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| Catherine Passananti |
By Angelica Avcikurt
Few seem to know that about fifty years ago, in the Italian neighborhood in the North End of Boston, there was a lay mystic called Catherine Passananti (1894-1978). She spent hours in adoration before the Blessed Sacrament and was called by Jesus, “Catherine of the Blessed Sacrament.” She had many encounters with Jesus and Mary in the Blessed Sacrament and kept a dairy of her life, visions and messages received. Her writings have come down to us thanks to Mons. Donato Conte, a firm believer in her holiness, who published four books about her. Catherine was also the foundress of the Secular Institute of the Sons and Daughters of the Holy Eucharist in Boston. She was professed with 6 companions on December 8, 1971 at the Convent of the Daughters of the Church in Rome. She spent her life praying, helping others, and was sent on “missions” by Jesus throughout the US and to other countries.
Catherine was born in Boston on January 6, 1894. Since her family was not rich, she only had an elementary school education. The family home was in the North End, the “Little Italy” of Boston. She lived there at 222 North St. for 75 years until she had to go to a nursing home. Catherine’s grandparents emigrated from Avellino, Italy in the late 19th century. Her parents Federica (1869-1954) and Genneroso Perillo (1862-1925) had 8 children: Rosina (1905-1910) and Adelina (1910-1920) died at an early age; Luigi, died at the age of 9 due to a fall in a playground in Boston; Francesco (1892-1970), Catherine Passananti, Concetta Pizzimenti (1895-1997), Josephine (1908-1989), and Aida Covino (1914-2000).
It is unclear from the sources when her mystical experiences started. It seems that she started getting messages from Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament during a retreat she made in Brighton: “In 1924, I went to the Cenacle Convent in Brighton, with a group of ten girls. We made a private retreat. We boarded there for five days. The Mother also taught me how to meditate before the Blessed Sacrament and to ask for anything I needed most, but I had to always be in a state of grace. I did get many messages for my entire family. I would get the answers but sometimes they would come in strange words, but eventually I would understand them.”(A Mystic of Boston, p.21) Her friend Geraldine Piva, later named Geraldine of St. Gerard by Jesus, and the second companion, after Margaret Laracy, the Lord chose for Catherine, recalls what Catherine told her about that retreat:
Catherine married at an early age in Sacred Heart Church in the North End in 1910, the church where she had been baptized and made her first Holy Communion. After the wedding, the couple went to live in her parent’s house. They had no children and her husband left her after 24 years of marriage in 1934. After that, she spent most of her life in her family home caring for her mother Federica and her sister Josephine, who never married. In her diary, she talks to Jesus about the problem with her husband: “Lord, I have a serious problem with my husband. He does not love you as I would like. What can I do, Lord? I await your answer, because my husband does not listen to me. I trust in your help”.
–“Catherine, take rest. Be patient. Trust. Continue to speak of me to him. How can you expect that he believes (sic), if you do not speak to him of Me?”
–“Lord Jesus, I ask you to give me patience; not to let me be impetuous and answer in a strong way as I have done today. Why have I raised the tone of my voice, I don’t know. Help me Lord.”
–“Catherine, learn to listen to Me more and more, in all moments of your life, each day. Use more words of love as you do with others. Share all that is beautiful in your heart, and know that I love you.”
And on another occasion: “Lord Jesus, tell me how I can resolve the problem with my husband. What can I do? I say it to You, beloved. I cannot tell You a lie. You know that I have this problem. It is unresolved. I always trusted in You but I didn’t receive an answer until now, only silence. I feel the solitude. I feel that you have in a certain way, abandoned me in my suffering. I heard several judgements dear Jesus. What can I do? Today I will not leave Your Presence until You give me an answer. I do not like to see You crucified and bloody for sins committed by my husband. Today I decide to know the solution and I know You will give it to me.” And the answer came to her: “My daughter come to Me. Give Me your heart and I shall give you My heart. In this moment I give you the solution to the problem. The thing you must do is love your husband. Every day in the Presence of My Father who is in heaven, put the person who has caused you much suffering and we should see a change.” (A Dove of God, p.95-96) Unfortunately, this is all we know about the relationship with her husband from the sources. We don’t know what happened to him after he left or whether he had a conversion later on in life.
–“Catherine, take rest. Be patient. Trust. Continue to speak of me to him. How can you expect that he believes (sic), if you do not speak to him of Me?”
–“Lord Jesus, I ask you to give me patience; not to let me be impetuous and answer in a strong way as I have done today. Why have I raised the tone of my voice, I don’t know. Help me Lord.”
–“Catherine, learn to listen to Me more and more, in all moments of your life, each day. Use more words of love as you do with others. Share all that is beautiful in your heart, and know that I love you.”
And on another occasion: “Lord Jesus, tell me how I can resolve the problem with my husband. What can I do? I say it to You, beloved. I cannot tell You a lie. You know that I have this problem. It is unresolved. I always trusted in You but I didn’t receive an answer until now, only silence. I feel the solitude. I feel that you have in a certain way, abandoned me in my suffering. I heard several judgements dear Jesus. What can I do? Today I will not leave Your Presence until You give me an answer. I do not like to see You crucified and bloody for sins committed by my husband. Today I decide to know the solution and I know You will give it to me.” And the answer came to her: “My daughter come to Me. Give Me your heart and I shall give you My heart. In this moment I give you the solution to the problem. The thing you must do is love your husband. Every day in the Presence of My Father who is in heaven, put the person who has caused you much suffering and we should see a change.” (A Dove of God, p.95-96) Unfortunately, this is all we know about the relationship with her husband from the sources. We don’t know what happened to him after he left or whether he had a conversion later on in life.
The Blessed Virgin Mary in her Life
Catherine had a vision of the Blessed Virgin Mary on March 25, 1945. The blessed Virgin told her, “I am the Lady of All Titles. I appear to you as the ‘Lady of the tabernacle Door.’ This country is made up of foreign people. This country must help foreign countries.” (A Mystic of Boston, p. 23)
On January 13, 1948, she had another vision of Jesus, Mary and a group of Carmelites. During this vision she is given a scapular, “She was sitting on a throne, with the Babe on her lap. Holding Him with her left arm, and two people below kneeling. Our Lord said, “My Mother suffered from the birth to the death.” He meant, the birth of her Child, and the death of her Son; for the Babe turned to be Our Lord, dead in her arms. He said, “Please, Mother, take care of this child for she needs help.” Mary then gave me a scapular and said, “Never part with it.” (A Mystic of Boston, p.50)
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| Seven Dolors of the Sorrowful Mother prayer card with Catherine Passananti's signature on it |
Catherine was very devoted to the sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary and many times Jesus asked her to say the Sorrowful Mysteries of the Rosary or the Rosary of the 7 Sorrows. Geraldine Piva tells of a vision that Catherine had related to the 7 sorrows of Mary: “Catherine told me that she admired the flowers in the Garden and Our Lord said, “Look under the flowers.” And she saw worms eating the roots. Our Lord said, “It is the evil (trying/destroying souls).” She said, she then saw Our Lady dressed in black crying. Catherine asked Our Lady if she could help, and Our Lady put her hand to her heart and said, “My First Dolor for the conversion of sinners.” (Each time placing her hand on her heart.) “My Second Dolor for people and religious suffering in the hands of the enemy.”
“My Third, for all those that receive Communion at the birth of my Son shall be cured.”
“Fourth, for the dying.”
“Fifth, for all humanity that fears the atomic bomb.”
“Sixth, for all my children to keep them pure and protect them from being attacked by the enemy.”
