Mystics and visionaries in the world today



Modern Mystics and Visionaries
by Glenn Dallaire

Some might ask if there are authentic mystics, visionaries and prophets in the world today? Judging by history the answer would have to be a most resounding “yes”. Beginning in the Old Testament, we see the holy Prophets arise, inspired by the Holy Spirit to enlighten God’s people, and to reveal and set forth God’s laws. And throughout the centuries, we see the Catholic Church inspired and strengthened by Her holy mystic Saints and visionaries, who by the express will of God, become extraodinary instruments in His hands and special “channels” for the Holy Spirit.

Mystics and Visionaries as specially chosen souls have a variety of missions within the Church such as:
-they inspire devotions like the Sacred Heart and Divine Mercy devotions;
-through their lives as victim souls they make reparation to God for the conversion of sinners, and remind us to make sacrifices and do penance;
-they enlighten us concerning the evils of the world and reveal to us the horrors of sin.
-through their sufferings willingly accepted and offered to God, they remind us of our call to participate in the redemption of all of humanity through the offering of our own sacrifices, and through our sufferings willingly accepted.

In the book “Mystics of the Church” by Evelyn Underhill, we see that no century has been without its Mystics throughout the history of the Church. And certainly our most recent century has been enriched by some of the most extraordinary Mystics in the history of the Church, such as St (Padre) Pio (1887-1968)—the first Priest confirmed to have had the sacred Stigmata, St Faustina Kowalska (1905-1938) of the Divine Mercy devotion, and the extraordinary lay Mystic and Stigmatic, St Gemma Galgani (1878-1903), just to name a few.

There are certainly a good number of persons in the the world today who are said to be mystics, and to a much lesser extent, there are a number of persons who are said to be stigmatics. The difficulty of course lies in the discernment as to whether a mystic or visionary is authentic or not. It is of course much easier for the Church (i.e. - normally the local Bishop) to discern the authenticity of a mystic after their death, thus being able to discern and judge their entire life and the presence (or absence) of heroic virtues.

Apart from any glaring theological errors, the Church normally does not make any judgments until after their death, and even then, a good number of them are never formally investigated by the Church.

The spiritual dangers of false mystics and visionaries
Although on the one hand Scripture states that we are not to despise prophecy, on the other hand the Church and the Saints advise us to be extremely careful and prudent in such matters, because perhaps more often than not, the origins of some alleged mystical graces can in reality be the devil in disguise. The extraordinary Mystic St Paul of the Cross says that for every 100 persons said to be mystics; there is perhaps only one or two that are truly authentic and inspired by God. -And this is coming from someone who was not only an extraordinary Saint and religious founder, but who himself was a authentic Mystic! Certainly we should heed his wise advice.

We need to remember that the devil does not counterfeit copper or tin, but only gold. And all that glitters is not necessarily gold. Just because a visionary encourages such things as Eucharistic devotion, the Rosary, Confession etc, this does not mean they are authentic mystics. After all, the devil does not appear with horns and cloven hooves suggesting that we follow or imitate him. If he showed himself the devil, who would follow or be inspired by him? He is the deceiver, and his deceptions are oh so very subtle. Let us not pride ourselves into thinking that we are wiser than the demon by making ourselves judges and entrusting our spiritual lives to own poor judgment.

Little by little, a false visionary or mystic will very subtly, almost imperceptibly, introduce false devotions and doctrines, which on the surface seem logical and spiritual, but really are a means to instill spiritual pride in those affected, by thinking that they have “additional” knowledge that other Catholics do not have, and/or by reciting special prayers and practicing special acts of devotion that other Catholics do not know of, thinking that they are specially graced through their association with the alleged mystic or visionary, and through the additional knowledge, prayers and acts of devotion that are not known or practiced by other Catholics. Once this spiritual pride takes root, then sooner or later comes spiritual disobedience to the Church, that is, usually the local Bishop, who will often test the spirit of the mystic by conveying certain sanctions upon the mystic and the followers, to see if they submit in obedience their alleged graces to the Church.

My experiences with alleged mystics and the lessons learned
I have personally met two different alleged mystics, both of whom were very well known; in one case the mystic had hundreds of followers, and in the other case several thousands of followers. By “followers” I mean those who are closely associated with the mystic or visionary. I did not seek them out; they were placed in my path in life. However, BOTH of the mystics that I have met have since received negative judgments by their local Bishops, and both have been formally sanctioned by the local Bishop, and additionally the Vatican has confirmed the negative decisions of the Bishops in both cases. The followers of one of the mystics have been formally sanctioned by the Vatican, and in the other case the Vatican issued a letter of recognition concerning the Bishops negative decision. As explained elsewhere on this website, it is the local Bishop who alone (under most circumstances) has the authority to judge the validity and authenticity of a mystic, visionary or any kind of private revelation occurring within his diocese. In both circumstances, a good number of souls have continued to follow these two alleged mystics, even though the local Bishop and the Vatican has declared and recognised negative judgements concerning them.

So, in such circumstances, the question then is: "Is a person who knowingly and willingly disregards the sanctions and judgements of the Church (ie-local Bishop and/or Rome) still a Catholic?" I will let you, the reader, come to your own conclusion.

Obedience is the “Litmus Test” of the Church
It is through obedience, or the lack thereof, that a true mystic and can be distinguished from a false one. An authentic mystic will always obey the legitimate Church authority, be that a Priest-Spiritual Director, a Confessor, a local religious Superior, and most especially the local Bishop. Obedience has always been the litmus test that the Church uses to test and judge a mystic or visionary.

