HELFTA, GERMANY – 13th CENTURY

Witness: St. Gertrude the Great

 

St. Gertrude of Helfta was a scholarly sister of the Benedictine Order who was given to mystical experiences and ecstasies. She received visions and locutions from our Lord Jesus, as well as the saints, and was a great lover of the Souls of Purgatory. She is the only female saint to possess the title “the Great,” given to her by Pope Benedict XIV. She relates a vision she had of St. Joseph

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“On the Feast of the Annunciation, I saw Heaven opened and St. Joseph sitting upon a magnificent throne. I felt myself wonderfully affected when, each time his name was mentioned, all the Saints made a profound inclination toward him, showing by the serenity and sweetness of their looks that they rejoiced with him on account of his exalted dignity.”