“Seventh, for all broken homes that they may be united.” (A Mystic of Boston, p.65)
Catherine Passananti was present during the last apparition of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the Bronx on November 14, 1945. The Blessed Virgin Mary allegedly appeared to Joseph Vitolo (at the age of 9) and other children at the Grand Concourse in the Bronx, NY from October 29th to November 14th, 1945. The time Catherine went, she saw Our Lady turning towards the four corners dressed in blue. Catherine did not return to shrine at the apparition site until 1961. Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament told her to go there and to take Joseph to the Shrine. She had a message for him. After this she went back many times as requested by the Lord to give messages to people there. Catherine asked the Lord what title should be given to the Lady of the Bronx, or the Lady of the Grand Concourse, as she was known, and the Lord told her she was to be called Our Lady of the Universe. On occasions, Our Lady appeared to Catherine at this Shrine as Our Lady of Sorrows. Catherine was instrumental in the purchase of the Shrine which was given to 7 devotees of the Virgin Mary, including Joseph. It was also through Catherine that Joseph met his wife Grace with whom he had two daughters. (In the Divine Light, p. 221-223)
Visions of Purgatory
It seems that Catherine was sometimes taken to Purgatory to assist the Poor Souls. On October 6, 1947, she wrote down this vision: “I saw people below ground level, thousands of them in rows. Immorality. Are these people to be saved? “To have them lifted up, they must be cleaned (sic) by prayers, many prayers.” I saw Jesus. Mary, Joseph and my Guardian Angel of my right. The protector Angel (on my left) will take me to the people.” (A Mystic of Boston, p. 43) On March 8, 1963 she was taken near the pit of hell, which she often refers to: “Our Lord came to me and said, “Come with Me, I will take you near the pit of hell.” I got frightened. We went, it looked like a large cellar or basement but it was very light. I saw a priest there, he was behind a wall-only it was half. Behind the half wall, I saw a priest, I saw him from the waist up. The place did not impress me, for there was much light. The priest was bald in the center of his head-hair circled around the bald head. He looked like a monk. Our Lord said, “You have saved a soul.” (A Mystic of Boston, p.348) A couple of weeks later, she had another vision, “I see way out, in a wide space-full of people screaming help us. Guards were holding them back. I asked who they were. I was told, “Suffering souls near the pit of hell.” (A Mystic of Boston, p.349) In another vision she was shown how these souls near the pit of hell are able to move away from the entrance and regain hope when we pray for them. (A Mystic in Boston, p.361)
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| Catherine's mother Federica Passananti |
Her mother, Federica, was a very pious woman, a daily communicant who prayed the Rosary constantly. Catherine considered her a saint and Jesus told her repeatedly that one day her mother, Federica, would be canonized. On September 22, 1951, while Federica was still alive, Jesus told Catherine, “Your mother will grant many graces after her death.” (A Mystic of Boston, p.124) On April 19, 1955, Catherine had a vision about her mother, “Here lies a Saint to be canonized. To be written on stone.” (A Mystic of Boston, p. 153) Catherine’s mother died on December 10. 1954. Her mother started appearing to her as soon as 8 months after her death. On October 6, 1955, Catherine wrote, “I see my mother, way up high, standing in full length on a cloud. And she spoke to me and said, ‘I will go visit her. It will not happen.’” (A Mystic from Boston, p. 158) As it happens many times in Catherine’s dairy, there is not context to this situation, so it is not clear what her mother was referring to. Even though Catherine keeps seeing her mother frequently after death, she mentions that Jesus revealed to her when her mother entered Heaven, which was 5 years after her death, which would mean that the first apparitions of Federica to Catherine were as a soul in Purgatory. “Dear Lord, you told me in the Blessed Sacrament my mother Federica, went to Heaven 5 years after she left this Earth. My father Joseph, left this earth in 1925, after 40 years he went into Heaven. My mother, is now in Paradise.” (Moments Divine, p.96)
About a year after her mother died, she had this vision, “I see a grave. My mother on top, laid out, and roses spread around her. I was told to bring roses from the shrine (her mother’s shrine at home) and spread it around her and say the Rosary.” (A Mystic of Boston, p. 161) Later, her mother told her that she could give these roses to whomever she wished. Jesus told her to visit her mother’s grave with her friends frequently. Geraldine Piva recalls, “We used to bring roses to her grave. One day, Catherine, Margaret (her old companion) and I went to visit her grave, in compliance to our Lord’s requests. The roses didn’t stand upright and kept falling on her grave (several times), so that I said to Catherine, ‘Perhaps they want to touch the ground.’ Catherine said, ‘You may be right.’ So, we took every rose and put it on the ground; afterwards, they stood upright. Shortly after, Our Lord told Catherine to take some of the earth from the grave back home. Our Lord told her to get some roses and have them touch the earth she had previously taken home. Those roses were given to some people who wished to keep them. Many favors were granted and so Our Lord said, ‘There are roses in graces and graces in roses’.” (In the Divine Light, p. 202-203)
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| Blessed Sacrament for Spiritual Communion-Catherine Passananti signature prayer card |
Mystical Graces and Experiences
Catherine experienced several other mystical phenomena. In one of her diary entries, it seems that she has received Holy Communion miraculously. On May 12, 1956, Jesus told her, “I have classed thee among the Apostles, for you have faith. Open your mouth wide.” She did and the host went into her mouth (A Mystic of Boston, p.173)
She also experienced the crown of thorns. She wrote on July 3, 1953, “I was the Blessed Virgin on my left with a crown on her head. I noticed especially, her crown was with prongs. Then I see before me, Our Lord with the Crown of Thorns on His Head. He took the crown and placed it on my head and said, ‘Make a Novena 12 days, and say 12 Our Fathers, Hail Mary’s and Glory Be for the 12 thorns.’
Then there were roses on my mother’s bed.” (A Mystic of Boston, p.176)
Then there were roses on my mother’s bed.” (A Mystic of Boston, p.176)
On March 8, 1958, she had a vision of her mystical espousal, “Afternoon, 3 p.m., I went to bed very weak and I had a vision. There was someone standing on my left, but in front of my left. He took my left hand, where I had my wedding band, and said, ‘I bless thee.’ He put His right Hand on my finger, and pointed at my wedding band, and said, ‘With this ring I wed thee.’” (A Mystic of Boston, p. 223)
Catherine was visited by several saints, such as St. Gerard and St. Joseph. She also had many after death appearances of Pope Pius XI. On April 4, 1949, Jesus told Catherine, “He will be exhumed, blessed and elected among the saints, Pope Pius XI.” (A Mystic of Boston, p.83)
One day Catherine asked Jesus who were her Guardian Angels and Jesus replied, “St. Michael, Mary-cousin of My Mother Mary, Saint Teresita (St. Therese of Lisieux), and your mother, Federica.” (A Mystic of Boston, p.375)
One day Catherine asked Jesus who were her Guardian Angels and Jesus replied, “St. Michael, Mary-cousin of My Mother Mary, Saint Teresita (St. Therese of Lisieux), and your mother, Federica.” (A Mystic of Boston, p.375)
Like many victim souls, Catherine was able to mystically assist the dying. She had this experience on January 13, 1957: “Sunday afternoon I went to bed feeling very sick. In the vision, I was carried down, down, down. Then, I felt my head was to explode. The veins in my body were about to explode .I suffered and suffered. Then the voice said, ‘Has passed away, or the person has passed away.’ I asked was it a she? Someone I know? I know, I am sure for I could not go through all that suffering if I did not know the person. And the voice said, ‘He, he has just passed away.’ I came to; my eyes wide open, but could not see anything. Then I went through a torture of my body. My whole system was realized (sic), and very weak. I was sensitive for what I went through, my heart was very weak. I could not cry for a while. And then, to my heart’s content, I cried, and cried, and cried. I wonder if I was sorry for myself. I hope not.” (A Mystic of Boston, p. 194) We don’t find out who that person was. Might it have been her husband?