False mystics often defer to a “higher authority”
In their disobedience or disregard to the local Bishop or legitimate Church authority, a false visionary or mystic and their followers will often defer to a “higher authority” to justify their disobedience. For example, in disregarding the local Bishop decisions they will state that they “obey Rome”, but later when the Vatican confirms the sanctions and decisions of the local Bishop, the mystic and their followers will then say “we obey God, rather than man” , thereby placing themselves not only outside of the judgement of the Church, but in reality outside of the Church itself through their formal disobedience. And there we have the all too common danger of being led astray by a false mystic.

The deceptive life of the false visionary and mystic Sr. Magdalena of the Cross is a very grave warning to us all. As a youth, Sr. Magdalena made a 40 year pact with the devil and eventually became a Franciscan nun and mother superior of her convent, and as the years progressed she deceived countless souls including high dignitaries from within and outside of the Church. Those interested can read the the life of the phony mystic Sr. Magdalena of the Cross here.

And so with these suggestions and guidelines in mind, we can hopefully better approach with proper discernment and prudence the modern day Mystics that may come into our lives.

For a further and more in depth discussion on judging mystics and private revelations see:
http://www.mysticsofthechurch.com/2009/11/obedience-to-catholic-church-judging.html


"Satan can even clothe himself in a cloak of humility, but he does not know how to wear the cloak of obedience." (Diary of St Faustina, par. 939).

84 comments:

Anonymous said...

what about people in other religions?
Amma known as a hugging saint is a Hindu. She doesn honour Jesus and St. Francis of Assisi. What do you think of her?

Glenn Dallaire said...

Hi Anonymous,
Thanks for your comment. Of course I would be interested in the mystical experiences of those in other religions, but I simply don't have any information pertaining to them. If you have some info that you can share then please feel free to pass it along to my email address:
gdallaire1@gmail.com

Thanks again and may God bless you and yours,
Glenn Dallaire

Anonymous said...

Hello Glenn,
Is it possible for you to get authetic information of the French nun Marie-Julie Jahenny (mystic, stigmatist and prophetess) and post it on your blog?

Glenn Dallaire said...

Hi Anonymous,
Thank you for your comments and for your excellent suggestion--in fact I hope to add an article about Marie Julie Jahenney soon. I am in the process now of gathering some source info about her.

Thanks again and may God bless you and your loved ones,
-Glenn Dallaire

Anonymous said...

Hi Glenn

The articles on the mystics of the Church in your blog are very inspiring. I am glad the Lord led me to it.

I can now see the value of suffering. And I now love these saints you have posted for the glory of God. Blessed be God for them!

I am a Tertiary Franciscan of the Immaculate from the Philippines. Please include me in your prayers.

Bro. John Maria Galicano

Glenn Dallaire said...

Hi Bro. John Maria Galicano,
It is nice to meet you. Thanks for your kind comments. I am really glad to hear that you are enjoying the website. Please let me know if you have any article suggestions.

May Jesus bless you and may ourt most Blessed Mother Mary cover you under Her mantle, and draw you ever closer to Jesus and Her.
-Glenn Dallaire

Anonymous said...

Regarding Amma (I come from the same region that she lives) she will honour anybody as long as the final glory comes to her... She, who considers herself as a reincarnation of the Hindu God Krishna, heads the No 1 cult in India (with Sai Baba gone). Now, even the devil can appear as an angel, and that is what she does... ask an Christian spiritual warrior in India...

Anonymous said...

Hello. Regarding any holiness or true mystics outside the one, holy catholic, (meaning universal), and apostolic Church, there is none whatsoever!!! God does not deceive or confuse. That is the devil's job. One means only. The only true Church, outside of which there is abdolutely NO SALVATION OF OUR IMMORTAL SOULS. Put in the positive light, God, who is all loving and merciful, is not going to confuse us. He gives us but one true Church, in which everyone is invited to enter and find all the supernatural aids to save our souls. Re anyone who does not recognise Jesus as God, HE DID RISE FROM THE DEAD, AFTER TAKNG UPON HIMSELF ALL OUR SINS AND THE PUNISHMENT OF DYING ON THE CROSS FOR US. He gave us the means to receive forgiveness for our sins with confession to a true priest, and and to do penance and to amrnd our sinful lives. We cannot do that without supernatural aid.
In the Old Testament, it was the jewish faith. There was asolutely no salvation outside it. But as in the Catholic Church, all are welcome, as proved by the Book of Ruth, found in the Douay Rheims version of the Bible. She was not Jewish, but shr converted. Two things to note about the Catholic Church replacing the old law then and there, and forever isfirst, Jesus said He came to fulfil the old law, and the other irrifutable proof is that as He was dying on the cross, the veil that hid the Holy of Holies, which weighed seversl hundred pounds, was rent, torn, from top to bottom. Also, an earthquake occured laterally clear around the earth. There are too many proofs given us through the centuries to lead us to the oe true Church.

Anonymous said...

Pls forgive typos in last reply. Anyone searching for the veracity of these statements, please search the www for NO SALVATION OUTSIDE THE CHURCH (EXTRA ECCLESIAM NULLA SALUS). Please search with a humble heart and beg God through the intercession of Mary Most Holy. After all, Jesus could have come to this earth as an adult and as a mighty king, striking fear in our hearts, but no, He chose in His Godly wisdom to come to us as a very helpless, aproachable babe, through the cooperation of a humble, pure and holy maid of 15 years. In like manner Jesus wants us to follow His example, and come to Him through the Mother He chose from all eternity. Everyone who searches in response to these two comments I vow to pray until the end of time for the salvation and that of all their progeny and loved ones. I am saying this in all humility and thanksgiving to Mother Mary for snatchng me out of the jaws of the devil. I am a very rhsnkful convert.

Anonymous said...

P.S. A very thankful and low tech convert! One of many apologies for my many typos!

Anonymous said...

