suffering, however severe it may be, as too much to bear, "...if by it I could save a soul from that dreaded abode of torment."

"In the night of 16th March towards ten o'clock," wrote Josefa, "I became aware, as on the
preceding days, of a confused noise of cries and chains. I rose quickly and dressed, and
trembling with fright, knelt down near my bed. The uproar was approaching, and not knowing
what to do, I left the dormitory, and went to our Holy Mother's cell; then I came back to the
dormitory. The same terrifying sounds were all round me; then all of a sudden I saw in front of
me the devil himself."
"Tie her feet and bind her hands," he cried. . . .

"Instantly I lost sight of where I was, and felt myself tightly bound and being dragged away.

Other voices screamed: "It is no good to bind her feet; it is her heart that you must bind."
"It does not belong to me." came the answer from the devil.

"Then I was dragged along a very dark and lengthy passage, and on all sides resounded
terrible cries. On opposite sides of the walls of this narrow corridor were niches out of which
poured smoke, though with very little flame, and which emitted an intolerable stench. From
these recesses came blaspheming voices, uttering impure words. Some cursed their bodies,
others their parents. Others, again reproached themselves with having refused grace, and not
avoided what they knew to be sinful. It was a medley of confused screams of rage and despair. I
was dragged through that kind of corridor, which seemed endless. Then I received a violent
punch which doubled me in two, and forced me into one of the niches. I felt as if I were being
pressed between two burning planks and pierced through and through with scorching needle
points. Opposite and beside me souls were blaspheming and cursing me. What caused me most
suffering . . . and with which no torture can be compared, was the anguish of my soul to find
myself separated from God. . . .

"It seemed to me that I spent long years in that hell, yet it lasted only six or seven hours. . . .
Suddenly I was violently pulled out of the niche, and I found myself in a dark place; after
striking me, the devil disappeared and left me free. . . . How can I describe my feelings on
realizing that I was still alive, and could still love God!

"I do not know what I am not ready to endure to avoid hell, in spite of my fear of pain. I see
clearly that all the sufferings of earth are nothing in comparison with the horror of no longer
being able to love, for in that place all breathes hatred and thirst to damn other souls."
(Taken primarily from "Josefa Menendez, The Way of Divine Love"; TAN Books and Publishers, Inc, 1981)

St Padre Pio
The devil versus St Padre Pio
"The tempter, ever on the watch, wages war most violently against those whom he sees most careful to avoid sin"  -St. Leo the Great, died, 461.

Many people throughout the world are well aware of the Italian priest affectionately named "Padre Pio" who bore the stigmata for exactly 50 years and 3 days---longer than any known stigmatic in the history of the Catholic church. The miracles God wrought through this holy Capuchin friar are also well known. But surely what is less known about him are the many demonic battles he was forced to undergo to snatch souls from the demons. 

Padre Pio spent countless hours each day hear the confessions of sinners, and the devil was to make him pay for bringing souls to Jesus. Father Joseph Martin, O.F.M. Cap. who was Padre Pio's close companion the last three years of his life tells the story of how one night the devil beat Padre Pio so severely that he fell on the floor of his cell and cut his head quite badly. The next morning, when Father Martin came to his aid and asked what had happened, Padre had told him how the devil had beat him. Furthermore, a blood-stained pillow, which is kept to this day in his cell at Our Lady of Grace Friary had been found underneath the Padre's head. When asked where it came from, he claimed that the Blessed Virgin Mary had placed it under his head during the night, while She consoled and comforted him.

But there were many other times where Padre Pio was beaten by the demons, as stated in his letters to his spiritual director:
"The ogre [devil] won't admit defeat. He has appeared in almost every form. For the past few days he has paid me visits along with some of his satellites armed with clubs and iron weapons and, what is worse, in their own form as devils. I cannot tell you how many times he has thrown me out of bed, and dragged me around the room. But never mind! Jesus, our dear Mother, my little Angel, St. Joseph and our father St. Francis are almost always with me .... (Letter to Padre Agostino, Jan. 18, 1912.)

The devil does not cease to appear to me in his horrible forms and to beat me in the most terrible manner .... (Letter to Padre Agostino, March 21, 1912.)

I had a very bad time the night before last; from about 10pm, when I was in bed, until five o'clock in the morning, that wretch did nothing but beat me continually. At five in the morning, when that wretch left me, my whole body became so cold that I trembled from head to foot like a reed exposed to a violent wind. This lasted for a couple of hours. I spat blood .... (Letter to Padre Agostino, June 28, 1912.)

Listen to what I had to endure a few evenings ago from those impure apostates. The night was already well advanced when they began their attack with a devilish din, and although I saw nothing in the beginning, I understood who was making the strange noise. Instead of being frightened, I got ready to fight them with a scornful smile on my lips. Then they appeared to me in the most abominable forms and to make me act dishonorably they began to present themselves to me all dressed up, but, thank heaven, I scolded them soundly and treated them as they deserve. Then, when they saw all their efforts going up in smoke, they hurled themselves on me, threw me to the ground and proceeded to beat me very severely, throwing pillows, books and chairs around the room, with desperate shrieks and most obscene lan­guage .... (Letter to Padre Agostino, Jan. 18, 1913.)

They flung themselves upon me like so many hungry tigers, curs­ing me and threatening to make me pay for it. My dear Father, they kept their word! From that day onward they have beaten me every day .... (Letter to Padre Agostino, Feb. 1,1913.)

Jesus never stops loving me in spite of all my shortcomings, for he allows those ugly-faced creatures to afflict me incessantly. For the past twenty-two days Jesus has allowed them to vent their anger on me continually. My body, dear Father, is bruised all over, from all the blows it has received at the hands of our ene­mies. More than once they even went so far as to pull off my nightshirt and beat me in that state .... (Letter to Padre Agostino, Feb. 13, 1913.)

Satan with his malignant wiles never tires of waging war on me and attacking my little citadel, besieging it on all sides. In a word, Satan is for me like a powerful foe who, when he resolves to capture a fortress is not content to attack one wall or one ram­pant, but surrounds it entirely, attacks and torments it on every side .... (Letter to Padre Benedetto, Aug. 4,1917.)

So far we have seen how Lucifer is a frightening adversary, most especially for the victim souls who are called to suffer for the conversion of sinners. The devil is in fact very powerful and should be taken seriously. In closing with St Padre Pio, let us read his words which tells us just how powerful a enemy we have in the devil:
"We must have no illusions about the enemy who is exceedingly strong, if we do not intend to surrender. In the light infused by God the soul understands the great danger to which it is exposed, if it is not continually on its guard". -Letter to Padre Agostino, St Padre Pio,  May 9,1915. 

The devil tries to appear in disguise as Jesus 
In her journal Josefa Menendez writes:
"On the night of the 13th or 14th of January, 1922 that the devil began once more to torture me. He tried to force me to abandon my vocation. In his increasing fury he even tried to ensnare me by taking on the appearance of Jesus ." 

In fact the devil continued to try to appear as Jesus so to remedy this problem her spiritual director, Father Boyer O.P. at first had her renew her profession vows [as a nun] whenever a "heavenly" visitor would appear, and later upon the appearance of any "visitor" he told her to recite the 'Divine Praises' of which she asked the visitors to repeat after her. In their great pride and hatred for God the demons could never utter any of the "Blessings" of the Divine Praises [ie- the "Blessed be God" and "Blessed be Jesus Christ" etc..] 

Josefa's spiritual director most assuredly discovered this new powerful weapon against the demons disguises from the life of St Gemma Galgani (1878-1903), for it was precisely through the reciting of the "Divine Praises" that Gemma was finally able to thwart the devil who was frequently appearing to her under different disguises in an effort to deceive her. For as Gemma learned (thanks to her spiritual director, Venerable Fr. Germanus C.P.) that the devil with his polluted lips is never able to utter such words of praise and benediction.


In the life of Blessed Alexandrina da Costa (1904-1955) --a Portuguese mystic and stigmatic of whom we will speak more about below---we read another occurrence of the devil making himself out to be Jesus. In this case Blessed Alexandrina writes:
“Every now and then I see a rapid light. Twice I have seen two very big eyes, wide open, staring at me, but they disappeared quickly. On Sunday, I heard a very sweet voice saying, 'My daughter, I come to tell you not to write anything of what you see: your sight is deceiving you. Don't you feel how weak you are? You displease me with this; it is your Jesus who speaks to you, not Satan.' 
I was suspicious and began to kiss the crucifix. The voice became enraged and thundered, 'If you continue to write I will destroy your body. Do you think I cannot do this?'(From the writings of Blessed Alexandrina da Costa, 1934)


St Gemma Galgani 
The devil appears as a Priest -Two cases
"Go ahead and pray for yourself, but if you pray for others I will make you pay dearly for it! -Lucifer to St Gemma Galgani
The attacks that the demons waged against the Italian mystic and stigmatic St Gemma Galgani are legendary. Known for her extraordinary virtues and a deep love for Jesus and Mary, Gemma was only 25 when she died in 1903 having reached a high degree of sanctity. The devil appeared to her in many different forms: a hairy man and a black dog--both of whom would beat her mercilessly; a black "panther" like cat; and as an "angel" resplendent with light. 

The devil even carried these wicked disguises so far as to feign to be a priest to whom Gemma used to make her confession--Monsignor Giovanni Volpi, a priest whom she had known for almost her entire life! She had gone one day to Church, and while preparing herself to make her confession, she saw that Monsignor Volpi was already in the confessional, a fact which caused her to momentarily wonder, having not  seen him pass and enter. At the same time she began to feel very much disturbed in spirit, as generally happened to her when in the presence of the malignant spirits. 


She entered the confessional however, and began her confession as usual. The voice and ways were indeed those of the confessor she knew since childhood, but his words and advice were not pious, and were accompanied by improper gestures.“My God” she exclaimed,“what has happened?”

At such a sight and at such words the angelic child trembled, and realizing it was the devil in disguise, she hurriedly left the confessional, and saw as she did so that the pretended "confessor" had disappeared. It was the devil, who by his coarse and fiendish ways had sought to deceive her, or at least make her lose all confidence in the minister of God.
St Dominic

In the life of St Dominic (1170-1221), the great founder of the Dominican Order, we read the following:
"The servant of God, who had neither bed nor cell of his own, had publicly commanded his fellow Priests and Brothers that they should retire to bed at a certain hour, so as to be able to arise at a later hour for Matins, and as their superior and the founder of their Community his instructions, of course, were strictly obeyed. 

Now, at that time Dominic, the holy man  of God, had no bed or cell, and rested before the Lord in the church, the devil appeared before him in the form of one of his fellow religious, and since it was past the prohibited time, the Saint went softly up to him, and expressed his desired for him to go to his cell, and sleep with the others.

The pretended friar inclined his head in sign of humble obedience, and went as he was told; but on each of the two following nights, he returned at the same hour and in the same manner. The second time, the man of God rose very gently (although, indeed, he had reason to be somewhat angry, seeing he had already reminded his fellow priest the night before), and again asked him to go to his cell for rest. Once again, he went; but in the same manner the following evening he returned yet a third time. 

Then it seemed to the Saint that the disobedience and pertinacity of this brother priest was too great, and he reproved him with some severity; and the demon, who desired nothing else but to disturb his prayer, stir anger within him, and move him to break the silence, gave a loud laugh, and, leaping high into the air, he said:
"I have made you break the silence, and moved you to wrath!" 

But Dominic calmly replied, 'Not so, for as superior of the Community I have power to dispense; and neither is it blameworthy wrath when I utter reproofs unto the disobedient.' 

And with this truthful reply the demon was obliged to fly.
(Taken from "The Life of Saint Dominic" by August Theodosia Drane, published by TAN Books and Publishers)


The devil appears as a Saint
In his memoirs, the holy Benedictine Abbott Guibert of Nogent (1055-1124) tells of a story of a compatriot of his who unfortunately for him had sexual relations outside of marriage. Afterwards, having felt deep remorse for the grave sin that he had committed, he decided to make a pilgrimage to the shrine of Saint James of Galicia to seek the Saints holy intercession, as Saint James  was very popular in that locale at that time.

After having set off on his pilgrimage, he was suddenly surprised by a vision of Saint James of Galicia (that is, the Saint in whom he was invoking on his pilgrimage). Impressed by this surprising vision he listened attentively to the “Saint” who with a stern voice and forceful appearance reminded the man of the Gospel teaching “If you hand causes you to sin, cut it off” [Matt 5:30] and thus told the man that he needed to take his knife and cutoff his private part, in reparation for his sin. Immediately the man did so, out of obedience.

A few moments later, after having recovered somewhat from his self induced injury, the “Saint” then told the man that it was necessary for him to now cut his throat.  Fearing the anger of God and that of the “Saint” the man then raised the knife to his throat, when suddenly there appeared before him the Blessed Virgin Mary, who looking directly at the man simply stated “NO!”   Next the Blessed Virgin turned to the “Saint” apparition, and upon setting Her heavenly gaze upon the “Saint”, he suddenly let out a angry shriek and then suddenly disappeared.   Thus we see how in this instance the Blessed Virgin Mary Herself interceded and put an end to the demons ruse. 


Blessed Alexandrina da Costa
The Devil versus Alexandrina da Costa
Among the many mystics and stigmatists in the Church of recent memory is Blessed Alexandrina da Costa (1904-1955). The malevolent spirits waged a hellish war against her to try to get her to abandon her mission as a victim soul. Here are a few examples of the demonic attacks:
"There are days when the devil makes me feel so exhausted and puts so many evil suggestions and doubts into my mind, that were it not for the goodness of God, he would have won me already... He has tempted me so much that on some days I feel that Hell itself is about to engulf me. He urges me to kill myself, and says he will give me the means to do this without any cost. He adds that I am suffering here for no recompense, that Our Lord does not love me at all, that my spiritual director does not believe a word of what I write to him, that what I feel in myself when Our Lord speaks to me is caused by the weather, or by my illness."

Alexandrina was tormented by these demonic verbal assaults for many years. Here is another example of the diabolical attacks:
“If it were not for that imposter which you hold in your hand I would put a foot on your neck. [Alexandrina was holding a crucifix] I would reduce your body to a pulp. But you will see that He will do this to you himself. You will then wish to come to me, but I will not accept you. Thank that object of superstition ... I don't fear it anymore, but I hate it!

And yet another:
“Excommunication! A thousand excommunications if you continue to write to your spiritual director! Already you are burning in Hell. Be converted, unhappy one! Be converted, miserable wretch! It is the affection I have for you that makes me speak in this way. I come now from your Christ who told me to take you, because he can no longer save you. He was distressed by your writings ....

And here is one of the demons many physical appearances to Alexandrina:
“One moonlit night after prayers I felt a need to sleep, when suddenly into my room came a great darkness ... I perceived a black shadow and saw it jump towards me, and it said to me,'I come on behalf of your Christ to carry you to Hell, bed and all.' 
I kissed the crucifix and the voice continued, 
'You kiss that wicked thing!' 
He then tried to order me to do things that I cannot speak of ... It was only when I blessed myself with holy water that I was left in peace...."

(Primary source for the above quotes is from“Alexandrina da Costa: The Agony and the Glory” by Francis Johnston, TAN Books and Publishers, Inc., 1979.)