She also experienced her own dying in a vision when she was in the Bronx on June 16, 1963. She says, “It was confusion, I was on my deathbed.” In a frightened voice she started calling, “Ma, Ma” but felt that her mother could not help her. The only one who could help her was a little man, whom she had seen in a previous vision, who came from near the pit of hell. She said he was very humble like a beggar. She heard the Eternal Father saying, “I am Just. You are a creature.” She concludes writing about this experience by saying, “It is frightening, but I don’t mind having gone through it. Always pray for the dying, it is so hard to die.” (A Mystic of Boston, p.354-356)
When friends and relatives realized Catherine was getting messages from God, they would bring their troubles to her and ask for advice. She would take all these problems and questions before the Blessed Sacrament and very often was given messages for people that brought great comfort to them. Again, Geraldine Piva, recalls, “Once, someone was given a message different from that (sic) expected and so, they started to discuss the contents of the message. When he went before God, she said much to her regret, ‘But Dear Lord, they don’t believe.’ Our Lord replied, ‘Catherine, my child, they don’t understand.’ Then Catherine said, ‘At times, I don’t understand either. ’ Our Lord replied, ‘Catherine, don’t you realize that, on some occasions, I don’t want you to understand?’” (In the Divine Light, p.195) This may explain why some of the prophecies that she received about world events turned out to be wrong, such as Trumann’s reelection to the Presidency in 1952. (A Mystic of Boston, p.129). She also said that Pope Pius XII would die before his 82nd birthday, but he died 6 months after his birthday on October 9, 1958. (A Mystic of Boston, p.199) She also got wrong the year of her death. On May, 1974, she wrote, “I have seven more years before I leave this earth.” (Moments Divine, p.69) However, she died 4 years later in 1978.
Some of the messages she received are very interesting. For example, talking about other religions, Jesus told her, “I AM not in Body in other Religions, but in Spirit. I do possess them in all Religions. If they cannot receive Me in Body, they shall receive Me in Spirit. Now, my child, do not be disturbed for there are many things that are not right, it will be corrected.” (A Mystic of Boston, p.406)
John Haffert, the prolific Marian writer, met Catherine and asked her prayers for the success of his first book. When she asked Jesus if his book would be successful, He told her, “Yes. In the future, it will be tremendously successful; he will write more books in time. I have blessed him in his traveling. He is much precious in My Heart.” (A Mystic of Boston, p. 492)
About receiving Holy Communion in the hand, Jesus told her, “I am not pleased but it must be accepted.” (A Mystic of Boston, p. 618)
Finally, she felt that it was part of her mission to denounce the Pentecostal and Charismatic Movements. On November 8, 1971 when she asked Jesus if He approved of the Pentecostal Movement, He replied, “It is diabolical.” (A Mystic of Boston, p.652) She even wrote a letter to Pope Paul VI stating, “My Dear Holy Father, Pope Paul, the all-powerful Vicar of Christ, I have a secret for you from the Blessed Sacrament, You are to be warned of the great disaster coming on its way. The disaster of the Pentecostal Movement. Our Lord said in the Blessed Sacrament, “It is diabolical,” they have changed the name to Charismatic Movement. Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament said, “It is one in (sic) the same” meaning Pentecostal and Charismatic.” (A Mystic of Boston, p. 809) She was given the mission to go to several convents to give this same message. (Moments Divine, p.99)
Her Life and Mission
Catherine Passananti’s mission was to do the will of God. By spending endless hours in front of the Blessed Sacrament, Catherine learned to hear her Master’s voice and carry out His requests. Jesus directed her as to what prayers and sacrifices she had to offer and for which intentions, what messages she had to deliver and where she had to travel. He chose her companions and her spiritual directors. Therefore, when we look at her life, we can see it was God’s mission, not Catherine’s; she was just a faithful servant.
During her lifetime, she was directed and helped by many priests chosen by God. Her first spiritual director was Fr. Joseph Reardon, a Maryknoll priest, who directed her until his death in 1959. Just a few days after his death, he started appearing to Catherine and asked her to take messages and bring consolation to his family. Other priests she worked with were Fr. Cantwell, Fr. Sullivan and Fr. John Santyr. In 1951, Our Lord instructed her to take her messages to Fr. Dougherty, a Redemptorist priest at the Basilica of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, in Roxbury, because he had been chosen to take these messages to Cardinal Cushing. Fr. Dougherty asked why he had been chosen and Catherine said because of his great devotion to the Holy Spirit. (In the Divine Light, p.198) In 1957 Catherine had cancer and underwent 4 operations but she mentions that it was Jesus who cured her.
Catherine had an intense prayer life and formed many prayer groups. Jesus would tell her what intentions to pray for in the Rosary. In her diary she writes down how Jesus directed her. This is a typical entry from January 14, 1961:
”Kneel down. Make your sign of the Cross. Repeat, ‘Oh My God, I am heartily sorry…’ Sit down, Start with your Joyful Mysteries. First ‘I believe in God,’ three Our Father’s to the Blessed Trinity. Begin with the first Joyful Mystery-For those that are condemned to death. 2nd-For the dying. 3rd-For the poor and hungry souls. 4th-For all that are carrying their Cross. 5th-For humble souls. Begin with the Sorrowful Mysteries. 1st-For the most suffering souls. 2nd-For those near the pit of hell. 3rd-For those that have refused Me as their God and Father. 4th-For all those that have purged Me. 5th-For all those that stood by Me at the Cross. Now for the Glorious Mysteries.1st-For all souls in Heaven. 2nd-That we will all rejoice in the end. 3rd-For all that are filled with the Holy Spirit and they will be close to My Heart. And ask My Mother to help. 4th-For all that are confused and do not understand. Ask My Mother, Mary, to help all. 5th-That you will rejoice with My Mother and she will conquer in the end.” (A Mystic of Boston, p. 303-304) She was frequently asked to pray the Rosary for Martin Luther and all priests in darkness.
”Kneel down. Make your sign of the Cross. Repeat, ‘Oh My God, I am heartily sorry…’ Sit down, Start with your Joyful Mysteries. First ‘I believe in God,’ three Our Father’s to the Blessed Trinity. Begin with the first Joyful Mystery-For those that are condemned to death. 2nd-For the dying. 3rd-For the poor and hungry souls. 4th-For all that are carrying their Cross. 5th-For humble souls. Begin with the Sorrowful Mysteries. 1st-For the most suffering souls. 2nd-For those near the pit of hell. 3rd-For those that have refused Me as their God and Father. 4th-For all those that have purged Me. 5th-For all those that stood by Me at the Cross. Now for the Glorious Mysteries.1st-For all souls in Heaven. 2nd-That we will all rejoice in the end. 3rd-For all that are filled with the Holy Spirit and they will be close to My Heart. And ask My Mother to help. 4th-For all that are confused and do not understand. Ask My Mother, Mary, to help all. 5th-That you will rejoice with My Mother and she will conquer in the end.” (A Mystic of Boston, p. 303-304) She was frequently asked to pray the Rosary for Martin Luther and all priests in darkness.
Jesus often asked her to pray the Chaplet of the Holy Trinity. The following is a prayer to the Holy Trinity that Jesus gave her:
“Most Holy Trinity I commend myself to Thee. I do promise not to offend Thee, nor displease Thee. On this very day, I will offer You all my doings, temporal and spiritual. I must also remember not to be displeased in Your doings.” (A Mystic of Boston, p. 270)
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The Lord sent her on Missions throughout the country and also to Peru and Venezuela. About this, she writes: “Sometimes, I can’t understand myself. Especially when you send me on Your Missions, in strange countries with names or places. Of course, we do find the place in the end. But I do want to thank You many, many times, for having us return to our homes safe and not too hurt. I know You will always protect us no matter how difficult it is.” (Moments Divine, p.39)
In 1969 she met Rev. Mother Olivia, Daughter of the Church, in her convent in Rome. This is the convent where on December 8, 1971, Catherine and her companions would make the profession of their consecration as the Seven Daughters of the Church of the Holy Eucharist. They made their profession to Msgr. Joseph Conte. Then, they went to St. Peter’s square to receive a Papal blessing of Pope Paul VI, who welcomed them and blessed them as the “Seven Daughters of the Church of the Holy Eucharist from Boston.” (A Mystic of Boston, p.654)
In 1972, Fr. Remingo, Pastor of the Sacred Heart Parish in the North End, asked her to conduct Holy Hours on the First Fridays of the month. She was reluctant but Our Lord gave her permission and she did this until her death in 1978.