I know that there's no salvation outside The Holy Catholic Church but I've learned that that's so because everyone in Purgatory and Heaven are Catholic regardless of what religions or even none, they followed on earth. It doesn't make sense to me that if an innocent baby (whose parents are Hindu by virtue of their location, tradition, circumstances) wouldn't make it to Heaven.What about the generations of people in South America who never knew of Jesus or the Gospel before the Spanish expeditions brought catholic priests? There is no salvation outside the Catholic Church because we have to ultimately join the church, here or when we die. Janey, there are people who practise all the virtues and live lives of moral goodness and selflessness yet don't believe in God. that's actually possible, as are immoral Catholics (tragically). Being in the Catholic Church is not immunity from Hell or an insurance policy you invoke on your deathbed. We will be judged on love and how we led our lives. If anything Catholics will have a tougher time on Judgement Day. We had the example of the saints! We have The Church as moral compass and we could avail of the sacraments and the spiritual bounty of Christ's Church on earth. Only God can judge us and His mercy is unfathomable. (See St. Faustina.)P.S.I still pray for conversions to catholism! All the best. Annie

Anonymous said...

P.s.
I think this site is tremendous and will inspire people to re-examine the Catholic Faith. Saints and mystics are signposts to Heaven. Great job on discernment and holy obedience. I have heard there is a mystic in Italy known as Rosalina. She was born in 1964.If it is true then I would like to read about this lady. Many thanks.A

Anonymous said...

are there any updates of what the church stand on the visionary Vasula Ryden?

Glenn Dallaire said...

Hi Anonymous,
As you probably know, Vassula Ryden has received a negative judgment from Rome and there has been some good reasons for this. Concerning this, in case you have not read it, there is an excellent article by Father Francois-Marie Dermine O.P. here entitled Vassula Rydén: the Reasons for the Church's Negative Reaction

Best wishes and may God bless you and your loved ones,
-Glenn Dallaire

Anonymous said...

I have some friends who constantly visit a shrine in Ohio (Holy Love) where there is a supposed visionary who supposedly gets messages from heaven. At first I did not think anything of it but then I found out that it received negative comments from the local Bishop. When I brought it to their attention - they said they knew but that the bishop did not know what he was talking about - there are tons of fruits and devotions at this place. TONS OF RED FLAGS for me!!! They also said that Jesus (and other saints)told this visionary that she did not have to listen to the bishop and to proceed as usual. My first comment to my friends was what about obedience to the bishop - whether he is right or wrong - obedience is the first and foremost item that authenticates a vision or messages or anything of this nature. They said that St. Thomas Aquinas told the person that obedience in this case did not count (these "messages" are listed on the website). Now I know that they are totally taken by this. My question to you is do you have any suggestions that I may lay before them to show them this is a mistake and they are traveling down a not so good path. (I did give them both a copy of your articles).

God Bless
Carol

Glenn Dallaire said...


Hi Carol,
Well, I myself have personally traveled the road you are speaking of, however as for myself I eventually chose obedience to the local Bishop (and in my situation, also the Vatican) however I do have a number of persons who I know very well who are on the same path of disobedience as the persons which you mention--that being choosing a visionary/mystic over the judgement of the local Bishop, and I can tell you that in my own experiences that it is very, very difficult to convince such persons that Jesus expects them to obey the judgments of the local bishop, even if the bishop has judged incorrectly. Such persons always feel that they are "obeying God rather than man" when they follow a visionary against the judgement and authority of the Bishop, the successor to the apostles, and it is often almost impossible to convince such persons otherwise.

In closing, I pray that Jesus and Mary may guide and enlighten your friends to obey and follow the judgement of the local Bishop. Amen +

May God bless you and your loved ones,
Glenn Dallaire

winno said...

Hi Glenn,
My name is catherine. I have been very interested in current visionaries and whether they are true or "suspicious" in their visions.
I have seen the annomalies in those who claim to be receiving messages from Jesus Christ and Our Lady to those true visionaries accepted by The Church in the Past.
There is such a difference even in the manner on how the messages are given and the sacrifices of the visionaries.
I have said this to people and shown where the Church has rejected a lot of these current visionaries, but the Catholic Church has this rule that even if they do not accept the visionary. It is up to the individual to decide. I am very concerned about this as it can confuse the most of holy people. I have seen in books of some of these rejected visionaries this rule just inside the beginning of their books, thereby giving the impression that it is acceptable by the Church no matter what. Any ideas on why the Church did this in 1966 when so many people would not have followed visionaries prior to this Rule. Evermore now, with Pope Bededict resigning and according to a lot of the true visionaries, the beginning of tribulations, it is getting more desperate now for Satan to have souls delivered to him and these visionaries are a great way to do so. By the way i think that large meteorite landing in Russia was a small message from God to the beginning of things to come.

Anonymous said...

Hi
Your website is wonderful! I just wanted to ask you- have you thought of writing about teresa higginson -(servant of God) and (this person is alive and has stigmata) brother elia. I think he is approved by the local bishop of his area.

Glenn Dallaire said...


Hi Anonymous,
Yes, I have read a bit about Teresa Higginson and I would like to add an article about her at some point in the future, God willing.
Thank you for the suggestion and may God bless you and your loved ones,
-Glenn Dallaire

Joseph said...

Glenn,
Do you know of any mystics living in the USA? Thanks. Joseph

Glenn Dallaire said...


Hi Joseph,
Well, as far as mystics in the public view, it seems that at this time that Jesus has not chosen to give the USA/Canada anyone like Fr. Solanus Casey who had lived in Detroit or a Brother Andre Bessette in Montreal, or like St Padre Pio in Italy.....perhaps maybe it is because there are too many skeptics and doubters at this time in which we are living.....or perhaps they are remaining quite hidden to the public.

Because of emails that I receive I do know that there are mystics and victim souls among us, but God seems to keep them quite hidden from the world, and they lead very hidden lives to protect their mission for the salvation of souls, according to God's holy will. There are of course some visionaries who are more known, but the authenticity of such persons is questionable, and there is always the possibility of being deceived by such persons.

