Sometimes unheard of outside Catholic circles, the phenomenon of stigmata was first seen in St. Francis of Assisi, who was wounded with the injuries of Christ on Mount Alverna when he prayed to know within his full person the suffering of Christ.
But there has been speculation for centuries whether St. Paul was stigmatized in some way because of a statement he made in one of his letters about a "thorn in his flesh" that would never leave.
Various Forms of Stigmata
Most stigmata appears in the form of wounds in the hands and feet sometimes accompanied by a wound in the side where the lance went through the ribcage of Christ.
These wounds often will bleed more profusely on Fridays and/or around 3:00 p.m., the time and day that Christ was believed to have died on the cross.
ost stigmatists also experienced visions while the wounds were bleeding of the Passion of the Christ.
But there are other forms of stigmata, too. St. Rita of Cascia bore a thorn wound in her forehead. And there are at least two saints who have had the image of a cross emblazoned in their foreheads. Some stigmatists have only the wounds in the hands, so those who bear all five wounds are unique and special.
There have been well over 100 known, confirmed stigmatists in the history of the Catholic Church.
St. Francis of Assisi 1226
The Catholic Church used to observe the feast of the Impression of the Stigmata of St. Francis every September 17th until the revision of the Calendar in modern times.
His stigmata were different than any other in that his skin actually formed protrusions from the wounds which appeared to be like the nails which penetrated the hands and feet of Jesus Christ. They were rounded at the top and had protrusion coming through the other end like the ends of a nail. When he received the stigmata, the entire valley around Mount Alverna saw the mountain alight with fire.
St. Thomas of Celano wrote that St. Francis “saw in the vision of God a man standing above him, like a seraph with six wings, his hands extended and his feet joined together and fixed on a cross.”
He was filled with fear because of the apparition being affixed to a cross and it was then that he noticed that the marks of the nails were appearing in his hands and feet. St. Francis also bore the wound in his side.
Saint Padre Pio 1918
The first Catholic Priest to bear the wounds of the Christ, Saint Padre Pio bore all five wounds for exactly fifty years. While in prayer in the monastery of San Giovanni Rotondo, he saw St. Michael above him and before he could understand what was happening, he was struck with a holy lance.
It was both painful and sweet at the same time and he had fallen to the floor as the wounds immediately began to gush forth.
Every time he performed Mass, the wounds would bleed profusely and he would witness the sufferings of Christ on the cross.
Others Known to Bear the Stigmata
Since there have been many, this article provides only an inexhaustive list. Among those known to bear the stigmata who were investigated and proven valid included St. Lutgarde of Aywieres, Blessed Elizabeth the Good, St. Lydwine of Schiedam, St. Rita of Cascia, Blessed Lucy of Narni, Venerable Passitea Crogi, St. Veronica Giuliani, Blessed Osanna of Mantua, St. Gemma Galgani, Blessed Gertrude Van Oosten and Therese Neumann.
Related Reading
Readers may also enjoy The Spiritual Gift of Invisibility and The Gift of Tongues.
Sources:
- Mysteries, Marvels and Miracles: In the Lives of the Saints, by Joan Carroll Cruz.
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