MANIFESTATIONS OF STIGMATA.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XX, Issue 38, 8 July 1892, Page 25

MANIFESTATIONS OF STIGMATA.

(From the Irish World.) Thk word stigmata, taken in a literal sense, means a mark talooed or branded upon tha person, but the term is specially applied to manifestations which appear upon the human body resembling the five wounds inflicted upon the body of our divine Saviour The idea that miraculons wounds on the hands, feet, and side, like those borne by our Lord, were a mark of divine favour certS exited previous to the time of St Francis of Assisi, whose stigmati^ tion is the first of which we have authentic record, because a . council in Oxford in 1222 an imposter, who claimed to have stJgmata confessed his guilt and was punished. "igmata, In 1224 8t Francis of Assisi was on Mount Alverao to keen hio annual retreat of forty days in honour of St Michael. One moraini says Stßonaventure, about the Hth of September, the feast of the Exaltation of the Cross, St Francis saw a seraph flying towards him After the vision had passed away the hands an J fee' oMbe s"n we ? marked with nails, and there was a wound in his side. The wJn v were seen by some of tbe friars and by Pope Alexander IV. du^ng a—: oi rr ' and aiter hie death by *** ** «« -5 by Pope* BenTdL k xfl 99 * ** * "" Stigmata ° f in l£S£2S^ who are believed to have received the stigmata. flow are SZTS* others beatified, while others are known -^££S£j The following account of Mrs Mary Stuckftnhnrc „# t i •„ b ZZT t0 "" toießOlD * v is -^ K3££2S£ After eleven months of careful watching, the remarkable m.ni festations of Mrs Mary Stuckenborg continue LXn tht appeared. Those who have seen both declare that Sws Ifa

Mary Btuckenborg is even stranger than that of the celebrated Mary Louise Latean, which Catholics believe to have been a genuine case of the stigmata. Tbe medical men of Louisville having been given a chance to explain away the mystery about the manifestations of Mrs Stuckenborg, and those who were there having confessed it beyond their power to assign a cause, tbe Catholic Church, represented by Bishop UcCloskey, took the case in charge. The woman is now in St Joseph's Infirmary on 4th street, between Chestnut and Broadway, though not even the other inmates know that Bhb is there. She is closely watched by priests, who act under the direction of the Bishop of this diocese, and it is stated that he is receiving instructions from Bone regarding the case. His orders as to who shall and who shall not see her are strictly obeyed, and how long this investigation by the Catholic Church will coatinue is not yet known. When the manifestations first appeared, on the firßt Friday of June, 1891, the priests of the neighbouring parishes to Mrs Stuckenborg's residence, 2,534 St Cecilia street, visited her regularly, and had become to a certain extent convinced that there was no fraud. When the facts were first made public the Bishop, it seems, bad no knowledge that such a thing W3S going on. That a case parallel, ao far as appearances went, to the famous stigmata recorded in tbe history of the CAtholic Church existed in this city, or even in this country, seemed so incredible that when the Bishop was first informed of it he remarked, " Oh, it's all foolishness." Developments, however, brought out the undeniable facts that a very strange case existed in the manifestations of Mrs Stuckenborg. Dr M. F. Coomee had charge of tbe scientific examination, which went on continuously for nearly four months, and his report, published at the time, showed the result of his work — that it was beyond his power or the power of his associates to explain the case. The last visit he paid to the woman was the l»Bt Friday before Christmas Then she was placed in the handß of Bishop McCloskey, What he has done since then has been simply to keep a close watch on her to make sure that no deception was practiced. For a number of weeks Mrs Stuckenborg remained in her own home on St Cecilia street, but the Bishop did not want her to be surrounded with any of those conditions that existed when the manifestations first appeared. She was, therefore, removed to the Convent of the Good Stepherd on Bank street. Every Friday the Bishop selected certain priests of the city to watch during the period of unconsciousness and the bleeding of the five wounds— in the handß, feet, and left side. The utmost eecrecy was then and still is observed. No one save the priests selected for the purpose, and occasionally a relative, or near friend, is allowed in the apartment where the manifestations occur. An effort has also been made to keep her whereabouts unknown, but this was done only to avoid crowds calling to see her. Until a few weeks ago the woman was kept in the convent, but she was afterward removed to the residence of Mr Flood, of 713, 25th street, where the same close watch was kept. Sbe was removed to St Joseph's Infirmary last Thursday. Almost every day Father Bachman calls, and on Friday he is always there with ott ers. The accounts of the manifestations as first given were tbe same as the manifestations appear now. There has been no change. Every Friday afternoon at exactly three o'clock Mrs Stuckenborg falls into an unconscious state, somewhat res3mbling a trance. The Bame rigidity of the muscles appears now as then, and tbe wounds in the palms of her hands, in her feet, and left side open and ble«d. When the physicians last visited tbe woman the wounds, it will lie remembered, had begun to bleed entirely through the hands and feet — that is, blood came from both the palms of the hands and from other wounds on the back of the haads. This was also true of the feet. Since then the marks are even more clearly developed, and the woman's hands and feet have holes entirely through them during the trance period. It is at times almost possible to see through them, so large are the boles becoming. The crosses in her forehead and on her chest are distinct. The scab-like appearance has worn off, leaving the impression of a crucifix apparently cut in the bone, and the outer skin has grown over very thin, leaving the figures distinct beneath it. Tbe effect is peculiar. The initials " 1.H.5.," which appeared on her right shoulder, are also clearly visible. The duration of the period of suffering remains unchaDged It is always three o'clock almost to the minute when she falls, and six o clock when she becomes conscious of her surroundings. After the manifestations had been goiog on for a number of months, Mis Stuckenborg becime veiy weak. Her health seemed to ba failing, and it was thp general belief that she could live but a Bhon while. The physicians who saw her said that they did not see how a p.-ison could undergo so much apparent suffering and live. Though tier health did not seem good for a time, it has now become betttr. Fiom closa confinement she has become weakened slightly. Her husband remains wifh her whenever Bhe is taken ill. It is seldom that she goes on the street, though occasionally she walked out with some one until very recently, To avoid being recognised and stared Ht, sbe wore a heavy veil, and is now usually addressed by another name than her own, if happens by chance to be among strangers.