Best wishes and may God bless you and your loved ones,
Glenn Dallaire

Lovey said...

Thank you for this article Glenn. It is well done and quite timely considering the myriad of Catholic "visionaries" floating around out there. What amazes me is how adherents to particular seers can't seem to understand that their messages go against Catholic teaching.

I have linked your article about Sister Magdelana of the Cross in comment discussions on this topic, and I will also be linking this article. I would also like to put this article on my blog next week. Please visit! www.miraculousrosary.blogspot.com

Glenn Dallaire said...


Hi Lovey,
Thank you for your kind comments. I am happy to know that you are enjoying some of the articles here.

And thanks for the link to your blog-I will check it out.
Best wishes and may God bless you and your loved ones,
Glenn Dallaire

Marietta said...

Hi Glenn,
Thank you for your blog which I enjoy very much. It's so inspiring to learn about our mystics throughout the centuries.
If you'd be so kind, could you write something about Sr. Marie of Saint Peter, the visionary of the Holy Face of Jesus. I don't think she was a stigmatist, but she was definitely a seer and whom Our Lord entrusted with the mission to make reparation for sins against the Holy Name of God.
Thank you and God bless you for your apostolate.

Anonymous said...

hi has anyone heard of visionary of Saint Anthony named Amy Advincula. There is a chapel in back of her house and when we were there a priest from vatican was there. they say she leaves to Rome in Dec. also said Pope John Paul second once visited her home and said indeed it was holy?

Lucie ratna said...

There is Sr. Rosy in Tanjore, India who is a stigmatic and can bilocate just like St. Pio and has done many miracles also. Please include her in your website also.

Unknown said...

I pray the Blessings of God for all in this house. Obedience to authority wielded in the spirit of humility and love under the guidance of the revealed Word, Yes. We know such mystics by their Love. Obedience to the quotidian ways of the world robed in silks and fed on the fat of the land and sated on the flesh of our tender youth? False prophets and shepherds in legions were prophesied, we suffer amongst them even now. Again, we know the shepherds by their love, constancy,and humility.

Unknown said...

As a mystic and Catholic, I clearly see where we get things backwards. Mystics and those who practice are trying to get oneness with God. The Church(universal tries to get people to do just that, and offers community to understand with that. Mystics don't need that community to follow God. However both are needed. I think it is easy to say, that Saints had a mystical experience and some were mystics. St. John of the Cross, and St. Terresa are just a few. Mystics to me are the core of the Church!

Unknown said...

Mystics and other who practice similar forms, are ways for us to get a better understanding of God. Mystics enter that union with God, it is esoteric(That is the experiences are not just non-worldly but out of the Church or buildings. My experiences have all come outside of the church! But they have made the experience more powerful when I receive sacraments or mass. Study the Saints closely, and the ones who profess mysticism or some ability to be enlightened. Yes we exist!

Unknown said...

Thank you very much I love this site, Please can you try and research about a mystic in Nigeria named Brother Barnabas Nwoye. The society he propagates is called Apostolate of the Precious Blood of Jesus. Am a member I want to know if am on the right track with God and his Church. Thank you.

Unknown said...

Did Sr. Magdellan make her pact with the devil before the age of reason (age 7, I believe)? Doesn't the Church say kids are not liable or responsible for sins before the age of reason? Thank you for keeping up this site.

Marg.

divvy said...

Please check Mystics in Africa notable one is Bro, Barnabas Nwoye from Nigeria of the Apostolate of the Most Precious Blood of Jesus Christ,www.preciousblood95international.com

Anonymous said...

Hi, do you know of any mystics in Australia? Thanks Anna

Anonymous said...

Glenn, do you have any information on the Church's position on Marie Julie Jahenny? Thanks.

Glenn Dallaire said...

Dear Anonymous,
To reply to your question, no, unfortunately I do not have any information on the Church's position on Marie Julie Jahenny. Awhile back I did investigate her life somewhat and I did not find any negative judgments from her local bishop.

I will add though that it really appears that some of her alleged heavenly messages have been reworded and mistranslated, so I would suggest those interested to be very prudent in regards to the alleged messages and to verify them to the original revelations when/if possible.

Best wishes and may God bless you and your loved ones,
Glenn Dallaire

Anonymous said...

Hello. Have you heard of Pedro Regis and, if so, do you believe him to be true?

Glenn Dallaire said...

Hi Anonymous,
Sorry, but I am not familiar with Pedro Regis---perhaps one of the other readers here will comment.

Best wishes and may God bless you and your loved ones,
Glenn Dallaire

Anonymous said...

outside the catholic church therd is no salvation.

Anonymous said...

your spot on.no salvation outside the catholic church.

KarenElizabeth said...

This was asked about: "Brother Barnabas Nwoye. The society he propagates is called Apostolate of the Precious Blood of Jesus".

I was sent this seer's devotional book when I ordered Valtorta's Poem of the Man-God" (The best visionary writings ever!) and got concerned reading it. I read it out loud to my husband and he was immediately concerned too. Although this visionary has the local bishiop's Nihil Obstat I suspect this as a false visionary. (Nihil Obstat's do not mean the writing is infallibly from God. Bishops arent all perfect). The prayers are MOSTLY wonderful and true prayers, but together the proscribed regime of prayer is so extreme that most people are going to be discouraged and feel like a failure if they try to keep this up. Too many, many requirements! They have a caveat: one is encouraged to do as much as one is able for their "state in life", yes, that sounds good, BUT one is bound for disappointment in one's efforts if one has a family or loved ones to be concerned with or has to earn a living or wants time to do works of charity or have friends.

How does the evil one work? He takes what is true and right and beautiful and injects it with JUST ENOUGH falseness to infect the whole thing. I feel this is the dynamic at work here.

