Lessons From the Life of Stigmatist St. Anna Schaffer| National Catholic Register

From her childhood prayers to her final breath, St. Anna Schaffer’s life was a testament to her love for Jesus.

St. Anna Schaffer (1882-1925) was a “victim soul” from Germany who suffered much during her short life, including receiving the stigmata, or wounds of Christ. Her feast day is Oct. 5.

Anna was born in Mindelstetten in Bavaria, the third of six children. Her father was a carpenter; the family was poor. She was much like the other children, her mother recalled, but was drawn to prayer. Anna was intelligent and did well in school. At age 11, she received her first Holy Communion, telling Our Lord, “Do with me as you want … if you will it, my Jesus, let me become an expiatory sacrifice to atone for all dishonor and all offenses that are committed against you.”

Her father died when he was 40. At age 14, Anna went to work as a maid to help support the family. She had a desire to enter a religious community, but her family circumstances would not permit it. At age 16, she had a vision of Mary, who was carrying a rosary. She told Anna the importance of praying it and warned her she would have much suffering in life.

In 1901, at age 18, Anna’s legs were badly burned in a workplace accident. She was washing linens in boiling water in a large kettle. When the stove pipe came loose, Anna climbed up on the edge of the kettle to reattach it. She slipped and fell into the boiling water, scalding the lower portion of her legs. Despite many skin grafts and 30 surgeries, they never healed. She was released to the care of her mother.

She was bedridden and in great pain, but used her time to grow closer to Christ. She stayed optimistic, but her legs did not heal. A local abbot brought her daily Communion, which was essential to her growth in holiness. Anna wrote, “I cannot write by pen how happy I am every time after Holy Communion. Ah, I forget my earthly suffering and the longing of my poor soul draws me every moment to adore my God and Savior hidden in the Blessed Sacrament!”

Anna accepted and abandoned herself to her suffering. She believed her three keys to heaven were, first, her suffering; second, her writing (she would write words of encouragement to those who wrote her); and third, knitting clothes for her friends. In 1910, Anna had another vision of Jesus who told her she would feel the pains of his passion. She then received the stigmata.

She was diagnosed with colon cancer in 1925, which turned into paralysis of her spine. On October 5, she died after receiving Holy Communion and declaring, “Jesus, I live for you.”

Many miracles have been attributed to her intercession. She was beatified by Pope St. John Paul II in 1999 and canonized by Pope Benedict XVI in 2012. She is a patron saint of disabled and bedridden people and accident victims.