The Papal Artifacts’ Collection is primarily dedicated to artifacts connected to the papacy. Individual popes, their biographies and multiple items belonging to them, including first and second class relics, make up the majority of this Collection. But that isn’t all it is.
Father Kunst has a deep devotion to the saints as can be readily seen in viewing the Saints & Blesseds section of this site. We invite you to visit Papal History/Saints & Blesseds to view the many canonized and beatified men and women who make up this section of the Collection.
Another category is also included with this Collection: Notable Individuals. These are people significantly associated with the Catholic Church who have not been canonized but contributed in outstanding ways to the church.
Venerable Therese Neumann is one of them.
Holy Card Signed by Venerable Therese Neumann (signature)The following information is the interesting story of how Father Kunst procured this holy card of Therese Neumann
When Father Kunst first started collecting he purchased Vatican coins from a man on e-Bay. The man shared a story because he thought a Catholic priest would be interested in it.
While still in the military he went to visit Therese Neumann in Germany. She was somewhat of a sensation at the time and he wanted to meet her. Father Kunst asked him if he received anything from her that was signed. The man said, As a matter of fact I did have her sign a holy card.
He sent this to Father Kunst as a gift.
This is the only autographed card of hers Father Kunst has seen.
Having such an interesting item in the collection was an unanticipated consequence of the purchase of a few papal coins.
Venerable Therese Neumann
Era: 1898-1962
One of the reasons I am here on earth today is to prove that man can live by God’s invisible light, and not by food only. –Therese Neumann
A renowned visitor of hers, Paramahansa Yogananda believed she was here to reassure all Christians of the historical authenticity of Jesus’ life and crucifixion as recorded in the New Testament, and to dramatically display the ever-living bond between Him and his devotees.
Therese Neumann was born in April of 1898 in the village of Konnersreuth in Bavaria, Germany, the first of eleven children. When she was twenty years old an accident left her partially paralyzed. In 1919, she was blinded completely and various other accidents left her bedridden. Therese had a great devotion to St Therese of Lisieux and credits her with healing of her paralysis and bedsores.
In 1926, Therese developed the stigmata. She was also reported to have had visions of Christ. Controversy surrounded Therese Neumann’s wounds but several sources say these wounds never healed, never became infected and were present at her death. In addition to the stigmata she was reported to have consumed no food other than the Eucharist for a period of forty years. A medical doctor and four Franciscan nurses kept watch over her for a period of two weeks and confirmed that she consumed nothing except the Eucharist. She suffered no ill effects, loss of weight or dehydration.
During the time of the Third Reich in Germany, Therese Neumann was the target of ridicule. The Nazis knew of her opposition to them and while she was never physically harmed, her family’s home, her parish church and the priest’s house all received direct attacks.
Therese Neumann died on September 18, 1962, from cardiac arrest. She was sixty-four years of age. 40,000 people signed a petition asking for her beatification. In 2005, Bishop Gerhard Muller of Regensburg formally opened the Vatican proceedings for her beatification.
A source of further information on Therese Neumann may be obtained from www.mysticsofthechurch.com
