Blessed Maria Droste and the extraordinary events surrounding her great devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus

As requested by Jesus, Blessed Maria Droste sought and eventually obtained a formal Papal consecration of the entire universe to the Sacred Heart of Jesus on June 11, 1899. Her mission fulfilled, she died at 3pm on the Friday just three days before Pope Leo would make the solemn consecration, after the Pope himself was miraculously healed through her intercession.

"My mission on earth will be completed as soon as the consecration to the Sacred Heart of Jesus is accomplished."-Statement of Blessed Maria Droste to her spiritual director

Born on the birthday of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Sept 8
Maria Droste zu Vischering was born on September 8, 1863 in Munster, Germany, one of seven children of Count and Countess Clement Droste zu Vischering. As a child, Maria was like a tomboy; she was full of energy, played hard, and had a very strong will. Her mother stated that of her seven children, Maria was the most difficult to care for, stating:"She never cared for her dress and would run into the mud and jump into wet grass and bushes until she was so dirty so that she would have to change out her entire outfit."

Sr. Maria Chiara Scarabelli (1912-1994)

Sr. Maria Chiara Scarabelli

Comitato Sr. Maria Chiara Scarabelli. Il Tesori della Trinita nel Cuore della Madre. Conegliano, Italy: Editrice Ancilla, 2009
____________________________________________________________________

1. In the Divine Light, Vatican City: Vatican Press, 1997.
2. A Dove of God, Vatican City: Vatican Press, 1998.
3. Moments Divine: Catherine Passananti, Vatican City: Vatican Press, 2000.
4. A Mystic of Boston, Vatican City: Vatican Press, 2006.

Cora Evans--See coraevans.com for more info

Servant of God
By: Jonathan Mack, PhD RN NP.



Beginnings











Vow Day for a Mystic








Meet Fr. Frank Parrish









Final Years And Passing



















Michael McDevitt, custodian for Cora’s writings, offers a suggestion upon reading the book: “If anything causes doubt or concern, rely on Sacred Scripture”.



Biographical Time Line And Cause For Canonization

• Cora Evans, 1904-1957

Castel Sant’Angelo in Rome where the Virgin Mary and St Michael appeared

St Michael the Archangel to the rescue: How the Prince of the Heavenly Host was sent to miraculously end two horrific plagues on the same date (April 25) centuries apart; one in Rome and one in Mexico

-The amazing stories behind the Castle of the Angels in Rome and St Michael's well in Tlaxcala, Mexico

“At that time shall arise Michael, the great prince who has charge of your people." Daniel 12:1 

First miracle: The plague in Rome miraculously ended--The Virgin Mary and St Michael appear to Pope St Gregory the Great
In the year 590, when Saint Gregory the Great was elected pope, Rome and all of Italy was in the midst of a deadly plague. In fact, Pope St Gregory was elected because his predecessor, Pope Pelagius, himself died of the plague on Feb 7th. On April 25 of that year, the holy pope St Gregory requested a public procession through the streets of Rome to beg for an end to the epidemic. An icon of Our Lady that was painted by Saint Luke the Evangelist was carried at the head of the prayerful entourage.

A closeup of St Michael atop the Castel Sant’Angelo in Rome

As the procession wound along the Tiber River, the Litany of Saints was intoned. At the conclusion of the litany, Saint Gregory’s gaze was drawn upwards and he suddenly saw the heavens open. Saint Michael the Archangel along with numerous other Angels descended above the crowd and a heavenly perfume seemingly filled the air. The angels began singing the “Regina Coeli” to the Blessed Virgin Mary, who was seated on a throne above Michael and the Angels.

Completely overwhelmed by the incredible sight, Saint Gregory concluded the angelic chorus by singing out the closing line of the Regina Coeli: “Ora pro nobis Deum, Alleluia!” (Pray for us to God, Alleluia!).

At the conclusion of the vision, the great pope witnessed Saint Michael sheathing his sword, and the plague at once came to an end. The beautiful Church called Castel Sant’Angelo (pictured left) was commissioned at the site where Saint Michael and his fellow angels had appeared on that day.

From then on, the date (April 25th) of the apparition marking the end of the plague thus became the fixed date for the annual procession that would come to be known throughout the Catholic world as the “Greater Litanies”, since it was St Michael along with the Angels who joined in reciting the Litanies on that day. Nowadays the "Greater Litanies" processions are sometimes called "St Mark's processions" because the date also coincides with the feast of St Mark.

Second Miracle: The plague in Tlaxcala, Mexico--on April 25th, 1631; St Michael appears once again during the the April 25th "Greater Litanies" Procession

Charlie Johnston in 2015

The Archdiocese of Denver's statement concerning Charlie Johnston

Archbishop Samuel J. Aquila of Denver has decided to strongly advise the faithful to exercise prudence and caution in regards to Mr. Charlie Johnston’s alleged divine visions and messages.

March 7, 2016, Denver, Colorado
As published today on the Archdiocese of Denver website, His Excellency Archbishop Samuel J. Aquila has issued a statement concerning the popular purported Catholic prophet, Mr. Charles Johnston.

In October 2015, the Archbishop formed a panel of three diocesan priests--two theologians and a canonist- to investigate the prophetic mission and message of  Mr. Charles ("Charlie") Johnston. The team met with Charlie on a few occasions, during which they interviewed him on a variety of matters pertaining to the mission to which he believes God has called him to. For his part, Charlie Johnston actively participated in the inquiry in a spirit of openness and obedience to the Church.

A significant part of the investigation centered around the archives of Charlie's writings, particularly those of his letters to his three priest spiritual directors for approximately the past 18 years, along with his current writings that are published on his blog, charliej373.wordpress.com. Additionally, they studied a few of the videos of Charlie's public conferences, which were given free of charge around the country last summer (2015).

To summarise the statement from the Archdiocese, Archbishop Aquila's decision at this point is essentially a wait and see approach while "advising the faithful to exercise prudence and caution in regards to Mr. Charlie Johnston’s alleged divine visions and messages."

Not an approved speaker for the Archdiocese of Denver
Additionally, the official statement declares that "Mr. Johnston will also not be approved as a speaker in the Archdiocese of Denver."

One  must recognize however that “...not be approved as a speaker for the Archdiocese” is not in any way a negative judgment. In the comments section of the article I wrote about Charlie Johnston awhile back there have been a couple of individuals referencing  the "...not be approved as a speaker in the Archdiocese” statement in an attempt to show that Charlie Johnston has somehow received a negative judgment from the Archdiocese-- This is NOT the case. 

What the  "...not be approved as a speaker" statement means is that Charlie has not sought, or received, official approval to speak within the Archdiocese, and that there is currently no intention to grant approval. In most, if not all, Dioceses across the country, one must apply—and receive-- official approval as a speaker before one is permitted to give speaking engagements or conferences in any of the Catholic churches within the Diocese.  This prior approval measure is to protect the faithful from unqualified or disingenuous speakers. If the Archbishop was to grant approval for Charlie to speak within the Archdiocese, it would be interpreted as a implicit approval of his private revelations, and such is not in keeping with the cautionary approach related in today's Statement from the Archdiocese.  

It is important to note here also that Archbishop Aquila has not restricted Charlie in any way, most especially from speaking publicly about his purported private revelations and prophetic messages, either in conferences or on his blog. He therefore remains free to speak publicly in public venues on private property within the Archdiocese of Denver and abroad--just not in Catholic churches within the Archdiocese. For his part, out of respect for the Archbishop, up to this point Charlie has only conducted private meetings in the Denver area, and one would suspect he will likely continue to do so, as opposed to the public conferences he has given outside of the Archdiocese.

The author visiting with Charlie Johnston in July, 2015

A brief biography of Charlie Johnston and his purported prophetic mission and message--The great “Storm” and subsequent “Rescue” that Charlie believes will soon envelop all of humanity
Charles (or “Charlie”) Johnston is a 60 year old Roman Catholic layman living in Denver, CO. Throughout his varied career he worked for a time as a newspaper editor, a radio talk show host, and also a political campaign manager. Charlie suffered a severe neurological event at 9:03AM on Good Friday, 2003, which still affects him physically to this day. Although suffering from this painful nerve damage, feeling called to do so by God he walked 3,200 miles across the country, from Feb. 11, 2011 to Aug. 21, 2012, sleeping in the woods, meeting people and praying as he went.

