Emmerich, Anne Catherine (1774-1824)

Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume 5: Diocese-Fathers of Mercy -- from Herbermann, Charles George (1840-1916)

Emmerich, Anne Catherine (1774-1824) -- from Wikipedia Article

Dolorous Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ.

Description: Anne Catherine Emmerich was an Augustinian nun recognized as the recipient of many mystic gifts and vision. She is believed to have received the full stigmata, of which she reported suffering the physical effects of Jesus' punctured hands, feet, side, and forehead. Moved by her religious piety, German poet Clemens Brentano was inspired to document her ordeal. Brentano spent many months with Anne Catherine as she dictated the details of her encounters, which Brentano later compiled into the book The Dolorous Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ. In this book, Anne Catherine's visions of Christ's agony and death are documented in unimaginable detail. While Anne Catherine's sacred wounds were witnessed by many during her time, the highly poetical and extravagant imagery in Brentano's book have led scholars to believe that Brentano may have embellished her descriptions as he recorded them. Consequently, this account of Anne Catherine's visions should be appreciated for its meditative value rather than for its historical accuracy.

Emmalon Davis
CCEL Staff Writer

Life of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Description: The Blessed Anne Catheine Emmerich is a respected and tormented figure in the Catholic church. She was bedridden for most of her life and was a stigmatic as well. Anne was a very supernaturally-affected person, and professed to have seen many visions in her life. These were recorded by a friend and published. Life of the Blessed Virgin Mary was uncompleted when the scribe died, and so was published as is. The book could be compared to Milton's Paradise Lost in theme as it is a "bringing to life" of the scriptures, in this case, the experiences of Mary, Mother of Jesus. Anne describes in vivid detail the events of Mary's life: the immaculate conception, her marriage, Christ's birth from Mary's perspective, and the events of Holy Week according to the Blessed Mother. Anne saw in her visions the most minute traits, exemplified by the description of Mary's wedding dress, hairstyle ("interwoven with white silk and pearls...a great net falling over her shoulders"), and ring. Whether or not Anne saw these visions is up for debate, but the descriptions are nonetheless entrancing. Life of the Blessed Virgin Mary is a revealing and creative look into the spirit of the Mary, the lauded mother of the church.

Abby Zwart
CCEL Staff Writer