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| Monsignor Donato Conte, author of four books about Catherine Passananti |
All the information for this article was taken from the four books that exist about Catherine Passananti all written by Msgr. Donato Conte. What is interesting is that Msgr. Donato Conte never met Catherine during her lifetime. He came to learn about her and her writings in 1993. Msgr. Conte lives in Rome but has been coming to spend his summers at St. Florence Church in Wakefield, MA for years. In 1993, a parishioner named Estelle Filadoro, told him, “Finally I have met a priest that is able to understand my spiritual life and my spiritual confidences, and able to enjoy and venerate the divine intimacy of Catherine Passananti with Jesus’ Heart, with Mary and with the Blessed Sacrament. During my life I have met many priests, but I find God’s will only in you, Msgr. Donato Conte. I have waited. I have waited for a long time, and I have waited in His time, in God’s time and in God’s will.”
Msgr. Conte replied, “Estelle, please, I do not speak English; I do not speak English at all well.” To which she answered, “God will help you, do not be afraid, Champion of God, and Catherine of the Blessed Sacrament will be with you.” (In the Divine Light, p.14)
Msgr. Conte replied, “Estelle, please, I do not speak English; I do not speak English at all well.” To which she answered, “God will help you, do not be afraid, Champion of God, and Catherine of the Blessed Sacrament will be with you.” (In the Divine Light, p.14)
In the summer of 1994, he was given the personal diary of Catherine Passananti by Grace Gallo, a cousin of Catherine. Msgr. Conte describes his reaction: “Reading it, I was really amazed. It is difficult to find a person who, without a high school education, is able to speak so deeply, and to teach spiritual theology better than a theologian. She teaches a true spiritual theology and supernatural experience. During the reading of the personal notes I was surprised to find a person so close to God, a person inspired and moved by the Holy Spirit. I was surprised at feeling the same emotions and the same feelings that I feel when I stand in front of Jesus Christ, closed in the Divine House of the Tabernacle, and finally, I was surprised to realize that Catherine Passananti had the same theological knowledge that I have.” (In the Divine Light, p.15)
On September 1st, 1995, on an Alitalia flight returning to Rome, he had a mystical experience: “A voice came from above and repeated to me many times: ‘Donato, please talk about Catherine Passananti, speak, speak, write a book about her personality and spirituality.’” (In the Divine Light, p.15)
Another confirmation about his special Mission with Catherine was that one night he had a dream about a woman, not tall, dressed in black, who told him, “You have to write my life, your name, spiritually has always been present among my spiritual friends (Father Donato). Read my notes and you will understand.”
That same night, a woman called Dolores called him about 11:00 o’clock at night, woke him up and started talking to him about Catherine Passananti. (In the Divine Light, p. 16-17).
That same night, a woman called Dolores called him about 11:00 o’clock at night, woke him up and started talking to him about Catherine Passananti. (In the Divine Light, p. 16-17).
Msgr. Conte has followed the inspirations of the Holy Spirit and has published 4 books about Catherine. He is a firm believer in her holiness and the importance of her message for our times, and he has written: “Catherine, the mystic of the beautiful American city of Boston, had a depth of divine intimacy with Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament and with the Blessed Mother, our Tabernacle Door on this earth…I believe in her, this humble creature of God, and I believe with all my heart, my strength and my life. I wish that other spirits, other souls would be open to this extraordinary walk of faith and love made by the Italo-American, Catherine Passananti.” (A Mystic of Boston, p.1064)
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The four books about Catherine Passananti written by Msgr. Donato Conte are:
- In the Divine Light, Vatican City: Vatican Press, 1997.
- A Dove of God, Vatican City: Vatican Press, 1998.
- Moments Divine: Catherine Passananti, Vatican City: Vatican Press, 2000.
- A Mystic of Boston, Vatican City: Vatican Press, 2006.
49 comments:
How could Our Lady suffer from the birth of Jesus? Virgin Birth of Our Lord and Our Lady's ever-virgin condition (before, during and after the birth of Jesus) are the non-negotiable of the Catholic faith. Hello?!
Jvic
Hi JVIC,
I believe you have misinterpreted. As we read above, referring to Himself our Lord purportedly said to Catherine, “My Mother suffered from the birth to the death.”
Here we can see that Jesus is definitely *not* referring to birth pains, but the fact that the Virgin Mary certainly knew well beforehand the prophesies concerning the coming Messiah and all that He (Her Son) would have to suffer.
For She certainly knew very well what was written for example in Isaiah 53 "He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. urely our griefs He Himself bore, And our sorrows He carried; Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, Smitten of God, and afflicted. But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon Him; And by His scourging we are healed."
And so, with this knowledge of what Her Son would have to undergo for the redemption of humanity, She Herself suffered from His birth to His death.
May God bless you and your loved ones,
Glenn Dallaire
Thank you Glen. Another wonderful mystic I wasn't aware of! These are the" celebrities"worth knowing!
Our Dear Lord is working overtime to bring sinful humanity to His Merciful Heart.
Everyday I pray one decade of the Holy Rosary for Priests.
We have one Priest and a Religious Sister in our family. We need our Christ's here on Earth.
God bless you in your work.
Anonymous.🌺
About receiving Holy Communion in the hand, Jesus told her, “I am not pleased but it must be accepted.” (A Mystic of Boston, p. 618) - See more at: http://www.mysticsofthechurch.com/2016/01/catherine-passananti-mystic-of-boston.html#.
When on earth has the son of God, creator of everything, saviour of the world who has defeated Satan, "not been pleased" by something humans do and just agreed to or advised people to accept it?! As if He needs to or wishes to advise his Church to bow to what humans wish to do instead of following His Way! It certainly is very different to His comments about the Pharisees of His day! I'm not happy but let's just accept it!
Also is this not as a piece of mystical writing contradictory to something approved by the Holy See and according to the Church's own guidelines therefore questionable as a message from God?
Hi Anonymous,
Setting aside my own thoughts on this matter, I can tell you that over the years while researching various mystics I have found that the subject of the reception of Communion in the hand has been brought up by a few of them, specifically those living after Vatican II when at that time Communion in the hand was becoming permissible in some dioceses and countries. I have discovered it to be very notable that in each of these handful of cases, I have found that in every case the purported heavenly messages were always against the practice, just as we see in Catherine's purported message above.
Now, to understand the reason why Jesus would say "I am not pleased but it must be accepted", it is because at that time the practice was being approved in some archdioceses and countries, so Jesus was encouraging her (and those who were to read the message) to submit to the decisions of one's local bishop or bishops conference. In fact, this is exactly what we would expect Jesus to say and do in such cases, because He has given authority to the Church to judge matters like this, saying to the Apostles "Whatever you declare bound on earth will be bound in heaven." (Matthew 18:18)
May God bless you and your loved ones,
Glenn Dallaire
I completely disagree Glenn. Jesus was allegedly giving his decree or for want of a better word "opinion" on communion in the hand. Just as he did not say about the money changers in the temple or the Pharisees' practices I the creator of the world am not happy about what you're doing but because you are religious leaders in the world I and my followers or more exactly people I am the creator of will accept what you are doing to "keep the peace" He would not say this about a Church practice. In fact He was prepared to die for pointing out the errors of religious leaders of His day. So too did His apostles suffer because they objected to the Pharisees' ways and St Paul rejected much of it as "so much rubbish". Countless other true, approved Mystics have done similar in Jesus name It is not something we would expect Jesus to say. Your quote does not prove anything as it was referring to the apostles' ability to heal and baptise not makie policies Jesus and God himself must follow even though they disagree with them! The quote is completely out of context. Since when did God follow the decrees of humans perhaps rooted in sin against His own will and better judgement and encourage His beloved children to do the same? It is completely illogical and against His nature. By the way I am not against communion in the hand.
Put succinctly it is grossly improbable if not absurd to assert that Jesus would urge His people to submit to a practice He disagrees with. That is suggesting He is being complicit with intentions to lead them astray.