He claims that since his early childhood he has been frequently visited by Jesus, Mary and especially the Archangel Gabriel, whom he often simply calls “My angel”. The sole reason for these alleged heavenly visits purportedly has been-- and is--to inform and prepare the world for a purported great worldwide “Storm” which, according to the visitors, will bring a grave series of catastrophic events that will encompass all of humanity.  

Charlie states that this great “Storm” consists of a worldwide economic  collapse, resulting in the toppling of governments around the world, along with a series of wars; the first war being “…the confrontation with, and fall of political Islam”, followed by a “...confrontation between the Judeo-Christian world and the current government of China.” 

To summarize Charlie's prophesies for the "Storm", he essentially predicts a crippling worldwide economic collapse resulting in societal chaos and strife in an unprecedented scale, bringing with it serious disruptions in all areas of society, including technology etc, along with a war between China and the rest of the Judeo-Christian world which all together will, according to Charlie, bring humanity to a point wherein most everyone around the globe will lose hope.

However, in late 2017, Charlie prophesizes a miraculous "Rescue" through the direct intercession of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, which according to Charlie, all of humanity will witness and personally experience. This predicted miraculous Rescue will put an immediate end to the Storm, and humanity thus renewed will begin rebuilding its governments and societies. 

Time will very soon tell whether Charlie's private revelations are authentic, or not
Along with the prophesies concerning the Storm and the subsequent Rescue in late 2017, Charlie has also stated that President Obama will not finish his term as president, and that the next leader of the USA will not be elected, that is, he will not come through the normal political process; he has stated that there will probably be no presidential election, but if there is, it will be irrelevant (in other words, even if someone is formally elected, according to Charlie there will definitely be no swearing in ceremony for that elected person come January 20, 2017). Given the current presidential election and "swearing in" timeline, one can assume therefore that the predicted Storm would have to be underway before the end of this year. Ultimately therefore, time will very soon tell whether Charlie's revelations are authentic, or not. 

Meantime, Archbishop Aquila has wisely taken the wait and see approach, while urging caution and prudence concerning Charlie's private revelations. Since up to this point no one has apparently found any serious doctrinal errors in Charlie's writings or statements, a wait and see or "neutral" approach is in fact really the best choice, at least in this writers opinion. The prophesised events, or lack of events, will soon reveal the truth, one way or the other. One would also do well to keep in mind the part of the Archdiocese statement that says: "As has been demonstrated with other alleged apparitions, the danger exists of people placing greater faith in a prediction than in Christ’s words and promises."

Those interested in reading more info about Charlie Johnston and his purported prophetic message and mission can read the article I wrote last year entitled "Charles Johnston and the upcoming Storm -An alleged prophet with a critically important message for humanity". As with the original article, I file this article also under the "We report, you discern" principle.
_______________
"Many continue to think that the Storm is God’s punishment of us. IT IS NOT. Get that out of your head. The Storm is what we have brought on ourselves. It is an evil that is entirely wrought by our hands. God has nothing to do with it. If you don’t firmly get that right, you will get almost everything else wrong. The great evil is that we have convinced ourselves that we are sufficient to ourselves, that we are masters of our destiny with no need for God, whatsoever"
"But, God has a plan for us and for our reclamation. He never leaves us bereft. Acknowledge God; take the next right step; and be a sign of hope to those around you, knowing that God is always close at hand." -Charlie Johnston
______________

Charlie Johnston in 2015 during FOCUS TV interview

Additional information: (March 10, 2016) -A brief timeline of predicted events that should prove useful for discernment in the coming months.

The eight public prophesies that have purportedly been given to Charlie
 In his article entitled "Go Forth", Charlie reveals eight worldwide events that he believes are to occur, as allegedly related to him by his heavenly visitors.
He states: "I only have eight public prophecies that I insist on. Only the visible, miraculous Rescue by Our Lady, the Immaculate Conception in late 2017, is time sensitive. Five things must happen between now and the Rescue, but can happen at any time during that period. They are:
– The continued toppling of governments throughout the world, including that of the U.S. The toppling of a government does not mean the nation shall fall. 
– The confrontation with and fall of political Islam. 
– The mass conversion of most Muslims 
– The confrontation between the Judeo-Christian world and the current government of China. 
– The alliance between Russia and the U.S. to lead the Judeo-Christian world to endure the confrontation with China. 
-Then, after the 5 things above comes the miraculous "Rescue" through the Immaculate Heart of Mary sometime in late 2017.

It is important to note in the information above that Charlie does not speak here of the prophesy concerning Obama not completing his term, and how the next leader of the USA will not come from the result of the usual political process (election). Yet we know for a fact that this information also is a prophesy that comes from his "visitations", which I will show in the info below. Both on his website and also in at least two videotaped conferences (Birmingham video from 46:00-50:00, and also the Santa Maria Vineyard video at 1:23:30) Charlie has emphatically stated that President Obama will not complete his 2nd term as President, and that the next leader will NOT come from the normal political process. He stated that while it is possible that there could be an election, whoever the person that will be nominated will not be sworn in on January 20, 2017. Specifically, on his website he stated:

August 2, 2015 at 9:30 pm
Donette, I said bluntly on the Birmingham Video that President Obama will not finish his term. I said that he would be eledted [elected] before he received the nomination to my priests, that he would lead us into the fullness of the Storm, that he would leave office in chaos and disgrace before his term was finished, and would live to convert in the end.

And again on Jan 8, 2016 in his post entitled "Through a Glass Darkly", he states:

"I have often said there will be no presidential election this year. Actually, there are some narrow circumstances in which there could be, but the results would be irrelevant. What I was told was that President Obama would not finish his term and that our next stable national leader will not come from the election process. You could have an explosion of events after an election and before an inauguration. You could have Obama declare a national emergency, cancel elections, extend his term and then depart before the extension was up. The most likely scenario is that everything will be up in the air before election, but there are narrow circumstances where that may not be." -(emphasis is mine)

And so, barring any additional statements from the Archdiocese of Denver, the summary above can be used to determine the authenticity of Charlie's prophesies, when the time-frame of the predicted events comes.

Hypothetically speaking, I personally feel that even if all of the events listed above leading up to the "Rescue" were to in fact occur, I believe that only the Rescue itself would ultimately confirm Charlie's prophetic mission and message. In other words, while the things that are predicted to occur during the "Storm", like the economic collapse and the toppling of governments, the confrontations with political Islam and then China, the alliance with Russia etc. if they actually do occur, then these signs would certainly weigh very, very heavily in Charlie's favor.

Yet ultimately however I believe that authenticity rests solely on the prophesised miraculous worldwide "Rescue" through the Immaculate Heart of Mary in late 2017. This event, should it occur, coupled with the fulfillment of the other events Charlie has predicted during the Storm, would give indisputable evidence of the authenticity of Charlie's prophetic mission in my opinion, and I could only assume such would be the opinion of most everyone else. It would constitute a heavenly confirmation.

And so, it seems to me that there are essentially two outcomes that can occur, each with their own timeline. The first outcome would be that of one or more failed predictions, and the second outcome would be the fulfillment of all (or most?) of the predictions pertaining to the Storm, and culminating in the miraculous Rescue. So for now, we watch, wait and pray.

Devotion to the Holy Wounds of Jesus

Importance of the Devotion to the Holy Wounds for our Times

The webmaster would like to gratefully thank Mrs. Angelica Avcikurt for compiling the inspiring passages below taken from the private revelations of numerous mystics. May God reward her for her efforts. 

Sister Mary Martha Chambon in prayer

Does Divine Mercy Sunday this year (April 3, 2016) coincide with the actual date of Jesus crucifixion, the day when the "Heart of Jesus, fountain of Mercy" was opened for us?

-An interesting consideration for this "Year of Mercy": The possible alignment of the date of this years Feast of Divine Mercy and Jesus' death on April 3, 33 A.D. 

What was the precise date of Jesus crucifixion? The short answer is that we do not know for sure, but the Scriptures do give us some very significant clues, like the fact that it occurred in conjunction with the Jewish feast of Preparation day for Passover (John 19:31), that He died under Pontius Pilate (Mt 27:2) and that it occurred a few years after the fifteenth year of Tiberius’s reign which marked the beginning of John the Baptist’s ministry (Luke 3:1), all of which, among others, has allowed scholars to narrow it down to just two likely dates,  April 7, 30 A.D. or April 3, 33 A.D.