You can find a lot of truth in this work, but if you try to follow this way, IMO, MOST people are going to be discouraged because MOST will be huge failures at coming anywhere near minimal "requirements". Or, they will feel PROUD because they have managed to accomplish following all the requirements which takes SOME DOING!

Either response to this regime would be NORMAL, in my opinion, and both responses are bad fruit.

Also a person will feel out of step, because in the do-named "Great Month of July" there are MANY required prayers and acts, in addition to the daily ones, with a long list of just-as-complicated alternatives, in case the original requirements are too unmanageable for you in addtion to these July ones. My husband pointed out that for the rest Catholicity, July is "Ordinary time"! How woudl one not feel out of step with other Catholics, even the Pope who has not acknowledged July as the "Great Month!"? Or worse - more holy. Both aren't good. I see bad fruit here. Conclusion: I think its false.

I recommend Anne a Lay Apostle's work. It truly is "Directions for Our Time". The requirements are good but not stringent. The fruit can be nothing but good, IMO. The seer Barnabas has directions for perhaps someone in another time and place, like someone in jail with nowhere to go and nothing to to. Since many of the prayers are good, good could come of it. But I think the average person in our time trying to follow Barnabas' formula will be distracted from doing much good in his life, and may end up with a troubled spirit.


Glenn Dallaire said...


Hi Karen Elizabeth,
Thank you for your very thoughtful comments. I personally agree with much of what you have stated. And as a side note, I too love the writings of Maria Valtorta.

Best wishes and may God bless you and your loved ones,
Glenn Dallaire

Anonymous said...

Blessings to all! Many years ago, I had a very profound beatific vision. Is there anyone I can share this vision with that can help me? Where I am living now, the bishop, would not be able to read the account of my vision because it's in English and I live in a Spanish speaking country.
Thank you
Ariela

Unknown said...

I thought maria valtorta s poem of the man god is condemned by the catholic church?

Unknown said...

We are warned pdf on internet.visions of marie julie jahenny.serch google.

Joe said...

The Poem was placed on the index of forbidden books which is now abolished. So was at Divine Mercy diary so the index really means nothing. Anyone can read the books n firm their own judgement.

Anonymous said...

Thank you Glenn for the work you are doing. Through this website I discovered the great saint of our time St padre Pio whose intercession has changed my life and worked wonders for I and my family. Thank you Glenn and may God continue to bless you and your family all the days of your lives.Amen.

Anonymous said...

I hate the word mystic....it doesn't sound religious...I believe especially at this time we have revelation from God to our church leaders and personal revelations to ourselves and people all over who believe in Christ. I use to be a catholic and now am a Mormon after a long trek or search prayerfully in what direction to go and was led to the Mormon church. we have a prophet as in olden days who presides over our church with councelor and we have apostles and the 70's and on down to bishops and elders all in the priesthood. I have been in the Mormon church since 1978 so a very long time and raised 5 kids in it and it was the best thing I could have ever done because its focus is on the Savior Jesus Christ and on the family.

Glenn Dallaire said...

First, to the "Anonymous" that is 2 posts above this one:
Thank you for your kind comments. I am really glad to hear that God lead you to St Padre Pio!--he and St Gemma are my own personal favorites. As you have discovered Padre Pio was a most extraordinary contemporary priest who really loved Jesus and Mary with all of his heart, and this is why God was pleased to set him as a holy example before others, and work many extraordinary miracles and conversions through him.

To the "Anonymous" directly above this post, well the word "mystic" has been used for centuries to describe souls who were/are called by God to experience extraordinary mystical revelations, graces and mystical experiences. Personally, I think the word "medium" (as in psychic-medium) as often used in modern conversation is the word that often invokes a less than "religious" sense to it. -Just my .02 cents. Nevertheless, our own personal subjectivity really has no bearing on the actual common understanding of the word itself.

Thank you both for your comments and may God bless you and your loved ones!
Glenn Dallaire

Anonymous said...

Hi, I hope this message finds you well. I am Mr. Glenn G. Rivera of Masbate City, a public school teacher, for one (1) year now. I graduated with a degree of BA Political Science from the University of the Philippines - Diliman and earned twenty-one (21) units of Professional Education from a local college. I, together with my family, am a Roman Catholic faithful, referred to as, "Katoliko Sarado" in our province. Before I decided to become a teacher, I worked for more than a year as a writer and research assistant at the Labor Education and Research Network (LEARN) in Quezon City and for almost nine (9) months as a Community Development Facilitator at Plan International - Masbate Program Unit.

I write to you after reading your posts here. I would like to ask about something that has been bothering me since 2008. It is something religious and mystical, I believe. I've been having visions of the future as well as mystical sightings everywhere. It started when I decided to take a self-administered fasting for two or three days in my own boarding house in UP Diliman in December 2008. Then one night, I had a vision of Jesus Christ in a huge mango tree before the shining light of the full moon. Then I heard a voice within me that said "protektahan mo ang mga puno at hayop sa iyong kapaligiran (trans: protect the trees and animals in your surroundings)." I was bothered after that because my relatives kept on insisting that I went "mad" or got psychologically ill whenever I tell them my story. So I tried my best to suppress any related mystical or religious thoughts. I refrained from reading the Bible and praying the rosary. But I still go to Church and observe masses. I regularly receive the holy communion. However, right now, I can still remember that vision and felt that God must be sending me on a "mission". To answer his call, in 2010, I started making myself available for any social activities that have something to do with protecting or saving the environment. In fact, I have lots of groups now on Facebook, some of which (around 10 at least) I maintain myself for my different social causes and advocacies. I have a group for the environment, one for our Provincial society, for teachers, for catholic devotees in our province, students, public servants, etc. I did not abandon the "calling" that "Jesus" (I believe that it was really Him who showed His Image to me and spoke His Voice through me) assigned to me. I think I have been driven by what I saw in that mango tree and the voice that I heard speaking through me. I am not an expert in Bible studies or spirituality but I do my own research since I was trained to be a researcher and writer. I am now inclined to think that it was all beyond imagination and mysticism. There must be something else waiting for me in the Roman Catholic world.