Well, we should keep in mind that Communion in the hand is a practice that is a matter of discipline, and not doctrine or dogma, so there is definitely no assurance that it is free of error, for we know that only formally declared matters of doctrine and dogma solemnly defined by the Church are free of errors. We know also that practices discipline and devotion (like Communion in the hand) are the responsibility of the Church, and that God respects the decisions of His Church in these areas.
So, even if Communion in the hand is in fact displeasing to our Lord, it is not a matter of sin, and given that it is a matter of a disciplinary decision by the Church, who has the authority in such matters, we should not expect Jesus to directly condemn it, but that while expressing His displeasure, He would urge obedience to the rightful authority of the Church, which as we see is exactly what He did in His message to Catherine.
May God bless you and your loved ones,
Glenn Dallaire
Catherine's devotion to the Blessed Sacrament was a great source of grace for the world. We should appreciate the opportunity we have in Communion to present the needs of those who have entrusted themselves to our prayers and those for whom we have been led to pray, never ceasing to plead for them to the Lord. In Communion, especially remember the souls in purgatory, giving Jesus part of the grace of your communion for their consolation and release. In Communion we can suffer with the Heart of Jesus for all the causes that make Him suffer and offer our love as His comfort. Thank you for your devotion to the Lord in writing these pages.
Thank you Brother Michael for your comments. I'm glad that you were inspired by the article.
May God bless you and your loved ones.
-Glenn Dallaire
It is Jesus who has the authority not the Church. Completely disagree Glenn. God supersedes all earthly "authority."
Yes, you are very right that God supersedes all earthly authority, yet at the same time Jesus gave the Church the authority not only to forgive sins, but to declare laws to guide the Church and the people of God through laws given by the Church (Canon law, for example). In the Gospel of Matthew, Chapter 16 Jesus gives the authority to Peter (the first Pope), and to the apostles (first Bishops) saying in part "..I give you keys to the Kingdom of heaven, whatever you declare bound on earth will bound in heaven..."
The problem here it that it sounds to me like you are saying that Canon law, devotions, disciplines etc all come directly from God, like He is somehow giving the disciplines, rules and laws directly to the Church without any possibility of error, and that therefore there is no error in any of disciplines or practices of the Church.
-Is this what you believe? If so, you definitely need to speak to a priest or study this matter further because you would be greatly mistaken here if such is you belief since this is not at all what the Church teaches or believes.
The ONLY things we can be assured are free of any error are solemnly declared dogma and doctrine that are formally declared by the Pope in communion with the Bishops. Practices such as Communion in the hand definitely do NOT fall into this category, so if you think that the decision to allow such a practice comes directly from God you are gravely mistaken. Now, I'm not saying that the practice of Communion in the hand is a good or bad one, I'm simply saying that it is the Church, guided by the Holy Spirit, who has been given the authority to rule on such things, and that such decisions DO NOT come directly from God. Not only is it very likely that the Church has made some decisions that are not pleasing to God, we can be quite sure this has occurred, simply because there is no guarantee that such decisions are free of error (not that I am saying Communion in the hand is one of these). However in such cases God expects us to obey the authority of the Church in these decisions, even if they are not precisely in conformity with what He Himself desires.
In short, you seem to have it that every word, law, rule, discipline, practice and decision of the Church comes directly from God, and that nothing can possibly be in error or displeasing to Him, and if this is the case you are greatly mistaken.
May God bless you and you loved ones,
Glenn Dallaire
Great article Glenn! Do you know if this mystic has been approved by the Church? Is she a Servant of God yet? Or Venerable or Blessed or Saint?
Great website! Supremely Extraordinary. 10/10
Hi Anonymous,
Thank you for your kind comments. For this article, all thanks goes to Mrs. Angelica Avcikurt, who diligently compiled all of the information from various books. -May God bless her for all of her effort!
To reply to your question, I could not find any information as to whether Catherine Passananti has been formally presented for beatification/canonization.
Thanks again and may God bless you and your loved ones,
Glenn Dallaire
No I do not believe that everything that relates to the Church comes directly from God and that nothing can be in error. What I have said and reiterate is that those practices/laws which are instigated by humans in the Church which Jesus in His wisdom sees as errors or He is "not happy about" He would not tell his people to just submit to or accept. Jesus may have given a copy of the keys of the kingdom to the Church but he is the owner of the kingdom and He has all authority
7When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some were doubtful. 18And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.
Church history is full of errors made by humans such as the execution of Joan of Arc for heresy and practices relating to the committing and cover up of sexual and physical abuse of children. I'm sure Jesus would not say about any of these "I am not happy about it but it must be accepted"
Ok, thanks for your clarification---Now I see where you are coming from. The thing is though, your 2 examples BOTH involve very grave "mortal" sins---that being the execution of Joan of Arc for heresy, and the cover up of sexual and physical abuse of children---So, while I agree wholeheartedly with your two examples that Jesus would not in any way condone such mortal sins, what we were discussing was the statement of Jesus to Catherine concerning the practice Communion in the hand, which as I have already pointed out is a disciplinary practice approved by the Church that is in no way a sin.
So you are bringing forth two VERY DIFFERENT things here, one being matters of very grave sin, and another the Church approval of a practice that is in no way a sin, and what you are saying is that Jesus would always condemn everything that He is not pleased with, even Church approved practices such as communion in the hand. And if this is the case then as I stated in my previous message I completely disagree with you. In short, you can't lump matters of grave "mortal" sin in with decisions of simple practices like Communion in the hand, as they are two completely different things.
May God bless you and your loved ones,
Glenn Dallaire
Even though you couldn't find out anything about her being put up for Beatification/Canonization, is she still approved by the Church? Like do we know for sure that we can read what Jesus said to her and know that it was really He and that she wasn't being deceived? Is this mystic the real deal like Gemma Galgani and the others on this website? I want to know if I can read her revelations and know that they are in good standing with the Church so I don't have to be careful wondering if she is authentic or not.
HI
Great article. Can you point me to any sources for obtaining copies of the book "Mystic of Boston". I am unable to locate a copy
Best
Jon
I completely disagree with you Glenn. Grave sin or simple practices (although I do not believe anything to do with receiving Him in the Eucharist can be minimalised) Jesus has all authority and does not submit to what His servants may do in error that He is unhappy about, or encourage us to submit to it either. Jesus was very distressed by some of the religious practices of His day so your minimalising of them tcompared to grave sin does not reflect His approach or view on the matter.
A pattern seems to be emerging. Posts about unapproved "Mystics" who might be controversial. When are you going to do something on other great Mystics like Jesus himself?
To Anonymous of January 12, 2016 at 8:47 PM:
Like many purported mystics, Catherine has not (yet?) been beatified or canonised. Yet, even if she was, this does not guarantee the authenticity of her private revelations, for even those who are canonized Saints are given that honor based solely on their practice of heroic virtue; their mystical graces and revelations are not weighed into the process, except that they are checked simply to confirm that there is nothing grossly contrary to Church teaching.
To Anonymous of January 12, 2016 at 10:37 PM:
Another person asked me the same question concerning the possibility of obtaining one or more of Monsignor Conte's books, and so I contacted the author of this article, Mrs Angelica Avcicurt, and she kindly replied the following:
Hi Glenn,
All the books are out of print. I got three of them through different universities' libraries. The book A Mystic of Boston was lent to me by a friend of Msgr. Conte who told me about the mystic. The only place to get them used is either on Amazon, eBay or www.bookfinder.com. Msgr. Conte is very poetic and the books contain very little about her life. I had to combine the four books to get all I could about her life. The best book is the last one which is the mystic's diary, but I think I got the best parts out of it because most of it is about her friends and family and no context is given. Also In The Divine Light, he collects letters from those who knew her.