Names that the mystics used for the devil
The nicknames that some of the Saints had for the devil would be humorous, if only this matter was not so serious and the devil was not as wicked as he is, and hell bent on destroying us and damning our souls. 

St John Vianney, the holy Cure of Ars, nicknamed the devil "Grappin", which literally means "the wrestler". This was in fact a very suitable term since the devil often attacked him at night, and even tried to burn his straw bed while the Saint was lying in it!  St Padre Pio called the devil the "Ogre", which means "hairy, beast-like man". St Gemma called the devil"Chiappino", which is the equivalent of "burglar" or "thief". 
Marthe Robin

Other Saints who were oppressed by the demons
Those interested in further exploring this subject can find more of these events in the lives of Marthe Robin (1902-1981) -in her case, the devil was so enraged over her joining the Third Order of St. Francis that he had struck her a blow to the face, breaking two of her teeth, Therese Neumann of Konnerseuth (1898-1962), Venerable Anne Catherine Emmerich (1774-1824) who once received blows to the face from the devil who appeared to her, like St Gemma, in the form of a large black dog, St Teresa of Avila, St Joseph or Copertino, St Paul of the Cross and St Dominic, just to name a few of the many.

Additionally, those interested in this subject may find the following articles very interesting:
St Gemma versus the devil and also How to get rid of evil spirits
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"The devil, in the form of a great black dog, put his paws upon my shoulders, making every bone in my body ache. At times I believed that he would mangle me; then one time, when I was blessing myself with holy water, he twisted my arm so cruelly that I fell to the ground in great pain. After a while I remembered that I had around my neck the relic of the Holy Cross. Making the Sign of the Cross, I became calm. Jesus let me see Himself, but only for a short time, and He strengthened me anew to suffer and struggle." -St Gemma Galgani

Visions of the Child Jesus in the lives of the Saints

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Child Jesus and the Blessed Virgin Mary
Visions of the Child Jesus in the lives of the Mystic-Saints
-Beautiful and consoling stories of the Infant Jesus for the Christmas season!

By: Glenn Dallaire
Many of us have seen the holy cards or statues of Saints such as St Anthony and the young St Stanislaus Kostka for example tenderly cradling the baby Jesus in their arms—but are we familiar with the beautiful true stories behind these depictions?

Some may be surprised to know that in fact many Saints and holy persons over the centuries have reported seeing the Child Jesus in visions, and what is even more consoling are the beautiful messages our Lord and the Blessed Virgin Mary chose to convey during these heavenly appearances.  In addition, a good number of Saints have actually held the Infant Jesus in their arms during their visions- a heavenly grace which quite understandably brought them an almost inconceivable joy.  So let us now explore some of these heartwarming stories.


St Rose of Lima with the Infant Jesus
St Rose of Lima (1586-1617, Mystic, Stigmatic, & Layperson)
From a very tender age, St Rose of Lima believed that everything was possible for those who have faith in God. Even as she was just learning to walk her mother and father noted her great interest and devotion to holy cards, statues, crucifixes etc.  By age 5, Rose wanted to learn how to read and write, but there was nobody who was free to help her. Her mother Maria had tried to do so, but soon grew tired and gave up. So the child decided to pray to the Child Jesus, saying to her mom:  “Since no one has time to teach me things, I am going to ask Jesus to do it. He can do anything can’t He?”
Thus in her childlike simplicity and candor, Rose began to recite the following prayer: “Oh Jesus, help me to know and to love You, and teach me to read and write.”

One day, Rose announced to her mother that she knew how to read and write. She told her mother that it was the Child Jesus who had taught her. Her mother was in disbelief but nevertheless Rose proved to her mother that she knew how to read by reading from a book about St. Catherine of Siena.  Just as Rose had said it was the Little Child Jesus who worked a wonderful miracle by teaching Rose Himself how to read and write, proving that with faith in God, everything is possible. 

But the Child Jesus was to work many more miracles through Rose. As Rose grew older so did her love for Jesus and also her neighbor. She had great compassion towards those who were sick.  She knew that by showing compassion to the sick, she was showing compassion to God.  Eventually, a room in her house was set aside for her to care for the poor and sick in her area. It became known as  “The Infirmary” and the entire community knew that they could count on Rose’s charity, as she did not refuse to help anyone, no matter how sickening or contagious their disease might be.  In time, a number of people began reporting that they had been cured at “The Infirmary” , claiming that it was after Rose’s  little statue of the Child Jesus had touched them. Rose herself called the little statue, “The Little Doctor.”

"See, oh see how I love Thee!
Towards the end of her short life—for Jesus called Rose to heaven at age 31—she received yet another great grace from the Child Jesus.  She, like a handful of other Saintly woman over the centuries, was to be espoused to the King of Eternal Glory even while still living in this vale of sorrow. The great day of her mystical betrothal to the God of Heaven and earth was on Palm Sunday a few years before her death.

On that day Rose, who was a member of the Third Order of St Dominic, was with the other Tertiaries  the Church of Santo Domingo assisting at the solemn services. The sacristan distributed the waving palm branches, but somehow missed Rose. When the procession had formed, the saintly maiden took her usual place and modestly accompanied the others, humbling herself before God and accusing herself of having too eagerly desired the palm branch. So when she came before the miraculous statue of the Queen of the Rosary she begged for pardon. Then the figure of the Blessed Virgin Mary with Child became animated and smiled upon the humble Rose.

Rose, touched to the very depths of her soul by this kindness, cried out : “Nevermore, O dearest Lady, will I take a palm branch from the hands of man, for You, O Palm of Virgins, will give me a never fading one!”
The Blessed Virgin then turned to the Child Jesus and asked a favor; then suddenly Rose experienced a thrill of holy joy, and ecstatic emotion filled her inmost soul, as the Divine Infant spoke these words to her : “Rose of My heart, be My spouse!”

With a heart over-flowing with love and tender gratitude, and overwhelmed by a realization of the greatness of the favor and of her own unworthiness, she humbly bowed her head, giving vent in tears of thankfulness to the great joy that came over her, while she promised eternal fidelity to her beloved Jesus.

(Head bandage covering the wounds of the crown of thorns)
Marie Rose Ferron (1902-1936, American Mystic, Stigmatic & Layperson)
Marie Rose Ferron, affectionately known as “Little Rose”, grew up in Massachusetts and later moved to Rhode Island. At the age of six, Marie Rose had already had a vision of the Child Jesus. "I saw Him with a cross," she said, "and He was looking at me with sadness in His eyes." Seeing this vision, she knew deep in her heart that the Child Jesus wanted her to help Him carry His cross. From that day forward, Marie Rose offered all of her sacrifices and sufferings in union with Jesus.  

Years after this vision, someone kindly gave Marie Rose a statue of the Child Jesus carrying a Cross and upon seeing it her heart leapt with joy.  Soon afterwards she said to one of her spiritual directors named Father Leonard: "Have you noticed the statue of the Child Jesus carrying his cross?" And pointing to the statue of the Child Jesus carrying a Cross: “I see Him often as he is here represented. I speak to Him and He speaks to me; this statue however, is but a poor representation of what I actually see."

Called to be a victim soul and confined to her bed from the age of 14 until her death at age 33, Rose received the stigmata and also the crown of thorns, and was gifted with countless ecstasies. But one of the most beautiful things for the lucky persons present to behold was Rose’s face and voice when, in ecstasy,  Jesus would ask her to sing to Him.  Often in her humility or in her great sufferings Rose would not want to sing, but Jesus would always win the day, because Little Rose loved Him so very much, she would sing to Him to please Him. Oh, what a most beautiful  thing to hear and behold! –A young woman, enraptured and singing innocently to her Jesus from her bed of suffering and love!  How well the title of one of the books about Marie Rose sums up her holy life: “For love of Jesus and for love of Souls- The life of Marie Rose Ferron”

Teresa of Avila with Child Jesus
St. Teresa of Avila (1515-1582, Mystic & Stigmatic)
St. Teresa of Jesus (Teresa of Avila) often meditated upon the great humility of Jesus in His Incarnation, and she always traveled with her statue of the Infant Jesus when she was establishing new convents.  She is believed to be responsible for an increased devotion to the Child Jesus in Spain during and after her holy lifetime.
Her devotion to the Infant Jesus was established after a very edifying incident.  One day Teresa of Avila was coming down the steps of her convent when she saw a beautiful young boy. The Child spoke to her and said: "Who are you?"
So Teresa answered: "I am Teresa of Jesus and who are you?"
The Child answered with a play of words: "I am Jesus of Teresa!" and then He disappeared.  But He would appear to her many, many times afterwards, but mostly as the suffering Jesus (in His adult manhood) to encourage her to sacrifice and suffer in union with Him on the Cross for the conversion of sinners.

St. Catherine of Bologna (1413–1463, Mystic)
As a young nun, Catherine de’ Vigri was given many visions; in one of them, Jesus came alive on the crucifix when she was praying before it while alone in her cell. But in one of her most beloved visions, she was given to see the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Child Jesus. It happened on one Christmas Eve while she was praying; the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to Catherine, holding in Her arms the baby Jesus. Referring to herself in the third person, Catherine wrote: 
“This kind mother came to her and gave her Son to her… Trembling with respect, but even more overcome with joy, she took the liberty of caressing Him, of pressing Him against her heart and bringing His face to her lips… Then He disappeared, leaving her filled with joy.”

St Dominic & St Catherine of Siena with Jesus & Mary
St. Anthony of Padua (1195- 1231, Mystic) 
Count Tiso who had a castle about 11 miles from Padua, Italy. On the grounds of the castle the count had provided a chapel and a hermitage for the friars.
Anthony often went there toward the end of his life and spent time praying in one of the hermit cells. One night, his little cell suddenly filled up with light. Jesus appeared to Anthony in the form of a tiny child. Passing by the hermitage, the count saw the light shining from the room and St. Anthony holding and communicating with the infant.
The count fell to his knees upon seeing this wondrous sight. And when the vision ended, Anthony saw the count kneeling at the open door. Anthony begged Count Tiso not to reveal what he had seen until after his death.
 One night, his little cell suddenly filled up with light. Jesus appeared to Anthony in the form of a tiny child. Passing by the hermitage, the count saw the light shining from the room and St. Anthony holding and communicating with the infant. The count fell to his knees upon seeing this wondrous sight. And when the vision ended, Anthony saw the count kneeling at the open door. Anthony begged Count Tiso not to reveal what he had seen until after his death. 

St Faustina Kowalska
St Faustina Kowalska (1905-1938, Mystic) 
In her diary, St Faustina wrote on February 2, 1936, “…when Mass began, a strange silence and joy filled my heart. Just then I saw Our Lady with the Infant Jesus… The most holy Mother said to me, ‘Take my Dearest Treasure,’ and she handed me the Infant Jesus. When I took the Infant Jesus in my arms, the Mother of God and Saint Joseph disappeared. I was left alone with the Infant Jesus” (Diary, 608)

"...I suddenly saw the Infant Jesus standing by my kneeler and holding on to it with His two little hands. Although He was but a little Child, my soul was filled with awe and fear, for I see in Him my Judge, my Lord, and my Creator, before whose holiness the Angels tremble. At the same time, my soul was flooded with such unspeakable love that I thought I would die under its influence (Diary, 566).

".. I saw the Infant Jesus near my kneeler. He appeared to be about one year old, and He asked me to take Him in my arms. When I did take Him in my arms, He cuddled up close to my bosom and said, "It is good for Me to be close to your heart. ... Because I want to teach you spiritual childhood. I want you to be very little, because when you are little, I carry you close to My Heart, just as you are holding Me close to your heart right now"(Diary, 1481).

On Christmas Eve, December 24, 1937,  St. Faustina writes of one of her many visions with the Christ Child:
"When I arrived at Midnight Mass, from the very beginning I steeped myself in deep recollection, during which time I saw the stable of Bethlehem filled with great radiance. The Blessed Virgin, all lost in the deepest of love, was wrapping Jesus in swaddling clothes, but Saint Joseph was still asleep. Only after the Mother of God put Jesus in the manger did the light of God awaken Joseph, who also prayed. But after a while, I was left alone with the Infant Jesus who stretched out His little hands to me, and I understood that I was to take Him in my arms. Jesus pressed His head against my heart and gave me to know, by His profound gaze, how good He found it to be next to my heart." (Diary of St. Faustina, 1442).

St Gemma's child Jesus shrine- Gemma would place her letters to her priest-spiritual director beneath this shrine and her guardian Angel would take the letters and deliver them, placing them atop his desk in Rome, some 225 miles away.
St Gemma Galgani’s Christmas vision of the Child Jesus
On Christmas day, Dec 25, 1902 St Gemma (1878-1902, Mystic, Stigmatic, Victim Soul) writes to her spiritual director Father Germanus:
 "Yesterday evening at midnight Mass [Christmas], when the priest came to the Offertory part of the Mass, I saw Jesus, Who offered me as a victim to the Eternal Father. I was very happy. He pressed me to Himself; then He led me to our Mother and presented me to her, saying:
"This dear daughter of mine you must regard as a daughter of My Passion”. Father, my heart still continues its violent palpitations." 

The Child Jesus appears again to Gemma (This is a letter from Saint Gemma to her Confessor, Monsignor Giovanni Volpi, the auxiliary Bishop of Lucca) 
"Monsignor,Yesterday evening in the usual hour of vigil, a curious thing happened to me: scarcely had I begun to make it [the holy hour] then suddenly my head took off and I seemed to have in my arms a beautiful child of three; He kissed me and caressed me and asked me whether I knew Him and whether I loved Him. I embraced Him ardently and told Him that I loved Him very much. He told me that if I wished to be all His that He would espouse me. I was very happy....."


The baby Jesus appears another time to Gemma 

Monsignor, [Giovanni Volpi]

In order to obey Father Gaetano, I must tell you something which happened to me a few days ago. One evening while I was writing, I heard my name called. I turned and saw a Lady with a Child in her arms. She held the Baby out to me and I took Him. Then the Lady said to me, 
"You, daughter, have received your health back, and therefore, I wish that you serve my Son in the Passionist Order." Having said these words, She took the Child, blessed me, looked at me, and then when She had taken some steps, turned to me again and said: "You are to tell your Confessor that what he has refused to you, he must not refuse to Me, because I am the Queen of Heaven. I have asked you to join the Company of Passionists, and you should do what I have asked of you." 

Then, after She had said these words the Lady went away.

After this I did nothing but weep all night, because I have no one willing to help me in this matter. I feel, however, now, that since the Madonna has commanded me, she is going to help me. I have made a resolution to go to the convent on my own responsibility. The Most Holy Virgin will sustain me. I could go away just as I am, without any preparation. I will be glad to make any sacrifice to enter the Passionists. For this is a command from the Madonna and I ought to obey.

Bless me.
Gemma


-Those interested in reading about St Gemma's Child Jesus shrine and the miraculous angelic letter deliveries can read more here.

St. Agnes of Montepulciano (1268- 1317, Mystic)
On one August 15th, that is, the night of the Feast of the Assumption, the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to her holding the Child Jesus.  She encouraged Agnes to continue suffering for the love of Christ – as she had been sick practically all of her holy life. In the vision, the Mother of God gave St Agnes the infant Jesus to hold, and as she cradled our Lord, she noticed that the Christ Child wore a small golden crucifix; when she woke from her ecstasy she found that she was holding the small gold crucifix which the Christ child had been wearing in the vision.