Now, I will not go into all the various details that point to April 3, 33 AD being the most likely date of Jesus death on the Cross, since there are already quite a few excellent articles (like The First Things article here, Jimmy Akin's article here, along with a more scholarly one here , and there are even astronomical signs that point to this date also.

Additionally, as Jimmy Akin points out, tradition has also long since pointed to the April 3rd date, with Jimmy himself laying out the groundwork of facts which have traditionally established this date, and recently we even find Father Z writing a fascinating article linking the eclipses of April 3rd: "Good Friday, April 3 AD 33 – Lunar and Solar Eclipses as Christ died on the Cross."

And incidentally, this date of April 3, 33 is also why it is traditionally believed that Jesus died at the age of 33.

O' Blood and Water, which gushed forth from the Heart of Jesus as a fountain of Mercy for us...
And so it is that we have the very likely possibility that this upcoming Divine Mercy Sunday (April 3, 2016) may very well coincide with the actual date of Jesus Crucifixion, which would naturally lead one to reflect and contemplate the prospect that on this Divine Mercy Sunday, we may very well also be celebrating the anniversary of the actual date that Jesus died on the Cross, when His side was opened by the soldiers lance from which the Sacred Blood and Water flowed as a Fount of Mercy for us.

And so while we cannot be absolutely certain, this Divine Mercy Sunday we may very well be celebrating a blessed twofold celebration in this time period in which the Pope has declared a "Year of Mercy"! But one thing is for certain, and that is that will all be long gone from this earth the next time this rare conjunction of April 3 and Divine Mercy Sunday coincide, for it will not happen again until 2157 AD!
"For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world!"

"O' Blood and Water, which gushed forth from the Heart of Jesus as a fountain of Mercy for us, I trust in You!"

Helen died on Marian feast and her funeral took place on May 1st, the first Saturday of the month, a day traditionally dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary. On her way to eternity she was assisted by three priests: Rev. Kocinski was the main celebrant, along with two vicars. After the Mass and the Rite of Interment the body of Helen Pelczar was buried at Calvary Cemetery in Cleveland in lot 603, section 2l, where it remains to this day.

Photo credit: http://rozaniec.info/zapomniana-stygmatyczka-helena-pelczar/

THE SINGING GRAVE
In 1936, that is about 10 years after her holy death, there were numerous reports of "miraculous music" that was said to emanate from her grave. The introduction in Father Bernard Jarzembowski's book specifically mentions reports of persons hearing the "Ave Maria". According to news reports at that time, it is said that thousands of people were visiting her grave hoping to experience this phenomenon. The news article above relates much of the story.

-Helen Pelczar, pray for us!

Sr. Mildred Mary Neuzil (Sr. Mary Ephrem)

Sr. Mildred Mary Neuzil (1916-2000)--God’s 'Little White Dove', and the apparitions of Our Lady of America
“Let this thought be with you always that you may remember that it is I working through you , who sanctify you for His glory and the salvation of souls...through you a great work will be accomplished. I am the Great Sculptor of souls. With hammer and chisel I form them that they may glorify My Father by their beauty and perfection. Be pliant in My Hands, oh My two lowly ones, My priest and My little white dove, and then will you be formed into My likeness and through you, I will be formed in souls.”

St Gemma Galgani, Italian mystic and stigmatic

(The host of this website would like to thank Mrs. Angelica Avcikurt who graciously provided this litany of prayers beseeching many of the known stigmatics of the Church--May God reward her for her efforts.)

Sr. Crown of Thorns (Margaret Reilly)

Sr. Mary of the Crown of Thorns -A Good Shepherd Sister living in Peekskill, NY who was hailed by many as a mystic and stigmatic

The remarkable true story of  Sr. Mary of the Crown of Thorns (born Margaret Reilly, 1884-1937), -if authentic, she would be one of the first reported stigmatics in America.

(Primary source for this article is the book "Sister Thorn and Catholic Mysticism in Modern America" by professor Paula M. Kane, PhD., UNC Press, 2013)

Those who study the lives of mystics and visionaries soon discover that while often a "cult" of avid followers develop around such persons, on the other hand some of their contemporaries often view such persons with excessive skepticism and doubt. For the disciple is not above the Master, one could surmise. And this writer has yet to find a mystic that did not have at least some controversy surrounding them. And so it is also in the life of Margaret Reilly (Sr. Mary of the Crown of Thorns) that we find a life story full of mystical and supernatural mystery, surrounded by strong supporters, including two prominent bishops and a number of priests and religious, yet at the same time also a number of noteworthy detractors.

One thing is for certain: during her lifetime she gained the attention of quite a few people outside of her convent in Peekskill, NY., and after her death in 1937 there was a significant movement pushing for her canonization. Eventually however the cause stalled in the 1960's, lacking the support of the local Archbishop, and also the financial backing and support of her religious Community, the Good Shepherd Sisters. And so it is that today she is almost completely unknown, her life being nearly forgotten.

What precisely happened in the life of this Manhattan Irish woman from a modest family concerning the remarkable mystical gifts purportedly given to her is very much a intriguing mystery to this day. For she was reported to have received the stigmata (the bleeding wounds of Christ), and also a indelible, raised image of a crucifix on her breast, directly over her heart, which reportedly also manifested itself on her bedroom wall in the convent, along with extensive physical torments that seemed to mirror much of the passion of Jesus. These mystical graces and sufferings drew the attention, admiration and cynicism of many persons in New York, and around the country, and her notoriety spanned from 1921 to 1937. This article will attempt to shed some light on her life and the reported supernatural graces given to her.

Early life and first mystical experiences -A raised crucifix on her chest
Margaret Reilly was born in Manhattan, New York on on July 25, 1884, the youngest of 7 children into a poor, Irish family. Her father, Patrick Reilly, was a construction contractor, and her mother, Mary McLoughlin Reilly was a homemaker. Stories of Margaret's childhood reveal a early and intense devotion to Jesus. Margaret preferred her crucifix to a doll and she treated the crucifix like a doll, taking it for walks in her doll buggy, wrapping it to keep Jesus warm, and hugging it close to her at night. When her daughter required discipline, Mrs. Reilly threatened to take away the crucifix as punishment. She preferred being alone instead of playing with other children. As a youngster, Margaret learned of penitential practices, such as putting pebbles in her shoes as a form of sacrifice and self-mortification, which she learned from the Sisters of Charity who staffed her parochial school. Later as a teenager she took to wearing a hair shirt underneath her clothing, as a form or reparation and penance. Eventually however her spiritual director requested that she stop that particular practice.

After making her First Communion, Margaret also secured special permission to receive Communion daily (an exception for young children at that time). This special grace represented some hardship however, as it obliged her to walk ten blocks before breakfast to attend Mass, and then return home for a quick meal before walking to school.Margaret also developed a fondness for the Stations of the Cross, reportedly praying the stations three times in one day, until one of her older sisters told her to stop.

The first evidence of mysticism is reported in November 1913, when at age 29 she states that a two-inch-long red cross had appeared on her breast. On that day, she recalled:
“It pleased our dear Lord to send me a very severe illness for which He prepared me in a most extraordinary way. In my illness, I beheld our dear L. (Lord) nailed to the Cross and covered with Wounds….‘Thorn,’ He called me; ‘upon thy breast I place a Cross.’
My eyes raised above. He smiled and spoke:‘Take thou this Cross because 'tis Thorn I love.’
Then a sharp pain … when suddenly my eyes closed to all around me. My very soul became entirely rapt and absorbed in the contemplation of the Most Holy Trinity.”

And four years later in 1917 she reports another mystical grace. She relates that while stooping over the oven to prepare a fish supper with her mother, she felt a sharp pain over her heart, and saw a three-dimensional crucifix emerging in blood. Her mother quickly put her to bed and immediately telephoned their pastor. The crucifix reportedly remained visible until December 8, 1917. In a friend's recollection, the mark resembled a “raised, sunburned area,” red in color, approximately two inches long. At times the three-dimensional corpus even changed color, for according to one chronicler, “Sometimes it was red, sometimes purple, sometimes livid." Jesus reportedly revealed to Margaret whom He called "Little Thorn" the meaning of the changing of colors; they meant to reveal the sufferings of His Church in various ways.