It occurred to me later on, until now, that God might be calling me to priesthood. At 27 now, I am still single and I cannot believe myself to be in this situation since I regularly had girl friends as a young (and fairly handsome) boy. There must be some other reason why God is keeping me away from marriage. I was thinking, I can have a future with the Church not only as a hard-core believer but as a Priest and servant of the Lord. I hope you can give me some advice or spiritual guidance regarding everything that I am confessing to you. I hope you can help me. Thank you and may the Good Lord bless you always.

Glenn Dallaire said...


Hi Glenn G. Rivera,
I read your message with much attention. After reflecting upon all that you have written I would suggest that you consider meeting with a local Catholic priest to discuss in more detail your life and the direction that God seems to be calling you. A priest can better help you discern your vocation in life, since they are guided by the Holy Spirit.

Best wishes and may God bless you and your loved ones,
Glenn Dallaire

Anonymous said...

Thank you so much Mr. Glenn Dallaire. God bless you and your family.

Best,

Glenn G. Rivera

Bizlep said...

Folks
I'm posting this to let you know that, although much better known by now, Charlie Johnston is not alone in the US on 'forecasting' a impending 'storm'.

This man has been around exactly the same subject for even more years than CJ.
I live you a link here, than just do your 'homework'. I ignore if they know each other: http://afterthewarning.com/messages-from-heaven/john-martinez/2015/10/10-06-about-our-holy-father.aspx

God Bless... and get wiser!

Anonymous said...

I googled this guy and some of his stuff is pretty out there, e.g.:

"Before the time of the calamity takes place, the Refuges will be ready. For those that are not able to travel, angels will carry them into the Refuges. I saw angels carrying Holy Shrines, Basilicas, even homes into the Refuge."

Does this fellow (John Martinez) have approval from his Bishop to be publishing these messages?

I don't know about anyone else but I'm getting mystic fatigue.

HexagonGroup said...

I heard an emphatic voice in the late nineties. "Blight! Blight! Poverty and blight across the land! Insure! Insure!" Then in a softer tone, "Interest rates will dwindle to nothing." Soon after interest rates started ratcheting down. The insurance industry is the only entity that has an interest in things not being destroyed, and they have the resources to make restoration. All other entities, including law enforcement, government in general, and retailers profit off of chaos, the so-called "cannibal economy" where, for example, divorce demands buying two sets of everything and so forth.

St. Michael asked me to write a book, QUEEN OF ANGELS AND MOTHER OF THE SON OF MAN. This is to correct the world view of ancient history that mankind was pagan, and then adopted monotheism; and to demonstrate the role of woman in the ancient world. In reality mankind was monotheist from the first, and the whole world embraced the Genesis 3:15 mandate of the Woman & Seed crushing Lucifer and his minions, fulfilled in the Virgin Mary and her divine Son, Jesus Christ.

Some time after seeing St. Michael, I was washed over by a demonic cloud that another man in town said came through his home. This living darkness was about 5 feet by 7 feet, an amoeba shape that came through the wall. It flowed over my torso and legs and I was later quite ill from gallstones and sciatica. This other man who saw it said it wilted a fresh-cut rose, and he himself died of testicular cancer and had sciatica for years. This is the roaming evil we must all pray is banished from our midst.

My generalized visions are glimpsing dark shadowy energy, and I avoid places where I see this, and pray the St. Michael prayer. In 2013, on St. Teresa of Avila's feast, I was praying for her intercession while driving. I had a flash vision of a Carmelite monastery with a white Spanish façade facing east here in Independence, Missouri, on Blue Ridge around 23rd Street. Prayer for a Carmelite foundation is needed. Our Lady's final appearance at Fatima during the Miracle of the Sun was as Our Lady of Mt. Carmel holding the Infant King of Kings.

In 2014 I had a flash vision looking up at the wall of a brick building I am rehabbing. The sign high on the wall said, "CONSTABULARY." This is on Blue Ridge as well, and sorely in need of a security presence to counteract the police treating snitches with kid gloves and protecting their drug and prostitution trade when they turn on others. One incident is recorded on YouTube I posted under "CONSTABULERY!" which, if accessed with quotations, will avoid Google references to English law enforcement. Your prayer is needed.

"God wishes to establish in the world devotion to my Immaculate Heart." Do we need more guidance from Heaven? This message of Fatima is the "only" means to peace! Pray the daily Rosary for peace. The Immaculate Heart, perfect loving purity of intent, is unconquerable and love triumphs. Enroll in the Archconfraternity of the Immaculate Heart by sending name and birthdate to: Archconfraternity of the Immaculate Heart, Our Lady of Victories, 6, Rue de Notre Dame des Victoires, 75002, Paris, FRANCE. Mark the envelope "FIRST CLASS" to get the best rate or pay higher international rates. Your pledge to be a Catholic in good standing, and to say one "Hail, Mary" daily for sinners, the Church and the Holy Father. This Archconfraternity laden with miracles and a result of two locutions to the parish priest in 1836, nicely accords with the Fatima request and unleashes miracles. Thanks be to God! mysterofcarmel at gmail dot com

Anonymous said...

Hello Glen,

Thank you for your article!
What is your input on mystic Catalina Rivas? She has suffered stigmatas and has written many works inspired by Jesus and Mary. To my understanding, she is an authentic mystic and I am considering to join her apostolate as a nun.

Jay

Glenn Dallaire said...


Hi Jay,
To reply to your question, yes, I have read a bit about Catalina Rivas over the years, but I have not studied her extensively, so I have no personal opinion concerning her. It is important for me to point out though that with all mystics, most especially *living* mystics, I always urge much caution and very careful discernment.
May God bless you and your loved ones,
Glenn Dallaire

Anonymous said...

