The Rare Phenomenon of Mystical Knowledge

Inexplicable Wisdom Demonstrated in the Lives of the Saints

Mar 26, 2009

Uneducated saints were able to explain deep mysteries of the Catholic faith and this is called mystical knowledge.

Some saints possessed gifts of mystical knowledge which involved knowing the hearts and secret consciences of others, while others were able to explain profoundly difficult theological renderings of the mysteries of the faith without any education.

Some saints knew of events happening at far distant places regarding people and events they may not have even met. Many of them knew the exact hour of births and deaths of individuals.

It was said of St. Anthony that he knew the entire Holy Bible by heart, another manifestation of this profound gift of the Holy Spirit.

St. Catherine’s profound mystical knowledge is best displayed in her classic work, The Dialogues of St. Catherine of Siena.

But many stories were related of her including one involving a soldier. Apparently, St. Catherine of Siena appeared to him in a dream telling him of the concerning state of his soul and his need to go to confession.

Upon waking, he was so taken with the dream that he set out to go see St. Catherine to see if it was really the woman who had come to him in his dream. After recognizing her, he went to her confessor to make a full confession of his sins.

After his confession, however, St. Catherine asked him if he had confessed all of his sins. He gave it deep thought and concluded that he had, so St. Catherine of Siena took him aside and reminded him of something he had done in another city, very secretly.

Immediately, the soldier returned to the confessional to confess this. He claimed it was something that only he knew about and immediately began telling everyone of Saint Catherine of Siena’s ability to read souls.

It was before the end of that year that the soldier became very sick and passed away.

St. John Bosco 1888

Bringing thousands of people back to God even now long after his death through the Salesian order, St. John Bosco had the ability to mystically read the conscience of other people.

He also apparently knew the exact date of any person’s death who was bold enough to ask him.

Others Known to Have the Gift of Mystical Knowledge

St. Gerard Majella, Blessed Jordan of Pisa, St. Lydwine of Schiedam, St. Hedwig, Blessed Mary Fortunata Viti, St. Francis of Paola, St. Philip Neri, St. Martin de Porres, St. Joseph of Cupertino, St. Francis of Assisi, Blessed Anthony Grassi, St. Paul of the Cross, St. John Marie Baptiste Vianney, St. Anthony Mary Claret, St. Alphonsus Liguori, Blessed Mary of Oignies, St. Vincent Pallotti, Blessed Peter of Tiferno, Blessed Francis of Camporosso, St. Padre Pio, Blessed Francis of Posadas, Blessed Fulco of Neulilly, St. John of Sahagun, St. John Joseph of the Cross and Pope St. Pius V are among the lengthy lists of saints who possessed these gifts.

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