-St. Nicholas of Tolentino (1245-1305, Wonder worker) was devoted to rigorous practices of fasting and abstinence, as well as long periods of the day devoted to praying with others and private prayer. He believed in the power of prayer and sacrifice especially for the souls in Purgatory.  At times, Nicholas devoted himself to prayer and works of penance with such intensity that it was necessary for his superiors to impose limitations on him. At one point he was so weakened though fasting that he was encouraged in a vision of Mary and the child Jesus to eat a piece of bread signed with the cross and soaked in water to regain his strength. Thereafter he followed this practice in ministering to the sick himself. In his honor the custom of blessing and distributing the "Bread of Saint Nicholas" in continued by the Augustinians in many places today.

-Anne Catherine Emmerich (1774-1824, Mystic & Stigmatic)had many visions of the Child Jesus. In one in particular He offered her two crowns—one of thorns and the other of roses. She immediately chose the one of thorns so as to be like her Jesus.  

-Osanna of Mantua, Italy  (1449-1505,Mystic & Stigmatic) at age 5 had a vision of the Child Jesus who appeared to be about the same age as her--He was carrying a cross, looking at her and smiling kindly.

-St. Gerard Majella (1726-1755) Once as a young child Gerard was praying before a statue of the Blessed Virgin of Mary in the Church. Suddenly, the Child Jesus came alive in His Mother’s arms and gave St. Gerard a piece of bread to eat. The bread emitted a heavenly fragrance. St. Gerard would often share this story with others, with the greatest naturalness, as if these miraculous events happened to everyone else in the world.

Venerable Margaret Parigot
Venerable Sister Margaret Parigot –The little spouse of the Child Jesus (1619-1648, Mystic)
“The wonders of My Infancy will be resplendent in you. I have chosen you to honor My Infancy and the mysteries of Bethlehem and of Nazareth.”–Jesus in a vision to Ven. Sr. Margaret Parigot

At age five, Margaret Parigot received her first of many visions of the Child Jesus.  But it was when she became a Carmelite nun that Jesus revealed to her that saw was chosen by Jesus to honor His infancy and childhood.  She confided this fact to the novice mistress, Mary of the Trinity, of Quatrebarbes, stating:

“The holy Child Jesus keeps me constantly intent on the moment of His holy birth, and He has made me concentrate on the first twelve years of His childhood in such a way that He has given them to me within a wall and an outwork beyond which He does not permit me to venture.”

This mission, therefore, was to be the grand, unique occupation of Margaret's life; and her entire existence was to love and honor Jesus' infancy and childhood. 

For years these divine favors remained within the confines of the Carmelite community of Beaune, but after 1638 great changes took place. The Child Jesus called Margaret to work actively for the salvation of souls; He revealed to her that in His divine infancy she was to find the means of obtaining the mercy of the Father. At the same time He told her the way of honoring His holy infancy from the moment of His incarnation until his twelfth year was through a project that He communicated to her to have as its title: «The family of the Child Jesus.»  telling her:
“I wish you to institute an association of which I will inspire the rules. . . this association will be My family, the Family of the Infant Jesus, this is the title you shall give it. (- Jesus in a vision to Venerable Margaret)

Following these directives, Margaret, beginning on March 24, 1636 founded together the “Household and Associates of the Child Jesus” which together formed the “Family of the Child Jesus”. The associates were to celebrate the 25th of every month in memory of the Annunciation and of the Nativity, every day to recite the abbreviated rosary, called «the rosary, of the Holy Child», along with meditating on the birth of Jesus. The great devotion spread throughout the countryside of France, and was soon approved by the Pope, and was later instrumental in the spirituality of the great 20th century Doctor of the Church, the fellow Carmelite, St Therese of the Child Jesus.

St. Stanislaus Kostka (1550-1568) St Stanislaus was born in Poland in 1550. His father was a Polish senator and his family was a part of the Polish nobility.

As a child and later as a teenager, young Stanislaus was very devoted to his studies and to prayer. At the age of 14 he was sent along with his older brother Paul and Dr. John Bilinski, a traveling companion, to study at the Jesuit College in Vienna. 

At age 16, Stanislaus was struck with a very serious illness and was bedridden. He continued to get worse and what made this situation even worse is that Stanislaus had wanted very deeply to receive Holy Communion, but his Lutheran landlord named Kimburker, a Senator friend of his fathers, would not allow it in his house., because at that time anti-Catholic sentiment was high among the Lutherans in that area. As time progressed, Stanislaus felt as if he were dying, and he did not want to die without receiving Viaticum (Holy Communuion). He prayed fervently to his patron Saint, St Barbara, Virgin and Martyr, to obtain the grace of somehow being able to receive Holy Communion before he died.  

Later that night, he received a vision of his patron Saint Barbara, who appeared to him surrounded by a whole contingent of angels. Right after receiving Holy Communion, he then had  vision of the Blessed Virgin Mary and baby Jesus, and the Blessed Mother gave Her baby Jesus to Stanislaus to hold, and the Virgin Mary told Stanislaus that it was Jesus' will for him to become a Jesuit. When he came out of the ecstasy, he found that he was completely healed. Upon his recovery, for the next few years he pursued his calling to become a Jesuit, and at age 17 he completed enough studies and preparation to be accepted into the Jesuit Order, and to demonstrate his determination, Stanislaus walked the 350 miles to Rome (which included crossing the Alps) and there the Jesuit superior general St. Francis Borgia accepted him as a Jesuit. 

On August 9, 1568, Stanislaus became very ill with a fever. To those around him he predicted he would soon die, and he then wrote a letter to the Virgin Mary asking that he be in heaven on the feast day of her Assumption on Aug. 15, just six days away. And so it was that at age 18 his mission on this earth was completed, and Jesus and the Blessed Virgin Mary called Stanislaus to Themselves on the great Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, August 15, 1568.


St Therese of Lisieux (1873-1897) -known in religion as St Therese of the Child Jesus, once had a special grace (perhaps a vision?) from the Child Jesus on Christmas Eve, 1886, just a few days before her 14th birthday. It was an experience which she ever after referred to as "my conversion" and it left a profound influence on her life. Here are her own words which she wrote in her autobiography "A Story of a Soul" which describe the very special event:

"On that blessed night the sweet infant Jesus, scarcely an hour old, filled the darkness of my soul with floods of light. By becoming weak and little for love of me, He made me strong and brave: He put His own weapons into my hands so that I went on from strength to strength, beginning, if I may say so, 'to run as a giant." 

Blessed Maria Bolognesi -The mystic who suffered a demonic possession

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Blessed Maria Bolognesi, Mystic, Stigmatic, Layperson
Blessed Maria Bolognesi, (1924-1980) -Mystic, Stigmatic, Victim Soul & Layperson
-The mystic who suffered a demonic possession and severe diabolic temptations
Feast day: January 30

The webmaster would like to gratefully thank Mrs. Angelica Avcikurt for translating from the original Italian the inspiring and informative and inspiring passages below. May God reward her for her efforts. The source for this article is the book"Maria Bolognesi -Vita Esperienze Mistiche Spiritualita" by Tito M. Sartori O.S.M.

Early Years
Our new Blessed, Maria Bolognesi, originally Maria Semiolo, was born to a single mother, Giuseppa Samiolo, on October 21, 1924. Her natural father, who was also an illegitimate child himself, had refused to marry her mother. For the first five years of her life she lived in her mother’s house and was given her mother’s last name. The most influential relative during her early childhood was definitely her maternal grandmother, Cornetto Cesira, a pious woman, who started teaching Maria about God, while her mother worked in the fields.  Maria since this tender age got used to speaking to God in her own words.

When Maria was still five years old, her mother got married to Giuseppe Bolognesi. They moved to his house and from then on she used her stepfather’s last name, Bolognesi. From 1930-1935, she continued to grow in the love of God mainly because of the help of her grandfather, Luigi Bolognesi. During those years the Bolognesi family went through a period of extreme poverty because they were seasonal farmers. Maria sometimes had to fast on water even for three days because there was nothing to eat. Because of the hardship of their living conditions, in a period of over ten months, her grandfather, two uncles and her little brother died. Maria’s malnourishment affected her school performance. She eventually dropped out after not being able to pass second grade.  

The first healing due to Maria’s intercession took place in 1932, when she was running a very high fever. At the same time, her mother had contracted meningitis and was on her death bed. Maria was preparing to make her first Holy Communion and the nun who was instructing her told her that Jesus would grant her whatever she asked him. Little Maria believed this with all her heart and promised Jesus to be good if He would restore her mother’s health. Her request was granted and her mother recovered.

On May 22, 1932 at the age of 8, Maria made her first Holy Communion. She recalls this occasion in her diary: “I cried with joy. Finally, my little heart also carries Eucharistic Jesus. I asked for so many, many graces: to love everyone, even my enemies. I came home, other families would have lunch at their homes, but at my home there was nothing to eat, but still, I was so so happy.”

Maria had a very difficult childhood. She had to put up with the extreme jealousy of her stepfather who used to beat her mother often. From 1935-1940, she had to take care of her little siblings. During this time she continued taking catechism lessons and participated in many Church activities.

Possessed by the Devil
The next ten years (1940-1950) would be the most difficult in the life. The work of the devil started on June 21, 1940, the day that her little brother Luigi was born. Because of an evil spell, she became possessed by the devil during the summer of 1941. She was prevented by an evil force from entering any church. Her clothes would be visibly pulled by an invisible force, causing panic and terror among her friends. Her parents tried to help her by having her blessed by priests, but this did not help. Many times Maria would just flee terrified at the presence of any priest or Holy Water.  Even tying her to a chair so that Rev. Santo Magro could bless her, was of no avail.

She was then taken to a psychiatric hospital because they were convinced that she blasphemed and spat on sacred images because she was crazy. On the way to the hospital, the Bishop blessed her from the window of his residence just before she was taken there and obtained her deliverance. When she got to the mental hospital she was back to normal and the head physician of the facility declared her completely sane. 

Although she was no longer possessed, the devil kept harassing her for a while, with the difference that now she was able to go to Church and receive the sacraments. After three days in which Maria was convinced she was at the end of her life, she found herself completely delivered. This was at the end of January, 1942.


Concerning this diabolical possession, one her biographers wrote the following:
“She alternated moments that were normal, as it were, with other moments during which something mysteriously terrible was obviously going on in her. Her parents thought of helping her with blessings. During the course of the months, many different attempts were made to free Maria from this “strange malaise,” but they never achieved any result, also because Maria would flee terrorized whenever she noticed the presence of a priest or whenever someone brought holy water to her house. Moreover, until the summer of 1941, one could sometimes even detect in Maria a physical inability to go to church.

Once, when she arrived with other young women to the bridge leading to the road of the parish church of Saint Cassian, Maria suddenly froze: her dress was pulled back by a mysterious presence. Since there was no wind, even Maria’s friends were astonished to see the physical effect of this invisible action. In their testimonies, the young women stated that they returned home screaming with fear. In the summer of 1941, her father managed to stop Maria and have her blessed by the pastor of St. Cassian. This blessing was ineffective. But – during that same day – it was followed by a second blessing, imparted by the Bishop of Rovigo, which, however, did not free her completely.

During the following months, the diabolical possession was no longer total, as in the past: Maria was now able to pray, go to church, and sometimes attend Mass. However, her body was stricken with a sudden loss of weight which “devoured” and “consumed” her. Her suffering was so excruciating that she aroused pity, but no one could help her, except by going to Jesus and asking Him to free her from so much pain. At the end of January 1942, convinced that she had only three days of life left, Maria was able to go to confession and receive Communion.

The following three days were atrociously painful for her. For three consecutive days she cried, invoking the Lord and all the saints of heaven to come to help her ... At the beginning of the 4th day, her complete healing finally occurred in the house of the Piva family.”


Her First Vision
Her first vision took place the evening between April 1-2, 1942 which was Holy Thursday. She was eighteen years old at the time. She was surprised and doubtful when she saw Jesus. In this vision, Jesus talked about five matters: 1) He said he needed her help; 2) He asked her for love, prayers, and penance; 3) He told her she would learn to read and write; 4) He announced His engagement with her and placed an engagement ring with five rubies, symbolizing His passion on her ring finger. He added that one day the ring would be His again, meaning that He would exchange it for a wedding ring; 5) He foretold her of great sufferings in store for her in a not too distant future.

Maria responded to Jesus that she could not correspond to these requests because “I do not know how to pray, I am nothing, I am a miser.” She further objected saying that it would be impossible for her to learn to read and that her home was not a good place because her mother blasphemed. She then asked Jesus to make her mother good. In return, Jesus told her that that was the reason why He chose her because she was nothing. He assured her that she would learn to read and promised her that her mother, Giuseppa Samiolo, one day would  become good. The conversion of her mother began on March 15, 1947.

During this first vision she also asked Jesus for proof of His presence by asking Him to heal the sister in law of Angelina Piva who was gravely ill. Jesus answered her in a way that would characterize future requests. He said, “Yes, I can heal her, but you should pray much.”
Her typical way of responding to Jesus in this and future encounters was to say: “Jesus, I give you all my heart. Use me as You wish, I am nothing.”
After this first encounter with Jesus, Maria wrote: “I am really terrified. I have a ring on my finger. I don’t understand. I don’t understand anything.” She expressed her fears to Angelina Piva and told her that her sister in law would be healed. Then they both went to pray at the bedside of Angelina’s sister in law, and to their amazement, she was healed and went to work.

Maria and Angelina then went to tell all about the apparition, the ring and the healing to Rev. Bassiano Paiato, an old priest at the parish of Crespino, who was spiritual director to both of them. He believed Maria and ordered her to start writing the dairy and to include whatever she remembered from her childhood. This was a difficult task for her since she had only finished second grade. Nevertheless, she obeyed and managed to type 1,800 pages of her spiritual life. She kept a dairy from April 1942--July 10, 1967 when she was released from doing it by orders of her spiritual director.

Jesus told Maria that she would imitate St Gemma 
Her Second Vision, the imitation of St Gemma and Sweating Blood
Her second vision took place on May 8, 1942, the Feast of Our Lady of Pompeii. This time Jesus announced five things that would take place. (1) He told her that there was going to be a great war in the region of Crespino.  (2) He told her that he was going to grant her a second grace. This grace was the healing of another sick person that Maria had asked Him for as another sign that she was not being deceived by the devil. Jesus told her, “Of course, Maria, I know that you are afraid. Yes, I will grant you whatever you ask. By the first of June your sick friend will be healed." (3) Jesus also announced to her that she would open a private school which took place on March 12, 1947. (4) He told her that she would begin wearing a special habit as a sign of the consecration she made when she made a vow of penance. She started wearing a black habit on April 11, 1943 with permission from her spiritual director. (5) Finally, Jesus told her that she would imitate the life of a young woman unknown to her. This young woman turned out to beSt. Gemma Galgani and the date that she started wearing the black habit--just like the one that Gemma wore--was on St Gemma's feast day (April 11, 1943). 

In the meantime Rev. Sante, who knew she had been possessed, kept insisting that all that was happening to her was the work of the devil. Therefore, Maria asked Jesus for one last healing to confirm that her visions were real. He granted this third healing on March 2, 1943 when He healed a woman with a paralyzed limb. After that, Maria concluded: “I should only thank Jesus. From now on I am not going to ask Him anything anymore. Let Him put his cross on my back and I will always follow Him without fear.”