First report of the stigmata and the crown of thorns, along with a second appearance of the the raised crucifix over her heart. She becomes a religious sister.
In September of 1921, Margaret made a extended spiritual retreat at Mount St. Florence convent in Peekskill, NY. It appears that this retreat was actually more of a postulancy for her to see if she was called to the religious life of the Good Shepherd sisters. On the fourth morning of the retreat, Margaret took a stroll to view a statue of the Sacred Heart of Jesus on the convent grounds. As she returned to her room to lie down, she claims to have had a vision of Jesus standing at the foot of the bed.
He reportedly said, “I give you my cross upon your breast, because I love you very much; and you are to suffer for My very own.”

And Jesus explained that “my very own” in this case referred to priests and nuns.

At this time, the same image from her chest was miraculously duplicated on the wall of the room that she was staying in. About three inches in length, it was first documented by the superior of the convent, Mother Raymond (Born Bridget Cahill in Worcester, Massachusetts) who was further surprised to find that Margaret's left side and feet were now bleeding. Mother Raymond reported to one of Margaret's cousins, who was also a nun:
“She has shown me her beautiful Cross and you may feel certain that she was most welcome (here).” 

Even before Margaret's arrival at Peekskill, Mother Raymond claimed to have witnessed (although she does not specify where) the perfectly formed cross and corpus with its feet resting on Margaret's heart, “at times diffused with blood.”

For the next 33 days—each day, as the superior believed, symbolizing a year of Jesus's life—Margaret remained bedridden at the convent in acute pain and bleeding profusely from four wound sites in her hands and feet. Jesus told Margaret that the foot wounds were the beginning of her complete stigmatization. Puncture wounds appeared around her forehead as well, as though from a wreath of thorns. In a vision, Jesus told her that she would now be named “Thorn.” reportedly stating:
“Now you are my Thorn, but soon you shall be my Lily of Delight.”

Later, the stigmata would intensify from Wednesday through Friday each week. Returning to the story of her visit and entering the convent, on November 11, 1921 her face was said to be marked as though by whips. Margaret said she could feel the separate lashes as they were given on her face, also when they were given on her whole body. These lashes were reportedly sometimes inflicted by our Lord Himself, or by St. Michael or by her Guardian Angel. Margaret could even see this instrument: the discipline contained 48 strips of fine steel with thorn-like projections. There was also a piece of lead 2¾ inches long attached to the center ring.

Mother Raymond reported that among Margaret's wounds, the scourge marks were “more painful than the wounds of the hands and feet and side. The pain in the chest is as if an army of people were kneeling on the chest.”

The cross impressed on the skin over Margaret's heart that began this chain of events disappeared entirely from her body around December 15, 1921.

Except for a couple of visits to relatives, Margaret remained in the convent during her "probationary" or discernment period, and on December 8, 1923, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, was finally able to make her preliminary vows as a Good Shepherd sister, taking the name  "Sister Mary of the Crown of Thorns", a name which was reportedly given to her by Jesus. It should be noted here however that she was delayed in making this religious profession due to the fact that a few of the Good Shepherd nuns in the Community had doubts concerning her purported mystical gifts.

A description of the crucifix imprinted upon the wall in Sr. Thorn's room
Sr. Thorn had a cousin named Sr. Sebastian, a Dominican nun living in Ohio. On August 25, 1922, Sister Sebastian traveled to Peekskill to observe things firsthand, accompanied by Sr. Thorn's brother Tom. Prior to this visit Sr. Catherine had already received some photographs or drawings of the mark on her cousin's skin from Mother Raymond, who concluded her letter with the entreaty: “Trusting, dear Sister, this will somewhat satisfy your interest, asking a little prayer, and begging to accept the enclosed pictures which are a true copy of the Cross and position on her breast.”

Normally visitors were forbidden to see her bedroom with the alleged miraculous cross on the wall under orders from the congregation's appointed confessor, Father John F. Brady, but on this occasion permission was given. Sr Sebastian found the room “...small and very plain. I first looked at the miraculous Crucifix (on the wall). It is much like the one on the picture, and about that size. I could see the Face of our Lord, and the lettering is also very plain. We used a magnifying glass. From where I stood I kissed the feet, but would have to stand on something to reach the Face.”

Of this particular visit Sr Sebastian stated that the crucifix was not apparent on her cousin's chest at that time, but that she experienced the pain of invisible stigmata there and in her hands, feet, and side. Sr Sebastian's impression of Margaret was of “...the dearest, sweetest soul, and heavenly in appearance, but as simple and as natural as a child.”

But going back to the crucifix imprinted upon the wall in her bedroom, Paula M. Kane notes in her book that "All accounts agreed that efforts to remove the image from the wall proved to be futile, even when scraped." 

Sr Mary of the Crown of Thorns (Margaret Reilly)

Sr Thorn is confined to a wheelchair
On the very day that the provincial was to accompany Margaret from Peekskill to Manhattan to begin her official novitiate, Margaret suddenly lost the use of her legs, and never walked again. As Mother Raymond recorded, Margaret had returned to her cell after Mass in the morning and sat down. Her limbs grew stiff and she became unable to walk. She was carried to her bed. Mother Raymond later stated that God had forewarned Margaret that she was to remain there because “..the novitiate would come to Peekskill to her.” 

Along with Sr. Thorn's recent immobility there was also added the special care required by her stigmata. Benedict Bradley, a Benedictine monk in New Jersey who visited Peekskill in November and December 1922, verified that Margaret was mostly bedridden. When she left her bed for chapel and meals, she moved about by crawling on her hands and knees. Her spiritual director forbade her from doing even this after she reported that Satan had thrown her down the stairs repeatedly, and he purportedly filled her tunic with pins to prevent her from climbing the stairs on her knees. Thus the sisters were now required to lift Margaret out of her wheelchair and carry her up and down stairs. This partial paralysis also prevented Margaret from performing the usual convent chores undertaken by every sister. Consequently, when she was permitted to remain at Peekskill, she was assigned to work the telephone switchboard.

Attacks from the demons
On December 9,1921, the day after she received her first veil as a postulant, Sr. Thorn faced a demonic attack. “As she was eating her supper,” wrote a sister named Carmelita, “her plate was broken, coffee spilt on the bed and she was pulled and dragged around for sometime.” Later that night, (Dec. 9), Sr. Thorn asked Mother Raymond to stay with her and not let the “evil one” tempt her “..with some evil suggestions he was making.”

Sr. Carmelita also wrote “Margaret had complained of noises in her room at night, but it was attributed to other causes.” Early on, most of the unusual activity continued to involve ordinary household objects: the turpentine bottle left in Margaret's cell by Dr. McParlan was broken, flower vases were overturned, liquids were spilled, china was cracked, a holy-water font was broken, embroidery was burned, dress buttons were removed, and the glass on a picture of the Infant Jesus was shattered. “For some days,” Mother Raymond also recalled,“the whole house smelt of sulfur.”

Margaret often endured taunts from the demons, who showed her “awful pictures” and “impure sights” that she declared were “far more painful to her than the beatings.” Add to this, Satan often assumed the appearance of Jesus in an attempt to fool Margaret.

Mother Raymond left numerous notes stating: “One attack at Holy Communion as usual.” On another occasion she wrote: “Margaret sustained an awful attack after holy Communion near the confessional. Satan threw her down, tore off her postulant's cuffs, threw her shawl over the head of Sr. Mary of St. Luthgarde, seemingly to blind them so they could not protect Margaret; pulled feet to break them; slapped her face so it could be heard; jerked her and dragged her, then left her.”

According to Sr. Thorn, the demons took on the forms of a black cat, a rat, a seal, slime, and both handsome and ugly men. During the summer of 1922, Mother Raymond temporarily left Margaret, and when she returned, she found Margaret on the floor next to the telephone switchboard. The switchboard had been overturned on St Thorn's head, leaving a lump over her eye and knocking plaster out of the wall. Mother Raymond was so embarrassed when the electrician commented on the extensive damage that when another incident smashed windowpanes and bookcase glass, she was reluctant to contact a repairman for fear that outsiders would think that the convent was a “roughhouse.”

Yet another violent episode reportedly occurred during Mass on November 21,1923, while the sisters were listening to the final portion of the Eucharistic prayer, Sr Thorn was thrown from her wheelchair to the floor and her head was jammed under the radiator. Yet, for all of its strangeness, this diabolical activity had usefulness beyond their convent in redeeming sinners, for even as Margaret struggled with a demon who knocked her down and twisted her leg around a chair, Saint Colette allegedly appeared to her and reassured her in a vision that “a certain soul has been saved through your struggles.”