I hope this helps,
Angelica
-----------------
Finally, to Anonymous of January 13, 2016 at 1:27 AM:
I guess with all due respect we will simply have to "agree to disagree" on this one. As for "unapproved" mystics, I believe my comment at the top of this message answers that question. But in summary, the purpose of this website is to highlight the lesser known mystics, for the greater glory of God, and in honor of His servants, so that those who read it might be edified by their holy example of self sacrifice, love and suffering out of love for Jesus, and that people may find inspiration in their holy lives and practice of heroic virtue.
May God bless you an your loved ones,
Glenn Dallaire
Has the Church found anything against Church teaching in her revelations? Or is she still in the clear at this point?
Hi Anonymous,
To reply to your question, no, I have not found any Church statements or declarations concerning her. And of course Monsignor Donato Conte's ongoing support in favor of her is positive evidence that there have been no negative judgments concerning her, otherwise he surely would not have been permitted to publish four different books about her, beginning in 1997 and the last one as recently as 2006.
May God bless you and your loves ones,
Glenn Dallaire
( quote )
Some of the messages she received are very interesting. For example, talking about other religions, Jesus told her, “I AM not in Body in other Religions, but in Spirit. I do possess them in all Religions. If they cannot receive Me in Body, they shall receive Me in Spirit. Now, my child, do not be disturbed for there are many things that are not right, it will be corrected.” (A Mystic of Boston, p.406)
( unquote )
That contradicts the infallibly defined dogma of the Roman Catholic Church, that "Outside The Church There Is No Salvation" :
"Doctrinal Summary: ‘Extra Ecclesiam Nulla Salus’"
by Br. Thomas Mary Sennott, M.I.C.M.
LINK :
http://catholicism.org/doctrinalsummary.html
I am not a charismatic but believe they do much good in the Church. Recent popes, including Pope Francis, have held meetings with and encouraged them in Rome and elsewhere. What does it mean when the following is said? Is this a condemnation of the Catholic Charismatic Movement? If so, how can these be true visions from God?
"The disaster of the Pentecostal Movement. Our Lord said in the Blessed Sacrament, 'It is diabolical,' they have changed the name to Charismatic Movement. Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament said, 'It is one in (sic) the same' meaning Pentecostal and Charismatic.” (A Mystic of Boston, p. 809)
Hi Stephen,
The thing is, if you read the purported quote from Jesus carefully, you would see that He says nothing whatsoever about salvation---just that He "possesses them in all Religions".
I interpret it to mean essentially that God does not leave any peoples bereft, regardless of their religion, and that His grace and love are freely given to all of humanity.
Thanks for your comment and may God bless you and your loved ones,
Glenn Dallaire
I live in Boston and I am very active in the local Church. I've never heard of this women. That fact, that some Monsignor believed that the "Mistic" was authentic does not give official Church approval to it, or even local ecclesiastical approbation. Even if it were approved, which at this present time ,according to my knowledge, it is not, the church can only say there is nothing in the messages which are contrary to Catholic belief. Theologically, it comes under the category of "private revelation" and no Catholic is a bound to believe its authenticity.
One has to be extremely careful and prudent in these matters. Many of the woman's statements sound odd. I am not a fan of holy communion in the hand which has led to many abuses. Nor am I enthused with the Catholic charismatic movement. However, to say that the charismatic movement is diabolical in origin is over-the-top. I know many in the movement who are strong Catholics and very devoted to the blessed sacrament and the blessed Virgin Mary.
Unfortunately, there are many sincere catholics who belong to the "miracle of the month club," and who are constantly seeking "signs and wonders" of a mystical nature. They would do better to study the sacred Scriptures, and the writings of the fathers of the church, attend Holy Mass and receive holy communion with devotion, give loving service to their neighbors, and live the Gospel of Jeus Christ. These are the only "signs and wonders" the world needs to see.
Through reception of Holy Eucharist in the hand, many other offenses have come. The sacred Host is easily stolen for desecration and for Black Masses and profaned. Catholics have come to regard it as less sacred by handling the Consecrated Host, and so many other sacred and holy practices are now regarded as irrelevant today, even the ones the priests perform. Some Catholics say "it is no big deal" when we do not observe with great reverence while treating all about the Mass as sacred and holy. This is because of the familiarity of receiving the Body of Christ with unconsecrated hands.
I used to see Catherine at St. Anthony's in Boston - she entered with her followers on Saturdays and sat right up front. I also attended one or two of her prayer meetings. She was always very quiet and discreet. I had no idea of her 'widespread' reputation at the time, but I also never found anything especially compelling about her 'revelations'. That said - years later a priest told me about her and her reputation for sanctity - which obviously continues to this day. I think she is probably a saint.
Mystical messages need great discernment by the Church - mystics are never canonized because of their mystical gifts or manifestation - but rather for heroic virtue.
St. Annibali Maria di Francia, a priest who very much liked reading the mystics often recommended discretion, even suggesting mystical revelations and locutions ought to be edited to remove errors.
“Conforming to prudence and sacred accuracy, people cannot deal with private revelations as if they were canonical books or decrees of the Holy See. Even the most enlightened persons, especially women, may be greatly mistaken in the visions, revelations, locutions, and inspiration. More than once the divine operation is restrained by human nature. For instance who could ratify in full all the visions of Emmerich and St. Brigid, which show evident discrepancies? I love very much the private revelations of holy persons, but never I accept them in full!" - St. Hannibal
“I love the private revelations of holy persons, but I never accept everything.” (The Father’s Soul pg. 88)
Hi Glen,
Thank you for the article. I have a question on the following excerpt: "The disaster of the Pentecostal Movement. Our Lord said in the Blessed Sacrament, “It is diabolical,” they have changed the name to Charismatic Movement. Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament said, “It is one in (sic) the same” meaning Pentecostal and Charismatic.” Do you think this applies to Charismatic meetings of Catholics where the format is Rosary, singing and praise, silent prayer and sharing of a "word"? I have mixed feelings on the meetings. I like the Rosary and singing and praise. I have never heard such a strong comment on it. I don't want to do anything that does not bring me closer to Christ. Thank you. Irene
Glenn, Irene, and All--Her statement regarding the Catholic Charismatic Renewal is ridiculous. It certainly is NOT diabolical or every Pope since Paul VI would not have endorsed it. Catherine is mistaken at best. I would be very cautious about promoting her...
Why does she say a decade of the rosary for all souls in heaven? They don't need our prayers, but we can definitely use theirs!
Thank you for this post, Glenn. It is good to come to know many people in love with the LORD.
Doctor Weilert said...
Her statement regarding the Catholic Charismatic Renewal is ridiculous. It certainly is NOT diabolical or every Pope since Paul VI would not have endorsed it.
The above isn't a true statement. Popes can endorse all kinds of erroneous things and have done so in the past.
Pope Stephen VI condemned a prior pope as an antipope, Pope Formosus, and had his body dug up, put on trial, and thrown in a river. Two subsequent popes agreed with Stephen and claimed Pope Formosus as an antipope. They were wrong.
Pope John Paul II showed favor to Marcial Maciel. Look what happened there.
The Jesuits were suppressed by a pope. Another pope reversed that decision.
Some popes endorsed living in Avignon and were basically vassals of the French king. They were wrong.
Pope Pius XII in Mediator Dei: "Thus, to cite some instances, one would be straying from the straight path were he to wish the altar restored to its primitive tableform; were he to want black excluded as a color for the liturgical vestments; were he to forbid the use of sacred images and statues in Churches; were he to order the crucifix so designed that the divine Redeemer's body shows no trace of His cruel sufferings; and lastly were he to disdain and reject polyphonic music or singing in parts, even where it conforms to regulations issued by the Holy See."
Every pope since Vatican II has endorsed what Pope Pius XII has stated is a "straying from the right path."
Thus, popes can endorse erroneous things. It happens all the time.
RE: Communion in the Hand
Are we such legalists to think if something is not a sin, but simply displeasing to Christ, then it is OK to continue?
Her attack on the charismatic movement as "diabolical" tells
me that this is a false seer.
Note that she did not even accurately predict her year of death
but said it would be in seven years and it turned out to be 4.
