Bilocation of Saint Catherine de' Ricci
Bilocation of Saint Catherine de' Ricci - meets with St. Philip Neri St. Catherine de' Ricci had mystical conversations with St. Philip Neri, a most holy man, who confirmed this. When shown a painting of Catherine, he replied, she was far more beautiful. They had corresponded about matters of the Faith, but had never actually met. It would have been difficult, because Catherine was cloistered in Prato, and Philip's workplace was Rome. Nevertheless, she bilocated to Rome and they had long conversations. Not only did St. Philip verify this bilocation, but also witnesses who actually saw the two saints conversing. St. Catherine and St. Philip were bonded together by the Lord, through Catherine's bilocations bridging a distance of almost one hundred ninety seven miles. Besides the gift of bilocation, Catherine had a great devotion for the Poor Souls in Purgatory. She constantly prayed for the release of the Suffering Souls in Purgatory. She performed acts of charity; she offered up her Masses and Communions on their behalf. She was even willing to suffer in their place, and there are many accounts where the Lord allowed her to do so. The Poor Souls were allowed to enter the Kingdom before they had suffered for the period assigned them, as Catherine suffered unbelievable pain on their behalf. One incident of her involvement with the Poor Souls in Purgatory, well known in the life of St. Catherine, concerned the Granduke Francesco de' Medici. As we mentioned before, Catherine was advisor and friend of the Medicis and other nobility; one could almost call her Saint of the Nobility. Francesco's wife, the Granduchess (also Princess of Austria) was the spiritual daughter of Catherine. She was holy and virtuous, whereas her husband was cruel and totally insensitive to his wife's suffering. He even had a mistress living in the same house with him and his wife! This hurt the Granduchess, terribly. His whole court knew! He didn't care. But although he wounded her deeply, the Granduchess never stopped praying for his soul. She asked Catherine to pray for his conversion, that he might not be condemned to Hell. She also asked her to plead with God that when her husband died, he not suffer horribly in Purgatory. The Granduchess died before her husband, and he married the mistress. Although Catherine did not approve of her behavior, she nevertheless paid the new Granduchess the respect due her new station in life. Now as far as the Granduke was concerned, the Church, the Lord, his immortal soul were all things which were way back in the recesses of his heart and mind. Catherine prayed for his conversion for twenty years. She pleaded with him to convert. He paid no attention to her. The Granduke died. Because of all her prayers, on his death bed, he asked for a priest, confessed his sins and received absolution before he died. He was spared the fires and everlasting pains of Hell; but was sent to the pits of Purgatory to suffer the temporal punishment due him for his sins. There, he would undergo the cleansing of his soul to such a state, he would be acceptable to enter into the presence of God. St. Catherine kept her promise to the Granduchess and pleaded with the Lord, to allow her to take over the temporal punishment, due the Granduke. The Lord accepted, and the Granduke was led through the gates of Heaven. We have to believe that Catherine had a great love for the poor suffering souls in Purgatory, to be willing to take on the type of horrendous reparation due for their acts on earth. She was given to understand that she would have to bear forty days of unbearable, excruciating, virtually impossible to describe - pain. In exchange, the Granduke would enter Heaven without suffering the agony that had been prepared for him. She said Yes! For a good definition of bilocation click here Newadvent.org Other Saints that have been known to bilocate are Saint Padre Pio, Saint Gaspar del Bufalo.
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