Visiting Peekskill from Missouri, Sister Carmelita Quinn recorded an episode on February 17, 1922:
“Breakfast and dinner were spoiled, it meant that Margaret Reilly thought the food had a bad taste and smell. Often, Margaret envisioned little black bugs on the food and bread that repelled her from eating.”

In a vision years later, the Virgin Mary comforted Sister Thorn and told her that the evil spirits would no longer be permitted to assault her.

More notes on her alleged stigmata
Sr. Thorn believed that she suffered as a victim soul for the conversion and salvation of souls. She attributed the pain in the location of her stigmatic wounds with specific intentions: pain in her left foot indicated prayers for Archbishop Hayes and the pope; pain in her right foot meant prayers for priests; her left hand was dedicated to laypeople praying to her; and her right hand was to atone for nuns seeking higher education who forgot their duty by seeking worldly advantages. Finally, Margaret's heart symbolized the Good Shepherds and “another convent dear to Jesus.” Sister Thorn claimed that the scourge marks on her thighs and the crown of thorns on her forehead were offered for priests who were offending Jesus. She endured these torments to fulfill God's special mission for her to obtain grace for others, especially for priests and religious.

Add to this the fact that some of Sr. Thorn's devotees spent their time trying to ascertain the meaning of the changing colors of the corpus on the crucifix upon her chest and also her bedroom wall, revealing a obvious determination to affirm the bond between suffering and the possible sanctity in her life.

It is interesting to note also that in her book "Sister Thorn and Catholic Mysticism in Modern America" Paula M Kane points out that it seems that Sr. Thorn's stigmata were mostly invisible in nature. According to her readings, Sr. Thorn's visible, bloodied stigmata seemingly lasted only ten weeks, from September 4 to November 18, 1921.

Fame and opposition
Those outside of the convent first learned of "the bleeding nun at Peekskill" through a letter written by a Passionist priest named Father Bertrand Barry who composed a sort of “spiritual chain letter” in early 1922 that he sent to numerous friends. It became an embarrassment to the Good Shepherd Sisters because it contained many errors, and drew unwanted attention to the religious order, but its odd details excited the public and drew fervent crowds to the convent.

New York World newspaper article concerning Margaret

On Saturday, July 8, 1922, "The New York World" newspaper ran the headlines "Girl with Vivid Cross on Body Puzzles Both Clergy and Laity.
 At Indefinite Periods Blood Gathers about Mark and She Suffers Intensely—Many Hold That Case Is Surely Supernatural". 
One should note however that this article actually contained several errors.

Stories and rumors concerning Sr. Thorn abounded amongst both religious and laity. Many who knew her either as a child or young adult were positive towards her. The superior of the Community, Mother Raymond, who spent the most time each day with Sr Thorn, was a strong supporter. Yet she became aware that at least a few of the Sisters in the Community were displeased with Sr. Thorn, so as time progressed, Mother Raymond decided to have a private written census of each of the Sisters in the convent. The record shows that the majority of them were supportive of Sr. Thorn, but several were in opposition, for various reasons. Of the approximately 50 professed and "lay" Sisters associated with the convent, there were six Sisters who were either "not satisfied" or "not contented" with Sr. Thorn.  As side note, interestingly it seems that most of the Sisters in the convent at this point had not actually seen Sr. Thorns stigmata, which leads one to conclude that they likely were only visible for a short period(s) of time, and like other stigmatics it is quite possible that they came and went and/or were not visible at times.

Archbishop Patrick Hayes of New York oversaw the official investigation of Sister Thorn, which began some three years before he was named a cardinal. The medical part of the investigation consisted of evaluations from three separate physicians--together Dr. James J. Walsh, and Dr John B. Lynch felt that Margaret's "medical symptoms" were attributed to a "nervous condition" and possible "hysteria." On the other hand, Dr. Thomas F. McParlan became convinced that her various medical conditions were not attributable to natural origins or any ordinary means, and he eventually became one of Sr. Thorns prominent supporters.

For his part, over the years he was publicly cautious concerning Sr. Thorn, and until his death which occurred one year after hers he remained essentially neutral concerning her. One could assume that if his investigation had found anything significantly wrong he presumably would have sanctioned Sr. Thorn in various ways.

As for religious outside the convent, there was a New York Jesuit, Fr. James McGivney, who wrote a private letter to another Jesuit, Fr. Herbert Thurston, expressing his deep concern regarding St Thorn. Fr. James  McGivney had given a couple of retreats at the Peeskill convent, where he presumably obtained various information concerning Sr Thorn.

For his part, Fr. Herbert Thurston SJ, a very popular scholar known for his books on mysticism, occult phenomena, and parapsychology, was a significant supporter of Sr. Thorn. In 1925 he published a study of Margaret Reilly, whom he concealed as “Kate Ryan,” for an article in the British Catholic journal "The Month." Also around that time, Fr. Thurston was rumored to be one of four Vatican consultors for the Reilly case. Father Lucas Etlin was another priest who was very supportive of Sr. Thorn.

However, As Paula M. Kane points out in her excellent book, regardless of what those in favor of Sr. Thorn believed, certain pieces of evidence point to her purported stigmata as possibly being a fraudulent: from her sudden paralysis on the very day she was being asked to leave the convent; the short duration of the bleeding wounds and the lack of witnesses to and physical evidence of their onset; the controversial crucifix image on her chest and wall that closely resembled a commercial stamp at that time; the confusion in the written record regarding the timing, location, and appearance of her various physical markings; and the many poltergeist incidents at the convent that she herself could have performed.

On the other hand, testimonies supporting her authenticity came from trustworthy eyewitnesses who beheld and nursed her wounds, along with from the affirmations of Sister Carmelita Quinn, Dr. McParlan and Cardinal James McIntyre, the longtime conservative Archbishop of Los Angeles. The latter's association with Sr. Margaret can be understood when looking at the historical record. James McIntyre was ordained by Archbishop Patrick Hayes of New York (Sr. Thorn's bishop) in 1921, and two years later he was appointed chancellor of the Archdiocese--a position he held for 11 years until 1934--and it was in this position that he was able to keep very close tabs on the situation concerning Sr. Thorn.

In 1940, McIntyre was appointed Auxiliary Bishop of New York and it is during this time in particular that he became known for his support for Sr. Thorn. Later, when he became archbishop of Los Angeles, he continued to campaign on behalf of Sister Thorn. He gave the Good Shepherds in California his only photograph of her in order to convince them “that while the religious of her own Congregation did not all approve or believe in her saintliness, that there were others who did.”. He also gave a rosary to the superior, telling her: “Do not let anyone deprive you of the privilege of having a Saint in your congregation."

Her numerous illnesses and death
Starting with the critical moments in December 1923 when a weakened Margaret was suffering intensely, the sisters had everything in readiness for what they thought might be her death bed Profession. Yet, she clung to life. In January 1924 Margaret was about to receive the last rites, yet she rallied once more. In February Archbishop Patrick Hayes visited the convent, reporting that he scarcely recognized her since “she looks so very frail as if the lamp was nearly burned out.” At the close of 1924, she was still “suffering greatly and growing weaker.” In May 1925 she was frailer still and “suffering very much,” and by December she seemed “supremely happy” although in great pain. In 1926 Margaret “suffered a great deal during Lent” and during that summer was disturbed by constant vomiting. “There are days when one wonders how she lives,” remarked Mother St. Francis Xavier Hickey. In 1927 it was noted that her “spine was attacked now as well as the pancreas. The pain in her head is awful at times.” That year, Dr. Thomas McParlan reported on Margaret's new set of ailments: “Yesterday I saw Sister Thorn. The mass in her abdomen which includes the pancreas is greatly enlarged and her sufferings are terrible. There is no position that gives her the faintest relief and she looks very badly. I am greatly worried over her condition and feel so powerless to anything for her.” By August, Mother Hickey (who by that time had replaced Mother Raymond) feared “poor little Sister cannot last much longer. She is suffering so much, but always so sweetly and patiently.”

Nevertheless, despite her declining health, Margaret survived for another decade. Most of those associated wither her believed that her illnesses were primarily supernaturally induced, meaning that her suffering was God's will in that it was for reparation and for the conversion of sinners.

