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Wednesday, April 4, 2012

Stigmata

In the history of the Catholic Church, there are more than 50 ecstatics, officially proclaimed as saints, who experienced a supernatural gift from God known as stigmata, miraculous sharing in the sufferings of Christ. These saints bear on their hands, feet, side or brow the marks of the passion of Christ with intense suffering. They all had the vision of suffering Jesus. From their wounds, heavenly fragrance and perfumed oil start to emerge. No medicine was able to cure those miraculous signs. No scientists can give a clear explanation! A special gift from God to His Church. There are Biblical scholars who believe St. Paul had this gift from God. He explained it as a ‘thorn in the flesh’.(2 Cor. 12:7)  “I rejoice in my suffering for your sake, in my flesh. I am filling up what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ.”(Col. 1:24)


St. Francis of Assisi 



This saint is most famous for his visible stigmata, whose feast of stigmata is celebrated in the Church on September 17th. This fact is attested by a number of contemporary historians. He was born in Italy, 1182.


Anne  Catherine Emmerich


Anne was born on Sep. 8, 1774, at Flamsche in Germany. She received stigmata in her hands and feet, forehead, and on her chest. The rest of her life she lived by the gift of inedia, living off nothing but Holy Communion for 12 years of her life. She was canonized on Oct. 3, 2004.


Georgio Bongiavani  


In June 1968, Georgio Bongiavani in South Dakota experienced stigmata on his hands and forehead and it continued for a long time.


Theresa Neumann       
      

Theresa was born in a peasant family in the German village of Konnersreuth. On March 4, 1926, Theresa experienced the first vision where Jesus appeared in the garden of Gethsemane and gave her the gift of stigmata. All the scientists and physicians who observed and investigated the phenomena, confirmed it as supernatural. She survived just by Holy Eucharist from 1926-1963 (37 years), without any food.


St. Padre Pio  


Padre Pio, one of the most famous saints of our times, was born as Francesco Forgione on May 25, 1887 in Pietrelcina, Italy. On Sep. 20, 1918, five wounds resembling the crucifixion of Jesus, appeared in his body, while he was celebrating Holy Mass. He had the vision of Jesus, and received many other gifts such as prophecy and bilocation. He was canonized by Pope John Paul II on June 16, 2002.


The Stigmata of Marianne in Australia, Feb. 25, 2001


Myrna Nazzour, Stigmatist. (Soufanieh, Damascus, Syria, April 10, 2004, the Apostolic Nuncio of Syria and other Bishops witnessed this supernatural event.)