Jesus accepted this prayer and on January 2, 1944, He appeared to her suffering and sweating blood and explained to her: “Maria, it is for the conversion of souls. Now my scourge will be also yours. Your body will also sweat blood. My sweat is yours.”
At this point Maria exclaimed, “My God, what pain! If Jesus weren't near me, I would not be able to stand it.” Maria sweat blood for five minutes and afterwards her bed sheet was soaked in blood.

Angelina Piva noticed that after these episodes of sweating blood, Maria would become very pale and cold and the room would fill with a perfume. Maria’s spiritual director told Angelina to keep one of the cloths with her blood. Angelina also kept a diary of the mystical events she witnessed in Maria’s life.

Predicting Future Events
On January 2, 1944 after having sweat blood for the first time, Maria asked Jesus when WWII would end. He did not tell her at that time adding that there would be much suffering if she knew. However, forty days later it was Jesus who wanted to inform her about the end of the war. This is the only time in her diary that she mentioned the presence of the Virgin Mary. Jesus told her to fold a paper into four and that when peace came, she should give the paper to her spiritual director together with Mr. and Mrs. Piva.

The blood stained paper Maria wrote with Jesus prophesy concerning the end of World War 2
Jesus told her: “After you write in the piece of paper, it will become stained with blood. Thus, they will not be able to doubt if the dates were written afterwards. They will see it with their own eyes.” 
“And when will peace come?” Maria asked.
“It will happen in 1945. Remember on April 22, 1945, people in your region will be dispersed near the Po River. There will be disorder. The Americans will be the ones to cross the Po. On the 25th there will be a great battle. You won’t be able to make a move. On the 26th many regions will be free from danger and also on the 26th there will be Americans, Indians, and so many people from other nations that you have never seen. You will be freed on the feast of Our Lady of Good Counsel (April 26). However, world peace will not happen until the day after the Feast of Our Lady of Pompeii (May 8). Then the bells will toll, but still you will not be at peace with everyone. The Japanese won’t give in easily. But we’ll take care of that.”
Just as Jesus indicated, Maria folded the paper put it in a cloth pouch and pressed it to her chest. She gave it to her spiritual director Rev. Basiano Paiato with the Piva couple present. They were all in shock as the revelations proved precisely true.

After the war, the economy was slow and the Bolognesi family had grown numerous with five more children causing an even greater financial strain. Thus, in order to alleviate this situation and with the consent of her family, Maria decided to move to the house of Angelina and Ferdinando Piva, where she lived from 1946-1951. Angelina Piva was a friend of the family and the only one at that time who knew about Maria’s mystical phenomena. During this period, she was able to open a school for the children of the farm workers and became their teacher.

Since Maria’s sister, Teresina was 15 years old she would need to start working. Maria brought this need to Jesus. On November 29, 1946, Jesus tells her, “You will write to Varese di Milano (a city). There is a big textile factory there where your sister can get a job.” 
“Jesus, I would not know how to write to a nun.” 
“Maria, don’t worry. Everything will be fine.” 
“What about the address?” 
“Maria, write to the Mother Superior, Origgio, Varese P, Milano.” 
“Thank you, Jesus.” She mailed the letter on November 30 and on January 7, 1947, Teresina started working there.

Bitter Suffering
Rev. Santo Magro was skeptical of her mystical experiences, especially since he knew she had been possessed. He considered her to be crazy and a hysteric. The fact she started wearing a strange long black habit during that time did not help the situation. She continued to suffer under the suspicions of Rev. Santo Magro who had managed to make many people turn against her and treat her as if she were crazy.

On March 5, 1948, Maria was attacked by three criminals. Jesus had foretold her about this event seven days before the aggression, telling her that her guardian angel would be with her. Jesus described to her in detail all the injuries she would endure. He also foretold her the day of the trial and the favorable outcome.

On the day of the aggression, she was knocked out by three men, who remain unknown, tied up, muffled, with flesh stripped out of her legs and her hands, and left in the snow with two toe nails almost torn off. Since many people in the town were suspicious of her, the police Sargent took her to the Magistrate and accused her of faking an assault. She was absolved from these charges on October 25, 1948. 

During the decade of the 1940’s, Maria suffered a series of illnesses like arthritis, appendicitis, colitis and pleurisy. By 1950 she was in a state of extreme weakness and became almost blind. For medical treatments, she often had to travel to Rovigo and Padua. She providentially met Mrs. Wanda Guerrato who lived in Rovigo. Mrs. Wanda was sent to S. Cassiano by Maria’s spiritual director, Rev. Bassiano Paiato to ask Maria for prayers for her brother in law who had cancer. A few days later, Marias asked her if she could stay at her house in Rovigo because she had a medical appointment in that city. The Guerrato family gladly took her in, treated her as a member of the family, and even paid for most of her medical expenses. Her spiritual director, Rev. Bassiano Paiato had ordered Maria not to speak to anyone about her experiences. However, Mrs. Wanda, who had originally been directed by this priest to seek the prayers of Maria, took it upon herself to make known the wonders of grace that were happening in Maria’s life, especially since she was living at her house. Mrs. Wanda went as far as inviting some devout friends to witness the ecstasies and visions that Maria had on Fridays.

Diabolical Temptation
During her spiritual engagement with Jesus (April 1942-April 1955) Jesus allowed Maria to be tempted by the Devil. On July 24, 1943, Maria referring to World War II was telling Jesus that she would suffer alone for the well being of everyone. Jesus strangely answered, “Maria, have you ever seen the devil?”
She answered negatively. Jesus the said, “Maria, don’t be afraid. Do you see the devil?”......
 “My God! How ugly is the devil. If I weren't with You, Jesus, how afraid I would have been.”

On January 7, 1944, five days after sweating blood for the first time, Maria saw a great light in her room while she was praying at night. She heard Jesus say, “Maria, be alert, don’t be afraid.” Jesus disappeared and while she continued praying the rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary, a gentleman dressed like a king appeared to her and said, “Lady, how come you are wasting your time praying that which you have in your hands? How beautiful you are! How dear! If you love me, you will become the richest in the world. I am rich and you are poor. I would like to give you so much happiness in this life that no one has been able to give you. You will stop suffering. I will marry you soon.”
She replied: “I have been married for a long time.”
 “You are not married. It is just an idea you have.”
“This is the Crucifix. This is my sweet husband, Jesus. I will love Him until I will rest with Him forever in Paradise.”
“Those are just words. If you put away what you are holding, I will give you the greatest wealth in the world.” 
“You are the devil. Go away. I believe in one almighty God, maker of Heaven and Earth.”
“Miss, put away those beads.”
“In the name of God, get away for me, Satan. In the name of the Father, of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, go away. I will not leave Jesus.” She concludes this first temptation by writing in her diary, “Mercy! What a horrible flame on my window. What fright!”

The subsequent temptations were very similar to the first. On April 22, 1944 while she was working the fields, she was surprised by a bright light. Jesus had warned her that the devil would be present if there was a bright light but the face of the Lord was not there. This time the devil took the form of a lady who told Maria to go home because her mom had been burned. Maria suspecting it was the devil told the lady that the soul does not die with the body. Then the devil lit a match and threw it next to her.“My God, my dress caught fire. It made a blister on my left foot.” 
“In the name of the Father, of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, go away, Satan.”  Then, the lady disappeared in a flash of fire.

The cilice (an instrument of penance) that Blessed Maria Bolognesi wore
She had a total of eight temptations over the course of several years. Her last temptation took place on May 15, 1949. This time after she rejected the devil again, he said:  “I see that there is nothing else that I can do. I have to leave you forever. I could not conquer you.  You love for Him makes me tremble. Everything was useless.  I burn not being able to touch you. During your trial (referring to what took place on October 25, 1948), I was waiting, thinking that it would make you evil. But everything was in vain. The One whom you love does not allow me to tempt you anymore. Be consumed then by the One who has promised you eternal happiness.” At the end of this dialogue with Satan, she heard the voice of Jesus say, “Satan, this is your last temptation. You will not return anymore.” Then in a puff of smoke, the devil disappeared.

New Spiritual Director: Mons. Rodolfo Barbieri
In the meantime, Rev. Bassiano Paiato, who had followed Maria’s spiritual itinerary from the very beginning, was also eager to make known the wonders of grace God was working through her. Thus, he decided to disseminate an image of the Ecce Homo that had appeared in a napkin used to wipe the blood of Maria’s side wound during the ecstasy of April 7, 1950.  The Bishop reacted strongly against this. He asked that all the printed cards that were made of this image be given to him. He also requested Maria’s habit that had been burned by Satan during a temptation. Finally, he appointed a new spiritual director to Maria. Mons. Rodolfo Barbieri accepted to take over her spiritual direction on June 28, 1951. At a meeting with her new director on July 24, Maria showed him at his request, the ring that Jesus had given her on April 2, 1942 and handed her diary over to him.  A few weeks later, on August 5, Mons. Barbieri was present at one of Maria’s ecstasies with the sweating of blood. Mons. Barbieri once asked her if she was sure it was really Jesus who was appearing to her every Friday. Maria answered, “Father, I speak, I see, I am sure of what I see.” Fr. Romualdo asked her a similar question several years later to which she responded: “I see Him close up as I am seeing you at this moment.”

Sweating Blood and Stigmata
Maria’s stigmata appeared gradually. In 1944 she had the wound in her side. On July 1951, she suffered the pain of the flagellation. On January 25, 1954 she wrote about a wound that opened up in her right hand. In August, 1954, she went to stay at the Monastery of the Augustinian sisters in Ferrara because she had been ordered to go there in a vision. While staying at this monastery, she received the wounds on her feet.

On February, 1955 while Maria was in the hospital, she had a vision telling her to go away from Rovigo on March 16th. The place indicated in her vision was Sperlinga in Sicily. She stayed at a home in Sperlinga to do a Lenten retreat and it was there that she received the last wound on her left hand on April 2, 1955. That same day was the end of Maria’s spiritual betrothal. She noticed that her engagement ring had disappeared and said, “Jesus, you have taken my little ring!”

Spiritual Marriage
Traveling back from Sperlinga, she decided to stop in San Giovanni Rotondo because the trip was too hard. She had a fever and her shoes were full of blood. She found and inn called Pensione Villa Pia and stayed there. On Good Friday, April 8 at 3:00, Jesus appeared to her in her room and asked her:
“Maria, how are you?”
“Jesus, here I am, as You can see.”
“Maria, how did you manage to get here with your feet in that condition and a fever of 39 C?” “Listen, Jesus, I love You so, so much. I am all Yours.”
Jesus then told her, “Now I am going to take from you every wound, on your hands, feet and side.”“Jesus, I am Your little rag. Your little beggar.”
“Maria, I am your Jesus whom you love so much. Here is My ring. It is yours now.”
Maria was shocked and replied, “But Jesus, Jesus, this is not the first one (ring) you gave me. This is a big ring. Why Jesus?”
The "Ecce Homo" ring that Jesus gave to Maria
“Maria, I told you that the little ring was made up of five jewels, five are My Wounds, and that one day it would be Mine again. Now My five Wounds have been carved in your body. This is the ring of Ecce Homo.” 
“Jesus, yes, I see. Will You give it to me forever? What will I tell my spiritual director?”
“Maria, My Wounds are yours also. I know how much you love Me. You always tell Me: 'I only want to belong to Jesus.' And I am yours.” 
“Thank you, Jesus. The little ring that You gave me in 1942 during Holy Week, will You not give it to me again? Will you leave this one always with me?” 
“Yes, Maria. You will have always this one. I will always need your sacrifices. Your sufferings will be many.”
“Jesus, whenever You want, whatever You want. If my life were necessary for the good of us all, I would give it up gladly.”

It seems that Jesus wanted to give proof of the supernatural origin of this ring. Maria had been bedridden since she arrived to the Mantovani home. On evening on October 18, 1955, she went into ecstasy and started to cry. This woke up Mrs. Mantovani and her daughter Zoe who asked Maria what was wrong. Maria explained that Jesus had taken her ring away. Maria assumed she must have offended Jesus somehow for Him to have done this. A few moments later, she knelt on the bed enraptured by a second vision and her face radiated joy. Mrs. Mantovani and Zoe saw with their own eyes how the ring reappeared out of thin air on her finger again.

On April 10 she returned to Wanda Guerratto and stayed with Wanda until Wanda's death on July 14, 1955. After 1955 until her own death, Maria lived with a companion, Zoe Mantovani, first at her family’s house, then in Via Mazzini, and after 1971 in Via G. Tasso 49 in Rovigo, where Zoe still lives.

Another Spiritual Director: Monsignor Adelino Marenga
On September 24, 1956 Mons. Barbieri stopped being her spiritual director because of his health and Mons. Adelino Marega took over. Her first meeting with her new spiritual director took place on October 14. He imposed three conditions: obedience, humility and trust. Regarding the visions of Jesus, Mons. Marega told her to disregard them as temptations and to tell Jesus not to give her suffering. She obeyed.  On July 30, 1957, Mons. Marenga, realizing her obedience, told her to accept whatever the Lord sent her and to pray for souls.

Maria felt embarrassed and did not want to be seen with her face covered in blood especially by Mons. Marenga. On October, 1958, Jesus asked her why she didn’t go see her spiritual director any longer and sent Zoe instead.  Maria answered, “I will go when You tell me that I won’t sweat blood in front of him.” A few years later, on Holy Thursday, 1961, Mons. Marenga went to take her Holy Communion. Exactly then Jesus appeared to her and said, “Your spiritual director is in this room with Holy Communion. Your face covered in blood will repair for so many souls in sin.”
“Jesus, Jesus, I am really angry. You are bad. I didn’t want this to happen. I have begged You so many times.”
“Maria, I have also asked you so many times and you always refused. You did not want this but I did. In order for your director to be able to give testimony he had to witness this.”
“Jesus, I am embarrassed and really angry.”
The next day Jesus came to ask her if she was still angry, but when she saw Jesus crying she wanted to console Him.

From 1957-1963, although Maria continued suffering from various ailments, she now was able to involve herself much more with works of charity than when she was living in the countryside. She made contact with many suffering and needy people during her stays at the hospital. She found many benefactors interested in financing her charities. In 1964, Mons. Marenga died suddenly.

Altar-tomb of St Gemma Galgani at her monastery in Lucca, Italy
Trip to St. Gemma Galgani’s Shrine
On September 29, 1959, Maria went to the Shrine of St. Gemma Galgani in Lucca to visit her “little saint.”  She wrote in her dairy: “When I found myself in front of St. Gemma (her tomb), I let my heart speak to her. I entrusted to her all my sinners, my poor and my sick. I would have never moved away from that face...'You Little Gemma (Gemmina) of Jesus, pray that we may always feel holy love growing in us.' 

We saw her [Gemma's] broken shoes, her dress, the lace work, her shirt with blood stains. We saw her dishes, everything she used for eating. We even saw her little bed. What joy! What peace! My heart recovered a bit."