Also: why would the church canonize some acquaintance of
this woman?? Sounds very bizarre to me.
I'm sure she was a good woman but even
good people can be false in their "messages".
In regard to the writings saying the Lord said the Pentecostal Movement is "diabolical", I would like to contribute a suggestion.
The official Catholic Charismatic Renewal is under the authority of the local Bishop (s).
The "diabolical" part of the message might not have been written correctly.
There are small groups who adhere to the Pentecostal Movement or Charismatic Movement who are not entirely in submission to Church teaching, but mix Protestant fundamentalist beliefs with their Catholic faith.
These groups might have a "diabolical" influence, in that sense, but the Lord would not have denounced a work of His Holy Spirit.
Jesus might have warned against an influence that was such, and whomever or whatever was heard could have been heard through the very human filter of their own fear of these manifestations of the Holy Spirit, already believing themselves that they were evil.
Back in the early seventies when telling my Grandmother, (who was in Catherine's age range at the time) about the Baptism in the Holy Spirit and the love amd joy found among the people at the Catholic prayer group,
I was told very abruptly and dismissed, at the same time, that it was of the devil.
There are people, to this day, who denounce the Catholic Charismatic Renewal because of having been chastized, so to speak, about precious Catholic devotions by "well meaning" people who have felt that they are led by the Holy Spirit to mix fumdamentalist beliefs with Catholic teaching. This is what I suggest today is the "diabolical" part of the Lord's words to Catherine.
With all due respect, Judith
I just don't understand why Jesus told her that her guardian angels were St. Michael, St. Therese, her mother and I forgot the other. I thought we have our guardian angels reappointed and that they were not of human nature. Can you please explain this to me?
I knew a mystic (not the one in this article) who back in the mid 1970's was given two visions concerning the Charismatic movement. In one, she was shown a pool of water being fed by a underground spring. The water was very cloudy, so that it was almost impossible to see anything in the water clearly..
The LORD said to her (I'm paraphrasing now from memory) "What do you see in that pool of water?"
She replied, "Lord, I can hardly discern anything in it; its too cloudy."
She was then told essentially that the Charismatic movement came from the Pentecostal church, and that its origins are not from God, and that the "spirit" at its origin is NOT the Holy Spirit. He explained that while many good and sincere persons are within the Charismatic renewal, discernment of what is good within it is very difficult, because of the "muddy waters" coming forth from the spring at its origins.
Not long after this vision and the accompanying explanation, she was shown a large stadium with thousands of people in it. She was "told" that it was a Charismatic renewal conference that was occurring at that moment in a nearby city. She then saw "fireworks" shooting up from the crowd into the air above the people; she was told these were the prayers of those in attendance there. Yet most of the "prayers" were bursting in the sky, and falling back down to earth. Only a few here and there penetrated into the heavens. She then was given to understand that many of the prayers by those in attendance there were being made out loud and publicly in a "showy" fashion, and this is why they were bursting in the air, and not penetrating into the heavens. Its as if they were "weighted down" because of the showy manner in which they were being made.
Concerning Communion in the hands. Quote from Blessed Mother Teresa when ask what is the greatest error and tragedy to have befallen the church in your life time Mother?
Her response without hesitation was "Communion in the hands". Pope St John Paul was against it and he NEVER gave communion in the hands. Same Pope Paul VI. Maria Simma in the book about purgatory " Get us out of here" says that communion in the hand was Satan's doing (Pg 78). That the souls in Purgatory who for over more than 60 years have come to her (1940-2004) have told her communion in the hand is not good and has lead to countless sacrileges. Indeed in my church in CA, a previous pastor spoke of a day some years ago that a middle aged woman came to his rectory to return a large bag of consecrated hosts she had been saving. Communion in the hand made it easier she said. Her conscience got to her. We have also caught people trying to leave mass with the host in their hands. Maria Simma said a number of bishops have gone to purgatory over communion in the hands and priests also according to the souls in purgatory who God permits them to communicate this to her. The problem began in Holland in 1974 and has spread since then. There are parts of the Catholic world that do not permit communion in the hands in Latin America and the middle east and other places in the 3rd world. I have seen this myself in Mexico and read about other places. Maria Simma also said in the same book, that the souls in Purgatory told her (remember God is allowing the souls to communicate these among other things as they seek prayers and masses. They have told her that there are bishops who will remain in purgatory until a future bishop returns to communion in the mouth only thereby correcting what the bishop did. One will not leave purgatory until the end of the world. These are bishops who instructed or allowed the change to communion in the hands and some who pushed it. This also includes a number of priests. In all this has allowed a lack of belief in the true presence among millions of Catholic under 45. At age 65, I see this clearly everywhere as I remember when it was never allowed in any church in any diocese in the world. Remember no Pope has ever approved communion in the hand, yet have ALL the Popes since Pope Paul VI failed Our Lord? We must all pray that Pope Francis brings an end to this practice for the LOVE OF JESUS who is truly present BODY, Soul, Mind and Divinity in the Blessed Sacrament. By the way I Deeply in Love with Jesus in the Most Blessed Sacrament and am in charge of Adoration at my parish in California for 8 years and visiting Jesus for 16 years plus. One thing I have learned in Adoration is Bow first then Communion in the Mouth, and only from a priest or ordained deacon who is becoming a priest.Jesus has answered many of my prayers, and those who go to Adoration on a weekly basis. We even have many claims of Our Lord appearing in the Host seen by multiple persons who did not know each other. We even have photos and 1 video of these remarkable experiences. Finally, Maria Esperanza who I met in her hme in March 2002, told me that God had plans for me when I was already going to adoration and sure enough 6 years later I with some help (mostly Jesus) began 42 hours of Adoration each week, that in February 2011, through 2 personal incidents was transformed into 142 hours a week now. Praise be Jesus Mary and Joseph who is the patron of our adoration apostate.
In regards to commenting on or interpreting certain private revelations from Catherine, in general I try to refrain from giving my own interpretations when it comes to purported mystics. My intent from the very beginning of this "Mystics of the Church" website has been to highlight the lesser known mystics of the Church in an effort to make them more known for the greater glory of God, so as to inspire others by their holy lives of suffering and sacrifice, and to testify to their practice of heroic virtue.
With this in mind, when in comes to purported visionaries/mystics/prophets, I endeavor to simply report on their life, revelations and mission in a neutral and unbiased manner, under the "we report, you discern" operative.
So long as the individual has not received a negative judgement from the Church, has not said or done anything contrary to the teachings of Scripture or the Church, or made any confirmed false prophesies, I am happy to highlight them here for the purpose of information and edification. I try to simply just let the mystics speak for themselves, and leave it to the Catholic Church and the faithful to judge and discern for themselves.
-Glenn Dallaire
Glenn,
The words that Catherine Passananti ("The Mystic of Boston") supposedly received are not just about receiving grace and love in a general sense in all religions apart from the Catholic religion. Here are her words again :
“I AM not in Body in other Religions, but in Spirit. I do possess them in all Religions. If they cannot receive Me in Body, they shall receive Me in Spirit."
In those words, a direct relationship is made between the Blessed Sacrament in the Roman Catholic Church and God's supposed presence in Spirit in all other religions.
Jesus is God Incarnate and is present in the Roman Catholic Church in the Blessed Sacrament. Hence, He is present in the Roman Catholic Church "...in Body..." and Roman Catholics receive Him "...in Body..." ( "... receive Me in Body..." in Holy Communion.
The supposed message then says that this special Presence of Christ in the Blessed Sacrament in the Roman Catholic Church has an EQUIVALENT or SUBSTITUTION in all other religions "... in Spirit..." and that they receive Him "..in Spirit...".
In short, the message claims that one can receive Jesus sacramentally in the Roman Catholic Church or spiritually in all other religions. It is the same Jesus received in two different ways, and there is nothing said to deny that those two ways are equal.
This in turn is the heresy of indifferentism in which all religions are equal, which in turn, denies the infallibly defined dogma that there is no salvation outside the Roman Catholic Church.
