Episode 917: Stigmata: Therese Neumann, a Saint in our Times

Therese Neumann (9 April 1898 – 18 September 1962) was a German Catholic mystic and stigmatic.

She was born in the village of Konnersreuth in Bavaria, Germany, where she lived all her life. She was born into a large family with little income. She was a member of the Third Order of St. Francis.

Therese would later develop the stigmata. On 5 March 1926, the first Friday of Lent, a wound had appeared slightly above her heart, but that she had kept this secret. She had a vision of Jesus at Mount of Olives with three Apostles.

On 12 March, she had another vision of Christ at the Mount of Olives, along with the crowning of thorns. Also a wound above her heart reappeared on this day, and she spoke to her sister about it. The wound also reappeared on Friday of the following week. By 26 March, the same wound accompanied by a vision of Christ bearing the cross and a similar wound on her left hand. Blood was observed on her clothing, and she no longer attempted to keep the information to herself.

On Good Friday, Neumann, according to her own testimony witnessed the entire Passion of Christ in her visions. She displayed wounds on her hands and feet accompanied by blood apparently coming from her eyes. Blood poured from the wounds, however - according to Josef Hanauer's book.

On Easter Sunday, she had a vision of the resurrection of Christ. For several consecutive Fridays after that, she stated she was experiencing the Passion of Christ, suffering in her own body along with all Christs agonies. She suffered the Passion on Good Friday each year.