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Stigmata, the unexplained appearance of wounds resembling those of Jesus Christ during his crucifixion, is often debated as either a psychological phenomenon or a divine miracle. The Catholic Church first documented St. Francis of Assisi (1181-1226) as a stigmatic. Over the centuries, numerous individuals, particularly women, have reported similar experiences, with cases still emerging today.
10. Enza Milano 1938-?
In 1970, in Termini Imerese, Sicily—two years after the renowned stigmatic and Capuchin monk Padre Pio passed away—Enza Milano, a 32-year-old woman, reported a miraculous encounter with him. She claimed he pierced her palms, feet, and chest with a radiant dagger during the vision. Shortly after, wounds appeared in these areas and began to bleed. Seeking medical attention, her doctor treated and bandaged her injuries, signing the bandages to prevent tampering. Upon removal the next day, the wounds were more severe. Enza's final outcome remains a mystery.
9. St. Gemma Galgani 1878-1903
Maria Gemma Umberta Pia Galgani, born in Camigliano, Italy, exhibited signs of stigmata at the age of 21. She claimed to have experienced divine visitations from Jesus, the Virgin Mary, angels, and saints. Painful wounds emerged on her hands, feet, chest, forehead (resembling the Crown of Thorns), and back (resembling whip marks). Her stigmata bled weekly from 11:00 PM Thursday to 3:00 PM Friday. Initially concealing her suffering, she eventually confided in a spiritual director, who encouraged her to write a detailed autobiography. Despite her lifelong desire to become a nun, she spent her remaining years in prayer and enduring the agony of her wounds. She succumbed to tuberculosis in 1903 and was canonized in 1940.
8. Marie Rose Ferron 1902-1936
Marie Rose Ferron, a North American, reportedly saw a vision of the Child Jesus at six years old. As she matured, her spiritual encounters intensified. From the age of 22 until her passing, she allegedly consumed no solid food, subsisting only on liquids or sometimes nothing at all. She experienced ecstatic trances, during which she believed she communicated with Christ, her 75-pound body becoming immovable even by four grown men. At 26, she began suffering from painful stigmata, which appeared on her hands, feet, chest, side, forehead, and shoulder, accompanied by bleeding from her eyes and mouth. These wounds emerged every Friday, often witnessed by others, and disappeared by Saturday. Her joints sometimes dislocated spontaneously. Over 15,000 mourners attended her funeral in 1936, and her followers continue to advocate for her canonization.
7. Therese Neumann 1898-1962
Therese Neumann, born into a peasant family in Konnersreuth, Bavaria, suffered partial paralysis after a fall at 18. A subsequent accident caused temporary blindness, which became permanent in 1919, leaving her bedridden with severe bedsores. Her sole comfort came from religious stories read to her by her family. After over six years, she miraculously regained her sight and the ability to walk.
In 1926, during Lent, Therese experienced a vision and began bleeding from a wound in her side. Additional stigmata appeared on her heart, hands, feet, forehead, and back, causing immense pain. She bled profusely, including from her eyes, particularly on Good Friday, until her death. In 2005, the Church declared her a 'Servant of God,' paving the way for potential beatification and canonization.
6. Dorothy Kerin 1889-1963
Dorothy Kerin, born in London, England, contracted tuberculosis at six and spent five years bedridden. After falling into a two-week coma, she claimed to have seen Jesus Christ. As her family prepared for her death, she unexpectedly awoke, fully healed and able to walk.
In 1914, Dorothy published her first book, recounting her miraculous experiences and visions. In 1915, she developed stigmata on her hands, feet, and side, becoming the first Anglican to exhibit such phenomena. She allowed only select individuals to witness her wounds, insisting they remain private until after her death. In 2012, the centenary of her healing was marked by events in Britain, including a sermon by the Bishop of London.
5. Natuzza Evolo 1924-2009
Hemography, an extremely rare form of stigmata, involves blood from miraculous wounds (or sometimes bloody sweat) forming symbols, images, or writings on cloth. Natuzza Evolo, born in Paravati, Italy, exhibited both stigmata and hemography throughout her life. At 14, despite being illiterate, she developed stigmata on her feet, palms, side, and shoulder, along with bloody sweat, and experienced numerous holy visions.
By age 16, blood from her wounds, when pressed onto handkerchiefs or bandages, formed symbols such as crosses, hearts, thorny crowns, human figures, and even words, often witnessed by others. On one occasion, an entire prayer appeared. This phenomenon persisted until her death. The video interview above, in Italian, includes images of her wounds in the first 60 seconds.
4. St. Mary Faustina Kowalska 1905-1938
Mary Faustina Kowalska, raised in a devout Polish family, joined a Warsaw convent at 19 and later took vows. Throughout her religious life, she experienced numerous visions of Christ and miracles, including bi-location. During her third year as a novice, she began enduring 'hidden stigmata,' suffering the pain of Christ's wounds without visible marks.
Throughout her life, many, including her own family, considered her delusional, yet her faith remained unshaken. In her final years, she devoted herself to prayer and journaling. She was canonized by the Church in 2000.
3. Mary Ellen Lukas 1954-present
Mary Ellen Lukas has maintained a low public profile, traveling across the US and internationally to speak at churches and religious institutions under the guidance of her pastor and the Bishop of the Scranton Diocese. A wife and mother from Hazelton, Pennsylvania, she experiences stigmata on her forehead, palms, feet, and side during Mass, on Good Fridays, and when discussing the Eucharist. She avoids photographs and wears black fingerless gloves to hide her wounds. Thousands attend her public appearances, and she is linked to the Catholic lay ministry, Our Father’s Divine Work.
2. Blessed Alexandrina Maria da Costa 1904-1955
Alexandrina, born in Balasar, Portugal, suffered partial paralysis at 14 after jumping from a window to escape attackers. By 19, she was fully bedridden. Starting in 1938, she experienced weekly Friday visitations from Christ, enduring hidden stigmata and the pain of crucifixion over 180 times in her lifetime.
She claimed to endure tormenting sexual visions from the Devil and believed Christ provided her with a weekly blood transfusion from 'the tube that pours out love.' (A cleric noted psychological issues during her canonization process.) From 1942 until her death, she consumed only a daily communion wafer, her weight dropping to 73 lbs. She was beatified in 2004.
1. Marie-Julie Jahenny 1850-1941
Marie-Julie, born in Brittany, began experiencing stigmata at 23 after a vision of the Virgin Mary. The wounds appeared on her hands, feet, forehead, side, shoulder, back, and other areas. After examination, both her doctor and the Bishop of Nantes confirmed their authenticity. Later, she developed a unique stigmata—a bleeding mark on her chest shaped like a flower and cross. Initially, the wounds bled every Friday, but eventually, they only bled on Good Friday.
It is said that crucifixes and an image of Jesus Christ bled in her presence. She claimed frequent attacks by the Devil and made numerous prophecies, continuing to have visions until her passing.