 “Our Lord is going to give us an Irish American saint!” her bishop, Archbishop Patrick Hayes, reportedly said with enthusiasm to Father Lucas Etlin, an avid supporter of Sr. Thorn.

Yet the archbishop and many others closely connected to Sister Thorn refused to give her case any significant public support, and after her death her cause for beatification eventually faltered in the 1960's.

After a life of suffering and sacrifice,  Sr. Mary Crown of Thorns (Margaret Reilly) died at age 52 in May 18, 1937. When Sister Thorn finally died, she was attended by the two women closest to her, Mother Raymond and Sister Carmelita. Mother Raymond had left Sr. Thorn's room for two minutes to fetch a drink of water; when she returned, she found Margaret vomiting blood into the basin on her table. Sister Thorn died soon afterward.

Mother Raymond was crushed by the loss of her dearest friend. She wrote a letter in her own hand to Mother Dolorosa at the Benedictine convent in Clyde, Missouri, describing how Sr. Thorn had suffered heroically "...thru her ulcers, pancreas and other ills. Then the attacks of the evil one, her sweet pains ( her stigmata). Some tests confirmed cancer of all the left side, also the bladder; she refused opiates, wanting to be coherent to make a good confession before communion. I will miss her yes more than I can say but I am grateful He took her first.Memories crowd in daily and I thank Him for all He did for her and for me."

-Sr. Margaret Reilly, pray for us!

"We cannot change the world, taking out all its thorns, making its tasks easy and its burden light; changing all its discord into harmonies, transforming its ugliness into beauty. But we can have our own heart renewed by the grace of God, and thus the world will be made over for us. . . . A soul of song will find sweet music everywhere."— Message from Jesus to Sr. Mary Crown of  Thorns
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(Primary source for this article is the book "Sister Thorn and Catholic Mysticism in Modern America" by professor Paula M. Kane, PhD., UNC Press, 2013)


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A few favorite quotes of St Mother Teresa of Calcutta (1910-1997)

“In this life we cannot do great things. We can only do small things with great love.”

“Be faithful in small things because it is in them that your strength lies.”

“Every time you smile at someone, it is an action of love, a gift to that person, a beautiful thing.”

“Spread love everywhere you go. Let no one ever come to you without leaving happier.”

"If you judge people, you have no time to love them."

“I am a little pencil in the hand of a writing God who is sending a love letter to the world.”

“If you can't feed a hundred people, then feed just one.”

"Kind words can be short and easy to speak, but their echoes are truly endless."

St Mary of Egypt -A great sinner turned Saint

A key question: Visionaries and holiness: Is it necessary for an authentic mystic to have an impeccable moral character?

When discerning the lives of visionaries, what weaknesses and faults are permissible?
We all like to think of our favorite Saints and mystics as overflowing with virtue, as "white as the driven snow" as the saying goes. Yet, we all recognize that no one is perfect, acknowledging the biblical principle that "all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). This however raises a question--one that all those who seek to discern alleged visionaries and mystics have to contend with: can an authentic mystic/visionary/prophet have serious faults? What weaknesses or sins are acceptable when discerning a visionary? Or put another way, what sins might inhibit a person from receiving communications and private revelations from heaven?

One thing is for sure--it is a very pertinent question for anyone who seeks to discern such persons. In fact, this very question just came up once again for the most recent purported mystic that I just published here on this website, a Good Shepherd nun from New York named Sr. Mary Crown of Thorns (1884-1937) who reportedly bore the stigmata. Just prior to her becoming a nun, and during a time which she had allegedly already been given some extraordinary mystical graces, she apparently wrote some very racy and inappropriate letters to a physician friend whom she was romantically interested in at the time.

In the Old Testament story of King David we find in David a visionary and servant of God who at one point committed two very grave "mortal" sins--adultery and then murder---yet because of his incredibly deep repentance afterwards, God continued to work with and through him throughout the rest of his remarkable life.

Or again, studying the life of the great St Augustine, the universally acclaimed Doctor of the Church, we find that in his early years prior to his extraordinary conversion he had lead quite an immoral life, having a son out of wedlock with his concubine, along with the giving of himself to various questionable worldly pursuits. And who could forget his noteworthy statement "Lord, grant me chastity and continence, but not yet!" Nevertheless, in his defense we find that in the years after his conversion he led a life of solid piety and heroic virtue, as the Church itself has officially declared.

We can find another example in the story of  St Mary of Egypt where we have a woman who, at the age of 12, runs away from home and soon afterwards becomes a prostitute in the city of Alexandria. She continued to live a extremely dissolute life until at age 17 when she traveled to Jerusalem for the great annual Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. She undertook the journey as a sort of "anti-pilgrimage," stating that she hoped to find in the pilgrim crowds at Jerusalem more abundant customers for her life of prostitution. Her biographers reveal how she helped to pay for her passage to Jeruselum by offering sexual favors to other pilgrims, and she continued her habitual lifestyle for a short time in Jerusalem.

God however had other plans her. As she tried to enter the Church of the Holy Sepulchre for the celebration, she was barred from doing so by an unseen force. Realizing that this was because of her impurity, she was struck with remorse, and upon seeing an icon of the Theotokos (the Virgin Mary) outside the church, she prayed for forgiveness and promised to give up her life of sin. Once again she attempted to enter the church, and this time was permitted in. After venerating the relic of the true cross, she returned to the icon of the Blessed Virgin Mary to give thanks, and suddenly she heard the Virgin Mary speak to her, telling her:
"If you cross the Jordan, you will find rest for your soul."

She then went to the Jordan and ended up at the monastery of St. John the Baptist on the bank of the River Jordan, where she went to Confession and afterwards Holy Communion. The next morning, she crossed the Jordan and retired to the desert to live the rest of her life as a hermitess in penance and reparation for her sins.

And so, the simple fact is that Church history is replete with sinners turned saints, a portion of whom were, or became, mystics and visionaries.

Purported visionaries and sin -The Church speaks
However the question being posed here is must a visionary/mystic/prophet have a impeccable moral character? To what degree is sin permitted in their lives? We find much of the answer in the Vatican document entitled "Norms regarding the manner of proceeding in the discernment of presumed apparitions or revelations" where in the section entitled "Criteria for judging, at least with probability, the character of the presumed apparitions or revelations", under the title of "Negative criteria" we find the directive:
d) Gravely immoral acts committed by the subject or his or her followers when the fact [ie. apparition] occurred, or in connection with it.

Thus, according to the official Church position, "gravely immoral acts" would constitute negative criteria--meaning they would be reliable evidence that the mystic/visionary/prophet is false. But what about less serious sin, like a visionary who seems boastful at times or seemingly lacking a spirit of humility at times, or one that seems to lack charity in their statements and actions towards others, or one that is always quick to defend themselves instead of mostly suffering accusations with humility and silence, or perhaps one that seems to relish food and drink excessively, or lacks a spirit of mortification?

Given the Church's position in this matter, strictly speaking a visionary/mystic/prophet cannot (or no longer would) remain an authentic mystic during the time that he/she engages in grave, serious sin, because the effects of willful mortal sin inhibits and precludes God's direct revelation in such a person. For example, after David's sins of adultery and murder, we see from the scripture that God no longer spoke to him directly, but spoke to him through the prophet Nathan.

At the same time we recognize that lesser or "venial" sins are simply part of our everyday human condition, and that even the Saints are not perfect, but that they sincerely "seek to be perfect, as the heavenly Father is perfect." I often think of the saying "Christians are not perfect, just forgiven, because they ask to be forgiven".

Nevertheless, one should expect a visionary to be a person who seriously--even strenuously--seeks to live out the Gospel in all areas of their life, and endeavors to please God in all of their actions, obedient to the teachings of the Church, and living a penitential and sacrificial life in a spirit of prayer, joy and thanksgiving. In short, a person who fervently follows in the footsteps of Jesus.

And so, while we ought not necessarily be put off by a purported mystic who, for example, has a serious attachment to coffee, we can and should dismiss any alleged mystic who engages in any form of grave, serious sin. And when it comes to discerning mystics and visionaries, from the onset all mystics and visionaries should be given an initial presumption of sincerity and goodwill, and with neutrality one should cautiously discern their messages and mission, giving them a just and sincere hearing. For it is truly unfortunate to see that there have been more than a few purported mystics over the centuries who have been summarily dismissed by certain members within the Church, without even so much as a preliminary hearing or reasoned consideration.