Trips to Heaven and Purgatory
Starting from 1957, Jesus started taking her regularly on visits to Heaven and Purgatory. On November 1st, 1957 at 3:00pm Jesus said to her:
 “Come with me.”
“Where do You want me to come?”
“Maria, I am taking you to Paradise for a few minutes.”
She saw herself wearing a white robe. Jesus smiling asked her, “Maria, would you stay here forever?”
“Jesus, Jesus, how much light! Heaven is a garden of bright and perfumed souls. No painter could come close to depicting this. So much light, a multitude of angels! How I would love to be here!” Jesus interrupted her saying, “Now I will take you with Me to visit Purgatory.”
“Jesus, You are so good. You know I don’t deserve anything.”
“Maria, you will feel the same suffering that the souls in Purgatory feel.”
The impact was so painful that she exclaimed, “My God, my God! Only with Jesus’ grace and strength can one overcome certain pains and suffering. Jesus, through Your pity and mercy, take all these souls with You to Paradise soon.”
Jesus then told her,“Now you will wake up and you will feel very tired and worn out.”
When she woke up she did feel very tired and Zoe, her companion, was next to her.

Since the spring of 1958, Maria was bedridden for almost a year. On July 3, 1959 Jesus announced to her a reward saying:“For all the sufferings you have endured during this time and for the many rosaries you have prayed, I will let you see the souls you have freed from Purgatory.”
Three days later, she visited Heaven again dressed in white. She wrote, “I saw a multitude of souls that enjoyed the presence of Jesus.” Then she said, “Jesus, I would also like to be a little angel, but I would prefer to stay in Purgatory even if I did not deserve it in order to save those who suffer so much.”
“Maria, you know how painful the sufferings in Purgatory are.”
“Yes, Jesus, more than once you have let me see it. That is why I pray so much and why I would like to stay in Purgatory and suffer for souls so that they may be purified and can soon enjoy Your company in Heaven.”
“Maria, if I asked you a long time in Purgatory for the salvation of souls, would you do it?”
“I would not hesitate, I would accept immediately. When I think that a suffering or a great pain here on Earth cannot be compared to the smallest sufferings of the souls in Purgatory, how could I refuse?”

On her birthday, October 21, 1959, Maria is woken up at 2:00am by a mysterious voice. Jesus took her to Heaven and had a surprise for her: “Maria, look: your name is written here.”
Jesus took her to Heaven again on January 22, 1960, but He abruptly announced, “Maria, now I am taking you to visit Purgatory.”
Then she noticed that she was dressed in red and saw many souls. She saw seven souls rising. Jesus explained,“See, Maria, you pray so much for the souls in Purgatory, those over there are entering Heaven.”
“Jesus, You are so good.”
“Maria, can You tell me how painful this place is?”
“Jesus, I feel that I am burning from thirst. I cannot compare any pain to that which I feel right now.”

A few days after Maria’s spiritual director, Monsignor Marenga, had died, Maria woke up feeling emptiness and started to remember him. Then, Jesus appeared to her in a warm light and said, “Maria, are you angry at Me?”
“Jesus, Your will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven.” Suddenly, she found herself dressed in white walking along a long road made of flowers. Jesus said: “Maria, I know that you are mourning your spiritual director and that you have been thinking about his death since you saw Me on July 18th. Now you will see your holy director.” Then she saw Mons. Marenga who looked beautiful and in contemplation with other souls. He looked at her but did not speak.
These are but a few instances of her trips to Heaven and Purgatory that are found in her diary.

Her Last Spiritual Director: Monsignor Aldo Balduin
Her fourth and last spiritual director was Monsignor Aldo Balduin.  The spiritual direction of Mons. Balduin differed from that of his predecessor. Since he had been a librarian, he could not conceive of a person living without meditating on texts. Maria’s other spiritual directors, aware of her lack of education, had never asked her to read spiritual books. Mons. Balduin, however, during one of the first meetings with her suggested that she read lives of saints and a book of daily meditations by Pincelli called “Food for the Religious Soul.” When he met with her a few months later, he was astonished to hear from Maria that she did not want to read the lives of the saints because while reading them she experienced the sufferings they had experienced in their lives. Because of this, Mons. Balduin told her she could stop reading them.

A painting drawn by Blessed Maria Bolognesi in 1968
Mons. Balduin also supported her charitable enterprises. One of her projects was to build a rehab center to house those people coming out of the hospital with no place to go. With the help of a benefactor, she was able to get a land in the area of S. Bartolo. The years between 1967-1971 were difficult years for Maria both with financial worries, problems with the construction of the Rehab Center and many illnesses, which culminated in a heart attack in 1971, which marked the end of her active ministry.
Perhaps as a way to relax during this time, she took up painting in 1968. Since she was bed-bound because of her health problems; she started painting pictures that she would give to benefactors as a way of thanking them. She mainly pained landscapes, flowers and animals.


Her Devotion to Baby Jesus in the Manger
In 1946 at the Piva’s house, Maria began the tradition of making elaborate nativity scenes, which she continued to do until the end of her life. In her diary entry of December 30, 1960 she wrote, “My little baby Jesus is made of wood, but at this moment he has flesh. I am not dreaming and I am not seeing double. Jesus moved from the shed. I got close and told him, “Jesus, come to my arms.” He opened his small hands and sat on my knees. He looked at me.” Maria entrusted to Him the whole world. She said Jesus talked to her for a long time complaining about sinners and He cried when He spoke about so many priests that did not pray fervently. Then Jesus transformed himself in the manger and blessed the whole world.

St Padre Pio purportedly appeared in bilocation to Maria on numerous occasions
Her Last Years and Mystical Relationship with St Padre Pio
From 1974 Maria started another period of mental and physical suffering. She again suffered persecution and misunderstandings from some prelates in the Church. She also suffered from so many ailments; back aches, stomach aches, heart trouble, that she described herself as an old rag. However, she continued having the visions of Jesus every Friday. Less is known about this period because she had stopped writing her diary in 1967, thirteen years before her death. She was never able to complete the rehab center she wanted.
From her lifelong companion, Zoe Mantovani, who lived with her the last twenty five years of her life, we know that she had a mystical relationship with St. Pio of Pietrelcina. Zoe said that Padre Pio used to appear to her in bilocation in their house in Rovigo and that he continued visiting her even after his death in 1968.

On January 30, 1980 at 2:00 am Maria Bolognesi passed away because of another heart attack.

Beatification
Maria Bolognesi was beatified by Pope Francis on September 7, 2013. Her friend Zoe (97 years old) and a young man named Marco were present. Marco received the miracle that was needed for the beatification. The account of the miracle, taken from a newsletter “Priestly People” (www.theservants.org, Sept. 2013 vl. 29, no. 9 pp. 3-4) is the following:
 “Marco, who as a young boy suffered a severe allergic reaction to medicine that had been prescribed for a heart ailment. After having over 95% of his skin chemically burned by that allergic reaction Marco was put into intensive care. Shortly thereafter an EEG confirmed that Marco had no brain activity and eventually he was pronounced dead. At the same time, Marco’s grandmother was making a long train journey from her home to see the grandson she didn't yet know had died. When she got to the hospital and was brought into his room, she began to pray and among some books found a picture which dropped to the floor when she opened one of those books. She immediately recognized that the woman whose picture had fallen from the book was the exact same woman who had appeared to her in a dream days earlier saying that Marco would be ok. She didn’t know who the woman was but she began to pray fervently to her on behalf of her grandson. Two hours and eighteen minutes after being pronounced dead Marco began to show signs of life and eventually fully recovered. On May 3, 2013 Pope Francis attributed Marco’s miraculous cure to Maria Bolognesi thus clearing the way for the beatification.”

References:
Sartori, Tito, O.S.M., Maria Bolognesi: Vita, Esperienze Mistiche, Spiritualita,  Rovigo: Edizioni MB, 2004.

Prayer to the Holy Trinity
to obtain a grace through the intercession of
Blessed Maria Bolognesi
Lord God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
I thank you for having made Your light shine upon
Your humble servant Maria Bolognesi
Who was a sublime example of charity and patience,
who generously participated in Your sufferings,
who loved You so much and worked,
for Your glory and the salvation of souls.
We ask You to glorify her here on Earth
And grant us through her intercession
the grace we desire.
(Three Glory Be’s)

With Ecclesiastical approval
Lucio Soravito de Franceschi
Bishop of Adria-Rovigo

For information or to communicate graces received write to:
Centro Maria Bolognesi
Via Giovanni Tasso, 49
45100 Rovigo, Italy
Email: centro@mariabolognesi.it
As stated at the beginning of this article, the source for this article is the book "Maria Bolognesi -Vita Esperienze Mistiche Spiritualita" by Tito M. Sartori O.S.M., published by EDIZIONI MB
_____________________________
“Listen, Jesus, I love You so, so much. I am all Yours!”  -Words of Bl. Maria Bolognesi
-Blessed Maria Bolognesi, pray for us!

Remarkable facts concerning the stigmata

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Irving "Francis" Houle, Michigan Stigmatist -died 2009  
Stories of the stigmata in persons throughout the world
-Amazing details of those inside and outside of the Catholic church whom have allegedly borne the wounds of Jesus

By: Glenn Dallaire

For those unfamiliar, the sacred stigmata is a special mystical grace given by God wherein the sacred wounds of Jesus are physically imprinted upon an individual--normally upon the hands and feet (although there have been cases of stigmata upon the wrists) --representing the nail wounds of Jesus, and often also a wound on the side of the individual, close to the heart, representing Jesus' heart wound from the lance of the Roman soldier. In certain individuals, accompanying the "five wounds" there is also present the crown of thorns encircling the head, and also the shoulder wound representing where our Lord carried the cross. Additionally, there can be numerous wounds representing blows and the scourging that our Lord received. All of the physical conditions mentioned above can be present in a mystic individually, or together.

Hands or wrists?
As stated above, for most stigmatics the wounds are in the palms of the hands, however there have been a number of individuals throughout the history of the Catholic church whom have had the wounds upon the wrists--two relatively recent cases would be Fr. Jim Bruse of Woodbridge, Virginia, a Catholic priest who was reported to have received the stigmata the day after Christmas in 1991 until 1993, and also Georgette Faniel of Montreal, Quebec, who had the stigmata on and off from 1950 until her death in 2002. Looking farther back in history we note that St Francis of Assisi is also stated to have received the stigmata in the wrists.

Facts concerning the wounds of the stigmata
The purpose of the wounds is to draw and unite the chosen individual into a special union with Jesus in His passion, for the conversion of sinners and to make reparation for sins. Thus, individuals who are given the grace of the stigmata are always considered "victim souls" because they suffer in union with Jesus for the conversion of sinners. The stigmata wounds are normally visible however there are a good number of cases on record of invisible stigmata, which usually occurs when, out of a deep humility, the recipient asks God to make the wounds hidden, and in response to this humility God acquiesces to the desire, such as in the life of the American mystic, Marie Rose Ferron (1902-1936) and also Anne Catherine Emmerich (1774-1824).


Marie Rose Ferron, American Stigmatist (1902-1936)
It should be noted that numerous mystics who have experienced both the visible and the invisible stigmata have emphatically stated that the hidden stigmatas are significantly more painful than the visible form, because there is in fact some relief of the pain when the wounds themselves bleed, and those whom have had their visible wounds bandaged have expressed this difference also.

And in regards to the blood that comes forth from the stigmatised wounds, this writer has found that in almost every case that I have researched, there is reported an accompanying sweet, flowery odor that emanates from the blood itself.

The mysterious union that exists between the wounds of those stigmatized and those of Jesus
And speaking of the blood that comes forth from the wounds of the stigmata, Marie Rose Ferron from Rhode Island once asked of her mother and a couple of visitors near the bed: "How is it that I lose so much blood, when I have so little?" 
Hardly had she uttered this question when she lapsed into ecstasy and began to speak: "Oh! It is Your Blood that gushes from me! As for me, I am nothing, nothing, my Jesus!" 

Another example of this mysterious union between those stigmatised and Jesus would be the case of Blessed Maria Bolognesi (1924-1980). On January 2, 1944, Jesus appeared to Maria suffering and sweating blood and explained to her: “Maria, it is for the conversion of souls. Now my scourge will be also yours. Your body will also sweat blood. My sweat is yours.”
At this point Maria exclaimed: “My God, what pain! If Jesus weren't near me, I would not be able to stand it.”
Maria sweat a great quantity of blood for five minutes and afterwards her bed sheet was soaked in blood.

The stigmata wounds themselves are extremely painful, and at times certain individuals such as St Gemma Galgani have actually passed out due to the overwhelming pain of the wounds. Upon receiving the stigmata, Gemma described the pain saying: "I felt as if I was about to die".

When asked whether or not the wounds are painful, the great St Padre Pio replied:  "Do you think that the Lord gave them to me for a decoration?"  Padre Pio (1887-1968) is the only widely accepted priest to have ever borne the stigmata (St Francis of Assisi was not a priest, but was a religious brother) and what is even more remarkable is the fact that he bore the stigmata on a continuous basis for 50 years and 3 days--the longest of all the known stigmatics! Mosignor George Pogany once testified that a man had said to Padre Pio: "Who knows if the stigmata are real or fake?" and Padre Pio replied sincerely: "Well, if they are not real then I am the first one to be deceived."

For some, the stigmatic wounds suddenly appear--often on Thursday evenings and even more often during Lent and Holy Week, and usually they are accompanied with ecstasies/visions of the Passion of Jesus--and afterwards the stigmata will often almost completely disappear within 24-48 hours, only to reappear the following Thursday, often during Lent, and most especially Holy Week. A currently living stigmatic named Myrna Nazzour of Damascus, Syria only receives the stigmata on Good Friday when Easter falls on the same day for both the Orthodox and Catholic churches.Others however have borne the stigmata on a continual, permanent basis.

Rhoda Wise, Ohio stigmatic, died 1948
The Stigmata in married laypersons
History has shown that the stigmata can occur in a wide variety of persons, circumstances and conditions. While the vast majority of recipients have been women (90%), and most of them religious nuns, it has occurred numerous times throughout the centuries in a number of lay men and women, single and married. From the 1980's to today for example it has (allegedly) occurred in the young married Catholic woman named Myrna Nazzour of Damascus, Syria and also in a retired married Catholic man from Michigan named Irving "Francis" Houle who died in 2009. Both of these persons have received the support of their local Bishops. Or again in the 1940's there was married Ohio woman named Rhoda Wise who experienced an amazing conversion into the Catholic church and soon afterwards was miraculously cured and received the stigmata and who also received the support of her Bishop.

Brief history of the stigmata
While St Francis of Assisi (b.1181/1182-d. 1226) is normally recognized as the first stigmatic in the Catholic church, however there are a good number of Biblical scholars and others (this writer included) who believe that the apostle St. Paul was in fact the first stigmatic, because in Galatians 6:17 Paul himself writes: "From now on, let no one cause me trouble, for I bear on my body the marks of Jesus."
And then also in the Acts of the Apostles we read:
"God was performing extraordinary miracles by the hands of Paul, so that even handkerchiefs or aprons that had touched him were carried from his body to the sick, and their diseases left them and the evil spirits came out of them"  (Acts 19:11-12). We see this very same practice occurring today with "hankerchiefs" and other items that have touched the wounds/blood of a stigmatic being used to cure others, and are highly regarded as sacred relics by persons within the Church.

