Blessed Anna Katharina Emmerick: DÜLMEN, MÜNSTER & COESFELD.
irapuato on June 19-21, 2015. Venerated B. A.K. Emmerick in Dülmen. Her remarkable visions: It is thought that the most extraordinary gift that Anna Katharina possessed was that of her extraordinary visions, also known as ecstasies. She was given visions of almost the entire life of Jesus, and most of the life of the Blessed Virgin Mary also. These private revelations of Jesus and Mary’s life included the most intimate details and can be considered a complete vision of the Gospel story. The visions of the life of Jesus as witnessed by Anna Katharina are compiled and published in the popular book “The Dolorous Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ” which many view as a true treasure, and her visions of Mary are published under the title “The Life of the Blessed Virgin Mary- From The Visions of Blessed Anna Katharina Emmerick”.
Anne receives the Stigmata
In 1811, Anna Katharina was forced to leave her convent along with all the sisters when King Jerome Bonaparte closed all of the Religious houses during his reign. Four years before the suppression of her convent, Anne made a visit home with her family in Flamske. One day while she was kneeling and praying for hours before the Cross of the Church of Saint Lambert at Coesfeld, Anne Catherine had asked our Lord for a share in His Passion as a sacrifice for the sake of her convent. From that time on, she began experiencing terrible pains in her hands, feet and side, an indication that God had given her the invisible stigmata.
- See more at: Blessed Anne Catherine Emmerich
The cathedral of Münster was founded by a missionary named Liudger, who was sent out by Charlemagne in 793 as part of the emperor's comprehensive plan to convert and subdue the Saxons. On March 30, 805, Luidger was consecrated Bishop of Münster in Rome; construction on the first cathedral church began soon after.
The Crucifixion monument outside the cathedral includes: B. A. K. Emmerick, B. August von Galen & B. Maria Euthymia.
The easternmost chapel, the Chapel of St. Ludger (founding bishop of Münster), centers on the tomb of Clemens August Cardinal von Galen, the "Lion of Münster." Beloved for his determined opposition to the Nazi regime, he died in 1946 and was beatified in 2005. A quote from Pope John Paul II is inscribed in brass in the floor; opposite the chapel in the ambulatory is a bust of the cardinal by Edwin Scharff (1951). Münster Cathedral - Münster, Germany
Anne Catherine Emmerick
Memorial
9 February
Profile
Born to poor but pious peasants. She was a very pious child who suffered with poor health, but who received visions and prophesies; they were so common that she thought all children could see the Child Jesus and the souls in Purgatory. She was able to diagnose illness and recommend cures, and to see a person’s sins.
She worked on her family’s and other area farms, as a seamstress, and as a servant to a poor organist where she studied the instrument. Entered the Augustinian convent at Agnetenberg, Dulmen, Germany in 1802. Though her health was poor, her enthusiasm for the religious life was great, and she either energized her sisters, or put them off badly. Given to going into religious ecstasies in church, her cell, or while working.
The convent was closed by government order in 1812, and Anne moved in with a poor widow. Her health failed, and instead of working as a servant, in 1813 she became a patient. Her visions and prophesies increased, and later that year she received the stigmata with wounds on her hands and feet, her head from the crown of thorns, and crosses on her chest, and the gift of inedia, living off nothing but Holy Communion for the rest of her life. She tried to hide the wounds, but word leaked out, and her vicar-general instituted a lengthy and detailed investigation; it was determined to be genuine.
In 1818 she was relieved of the stigmata. In 1819 the government opened their own investigation. She was imprisoned, threatened, cajoled, and kept under 24-hour-a-day surveillance. The commission found no evidence either way, could not get Anne to change her story, eventually gave up, and failed to publish their findings. When they were forced to report, they declared the incident a fraud, but could not explain why they thought so, or why they had not published their findings.
The poet Klemens Brentano visited Anne. She announced that she had seen Brentano in a vision, and that he was to make a written record of the revelations that she received. He made notes of the messages, translating from Anne’s Westphalian dialect to common German, getting Anne to confirm his version. In 1833 these were published as The Dolorous Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ according to the Meditations of Anne Catherine Emmerich. This was followed in 1852 by The Life of The Blessed Virgin Mary, and a three-volume Life of Our Lord from 1858 to 1880. While many such revelatory works deal with spirituality and ideas, these are very much straight-forward narratives and descriptions of events, yet have been the source of encouragement for many.
Her Cause for Canonization formally introduced on 14 November 1892. Due to accusations about her vow of chastity, the investigation was halted on 30 November 1928. However, the accusations were proven false, and the investigation resumed on 18 May 1973.
Born
8 September 1774 at Flamsche, diocese of Munster, Westphalia, Germany
Died
9 February 1824 at Dülmen, Germany
due to rumours that her body had been stolen, her grave was opened six weeks after her death
the body was found incorrupt
relics translated to Holy Cross Church, Dülmen, Germany on 15 February 1975
Venerated
24 April 2001 by Pope John Paul II
Beatified
3 October 2004 by Pope John Paul II
decree of beatification miracle promulgated on 7 July 2003
Representation
bed-ridden stigmatist
Both the one-volume The Dolorous Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ and the four-volume The Lowly Life and Bitter Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ and His Blessed Mother Together with the Mysteries of the Old Testament online