The Voice of Christ
The Catholic Online Magazine
Born at Camigliano in Tuscany, Saint Gemma suffered from tuberculosis of the spine, and, though she was cured by a vision of the young Saint Gabriel Possenti, she could not obtain a certificate of health enabling her to enter a convent. From June 1899 onwards, Saint Gemma was greatly blessed to be chosen by Our Lord as His Victim Soul.The Stigmata in her hands and feet, would become visible at about 8 p.m. on a Thursday and remain until 3 p.m. on the Friday. She bore the Marks of Scourging on her back, which appeared as deep lacerations. In 1903 Saint Gemma delivered a Divine Message to the Vatican that this was to be the Final Century, as prophesied in the Book of Revelation.
Saint Gemma Galgani was beatified in 1933, and canonized in 1940
Saint Pio of Pietrelcina
Francesco Forgione was born in Pietrelcina in Southern Italy, on May 25, 1887.His parents, Grazio and Giuseppina Forgione, were farmers and as a child he helped his parents with their work in the fields. He was Blessed by Our Lord with visions from a very early age.
At the age of fifteen he entered the novitiate of the Capuchin Friars in Morcone, and though suffering from ill health which meant his studies were often interrupted, he took Holy Orders on August 19th 1910 in the Cathedral of Benevento. He was medically discharged from the Army in 1915 and returned to Pietrelcina.
On September 20, 1918 while in prayer, he saw a vision of Our Lord and received the Five Wounds. For 50 years these Wounds remained and he suffered great pain, particularly during the ecstasies with which he was blessed during every Mass.
His many Gifts included bilocation - he was seen walking through the Vatican while not having left the Friary - and an extraordinary ability to know the sins of others who confessed to him. He was subjected to fierce and often very noisy demonic attacks.
Padre Pio died peacefully on 23rd September 1968, at 2 a.m., holding the Holy rosary in his hands and uttering the words: "Jesus!…Mary!". He was 81 years old
Sister Josefa Menéndez
Sister Josefa died a holy death at the Convent of Les Feuillants, Poitiers on 29th December 1923,at the age of thirty-three. She lived as a sister in the Society of the Sacred Heart for four years and was chosen by Our Lord to be His Victim Soul. Subjected to severe and continuous demonic attacks, she was, like Saint Faustina, in Conversation with Our Lord and recorded many Divine Messages.
Our Lord's Words to Sister Josefa are published in a book called The Way of Divine Love.
"If I could have found a more wretched creature, I should have chosen her for My special love, and through her revealed the longings of My Heart. But I have not found one, and so I have chosen you" (7th june 1923).
"I have selected you as one utterly useless and destitute, that none may attribute to any but Myself, what I say, ask and do" (12th june 1923).
Blessed Alessandrina
Alessandrina Maria da Costa was a Victim Soul who lived in Balasar near Fatima. Her mother was unmarried and at the age of fourteen Alessandrina jumped from a first floor window to escape a young man who had broken into the house to attack her. The poor girl seriously damaged her spine and try though she did to continue normally she was finally bedridden with paralysis by the age of 21 and so remained till her death thirty years later. She had had only one and a half years of schooling and had worked from the age of eight.
Our Lord spoke to her often, she bore the Stigmata invisibly for many years and was subjected to continuous demonic attacks all her life. She bore all this with a smile. She was not believed by the Church authorities for a long time, adding to her burden. For the last thirteen and a half years she neither ate nor drank, living entirely on the Eucharist, and was subjected to many humiliating medical examinations as doctors could not understand how she could live without food and drink..
Her one concern always was to endure this suffering for the salvation of souls. She offered herself to be 'laid across the doorway to Hell until the end of time' to prevent any soul from being lost.
Alessandrina died in 1955 near Fatima. She was beatified by Pope John Paul II.
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