Regards,
Stephen Ho
Communion in the hand? Other religions in Spirit? Sounds like the current pope and a New World Order initiation.
Fellow greetings! Please permit me to ask the anonymous brother if he recalls the name of the mystic who was given a vision about the charismatic renewal in the 70's?
Thank you!
Humans can't become angels after death. They can only be saints in Heaven. Therefore no human or saint can become someone's guardian angel. Patron saint, yes, but never guardian angel. False predictions and predictions that can't be verified or contextualised (stories of healings that don't reference the name identity of the person for example) should be treated with great caution.
NOTES:
I found this wonderful website and was surprised to read about Catherine. My parents were Sons and Daughters of the Holy Eucharist and went every first Friday of the month to the Holy Hour, as it was called. It was Eucharistic Adoration with Prayer. I was young during those years but will ask God to guide my hand in trying to recap a few messages and give some clarity to folks reading.
When Catherine would receive messages she would go into a trance like state. Her vitals would go very low. Sometimes she would come out of this state shaking or crying, depending on the message or vision given. This happened after she described seeing the dead bodies prior to Jim Jones, Guyana. This also happened when Catherine saw the floor of the church open up and demons (I believe it was in the form of snakes, but unsure) landed on the heads of the priests (and possible nuns). She said she was told there was going to be a demonic attack on the priests and the Church. Keep in mind this would have been around the start of the sex abuse crisis in the Church.
I want to be clear about what I recall about the message Catherine was given about receiving the Holy Eucharist in the hand. It was said that we were NOT to take it in our hands. Our hands were not consecrated. I do not recall there being mention that Jesus must abide or however it was written in the book. I cannot say for certain that something got lost in the translation. I can only say what I remember.
Catherine also conveyed a message during the height of the Cold War basically not to worry at that time about Russia. What I remember hearing was that the “blood shed would be here “ on our soil during the next war and that “WE WOULD GET IT FROM WITHIN”. (You will need to pray for discernment on this. This was over 40+ years ago. The people present were simple pious people and they would just accept without questioning. At that time, I believe they were relieved to know that the Cold War would not come to fruition.) They had complete faith in God. I do remember a rumbling about China being an issue down the road, but I cannot say for certain under what context. Catherine was also told that the Third World War could be postponed indefinitely if people repented and prayed.
Catherine was given a message one day about Jimmy Carter, very far in advance of the election. She said Jesus told her he would become president for one reason and one reason only: Peace in the Middle East. I believe there was mention about the two men involved as being positive. I do remember hearing that Anwar Sadat was a good man.
Catherine was a very humble, pious and uneducated woman who was given messages to take to people around the world. This simple woman was given a message to Pope V! and when she arrived she they escorted her right in to see him. I know the woman personally who accompanied her. On her way there, she saw a demon and the plane started to have a mechanical issue and then descended rapidly nose first. She and her companions started to calmly pray the rosary and other passengers joined in. The plane stopped descending. When the plane touched down.
The captain asked to meet the woman who began the prayers. He told her he there was no physical way possible to have stopped that plane from crashing. It was nothing short of a miracle.
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Catherine was told that prayer was the only thing that kept the demons away.
They would pray for hours privately and together at the Adoration. They would pray to end abortion and the consecration of Russia, amongst other things. The card of the prayers along with the prayer requests that Jesus asked for will be downloaded to the website administrator and hopefully he will be able to attach.
One of the most important things I wanted to stress is that Catherine did not get the timing of her death wrong. Jesus or God the Father (unsure) did not want anyone to know the hour of death. Not even Catherine. There was only one occasion that I recall of someone finding out about an impending death and it was to warn one of the Daughters of the Holy Eucharist of the ramifications that could be prevented. The woman was crying all the time and I remember my mother saying, “I do not know what is the matter with Theresa, she is crying all the time but she won’t say why.” We later found out why directly from Theresa.
There was another Daughter of the Eucharist who was ill in the hospital. She had never missed a Holy Hour. When asked, either Jesus or God the Father (not sure) said she would be present or attend (not sure of the exact words) the Holy Hour. There was a sense of relief as all interpreted she would be well enough to go. The woman did show up just after the Holy Hour had started and she sat in the back so as to not interrupt. The other women acknowledged her and she acknowledged them back. When the hour was completed, no one could find her. They could not figure out where she had gone. They found out later that this woman had died right before the Holy Hour. He did keep his word! She did attend.
In conclusion, I did want to address Catherine’s mother Frederica. It is referenced that Catherine gave the roses out from her grave. I met someone maybe around 2007 who said that her father had the rose in his pocket when the elevator he was riding in lost control and crashed to the ground from a high level. He was not hurt or harmed when he walked away. There are probably more stories like this out there, but most of the women are deceased or very old.
I love your websites (all of them), and I hope you continue to present these lesser-known mystics. Thank you for all the hard work and long hours of research you obviously put into these articles.
Take care,
Patty
It's stories like these that make me think the supposed mystical revelations and voices in some people may really just be their own thoughts and voice, not the voice of God; their own epiphanies, not direct revelations from God. Sometimes, however, it could happen that Divine voices mystics hear are intermixed with their own perceptions.
I'm sure Catherine was a very pious and good woman who really loved God, and maybe even had some real mystical experiences. But this stuff about communion in the hand being displeasing and the charismatic movement being diabolical don't sit well with me. I'm not a huge fan of the charismatic stuff, particularly their "baptism" in the spirit or whatever. But I don't think it's therefore diabolical. I think there could be instances when the devil comes in to deceive individual charismatics. Like when some claim you're only a true Christian if you're "slain in the spirit." That's definitely diabolical and ridiculous. Perhaps Jesus meant his words in this way.
As for communion in the hand, perhaps he meant he disapproves of it only when people take it unworthily, as if it were just some special bread. Or when people are careless and drop it. Or when certain clergymen and laity would push it because of their modernist lack of belief in the real presence.
You spoke of some mystics around the time when communion in the hand was being introduced disapproving of it. Again this could be their own thoughts being misconstrued as divine voices and revelations. Their own thoughts affect their mystical experiences. Like when medieval mystics would have visions of the crucifixion and see Jesus nailed to the cross in the same way as local crucifixes. It's just their own perceptions.
Also, Catherine's mother becoming a canonized saint? I don't think that will ever happen. Few people know of Catherine. Fewer still about her mother. Again, this supposed voice she heard may have just been her own love for her mother speaking, not Jesus.
Regarding Communion in the hand, Might we give serious consideration of... STATEMENTS from POPES, SAINTS and CHURCH COUNCILS:
St. Sixtus 1 (circa 115): "The Sacred Vessels are not to be handled by others than those consecrated to the Lord."
St. Basil the Great, Doctor of the Church (330-379): "The right to receive Holy Communion in the hand is permitted only in times of persecution." St. Basil the Great considered Communion in the hand so irregular that he did not hesitate to consider it a grave fault.
The Council of Saragossa (380): Excommunicated anyone who dared continue receiving Holy Communion by hand. This was confirmed by the Synod of Toledo.
The Synod of Rouen (650): Condemned Communion in the hand to halt widespread abuses that occurred from this practice, and as a safeguard against sacrilege.
6th Ecumenical Council, at Constantinople (680-681): Forbade the faithful to take the Sacred Host in their hand, threatening transgressors with excommunication.
St. Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274): "Out of Reverence towards this Sacrament [The Holy Eucharist], nothing touches it, but what is consecrated; hence the corporal and the chalice are consecrated, and likewise the priest's hands, for touching this Sacrament." (Summa Theologica, Part III, Q. 82, Art. 3, Rep. Onj.8.)
The Council of Trent (1545-1565): "The fact that only the priest games Holy Communion with his consecrated hands is an Apostolic Tradition."
Pope Paul VI (1963-1978): "This method [on the tongue] must be retained." (Memoriale Domini)
Pope John Paul II: "To touch the Sacred species and to distribute them with their own hands is a privilege of the ordained." (Dominicae Cenae)
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