We can close this contemplation regarding the moral character of purported mystics with a reflection concerning the life of St Paul from Acts 22:
"I persecuted the followers of this Way to their death, arresting both men and women and throwing them into prison, as also the high priest and all the Council can testify. I even obtained letters from them to their brothers in Damascus, and went there to bring these people as prisoners to Jerusalem to be punished.  

"About noon as I came near Damascus, suddenly a bright light from heaven flashed around me. I fell to the ground and heard a voice say to me, `Saul! Saul! Why do you persecute me?' 

Thus, in the life of St Paul we see how the infinite wisdom and mercy of God are so far above the thoughts and reason of man, for who would have ever have thought that Saul of Tarsus, the fervent persecutor of the early Christians, would become--through the intercession of Jesus--the great St Paul, the indefatigable apostle of the Church?
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Could we be entering upon a "Time of Justice"?

The Signs of the Times
Jesus said to the crowds, “When you see a cloud rising in the west you say immediately that it is going to rain—and so it does; and when you notice that the wind is blowing from the south you say that it is going to be hot—and so it is.
You hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky; why do you not know how to interpret the present time? (Luke 12 54-56)

In St. Faustina Kowalska's Diary we have Jesus saying “BEFORE THE DAY OF JUSTICE, I AM SENDING THE DAY OF MERCY.” (Diary, #1588). It is universally accepted that we are currently living in this "Day of Mercy." Many people have surmised that this period of mercy has likely consisted of the decades spanning from the end of World War II to the present time in which we are living.

For his part, in March 2014 Pope Francis shared his belief that we are living during the "Time of Mercy" spoken of by St. Faustina, and he dates the beginning of this period to around the time of St. John Paul II's consecration of the world to the Immaculate Heart of Mary in 1984:

“I am sure of this. It is not only Lent; we have been living in a time of mercy for the past thirty years or more, up to today.” -Pope Francis, Exhortation on Mercy to Roman Priests, March 6, 2014.

For it was the 1984 Papal consecration, made in union with the bishops of the world, whose fruits of which is widely recognized by Church to have led to the eventual collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, ushering in a significant downturn in Communism, and a period of relative peace in the world.

The end of the "Year of Mercy"
In just a few short weeks of this writing, the Church will be concluding the present "Year of Mercy" instituted by Pope Francis, spanning from December 8, 2015 to November 20, 2016. With the passing of this "Year of Mercy" soon upon us, is it possible that we (humanity) may be entering upon the prophesied "Time of Justice"?

Quite a few people have observed that with the passing of recent months it seems that a certain darkness is ever increasing upon the earth. Perhaps some would surmise that such feelings simply come from the vitriolic atmosphere of the current US presidential elections, along with the war in Syria and Iraq, the heightened tensions between the USA and Russia, China's increased military presence in the South China sea, along with the conflict in Yemen, to name just a few of the troubling current global events.

For those who keep watch and reflect upon the various current purported prophets and visionaries of our time, the "sensus fidelum" seems to be that we are on the verge of significant worldwide events which, on a spiritual level, will be for the purification of humanity, for we know from the Scriptures that it is often through calamities and suffering that God draws His children back to Himself.

It is often remarked how while history does not always repeat itself, at least it always rhymes, and reading through the Old Testament we see how God would send (or permit) great catastrophes to befall his chosen people the Israelite's, to draw them back to Himself after they had strayed. And just prior to this God would always send prophets to warn them and call them back. Historically, the Israelite's would always ignore the warnings of the prophets, that being their own "Time of Mercy", and then inevitably would come their "Time of Justice." Such is the recurring theme of the Old Testament.

Remember that God has a plan, and all that happens is for our reclamation and salvation
Thus reflecting upon God's numerous interventions in the Scriptures, one point becomes very clear--though God may cause (or allow) humanity to suffer various calamities, it is ALWAYS for our reclamation and salvation. So whatever, if anything, may soon befall us in the times to come, we should not lose hope, for even in His justice God is always infinitely merciful and loving. For He is mercy and love Itself.

I once read where a person stated "...a time will come where God's mercy will end, and His justice will then prevail." The truth is, God's mercy will never end, because He is mercy Itself. But He is also just, and He loves His children with an infinite love, so when we collectively stray through abandoning God, worshiping false idols, and falling into numerous sins, there eventually comes a point which obligates Him to withdraw His protective hand, and allow us to experience the effects and consequences of our sins and our abandonment of Him, that He might, once again, reclaim us and call us to return to Himself. For in another part of St Faustina's diary Jesus tells us: “He who refuses to pass through the door of My Mercy must pass through the door of My Justice.” (Diary 1146)

The year 2017 marks the 100 year anniversary of Fatima, and the 500 year anniversary of the Protestant reformation.
But are we really on the verge of a purification consisting of very grave worldwide events? God alone knows. But as the headline above states, the year 2017 marks the anniversaries of two very significant events in Christian history--the 100 year anniversary of Fatima, and the 500 year anniversary of the Protestant reformation. Time will very soon tell what is in store for us. Meantime, on November 8 the USA will be electing a new leader, and the "Year of Mercy" instituted by Pope Francis will be culminating on November 20th. And the people of the Kingdom here below watch, wait and pray.
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"Today I am sending you [Sr. Faustina] with My mercy to the people of the whole world. 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. Before the Day of Justice, I am sending the Day of Mercy."
"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 Kowalska, 1588 and 1160).

Completely blind mother of three young children inexplicably regains her eyesight after being blessed by a relic of St Charbel Makhlouf during service at Arizona Catholic church

For months now, the news of Dafne Gutierrez's remarkable cure from complete blindness has stunned the parish community of St Joseph Maronite Catholic church in Phoenix, Arizona, inspiring people from around the country to visit the Church where the reported "miracle" has taken place.

Dafne's Miracle
In 1999 when she was just thirteen years old, Dafne Gutierrez---who is now a 30 year old mother of three young children---was officially diagnosed with a medical condition called Idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH). One of the effects of this illness is that it in turn often causes a condition called Papilledema in which pressure in the brain is very high, adversely affecting the optic nerves, which in some cases like Dafne's eventually leads to complete blindness.

Dafne Gutierrez and her family

-Such were her thoughts and prayers on the way to the Church to visit and venerate the relics of St Charbel.
When she got into the Church she prayed to God, and then to St Charbel she said: "I don't know who you are, but please help me" -for prior to this she had never heard of St Charbel before.

After Mass and the veneration of St Charbel's relic celebrated by the parish priest, Father Wissam Akiki, her sister-in-law helped her to the confessional. After confession, Fr. Akiki was told about her blindness, he then blessed her with holy oil touched to the first-class relic of St Sharbel, praying specifically for her to be cured. Fr. Wissam told her that he would be praying for her and that "I would get my vision back". Afterwards he said to Dafne's daughter: "Don't worry, your mom will see again."

Also, when Father Akiki was praying for her and was blessing her with the St Charbel holy oil, she suddenly "...felt very strongly that someone was standing next to me on my right side."

For his part, Father Akiki states: "I put my hand on her head, then on both eyes, and I asked God to heal her through the intercession of St Charbel.”

After the prayers and blessing of the holy oil, Dafne asked her sister-in-law "Who was that standing next to me, on my right side?" Her sister-in-law replied "There was no one standing next to you other than Fr. Akiki." To this day, Dafne is not sure who was standing next to her at that moment, but she knows "someone" was there.

Dafne Gutierrez, Father Wissam Akiki and Bishop Abdallah Elias Zaidan, Maronite Catholic bishop of Los Angeles, CA

"From that moment" Dafne's stated "I started to feel different. I can't explain it but my body felt different". The next day, Sunday January 17th, 2016, she again went to St Joseph Church for the 3pm Mass and to once again venerate the relic of St Charbel.

That same Sunday evening at 4:00am in the morning she suddenly awoke with her eyes burning "They were like burning--really burning" and her head hurt "like after an operation", so she frantically woke her husband exclaiming that they were burning---he replied "They can't be because you have no sensation in your eyes!" He then put his hands on her eyes and noticed they felt hot and he said "They are vibrating and moving" and he also noticed a strong smell like "burning meat". She then realized that in the glow of the nightlight that she could actually see her husband very vaguely--like a shadow. She shouted "I can see you! I can see you with both of my eyes! I started crying...I wiped my eyes and then opened them again to see if I really could see, and I could."