Many more woman stigmatics than men
Nevertheless, St Padre Pio, the apostle Paul and St Francis of Assisi are noteworthy also because of the fact that they are men, given that of the roughly 400 cases of those beatified or canonized persons within the Catholic church, 353 are women and only 54 are men--in other words, women have received the stigmata over men by a majority of almost 7 to 1. It is very important to note however that in all such persons, the Church itself does not authenticate cases of the stigmata, but only the heroic virtues practiced by the individuals whom were given them.

Stigmatics and the age 33
Notable also is the fact that many whom have borne the stigmata died, like Jesus, at age 33--an amazing fact which can only be interpreted as a Providential seal upon the victim souls identification and union with Jesus. 

Some of the stigmatics whom like Jesus died at age 33 are St Catherine of Siena (1347-1380), Blessed Mariam Baouardy (1846-1878), Servant of God Domenica Lazzeri (1815-1848), Servant of God Louise Lateau (1850-1883),  Teresa Musco (1943-1976), St Faustina Kowalska (1905-1938) who bore the invisible stigmata, Sr. Josefa Menendez (1890-1923) who bore the crown of thorns, and the American mystic from Rhode Island, Marie Rose Ferron (1902-1936).

In regards to Marie Rose Ferron, while in ecstasy 7 years before her death she was told by Jesus that she, like Him, would die at age 33. When she came out of ecstasy she told those about her what Jesus had revealed concerning the age of her death, and the news quickly spread throughout her hometown of Woonsocket, Rhode Island and abroad. Thus when she died at age 33, her family and those who knew her were deeply saddened for having lost such a devout and kind soul, but were not surprised, having been forewarned 7 years earlier.

A holy card showing the stigmata of St Padre Pio
Natural laws suspended
Another amazing fact concerning the stigmata are the numerous documented cases where various natural laws, such as gravity, are suspended. For example, we see in the life of the Servant of God, Domenica Lazzeri (1815-1848) where a respected observer, Lord Shrewsbury John Talbot testified in 1837 while observing Domenica lying in her bed:  "Instead of taking its natural course, the blood flowed upwards over the tops of the toes, as it would do were she suspended on a cross."

Then too, how can those like Maria von Morl (1812-1868) who continuously bore the stigmata for exactly 33 years (note again the symbolic number 33) and St Padre Pio, who bore the stigmata for 50 years, not develop any kind of infection in the large, open wounds on the hands, feet and side over the course of numerous decades?  How is it that there has never been a documented case of infection in the wounds of any of the hundreds of known stigmatics?

At the same time, how can anyone explain the amazing speed at which St Gemma Galgani's (and many others) stigmatized wounds would heal each week? Beginning on Thursday evenings, Gemma would be drawn into ecstasy, and would soon develop the crown of thorn wounds on her forehead. By Friday at noon, she would have the stigmata on both her hands and feet--large open wounds that would be bleeding profusely, with the sheets on her bed being completely saturated in blood.

At 3pm on Friday, all of the wounds would stop bleeding and begin to close up, and by the next day (Saturday) the wounds would be completely healed with no scabs--in less than 24 hours, the only evidence of the large nail sized wounds the afternoon before would be a round whitish colored scar, as witnessed and testified by numerous people on many occasions. Those interested in the testimonies and drawings of St.Gemma's stigmata can find them here.

The stigmata of Teresa Musco who died at age 33
Additionally, in the case of the Italian mystic and stigmatic Teresa Musco (1943-1976) for example, there is photographic evidence in the possession of her long time spiritual director, Father Franco Amico, of Teresa holding one of her stigmatised hands up to a window, and one can clearly see the light shining through a complete hole, clear through her hand.

Of course, under normal circumstances such an open wound would normally involve prompt medical attention due to severe loss of blood, and also for the prevention of infection, but such was never necessary concerning Teresa's stigmata, or any of the other stigmatic's this writer has ever read about. In fact, one can clearly see in the photo to the left the extensive size and severity of Teresa's stigmatisation. At most, loose fitting gloves have sometimes been worn by certain stigmatics, primarily to hide the wounds from curious onlookers, but the application of antibiotics and extensive bandaging never proves necessary. How could it be possible that such wounds would not become infected in the persons who have borne them on a continual basis for years? The answer is simply that they are not ordinary wounds and they do not originate from ordinary means--they have their origins in God and are sustained by Him.

The stigmata outside of the Catholic church
Those who research the stigmata soon discover that it is primarily a Catholic phenomenon and that there are very few documented cases outside of the Catholic church.

Nevertheless we can provide a few cases here. Firstly what is most interesting in the cases of stigmata that have occurred outside of the Catholic church is how closely they often resemble in the basic facts the ones that have occurred over the centuries within the Church---but in almost every case there is one major difference: In the vast majority of the cases outside of the Catholic church the persons whom have received the stigmata soon begin public healing ministries wherein there is the "laying of the hands" upon the sick or infirmed--in other words, they believe that their stigmata wounds contain healing powers and that soon after the reception of the stigmata they feel called to participate in public healing services.

Photo of the stigmata of Irving "Francis" Houle (1925-2009)
While the call to such a healing ministry has also occurred more recently with certain stigmatics in the Catholic church, such as with Irving "Francis" Houle, the Michigan stigmatist (1925-2009), who with his priest spiritual director, the author Father Robert J. Fox, traveled to many areas of the country and would lead a healing service after Mass wherein he would lay his stigmatic hands individually upon the faithful.

Traditionally however, such a healing ministry has not been the practice of the vast majority of Catholic stigmatics throughout the centuries. Most stigmatics in the Catholic church have lived very hidden, quiet lives and during their lifetimes their stigmata is known to only a small number of individuals.

According to Bernard Ruffin (Padre Pio –The True Story, Our Sunday Visitor,1991) one of documented stigmatists who was not a Roman Catholic was Elsie Nilsson Gjessing, a member of Central Lutheran Church in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Born in 1904. she received the stigmata as a child in Sweden, and it is said to have continued until her death at age seventy-nine. She has been described by one of her pastors as a sweet and humble woman, "so ordinary in every way." She was allegedly gifted with many ecstasies and she was also one of the few married stigmatists. The wounds in her hands, feet and side were said to have bled copiously from Holy Thursday night until 3 P.M. on Good Friday. 

Additionally during Lent, Elsie was alleged to have experienced what she described as “'hellfire", in which her body became so hot that cold cloths were placed on her in an attempt to cool her body temperature. Incidentally, this same phenomenon of extreme body heat was also experienced by St Padre Pio and documented by his physician, wherein upon taking the Padre's body temperature on several different occasions, the thermometer would literally be pinned at its highest reading (of 120 degrees). 

Mrs. Gjessing herself has stated that the suffering and anguish that she experienced was "only a tiny little bit to let the world know what Christ went through. It is only a sample - just as small as a nail- that He lets me have." In 1970, her pastor, Dr. Morris Wee, recorded some of her ecstasies. She claimed to have seen and spoken with Christ and her guardian angel, as well as with Martin Luther. Mrs.Gjessing, who like many mystics was ridiculed and shunned publicity, was also reputed to have been the instrument for many healings as she touched the sick with her stigmatized hands.


Dorothy Kerin, the first Anglican with the stigmata
Another one of the first experiences of the stigmata outside the Catholic Church involves a British woman named Dorothy Kerin (1889-1963). She is believed to be the first Anglican to have ever experienced the stigmata. Her mystical experiences began, like those of Therese Neumann, with a period in which she was deaf, blind and semi-conscious. At her bedside at her home in Heme Hill, London, her doctor stated that she would die before morning, but all were soon amazed when she confounded all predictions and raised herself, stood up and declared that she was healed. As she lay dying, Dorothy stated that: “Someone called me by name, three times distinctly", and she replied, 'Yes I am listening, who is it?' And she heard a male voice who said: 'Listen!', and she felt two warm hands take hold of hers. She then reported that a beautiful Light then came right over the bed. In the midst of the Light stood the Angel of the Lord, who, still holding her hands in his and lifting them up to her eyes and touching them, said, 'Dorothy, your sufferings are over; Get up and walk.'

Three years after this extraordinary event on December 8th she allegedly received the stigmata in her hands, and on the next day, the wound in her side, and on the 3rd day, the wounds in her feet. Not long afterwards she began a healing ministry which she continued until her death in 1963.

Other recent stigmatics outside of the Catholic church include two from Great Britain--Ethel Chapman who claimed to have the stigmata in 1974, and also Heather Woods, an Episcopalian, who allegedly experienced the stigmata beginning in early 1993, however she died in November of that same year. Heather's stigmata was studied quite extensively by her physician who stated in writing that he:  "...was satisfied that they were spontaneous lesions for which I could offer no medical explanation."

Hands encased in leather gloves- The scrutiny of the stigmata by medical professionals
The statement by Heather Woods physician leads us to another question concerning the stimgata--- what medical studies have been done concerning the stigmata? There have, in fact, been a few individuals with the stigmata who have been studied by medical professionals. 

For example, St Padre Pio's stigmata had been studied by at least five physicians during his lifetime--something for which Padre Pio, in his great humility, was not at all in favor of. In fact he would only allow the physicians to examine him if ordered to by his religious superiors. Dr. Georgio Festa was able to study Padre Pio's stigmata quite extensively on one occasion because the Padre was under anesthesia for a necessary operation for a hernia.

Servant of God, Anne Louise Lateau (1850-1883)
Other physicians to study Padre Pio's stigmata over the years were Dr. Luigi Romanelli, the chief physician at Barletta City Hospital, Professor Dr Guiseppe Bastianelli, physician to Pope Benedict XV, a Pathologist--Dr Enrico Bignami of the University of Rome, and finally Dr. Alberto Caserta who took XRAY's in 1954 of Padre Pio's hands and found no abnormalities outside of the wounds of the stigmata. Essentially, a couple of the physicians came up with theories as to a possible medical cause of Padre Pio's stigmata, but no conclusive evidence was ever discovered. To this day, Padre Pio's stigmata, which he bore for over 50 years, remains unexplained by science.

Even more interesting was the intense scrutiny that Louise Lateau's stigmata had been subjected to by three physicians led by Dr. Lecrinier de Fayt. In the medical experiment, the Servant of God, Anne Louise Lateau's hands were encased for two days in thick leather gloves, and sealed with ribbon and a special wax seal, making any external self-infliction completely impossible. Louise's stigmata would suddenly open and bleed on Thursday evenings into Friday afternoon until 3pm. They would then close and heal within the matter of 24 hours. Knowing this fact, the physicians, "...after ascertaining that both of her hands were in a normal condition" they proceeded to encase and seal her hands at 4pm on Wednesday, applying first linen gloves, then leather gloves affixed with a ribbon five times around the wrist, and sealed with a wax seal.

A little after 7:00AM on the following Friday morning, the three physicians met with Louise and  "....each one of us carefully examined the apparatus and ascertained the perfect integrity of the seals, the ribbon, and the gloves; and made sure that it was impossible to slip any instrument over the front or the back of the hands. These points having been determined, I cut the ribbons and removed the gloves. They were quite full of blood: the hands were steeped in it. After having washed them in warm water, we found the stigmata in the same state as on other Fridays; inside the palm, as well as on the back of each hand, the epidermis was raised; it was torn and had left bare the surface of the true skin; each of the stigmata continued to bleed as usual [as on other Fridays]."

And incidentally, Louise Lateau was another mystic to die, like Jesus, at age 33. Those interested can read more about her in an article that I wrote here. 


Maria Esperanza, Servant of God, 1928-2004
An interesting addendum concerning the sacred stigmata
One last significant note on the stigmata--when studying the lives of the stigmatics, we find that many of them received the stigmata after a very severe illness--and even more significantly after a miraculous cure---for example the reception of the stigmata upon the Servant of God, Therese Neumann (1898-1962) occurred after a miraculous cure through the intercession of St Therese of Lisieux, and again Rhoda Wise of Ohio who received the stigmata once again after a miraculous cure through the intercession of St Therese of Lisieux. Also, St Gemma Galgani (1878-1903) received her stigmata after the miraculous cure through the intercession of St Gabriel Possenti, and as we read above, Dorothy Kerin received her stigmata after a miraculous cure also. The recent stigmatic, Irving "Francis" Houle, had fallen off a horse at age 5 and was expected to die that night--but Jesus appeared to him in a vision and instantly cured him. Blessed Mariam Baouardy (1846-1878) was twice miraculously cured by the Blessed Virgin Mary--once of blindness and another of injuries from a severe fall and finally The Servant of God, Maria Esperanza (1928-2004) was cured of a life threatening case of pneumonia by the Blessed Virgin Mary at age 12, just to name a few of the many.

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-Check out the St Padre Pio relic locket rosary being offered in the NEW MYSTICS OF THE CHURCH GIFT STORE
  

The Holy Souls of Purgatory

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The Holy Souls

by

John-Paul Kirkham

  

© 2014 All Rights Reserved

        
  
Basilica of Notre – Dame, Montligeon, France,
 Shrine of Our Lady of Montligeon
   

Contents
1.Introduction
2.Prologue
3.Who are the Holy Souls
4.Purgatory 
5.St. Nicholas of Tolentino (Patron Saint of Holy Souls) 
6.Why we pray for the dead and Church Indulgences explained
7.The Thirty Gregorian Masses for a Holy Soul
8.Holy Souls Associations
9.Compendium of Prayers for the Holy Souls 
10.St. Gemma Galgani and the Souls in Purgatory
11.Epilogue 
12.Appendix: Selected resources, further reading and useful addresses


    Though the Holy Souls cannot merit for themselves, they can obtain for us great graces. They are not, formally speaking, intercessors as the saints are but, through the sweet providence of God, they can obtain for us outstanding favours and deliver us from evils, sickness and dangers of every kind.
    -St. Alphonsus Ligouri

      
    Introduction

    The Holy Souls or the Souls in Purgatory is a subject often regarded today as something old fashioned belonging to the past and often associated with a church language of a bygone era. The term Holy Souls familiar to older Catholics perhaps but lost today on a new and younger generation and is a topic that is probably not even taught as catechesis.

    It is true that there is a shortage of contemporary written material on the Holy Souls and the Church has moved forward considerably in how it presents matters of faith and doctrine.

    However it is refreshing that Pope John Paul II in telling the faithful to pray for the souls in purgatory said by doing so they therefore come to encounter the living Christ (Ecclesia in America: New Mexico 1998) andPope Benedict XVI in his Sacramentum Caritatis (32) and Encyclical Spe Salvi (44 – 48) both published in 2007remind us of the importance of prayers for the dead, especially the offering of Mass for them, so that, once purified, they can come to the beatific vision of God and in helping those who have gone before us to be saved we will have done the utmost for our own personal salvation as well.

    Devotionally and liturgically the dead have always been honoured during the Eucharistic Mass with prayers that their sins may be forgiven and with many individual Masses being offered for the repose of a particular soul we remember all those faithful departed that have gone before us. Each year in the Church’s calendar we also commemorate all the faithful departed on November 2ndduring All Souls and the month of November is given in a special way to remembering and praying for the dead.  We should also be reminded that it is our solemn duty, one of the Seven Spiritual Works of Mercy to pray for the living and the dead.