Mti Stuck enoorg has attracted sientifio ai well as religions interest in other places besides this. She is daily in receipt of scores of letters from persona wanting to know something more about the manifestations. They come from every class and description of people, bat are left unanswered. Dr Coomes has also been troubled in the same way. Those from intelligent persons who have some interest from one cause or another he sometimes answers. Just after the case passed from Dr Coomes's hands the secretary]of one of the - largest English societies of scientific research came to this city especially to investigate Mrs Stuckenborg's manifestations, bat the Bishop, having then taken charge, would not consent to bis visiting her nntil he had finished the investigation in behalf of the Catholic Church* Other attempts by scientific men of note have been made to secure access to her, but none has bsen successful. They will be given an opportunity later on. There have been frauds, and the Bishop is going slow in his investigation. It may be only a short while, it may be a year or two, or it may be tiro or three years before the Bishop is through with the investigation. It is said that when he has finished, a history of her life will be written, and she will pass the rest of her days on earth just as Louise Latean and others did. Those who have proper reasons will be allowed to see her, and the scientific world will be given a chance to investigate the case thoroughly. The priests who are watching Mrs Stuckenborg decline to express an opinion. They do not wish to commit themselvts until the Bishop has been satisfied. Mrs Stuckenborg will on May 9 celebrate her twenty-fourth birthday. Of twelve children she was the only daughter. Her eleven brothers died, and at the age of four years she was left motherless. It is said that when very young she bad always been religiously inclined. Her parents were Protestants, and so was she, Her conversion to the Catholic faith occurred several years ago. Fathers Ward and Ooughlin, the Jesuit missionaries of St Louis, who recently conducted services at tbe cathedral, were holding similar meetings at St Patrick's Churoh at 13th and Market straets. She went in one evening, and from that time became one of the most regular attendants. It was later, though, while attending Father Nicholas's church, that she became converted. After her marriage Bbc lived at the little cottage, 2534 St Cecilia street, and Father Raffo was her confessor. The parish church is across the street from where she lived, and every morning she waß a regular attendant at early Mass, At first tbe cross on her forehead had not appeared, and when she went to a public place no attention was attracted by her presence, But when the manifestations became publicly known she atteDded church heavily veiled. On Fridays she was at early Mass, but returned home quickly and remained quiet the rest of the day until she fell into tbe unconscious state at three o'clock,