"I could not believe it. I did not want to close my eyes,” she stated afterwards in an interview. “My children were shouting: ‘Mom can see! God healed mom!’

Within 48 hours (precisely three days since her weekend visit to venerate the relics) her sight was completely restored to 20/20 vision, as was confirmed on that day by an ophthalmologist, and later by several other physicians.

Press Conference on February 18, 2016

In a verbal statement attesting to her healing, Doctor Anne Borik, D.O. stated: "....Medically speaking, what is interesting--and what captured my interest in this [case]--is that you don't see resolution of vision in 48 hours from a long standing optic nerve problem such as Dafne had. My job as a medical physician is to try to find out how this happened medically. We discussed this case with a neuro-ophthalmologist, and also an outside consultant reviewed the entire case, and basically there is no [medical] explanation how Dafne Gutierrez's vision was one day completely blind, and then 48 hours later was restored to normal...And so based on this information, we as a medical community in reviewing this case cannot explain this medically."

At the very least, the physicians felt that even if she had regained some of her eyesight, there should have been some permanent damage and vision loss in at least her left eye, for that eye had been effected for 2 years. It is expected that there should be at least some optic nerve damage, and that there is simply no medical explanation for a complete restoration of 20/20 vision in both eyes.

"Faith and confession" is what Dafne Gutierrez continues to repeat time and time again when asked about her healing. "I was desperate when I walked into St. Joseph Maronite Catholic Church. I felt like God never heard me before, but this time was different, just different."
"For me to be able to see and read the papers [medical reports] that say that I would never be able to see again....It  is such a blessing!" 

Medical records relating to Dafne Gutierrez blindness

Dafne explained that throughout her long illness that she had often gone to various Catholic churches and prayed, though it often seemed to her that God did not hear her prayers, because they seemingly went unanswered. "I don't know how many different Churches I went to, how many times I asked God,..and it seemed like He never heard me. But that day was different..." She said however that she always had faith and hope that God would someday heal her.

Exactly one month later as a gesture of deep thanksgiving and gratefulness to God for her healing, a special Mass and blessing with the Holy oil of St. Sharbel took place at St Joseph Church on February 18, 2016, and was presided by his Excellency Bishop Abdallah Elias Zaidan, Maronite Catholic bishop of Los Angeles, CA. Eparchy.

On that day, standing in the Church before the crowd who had gathered to give thanks to God for her healing through the intercession of St Charbel, Daphne stated:
"All the doctors have said: 'There is no explanation'.....God healed me."
And in an interview on Youtube she says:
"I just want to keep on telling everybody; Don't lose faith. God does exist. Just have faith...[go to] confession. Don't lose hope."

As for a brief biography, Sr Charbel Makhlouf (1828-1898) was a Maronite Catholic monk from Lebanon who died on Christmas Eve at age 73. He spent the last 23 years of his life in a rugged cabin in complete solitude, with poor heat and the bare necessities of life, and was known for his practice of penance and mortifications, eating very little and sleeping on the ground.

Three days after his death he was buried in the monastery cemetery, and for the next forty-five nights his tomb was surrounded by a dazzlingly bright light. As the days passed this phenomenon was witnessed by an increasingly large number of local villagers who informed the religious Maronite monastery, none of whom could provide an explanation. Permission was sought from the ecclesiastical authorities for the monk’s body to be exhumed. Four months after his death permission was obtained, and upon the exhumation he was found to be completely incorrupt, though he had been buried in the ground without a casket. Charbel was given fresh clothing before being placed in a wooden coffin in a corner of the monastery’s private chapel. Soon a strange liquid was found exuding continually from the casket, coming from the pores of his body. Described as a mixture of fluid and blood, it continually flowed from his remains day and night. Soon, a local custom began where pieces of cloth soaked in this fluid were soon being distributed as relics, and were being credited with effecting cures. To this day this custom of "holy oil" touched to the relics of St Charbel used as a blessing is still a very common practice of the faithful, as was used in Dafne's healing.
_________________________________________________
"He wants me to tell everybody don't lose faith. Go to confession. Never lose hope." 
-Dafne Gutierrez

More information: 
-"She Came And Prayed Asking St. Sharbel To Cure Her" -St. Joseph Maronite Catholic Church in Phoenix, Arizona
-Saint Charbel- The Maronite Monk

Videos: 
-"Dafne Gutierrez Healed through Intercession St. Sharbel in Arizona"
-"St. Sharbel Healing at St. Joseph Maronite Catholic Church in Phoenix, Arizona"
-"St Charbel heals Dafne Gutierrez from blindness in America"

Support this website! Check out the relic lockets and relic locket rosaries in the Mystics of the Church Gift Store.

Charlie Johnston during a recent FOCUS TV interview

The final days for the possible fulfillment of a purported Angelic prophecy 

Many readers of this website are familiar with the original article that I wrote back in January 2015 entitled  "Charlie Johnston -An alleged prophet with a critically important message for humanity".  In it I discussed at length Charlie's purported prophetic mission and message, along with a short biography of his life. And for the past two years it has been one of the most popular articles on this website.

Additionally, when the Archdiocese of Denver came out with a Statement in March 2016 concerning Mr. Johnston I published an article here discussing it.

The Presidential prophecy
In the past week, the comments beneath that original article have exploded (there are now currently a total of 770 comments), as has my email inbox, with most everyone commenting specifically on the angelic prophecy allegedly given to Charlie, which I have named "The Presidential prophecy":

"What I was told in the Spring of 2008 was that Barack Obama would win that year's election, that he would not finish his full term, and that the next stable national leader would not come from the political system."

The obvious reason for all of the recent attention to this specific alleged angelic prophecy is the upcoming scheduled Presidential Inauguration scheduled for this January 20th--just 2 weeks away from this writing. For his part, just yesterday Charlie published an article entitled "A Decisive Conundrum" which addresses this matter, in part.

This particular prophecy is the first of a series of alleged angelic prophesies concerning the world that are to occur mostly this year (2017). The other predictions that Charlie insists upon are highlighted in his article entitled "Go Forth". In it Charlie reveals eight worldwide events that are said to occur::

"I only have eight public prophecies that I insist on. Only the visible, miraculous Rescue by Our Lady, the Immaculate Conception in late 2017, is time sensitive. Five things must happen between now and the Rescue, but can happen at any time during that period. They are:

Statement on Archdiocese of Denver website

Statement on false claim regarding Charlie Johnston’s messages

PRESS RELEASE:
Feb. 15, 2017
Contact: Karna Swanson
Executive Director of Communications
303-945-9136
Karna.Swanson@ArchDen.org

Mrs. Beckie Hesse, using the online profile “Beckita,” stated in a Feb. 7, 2017 blog post titled “The RESCUE Has Begun” that the messages of the alleged visionary Mr. Charlie Johnston, who resides in the Archdiocese of Denver, “have been fully approved by the Church.”  In order to ensure that the faithful are correctly informed, it is necessary to publicly state that Mrs. Hesse’s claim is false.

In fact, Mr. Johnston’s alleged messages were reviewed by an archdiocesan theological commission and Archbishop Samuel J. Aquila determined that the faithful should be warned to be prudent and cautious about Mr. Johnston’s predictions. In addition, Mr. Johnston is not permitted to speak in Church-owned venues in the Archdiocese of Denver. Read Archbishop Aquila’s message here.

The events of 2016/17 have shown that Mr. Johnston’s alleged visions were not accurate and the Archdiocese urges the faithful not to condone or support further attempts to reinterpret them as valid.

Read: Statement on the alleged visionary Charlie Johnston 

__________________________________________________________

The Statement on false claim regarding Charlie Johnston’s messages can be read on the Archdiocese of Denver website here.

Other articles on this website concerning Charlie Johnston in order of publication:
-Charlie Johnston- An alleged prophet with a critically important message for humanity
-Archbishop of Denver's Statement concerning Charlie Johnston
-The Presidential Prophecy -An update on Charlie Johnston

Dr. Cyrus Teed, aka "Koresh" -A proclaimed messiah

Unusual visionaries and their cults- A summary of the most unconventional private revelations of the past 100 years.

-Quaternity and Quinternity's?
The extraordinary claims of persons claiming to be male and female Messiah's, along with their revelations claiming God is both male and female.

Koreshan model of the universe depicting his "hollow earth" theory of the earth surrounding the universe (Source Wikipedia)

"Octavia, Daughter of God", by Jane Shaw