    This short book which also contains a compendium of devotional prayers aims to describe in simple terms what the Catholic Church holds and teaches about the Holy Souls and purgatory and to provide the reader with a reflective view on life, death and what awaits us all in the heavenly realm.
     -John-Paul Kirkham
             
      
    Prologue

    Within a short distance of the Vaticanin Rome lies the ParishChurchof the Sacred Heart. The beautiful multi spire façade was commented on when Pope John Paul II visited there in 1998. In July and August 1999 Pope John Paul II wrote and preached a three part catechesis on heaven, hell and purgatory which clearly defines the concept and basis of purgatory and complements the existing teachings of the Catholic Church on the subject and is well worth searching out in full on the Vatican archive website (www.vatican.va). The church he visited nestles on the River Tiber promenade in Prati-Lungotevere. It is known also by another name: The Church of the Suffering Souls.

    Inside the gothic church is one of the world’s smallest and most unusual museums called the Holy Souls Museum which contains relics, various prayer books, articles of clothing including those of a religious and items of furniture that have been touched and scorched by Holy Soul’s. The Holy Souls left their scorched finger and handprints on a variety of items; pillowcases, tables, books and paper.

    These particular Holy Souls were allowed to leave purgatory to return to their families or religious orders to plead for Masses and prayers to be offered for them. The Church of the Sacred Heart’s priest, curator and guide is Fr. Roberto Zambolin and he explains that “it is faith that is the key to understanding these relics”.
    We know that the existence of purgatory is real as it is defined as a dogma of the Catholic Church (Councils of Florence and Trent). Therefore it is obligatory for all Catholics to believe and accept this fact. Further more the Church Councils defined that the souls in purgatory are able to be assisted by the faithful on earth (ourselves) by the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.


    Who are the Holy Souls

    For centuries people have wrestled with the same big questions that we all are faced with at some point in our lives sometimes to the point of anxiety - the meaning of life, suffering, death, a person’s true destiny and what lies beyond or put another way how to live the great mystery of faith.Our faith is the victory over the world. We believe that Jesus Christ rose from the dead. It is this faith in Jesus that helps us to overcome the world with its temptations and doubts. We have not seen yet we believe and we acknowledge that Christ is our Lord and our God (Jn 20:28-29).

    Living this mystery leads us to understand what the meaning of life is and to accept what we are here for and for anyone who professes to be a Christian the answer to the above is: To love the Lord our God with all our heart, with all our soul and all our strength (Deuteronomy 6:4-6) or to praise God, to love God and to Serve God or put even more simply: to love one another. And it isSt. John of the Cross who reminds us that “at the evening of life, we shall be judged on our love”.
    Our lives do have meaning. We spend our time on life’s journey and for those who believe in Jesus Christ this is a journey of faith. And at the end of this journey is the greatest reward of all, our homeland in heaven, the reward of eternal life.  

    So why is there suffering in peoples lives? Suffering in this world only makes sense to those who follow and believe in Jesus Christ and is seen in the light of being a Christian. Nobody suffered more than Jesus, through his Passion, the agony, the condemnation, the torture of scourging, carrying the cross and finally the crucifixion. He did this for us. He died for our sins. Those who suffer in any way or form are following in Christ’s footsteps, with our wounds, afflictions, diseases, pains and torments. By sharing in Christ’s sufferings we become heirs to the Glory of the eternal Kingdom. To share His suffering is to share His glory (Romans 8:17) and what we suffer in this life can never be compared to the glory as yet un-revealed, which is waiting for us (Romans 8:18).

    Throughout life we all experience many “small deaths”, as a child the death of a pet, parents experiencing their children leaving home or family members moving to far away places. But nothing truly prepares us for the death of a loved one.
    Every human being is created in the image of God and is both corporeal (physical) and spiritual (soul). The Church teaches that body and soul are truly one nature united together and whilst our bodies are corruptible and decay our souls that are created by God alone and not by our parents are immortal (CCC 362-366).Death therefore brings to an end human life. The New Testament affirms that each person will be rewarded immediately after death in accordance with what they have done, for example by good works and by their faith and there is a destiny of the soul which can be different for some and for others. Each person therefore receives their eternal retribution (punishment for wrongdoing and sin) in their immortal soul at the moment of death in a particular judgement that refers to the life of Christ: either by entrance to heaven immediately or through a period of purification or by immediate and everlasting damnation (CCC 1021-1022). The Holy Souls then are the souls of those who have died in a state of God’s grace and friendship. They are assured of eternal salvation but after death because they are imperfect they need to undergo a period of purification that will allow them to gain the holiness needed to enter the joy of heaven (CCC 1030).


    Purgatory

    Christians and many non Christians are familiar with the notion and belief of heaven and hell. To be in heaven is to be with Christ, this perfect communion of life existing with the Most Holy Trinity, the Virgin Mary, the angels and all the blessed, it is being in a state of supreme happiness. It is beyond all our imagination, the sacred scriptures describe it in many ways: as a wedding feast, the Fathers house, the heavenly Jerusalem and paradise. Scriptural images portray life, light and peace and St. Paul in his letter to the Corinthians tells us of “the things that no eye has seen and no ear has heard, things beyond the mind of man, all that God has prepared for those who love him” (1: Cor 9).
    Hell on the other hand is the state of eternal separation from God. Jesus warns in the Gospel that those who shall be separated from him are those who choose to ignore the plight of the poor, the hungry, thirsty and also those who ignore the stranger, the sick and prisoners (Mt. 25:31-46). To die in mortal sin without repenting and accepting God’s merciful love and that includes those who to the end of their lives refuse to believe in God, then these willingly by their own free will exclude themselves from all communion with God and descend to hell where they suffer the punishments of hell, “eternal fire” (Mt 25:41& CCC 1033-1037).

    God tells us that nothing unclean, loathsome or false can enter heaven (Rev 21:27). So if only the very good and holy go straight to heaven and the very bad deserve hell, then most people fall into a “somewhere in-between” category and this state is called purgatory. The word purgatory was originally a Latin adjective “cleansing” and it must be stated that nowhere does church teaching mention any length of time that Holy Souls must spend in purgatory.

    So those who believe and are open to God, but are still in some way imperfect require purification and this is what the faith of the Church teaches in the doctrine of “Purgatory”. St. Paul again in his letter to the Corinthians points to the fact that “the fire will test the quality of each man’s work”, therefore a person who has built up a good structure on a firm foundation of Jesus Christ will be saved but if a persons life’s work is burnt down they will be the losers but St. Paul affirms that even the loser “though he is saved himself, it will be as one who has gone through fire” (1 Cor 3:14-15). Purification means that every trace of attachment to evil must be eliminated and all imperfections of the soul corrected and although the thought of fire may sound distressing we must remember that in sacred scripture fire also represents the Holy Spirit and the fire which both burns and saves can be seen as Christ himself as part of the Blessed Trinity who is both Judge and Saviour.  Pope Benedict XVI in his EncyclicalSpe Salvi then goes on to describe this encounter with Him as it burns us, transforms us and frees us, (thus) allowing us to become truly ourselves …… and that His gaze, the touch of His heart heals us through an undeniable painful transformation “as through fire” but it is a blessed pain ….. and the pain of love becomes our salvation and joy.


    Pope Benedict’s encyclical (Spe Salvi 44-48) complements the famous Treatise on Purgatory by St. Catherine of Genoa (1447 – 1510) in which our saint describes the peace and joy of the souls in purgatory and that the greatest pain suffered by the holy souls is not a physical pain but the pain of separation from God and that the loving flames are seen in the light of the divine fire of love remembering that God is all mercy with His arms always open and extended to receive us into His glory.

    Purgatory is not a place in the true sense of the word but a condition of existence. The Ecumenical Councils of Florence and Trent confirm also that those who, after death, exist in a state of purification, are already in Christ’s love who removes from them the remnant of imperfection and we know already that the Servant of the Lord, Jesus by his own suffering justifies many, taking their faults on himself and praying for sinners (Is 52:11-12) showing God’s love and mercy.

    Purgatory is not a static condition of existence it is also a process of purification that removes all sin and imperfection. Those who live in this state of purification after death are not separated from God rather they are immersed in Christ’s love. Neither are they separated from the saints in heaven who already enjoy eternal life or from us here on earth who continue our pilgrim journey to the Father’s house. We all remain united in the Mystical Body of Christ and that is why we can offer prayers and good works on behalf of all those souls in purgatory (CCC 1032).


    Saint Nicholas of Tolentino (Patron Saint of Holy Souls)

    Compagnonus de Guarutti and Amata de Guidiani were into their middle age and childless. They made a pilgrimage to the shrine of St. Nicholas at Bari in the heel of Italy to pray for the gift of a child. They returned home to the village of Sant’ Angelo in Pontano and a son was born in 1245. In grateful thanks of their prayers being answered they named their child Nicholas. As a youngster he was moved by the preaching of the Augustinian Fathers in his local monastery and so he asked permission to join them and at the age of little more that sixteen made his novitiate and by eighteen was an Augustinian Friar and at the age of twenty five he was ordained to the priesthood.

    He worked tirelessly as a peacemaker and preacher and he was heavily influenced by the local hermits of Brettino who embraced poverty and practiced fasting and abstinence and would devote their long days to prayer. These hermits came to form part of the community of Augustinians and Nicholas himself joined in with their ascetic practices. He started to experience heavenly visions of angels that mentioned the city of Tolentino to him and he took this as a sign to go there. He had already travelled and lived in several monasteries but in 1275 he was finally sent to Tolentino where he would spend the last thirty years of his life.

    His devotion to penance and prayer and long fasts was so intense that his superiors had to impose certain limitations on him. At one point when weakened and ill through so much fasting he had a vision of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Child Jesus, St. Augustine and St. Monica. They told him to eat bread signed with the cross and dipped in water. This he did and his strength returned. Nicholas would then use this same method to administer to others over which he would pray and many were healed of their afflictions.  To this day this practice continues and the blessing and distribution of “St Nicholas’ Bread” remains an Augustinian tradition.

    In Tolentino, Nicholas worked to stem the moral decline and he ministered to the sick, the poor and prisoners and he actively sought out those who had become estranged from the faith and the church. He became known as a wonder – worker and many miracles were attributed to him; he brought one hundred dead children back to life including many who had drowned and he could quell storms at sea and put out fires. These and many other miracles led a great deal of people to the monastery in Tolentino to see and be near him.

    Nicholas’ greatest devotion however was given over to the dead, praying for the souls in purgatory as he walked around late into the night through the deserted streets of Tolentino. On a particular Saturday night as Nicholas lay down trying to sleep he heard the voice of Fra Pelligrino of Osimo, a deceased friar whom he known personally. The friar revealed to Nicholas that he was in purgatory and he begged Nicholas to offer Mass and pray for his soul and the many other Holy Souls to be set free. For a whole week Nicholas every day followed this request and was rewarded with a second vision of Fra Pellegrino who gave thanks and assured Nicholas that a great deal of souls were now enjoying the heavenly presence of God through his prayers. Once this became widely known many more people came to Tolentino asking for Nicholas’ intercession on behalf of deceased relatives and friends.

    Following a long illness and after touching the lives of many Nicholas died at the age of sixty on the 10thSeptember 1305. His sanctity was recognised and on the Feast of Pentecost 1446 he was canonized as the first saint of the Augustinian Order by Pope Eugene IV with over 300 miracles being recorded by the Congregation. His Feast Day remains as the 10th of September and in 1884 Pope Leo XII proclaimed him officially as the “Patron Saint of the Souls in Purgatory”.

    For the modern day pilgrim Tolentino today retains all of its medieval charm as small city cradled in the rolling hilltops in the heartland of the southern-central Italian region of Marche and it is only a short twenty miles to the south west of Loreto. St. Nicholas can be venerated in his grandiose designed basilica adorned with beautiful and artistic masterpieces and peace and quiet can be found in its tranquil Romanesque cloisters.


    Why we pray for the dead and what Church Indulgences mean

    When the Lord returns in glory, death will be no more, but at the present time Christ’s followers are either alive as pilgrims on earth, have died and are being purified or are in the radiant beauty contemplating the full light of God himself and this Mystical Union with Christ as its head is what we profess in the Apostles Creed when we say “we believe in the communion of saints” which defines the eternal link that binds us all together, the living, the Holy Souls and those with God already. For those souls being purified, the Church has always from its earliest days honoured the memory of the dead as a holy and devout thing to do by praying that they (the dead) may be delivered from their sins (2 Macc: 44-45). In his message for the Millennium of All Souls Day John Paul II encouraged all Catholics “to pray fervently for the dead, for their family members and for all our brothers and sisters who have died, that they may obtain the remission of the punishments due to their sins” and so hear the Lord’s call for their souls to be welcomed into the eternal repose of the Lord’s arms and it is St. John Chrysostom who encouraged the faithful “not to hesitate to help those who have died and to offer our prayers for them”.
    Ultimately our sins must be expiated (atoned for) either on this earth through the sorrows, miseries and calamities of this life and above all through death, or else in the life beyond (purgatory). With death, our life – choice (what we did when we were alive) becomes definitive – our life stands before God the judge. These trials are imposed by the just and merciful judgment of God for the purification and healing of souls which mature the soul for communion with God and it is therefore necessary to re-establish that friendship with God by this reparation (the act of making amends) of sins. (Spe Salvi 44 – 48 Pope Benedict XVI 2007). 

    The Church apart for praying for the deliverance of souls commends us to give alms charitably and to offer works of good deeds and penance and to gain indulgences.  An indulgence is a remission before God of the temporal punishment due to sins whose guilt has already been forgiven, which the faithful Christian who is duly disposed gains under certain prescribed conditions through the action of the Church which as a minister of redemption, dispenses and applies with authority the treasury of the satisfactions of Christ and the saints. There are two types of indulgence: A partial indulgenceremoves part of the temporal punishment due for sins whilst a plenary indulgence removes all of the punishment due for sin. The faithful can obtain indulgences for themselves or the souls in purgatory and in doing so cultivate an act of charity (CCC 1471).

    Indulgences for many Catholics remain a mystery and quite often the facts surrounding them may be misunderstood especially when one comes across older indulgence prayer books or cards. These older publications will have a certain number of days attached to a partial indulgence which is usually a particular pious act of prayer. For example the number of days might read 300. The misunderstanding occurs when a person thinks that this number of days relates to a corresponding shortening of the time a soul will spend in purgatory. This is not so and never has been the case. The number of daysrelates back many hundreds of years to when sinners were given a public penance to do for a certain number of days; the number of days of the penance could be reduced or dispensed with altogether by gaining an indulgence. In 1967 Pope Paul VI revised the number of indulgences to seventy with the publication in 1968 of the Enchiridion (a Vatican Handbook of Indulgences) and abolished the former determination of days and years that were previously attached to partial indulgences therefore establishing a new measurement that takes into consideration the action itself of the faithful Christian who performs a work to which an indulgence is attached. From time to time later Pontiffs have decreed additional plenary indulgences, for example, pious acts associated with Divine Mercy Sunday and the Feast of the Immaculate Conception.

    To gain a plenary indulgence it is necessary to perform the pious work or prayers to which the indulgence is attached and also to fulfill the following three conditions:-
    1.    Sacramental Confession
    2.    Holy Communion
    3.    Prayer for the Holy Father (one Our Father and one Hail Mary)
    It is also a requirement that all attachment to sin, even venial sin be absent. Failing to satisfy the above requirements will result in the indulgence being partial only.

