The Franciscans, having commemorated the 800th Anniversary of the Approval of the
Rule and Christmas at Greccio in 2023, will now proceed to celebrate the 800th
Anniversary of the Stigmata of St. Francis of Assisi in 2024.
Stigmata refers to the spiritual phenomenon where a person bears wounds that
resemble those of Jesus Christ on the Cross. These wounds typically manifest on the
body: the hands, feet, and side, mirroring the wounds of Christ crucified on the Cross. St.
Francis of Assisi is believed to have been the first in the history of the Church to have
received the stigmata.
St. Francis received the stigmata on 17 September 1224 while he was praying on Mount
La Verna. It was during one of his five Lents (Fasting and Prayer) that began after the
Feast of Assumption (15 August) and concluded on the Feast of Saint Michael (29
September) that a Seraph (angel) appeared crucified before Francis in a vision. As he
contemplated enthralled by the vision, wounds similar to those of Christ's crucifixion
appeared on Francis' hands, feet, and side.
St. Bonaventure in describing this event writes, "Because of this new and astounding
miracle unheard of in times past, Francis came down from the mountain a new man
adorned with the sacred stigmata, bearing in his body the image of the Crucified not
made by a craftsman in wood or stone, but fashioned in his members by the hand of the
living God."
Not just St. Francis of Assisi who has been recognized as a stigmatist in the Church.
There are others too. Besides others, St. Mariam Thresia (1876–1975), born in
Punthrikkurissi, Kerala, India, and St. Padre Pio (1887–1968), born in Pietrelcina, Italy,
who lived in the 20 th Century, are believed to have experienced the stigmata. St. Mariam
Thresia, a nun and the founder of the Congregation of the Holy Family, reported
experiencing the wounds of Christ's crucifixion. St. Padre Pio, a Capuchin friar, bore the
stigmata for several decades, and it became one of the most well-known aspects of his
life.
This spiritual and mystical phenomenon is always put under scrutiny to check its
authenticity and credibility. The Church follows a critical and rigorous medical and
theological examination of such instances before authenticating the Stigmata. Despite
such a stringent verification process, looking at the mystical lives that the stigmatists
lived attaining a loving union with the Divine in their lifetime through an ardent life of
prayer and contemplation, one cannot but accept that they could receive this exclusive
spiritual gift called Stigmata.
In light of the 800th anniversary of the Stigmata of St. Francis of Assisi in 2024, it may be
a good idea to know/revisit his life, spirituality, and teachings to see, why God should have granted him this spiritual gift called Stigmata – A good spiritual deed for the New
Year!
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