Thank you!!
Jay

Theresa E said...

What about Zlatko Sudac?
Have you researched him as a living visionary mystic?

Anonymous said...

Hi Glenn,
Could you please check Fr. Mark Bozada if you think he is a mystic? he can be found in youtube too. Thanks.

Marian said...

Sharing a vision - This happened in the early hours of the morning, a time between sleep and awakening. I believe there is a sort of open window into the soul during those hours.

I saw complete darkness. From the back of the darkness, an golden oval light of emanating rays came forward. From the center of oval light, the wooden cross of Jesus came forward and presented itself in front of me. The wooden cross was in the upright position as we all recognize it in every church.

Then, the Cross began to tilt to the right. Slowly, it kept tilting, until the top of the Cross was at the 4:00 position (as on a clock), and the bottom of the Cross was in the 10:00 position.

Slowly, the Cross turned from wood into gleaming steel. Actually, it turned into a sword; and I heard the voice clearly....."Use the Cross as your sword to fight all of your battles."

I jumped from my bed and ran for the nearest crucifix. We always treat the crucifix of Jesus with respect, holding it gently. This time, I wrapped my hand around the top part of it and thrust it upward. The Cross is actually a sword to be used in spiritual battles.

Anonymous said...

Bizlep and Anonomous asked about Deacon John Martinez, Jr, and I have a couple of answers for them. John is not approved by his Bishop. John presents himself as a retired Deacon, however John is a laicized Deacon. He divorced his wife that he went through the diaconate with, and he remarried without an annulment. This can be verified by the Archdiocese of San Antonio.

Anonymous said...

Very surprised that there is nothing about John Leary here.

Anonymous said...

If anyone has questions regarding laicized former Deacon John Martinez, Msgr Ragsdale at the Archdiocese of San Antonio is the one to speak to.

Anonymous said...

This woman known as 'Amma' to her followers has already left behind her a trail of scandals, pertaining to matters ranging from sex to money. She indeed has billions of dollars in her bank account, thanks to gullible donors from around the world. As an impartial Catholic observer from India, we can almost certainly say this woman is driven by hunger for fame and money. A tree is known by its fruits, as Jesus said. This woman cannot be said to have borne any visible good fruits!
- From India with love

Unknown said...

Hello Glen, God reaches out to all His created children. He enlightens those who stand humble before Him. So when the question is asked, are there any mystics in other religions, churches. Know that God gives His love freely. But just as it is in the Catholic church, the devil always seeks to destroy. I know this doesn't directly answer the question of mystics in other churches. But it is the best I can explain.

So what do you think of out of the body experiences. I should send you to my Spiritual Director. Sincerely, bill

Unknown said...

I've met John Leary, he is a very private person.

Unknown said...

My instincts (which MAY be wrong / improperly informed) tell me Jesus wants us to accept His Mother and respect her as much as He does. Indeed He gave her to us as Our Mother, while she stood at the foot of His cross. She was there all the way with Him - likewise she is there for us, if we but ask her. She is everything we need. I have listened in dismay while certain Catholic priests attempted to demote Our Lady (e.g. by limiting the number of hymns we could sing in her honour, at mass) i do believe they were misguided. Any praise heaped on Mary is a source of great joy to Jesus, her loving Son! :-)
And as for the fate of those who believe, with all their hearts and souls, in other religions - who are we to deny them access to Heavan?? We are only creatures ourselves. In those people's eyes, WE are the ones in error!! But God is greater than any of us. His ways are not ours. And we are ALL God's creatures. Let's remember that. He will not abandon those that love Him. Nothing is hidden from God. Whereas much is hidden from us, His creatures. Often, sadly, our own vanity is hidden. God bless xx mp

Gina said...

The comments concerning The Precious BLood devotion neglect to acknowledge that the prayers are for those joining in a religious apostolate.These people are called to it.They are agreeing to say the prayers as a religious group. I have seen nothing but good fruit from this devotion. indeed I had a daughter far from the church who after an accident in which they revived her from death said she was here because I said these prayers in their entirety. the prayers can be divided up for those who cannot say them all at one time. I have had junior high school age children say these prayers so it is not impossible. The bloggers expression bad fruit to express her/his inability to do the devotion shows a lack of diligence and structure,things easily addressed.

Anonymous said...

troy rene spallino stigmatist visionary healing divine private revelation self reclusive in the sufferings as to keep hidden the integrity of the truth of the omnipotent love of god...sees not worthy by self works only a yes to please god...secret miraculous events over 20 years with eyewitnesses not catholic also...is embarrassed of his yes to bare this cross of suffering...denies his own suffering as is offered only for gods plan...he prays that god sees no reality in his yes but to lift Christ and serve...secretly intervenes for souls as to not scare the faithful...does not know how powerfully hes being used...prays for continued private suffering with only his spouse as a rock for tending to his agonies...denies spiritual direction...bleeds enough to have health issues yet is with all the aspects of a hidden fast...prays in lonliness for days at a time in a secluded place to suffer...wants no one to be in the hope that he is anything but a poor fool that said yes because of offending god he suffers and denies his wounds by emotional stigmata the personality of our lords passion is his true agony...responsible for healing terminal and emotional mortal illness by death ...raised two animals to life after death by vehicular contact witnessed...strange weathers follow him to no coincidence by times of the willing place set by the love of hearing to be where the events unfold...reveals real security threats to powers for early intervention...claims two studies broke the heart of Christ one religious and scientific studies prove blood type other than his own...and lastly does not know about this duty of mine to say we have a man that protects Christ from ridicule in the catholic faith due to his case...lamb in nature yet surprises powers of community with his lion protective pride for gods love...begs loved ones mention his record of the phenomena after his death...states age 78 by the work ahead being revealed...a happy tired death for a suffering not his own...please tell not one soul of this truth by me ,,,is with the world not in it or of it but keeps it held to Christ and mercy is due...to help Christ withiout the people of god knowing...divine understanding of the revelation of the old and new testimonials by the exclamation of study. has sent the ones separated from god to details of faithful hope saying he was taught this by only study divine revelational of mysteries of the biblical and doctors of the church...saintly relation as real time connects...please do not contact him hes a little one adding glorification and martyrdom is his passion to the extent of this cross...a powerful living man that isn't sure hes pleasing god...hopes the eyes of mankind needs no grace with his wounds to believe is to breath.aged 45...amen

Glenn Dallaire said...