    With regard to partial indulgences these are granted to the faithful who:-

    1.    In the performance of their duties and in bearing the trials of life, raise their mind with humble confidence to God, adding -- even if only mentally-- some pious invocation.

    2.    In a spirit of faith and mercy, give of themselves or of their goods to serve their brothers in need.

    3.    In a spirit of penance, voluntarily deprive themselves of what is licit and pleasing to them.

    It is surprisingly not difficult for Catholics under the usual conditions to gain a plenary indulgence for example reciting the rosary (5 decades only) in a church, public oratory or at home with the family will suffice. A partial indulgence is gained by reciting the rosary privately. The reading of Sacred Scripture for half an hour grants one also a plenary indulgence. All indulgences can be gained for the holy souls but there are indulgences that are specifically for the souls in purgatory, namely a devout visit to a cemetery to pray for the departed gains a plenary indulgence if the visit is on any day between November 1st and November 8thand a partial indulgence is gained for the holy souls by praying the familiar prayer “Eternal Rest” (see chapter 8.)
    It is also worthy to remember that when we pray for the holy souls our prayers are not only capable of helping them, but also it makes their intercession for us effective (CCC 958).



    The Thirty Gregorian Masses for a Holy Soul

    The ancient Catholic tradition of the thirty Gregorian Masses is a practice that was founded by Pope (Saint) Gregory the Great in the year 590 AD and that it originated in Benedictine Monasteries.  People would arrange for 30 Masses to be offered on 30 consecutive days without interruption except for Christmas, Easter and the Holy Week Triduum, for an individually named soul in purgatory with the belief that the specific soul would leave purgatory and enter the heavenly realm.

    How this came about is as follows: After Gregory the Great was elected Pope in 590 AD a monk by the name of Justus became ill. Justus who was previously a physician admitted to a friend that he had hidden three valuable coins with his medication when he was a professed monk many years before. Sure enough the monks discovered the precious metal when searching for Justus’ medicine. The monks founder (St. Gregory the Great) upon hearing of this sin against poverty ordered the Monastery Abbot to impose a penalty of solitary confinement on Justus even though he was terminally ill and that he should be buried not in the cemetery but in a rubbish dump. The brothers were then given instructions to recite over his grave the words from St. Peter to Simon the Magician “May your silver be lost forever, and you with it” (Acts 8:20).

    A swift response was received: Justus repented and then died but the incident was not laid to rest. Thirty days later Pope Gregory returned to the Monastery because he was very concerned that Justus would now be suffering the bleak temporal punishment of Purgatory for his sins. Pope Gregory put in place with the Abbot a charitable act to help Justus escape this chastisement by directing that thirty consecutive Masses be arranged for Justus’ soul.

    Some time later Justus appeared in a vision to the friend he had originally confided his sin to and revealed that he had received pardon and release form Purgatory because of the Masses said for him. The monks calculated that it was exactly thirty days since the thirty Masses had begun and they shared this wonderful news with Pope Gregory. This tradition of offering thirty Masses continued for centuries and although not widely known or propagated today the practice is still prevalent as part of how the Catholic Church acknowledges the important role and benefits that praying for the dead incurs.

    The consecutive Masses can be said by any priest and a change of priest within the thirty days is also permitted. One may find that in most parishes that it is difficult to arrange a timetable of thirty Masses however it may be the case that a retired priest could be sought who would offer the Masses privately. Alternatively the priests at a local monastery could be approached and may be willing to accept the request and by searching online there appears to be a number of religious orders who can offer the saying of thirty Gregorian Masses and it is also possible to pre - arrange the above Masses for ones own self in the future when ones earthly time has been fulfilled.


    Holy Souls Associations

    In the year 998 St. Odilo, the fifth Abbot of Cluny in Franceestablished on November 2nd what he called All Souls Day by urging his monks to pray for the dead. This Benedictine practice gradually spread from the Abbey of Cluny and this Commemoration of all the FaithfulDeparted is now celebrated throughout the universal Church on that same day each year.

    On the anniversary of a deceased family member or friend the faithful will often request a Mass to be offered for the repose of that person’s soul and during the celebration of every Eucharist, through the prayers of intercession and Mementofor the dead, the gathered community presents to God those who have died, so that through the trial of purgatory they will be purified, if necessary, and attain eternal joy. We can also pray privately for the departed and there are various associations that have a widespread membership across the globe.

    One such association is the global shrine of prayer for the dead which has at its centre the only basilica in the world dedicated to the departed souls in purgatory. Situated in a quiet atmosphere by a tranquil lake on the edge of one of the most beautiful forests in France, the basilica and holy site of pilgrimage is centered in the village of La Chapelle – Montligeon, Normandy, and it is placed under the patronage of Our Lady of Montligeon who shows the face of a consoling Church, like a Mother who is attentive and close to the suffering of all her children, especially during their most sorrowful moments. It is a place of peace, silence, reflection and listening where consolation is to be found. It is a place where prayers are said for the dead and each year many thousands of names are added to the books in the basilica which are then prayed for and have Masses offered in perpetuity.  Montligeon is also the place where the official response of the Catholic Church can be heard concerning the human destiny and the Shrine of Our Lady of Montligeon is, therefore, a place where Christians come to proclaim together their hope in eternal life, an eternal life which begins now, here on earth. In 1910 Pope Pius X placed the expiatory work of Montligeon under his own special protection and his successors.

    Our Lady of Montligeon prayer groups are established across the world (see appendix for the English Secretariat) and in joining this spiritual fraternity a person is united with the Masses offered daily and to be a member is to make an act of faith in eternal life. To pray for the dead and especially those Holy Souls who are forgotten is fulfilling an act of spiritual mercy and there are three elements that are essential in the Montligeon prayer groups: the Rosary, prayed wholly or in part, meditation (private or group) on a Bible text and shared prayer intentions.

    Another worldwide fraternity is the Association of Holy Souls which originated with the Dominican Nuns of the Perpetual Rosary in Fatima, Portugaland is approved by the Cardinal Archbishop of Lisbonand may be familiar to those who have made a pilgrimage to Fatima. The Association encourages a person to request Mass to be offered in a member’s parish or other church, to pray for the Holy Souls – especially the Rosary and to promote and encourage others to pray for the souls in purgatory. It is also possible to write the Carmelite Holy Souls Society and receive a collection of daily prayers and prayer cards for the Holy Souls which are available from the Friars in Faversham, Kent.

    If your diocese or parish does not have a prayer group dedicated to praying for the Holy Souls why not consider starting one yourself. Some useful contact addresses are given in the appendix. Remember the words of St. Ambrose “We have loved them in life let us not forget them in death”.
      

    Compendium of Prayers for the Holy Souls

    Our Father ….
    Hail Mary ….
    Glory Be ….
    The Rosary and the Chaplet of Divine Mercy are all prayers that can be prayed at any time for the Holy Souls as we recall the words of St. Monica on her death bed “One thing only I ask you, that you remember me at the altar of the Lord wherever you may be”.

    De Profundis(Psalm 130)
    Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord,
    Lord hear my voice!
    O let your ears be attentive
    to the voice of my pleading.
    If you, O Lord should mark our guilt,
    Lord, who would survive?
    But with you is found forgiveness:
    for this we revere you.
    My soul is waiting for the Lord,
    I count on his word.
    My soul is longing for the Lord
    more than watchman for daybreak.
    Let the watchman count on daybreak
    and Israelon the Lord.
    Because with the Lord there is mercy
    and fullness of redemption;
    Israel indeed he will redeem
    from all its iniquity.
    Eternal rest grant to them, O Lord
    And let perpetual light shine upon them.
    May they rest in peace. Amen.
    May the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.

    Prayer of Cardinal Newman
    O most gentle heart of Jesus, ever present in the Blessed Sacrament, ever consumed with burning love for the poor captive souls in purgatory, have mercy on the souls of Your servants.
    Bring them from the shadows of exile to Your bright home in heaven, where we trust You and Your Blessed Mother have woven for them a crown of unfolding bliss. Amen.

    Prayer of St. Gertrude for the Holy Souls
    Eternal Father, I offer you the Most Precious Blood of your Divine Son, 
    Jesus, in union with all the Masses said throughout the world today for 
    all the Holy Souls in Purgatory, for sinners everywhere, for sinners in the 
    Universal Church, those in my own home and within my family. Amen.

    Prayer for the Intercession of St. Nicholas of Tolentino
    St. Nicholas, you were attentive to the pleas of many needy souls and through your prayers and penance you hastened their enjoyment of the vision of God. Look with compassion on our beloved deceased, and obtain for them by your prayers the full forgiveness of their sins so that they may experience the happiness and peace of the Father’s Presence. Saint Nicholas of Tolentino pray for us.

    Jesus and Mary I love you, save souls (Repeat 3 times)

    Prayer for the Deceased
    Lord, God of holiness and light.
    You do not allow any shadow of darkness or evil in Your sight,
    and so in Your mercy You grant to those who have left this world burdened with sin, a time of purification, applying to them the spiritual treasurers of Your Holy Church.
    Hear my prayer
    and through the merits of Christ,
    the Blessed Virgin, the saints,
    and all Your faithful people
    bring to an end this time of waiting
    for our beloved dead, especially (……)
    In your providence
    you have chosen Saint Nicholas
    as a special intercessor
    on behalf of the departed.
    Hear also his fervent prayer for those whom I recommend to you through his intercession. Amen.

    Prayer to Our Lady of Montligeon
    Our Lady of Deliverance,
    have mercy on all our deceased loved ones,
    especially those who are most in need
    of the Lord’s mercy.
    Intercede for those who have gone before us,
    that the purifying love of God may lead them to full deliverance.
    May our prayer, united with the prayer of the whole Church,
    obtain for them a joy beyond all their desires
    and bring consolation and relief here on earth
    to our loved ones, in their sorrow and distress.
    Mother of the Church, help us, pilgrims on earth,
    to live better lives each day,
    on our journey towards the Resurrection.
    Heal the wounds of our hearts and souls.
    Help us become witnesses of the Unseen God,
    seeking already the things that the eye cannot see.
    Make us apostles of hope, like watchmen awaiting the dawn.
    Refuge of sinners and Queen of all saints;
    gather us all together, one day, in our Father’s House,
    for the eternal Resurrection, through Jesus Christ, Our Lord.  Amen
    Our Lady of Montligeon, pray for our dear departed.


    St Gemma Galgani, Mystic, Stigmatic, Victim Soul (1878-1903) 
     St. Gemma Galgani (the Flower of Lucca)
    and the Souls in Purgatory

    Maria Gemma Umberta Pia Galgani born 12th March 1878, died 11th April (Holy Saturday) 1903 aged 25.

    St. Gemma’s zeal for the Holy Souls in Purgatory was extraordinary. She would regularly offer fervent prayers united with her own bodily sufferings for all of the souls in Purgatory and frequently offer prayers for a particular named soul.

    The Lord desires to bring all Holy Souls to Himself and would move His servant Gemma in different ways to atone for the sins of the souls. Gemma said that “The Angel has told me that this evening Jesus will let me suffer a little more for a soul in Purgatory, that is for two hours beginning at nine o’clock”

    A Passionist Nun by the name of Mary Teresa of the Infant Jesus had died in the Convent at Corneto (now called Tarquinia), Italy. In death her soul full of sorrow appeared to Gemma imploring help as she was undergoing anguish in Purgatory. From that moment  Gemma prayed with tears and petitions to Our Lord in the words “Jesus, take Mary Teresa to Paradisewithout delay. She is a soul most dear to You. Let me suffer much for her, I want her to be in heaven.

    Gemma then affirms in her own diary that dressed in white Mother Maria of the Infant Jesus visited her to thank her because eternal happiness was beckoning but asked for continued prayers. After sixteen days her soul was released. Gemma then describes how it seemed that the Blessed Mother herself came to tell that the hour was approaching. Then almost immediately how Mary Teresa dressed as a Passionist seemed to come towards her accompanied by her Guardian Angel and Jesus Himself. Smiling now she came close to Gemma and said: “I am truly happy, and I go to enjoy my Jesus forever”. And during the early hours of the morning well before dawn after a final farewell how Mary Teresa with Jesus and her Guardian Angel flew to heaven.

    St. Gemma Galgani, saintly Virgin of Lucca …… Pray for us and intercede for these departed  ones / Name ………
      

    Epilogue
    One thing in life is for certain, death, which comes eventually to everyone. But the faithful are fortunate as we have been very well prepared for this part of the journey of faith, the journey home. We began our life with the Sacrament of Baptism, which sealed a new life in us, and then the Sacrament of Confirmation, which strengthened us for life’s combats. The Sacrament of the Eucharist fortifies our earthly life and at the end of life the Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick provides a solid rampart for the final struggles before entering the Fathers house in heaven.

    Jesus said “he who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life and I will raise him up on the last day” (Jn 6:54). And so as the final shadows lengthen, Viaticum, the Eucharist as Holy Communion is given. This is the seed of eternal life and the power of the resurrection according to Our Lord Jesus Christ’s words. There is no need to doubt; Jesus tells us directly “I am the resurrection and the life ……. whoever believes in me will never die” (Jn 11:25-26).

    People sometimes still ask how can we know what happens after death, when no one has come back to tell us. Well someone did come back; Jesus Christ. He came back from the dead, his resurrection and his first words to those who followed him, after his greetings were “do not be afraid” (Mt 28:9-10).  We too are invited to believe and accept by our faith that what is true for Jesus Christ will be true for us and after our purification “How great will your glory and happiness be, to be allowed to see God, to be honoured with sharing the joy of salvation and eternal light with Christ your Lord and God, …… to delight in the joy of immortality in the Kingdom of heaven with the righteous and God’s friends” (St. Cyprian CCC 1028).
     ___________________________________________________________ 
    Appendix– Selected resources, further reading and useful addresses

    All Scripture texts are from The Jerusalem Bible, 1966, Darton. Longman and Todd Ltd.

    Catechism of the Catholic Church

    Vatican Archives and LiberiaEditrice Vatican:
    -Indulgentiarum Doctrina Pope Paul VI (1967), The Enchiridion (handbook) of Indulgences (1968), Letter for Millennium of All Souls DayPope John Paul II (1998), Ecclesia in America Pope John Paul II (1999), General Audience Pope John Paul II (4th Aug 1999), Sacramentum Caritatis (32) Pope Benedict XVI (2007).  Encyclical Spe Salvi (44 – 48) Pope Benedict XVI (2007). 

    The Treatise on Purgatory: St Catherine of Genoa (1447 – 1510)

    www.Augnet.org    -The Official website of the Augustinian Order

    Sanctuaire Notre – Dame de Montligeon, 26 rue Pincipale, 61400 La Chapelle – Montligeon, Normandy, France:  www.montligeon.

    Association of The Holy Souls: Dominican Nuns of The Perpetual Rosary, Pius XII Monastery, Rue do Rosario 1, 2495 Fatima, Portugal.

    Carmelite Holy Souls Society: c/o The Carmelite Friars, PO Box 140, ME20 7SJ, England.
    The Holy Souls Chapel in Westminster Cathedral, Victoria Street / Ambrosden Avenue, Victoria, London SW1. This beautiful Chapel with its stunning mosaics is the only one in the Cathedral which was completely designed by its architect John Francis Bentley himself.  In this Chapel you are invited to pray and light a candle for your loved ones, and all the dead, to assist them on their journey to Heaven.

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