Mystical Church - Stigmata and gift of Bilocation - Saint Catherine dei Ricci:

Saint Catherine dei Ricci was an Italian Dominican Tertiary Sister who lived during the period 1522-1590. She joined the Dominican convent of San Vincenzio, at Prato, Italy at the age of 13 and lived a life of severe penances and prayer since then. She was appointed the novice mistress at a young age and then the sub-prioress. Later at the age of 38, she was appointed the Prioress in perpetuity. Her holiness and wisdom brought several people to her, seeking her counsel in their matters. She was blessed with extraordinary mystical gifts which included the stigmata and the gift of bilocation.



Stigmata:

During the Holy Week of 1542, when Saint Catherine was 20 years old, she experienced her first ecstasy in which she saw the Passion of Our Lord. From then on the ecstasies were repeated every week for 12 years. It would begin at midday every Thursday and end on Friday at 4 p.m. During these raptures, her body would move in conformity with the movements of Our Lord and at times she would be seen addressing people who witnessed her sufferings. The wounds of her stigmata, located on her hands, feet and side, and those wounds inflicted by the crown of thorns were described by some as bleeding and by others as swollen and red.

Mystical Espousal:

On Easter Sunday of the same year, Our Lord Jesus appeared to her, took a ring from His finger and placed it on her forefinger as a sign of their mystical espousal. Saint Catherine described the ring as being of gold with a large pointed diamond set in it. Only she could see the ring and people around her only saw a reddening and swelling of the flesh on her finger!

Gift of Bilocation:

Another mystical gift she possessed was the gift of bilocation. She would have frequent conversations with Saint Philip of Neri while he was in Rome and she in her convent in Prato. They had exchanged a number of letters during their lifetime but had never met personally except for the mystical visits which Saint Philip Neri and many others testified to later on.

After a prolonged illness, Saint Catherine died at the age of 68. Her incorrupt remains are held in an ornate reliquary under the main altar of the Basilica of Prato.