Troy,
Thank you for your comments. Taking what you state on face value, my advice (for whatever it is worth) having studied the lives of many dozens of purported Catholic mystics over the years would be that you should pray about obtaining a priest spiritual director to help guide you. Such has always been the traditional approach of the Church throughout the centuries for persons who feel they may be called to a specific purpose/mission.
May God bless you and your loved ones,
Glenn Dallaire

Unknown said...

I am wondering about Maria Simma who was a mystic who had visits from the souls in purgatory. I have read a couple of books in which she was interviewed and had her Bishops blessing until her death. She said that there are others who also have visits from these souls. Do you know of any that have the approval of their Bishop?

Unknown said...

Author and writer, Michael Brown from spiritdaily.com is.

nonoy lopez said...

i am truly troubled by your statement that re: obedience is the litmus test of the church. i beg to disagree. please watch the documentary on the lipa apparition. and then after watching it tell me or correct me in not believing your statement.

Unknown said...

Hi,
Have you heard of a Carmelite Nun Sr. Rosy from India with the stigmata.

Glenn Dallaire said...

As an update to my December 17, 2012 comment above concerning Vassula Ryden I would like to point out that her "True Life in God" (TLIG) writings have since received an imprimatur and a nihil obstat from the Church since 2017, as stated in this document by Fr. Joseph Iannuzzi,Ph.B, STB, STL, STD:

https://ww3.tlig.org/en/the-messages/nihilobstat-imprimatur/the-tlig-prophetic-revelations-enjoy-the-magisteriums-imprimatur-and-nihil-obstat/

This is not to say that I personally am a supporter of Vassula Ryden's private revelations, nevertheless I do believe its always important to make sure the facts are presented and up to date.

Glenn Dallaire

HexagonGroup said...

Vassula Ryden may have an Imprimatur from some pop heretic like Abp. Barron who says damnation may not be eternal; and if ears tickle, coins cling; so play with fire and automatic writing and get an assuredly eternal burn.

daglasan said...

Dear HexagonGroup,

The Imprimatur is not from some pop heretic like Abp Barron as you stated.
And also the True Life in God messages are not the result of automatic writing.


https://ww3.tlig.org/en/handwriting/curty-a-letter-of-our-lord-to-his-church/

https://ww3.tlig.org/en/testimonies/imprimatur-and-nihil-obstat-official-ecclesiastic-seals-of-approval/

God bless

My Journey into Professional Wedding Photography said...

I know Fr. Iannuzzi has lots of impressive letters after his name, but my understanding is that the imprimatur must be given by the bishop of the diocese where the person (in this case the alleged visionary) resides or where the books are being printed. The archbishop giving Vassula his imprimatur was in Lipa, Philippines and he was recently disciplined for also supporting another false mystic (the Vatican overruled and nullified his decree from Sept. 15, 2015, authenticating the claims of the late Carmelite novice Teresita Lat Castillo with the apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary, under the title Mediatrix of All Grace). This is also the same archbishop who granted an imprimatur to Christine’s Watkins book “The Warning,” who showcases Fr. Michel Rodrigue (whose messages were recently disavowed by both his ordinary and the bishop of his diocese of incardination).

Anonymous said...

Hi Glenn I enjoy your website but I am wondering if you have any plans to include more information on sr. mary martha chambon now that a new book of her life has been released by the visitation nuns in France

Glenn Dallaire said...

Yes, I hope to be able to add lots of info about Sr. Mary Martha Chambon!

Anonymous said...

Hello, any info you could give us on Italian mystic Rosalina? all I know is that she was born in 1964....

Anonymous said...

But Saint Joan of Arc said that "God must be served first". The men that condemned her were corrupt clergymen. Especially pierre cauchon, since he received money from the English to condemn St.Joan of Arc. He did not have the authority to condemn her, since Rouen was not within his jurisdiction. Unfortunately there are many corrupt clergy in the Church still today, many even are secret masons. St.thomas Aquinas said that one is not obligated to obey an unjust order. I wrote this because you wrote that one of the marks of a false mystic is deferring authority from the local bishop and/or deferring authority to God alone. When there are exceptional cases and exceptions to the rule, like St.Joan of Arc. And St.Joan of Arc was a true mystic. The judges of St.Joan of arc were disobedient to the Pope and even elected an Anti-Pope; they wanted the Pope at the time to submit to the conciliar church(they believed that a Pope must make decisions only through other bishops). We must respect the clergy but not put them in a pedestal. They are fallible human beings. Remember the injustice done to the knight templars and the Pope at the time did not do nothing.

Anonymous said...

Given what we have been told about the rosary and how the devil hates it, if a mystic recommends praying 3 mysteries a day, wouldn’t this mean that the devil did not inspire this mystic? If the devil can inspire people to pray the rosary, does this not mean the things we’ve been told about the rosary are just pious exaggerations?

That the devil did not inspire it does not mean it came from God, of course. It can come from a human spirit.

Glenn Dallaire said...


Hi Anonymous (directly above),
Agreed, but just as you mentioned it could also be a statement derived from the person herself/himself. -Glenn

ShareThis