Magdalena Gornik (also Gornikova Lenčka, Šmetova Alenčica or Alenka; July 19, 1835, Janeži, Austrian Empire – February 23, 1896, Petrinci, Austria-Hungary) was a Slovenian Roman Catholic mystic and stigmatist.
Biography Youth
Gora near Sodražica rises above the Ribnica valley at an altitude of 885 meters, right on the border between Lower Carniola and Inner Carniola. The family of Gornik have always been poorer than rich. Despite their poverty, they tried to properly maintain their spiritual shepherd and the Church of Our Lady of Snows, which rises on a hill above the village of Petrinci. The church is surrounded by a cemetery where Magdalena Gornik is buried.
Below the village of Petrinci, about a quarter of an hour's walk from the church, lies the village of Janeži, which had only 13 inhabitants in 2016. There, around 1828, at the Šmet farm (the house name where the Gorniks lives), the young Jožef Gornik married Ana from nearby Petrinci, who also had the surname Gornik. They had seven children: Ana (born 1829) Marija (born 1831) Magdalena (born 1835) Alojz — the owner of the farm after her father's death — was born soon after her. Agnes (born 1840) Apolonija (born 1843) Terezija (born 1847); died of tuberculosis at age 13.
Magdalena was born on July 19, 1835 in the family house, at Janeži 4, today number 11. This house burned down and in 1881 Magdalena's brother Alojz built a new one on the same spot. The year above the doorframe also testifies to this. On the same day, she was taken to the parish church of Mary the Snows to be baptized, with Michael Levshtek and Margareth Koshir from Petrinci serving as her godparents. She was baptized by the curate at Parish of Gora, Matthäus Ravnikar. She was given the name Maria Magdalena. Magdalena was also called Lenka, Alenčka or Lenčka, but she always signed herself as Magdalena.
Magdalena's parents were considered honest and good people. They were devout Christians and raised their children in a Christian spirit. Her mother was especially fond of Magdalena because she obeyed her at the first word, was a great help to her in the household, as well as in other farm chores. Magdalena was a lively and bright girl with blue eyes and a weak build, but with a simple and gentle nature. She loved to socialize with her peers in play, work and prayer; she often taught them Christian doctrine, which she liked to attend. She had a calming effect on the girls, was well-behaved and friendly to everyone. Whenever she had time, she devoted it to prayer or listening to spiritual conversations. She often went to church and had confidential conversations with God. But she did not show off her piety.
First Holy Communion The Gora curate Jožef Žagar firmly adhered to the old tradition that children could only receive their first Holy Communion at the age of twelve. It was not until the decree of Saint Pope Pius X on early Holy Communion "Quam singulari" of August 7, 1910, that it was possible to receive First Holy Communion already in the "years of discernment", around the age of seven.
Every day, Magdalena joined her peers in spiritual preparation, led by the curate Žagar. She carefully memorized every word the priest said, especially about the real presence of Jesus under the appearance of bread and wine in Eucharist. Magdalena quickly grasped the material and acquired the necessary knowledge. The curate Žagar, who was also her confessor, allowed her to approach the Communion tableUntil the Second Vatican Council, communion was distributed to Catholic believers who knelt before a "Communion table" or "Lord's table" placed in front of the entrance to the presbytery.. Twelve-year-old Magdalena therefore approached her First communion in 1847 in the company of her peers. The writer of her youth, Janez Plaper, writes, that upon this first entry into her pure heart, the Most Holy God »kindled such a burning love in her that her physical strength began to weaken. She could barely walk the few steps to her place in the pew. Here she fell to her knees and stared motionlessly at the image of Our Lady of the Snows above the altar for a quarter of an hour. When she stood up to leave the church after the Holy Mass, she heard a voice: "Don't tell anyone what you have experienced." Astonished by the voice, she thought that the other girls could also hear it. "No," she heard the mysterious voice again, "they do not hear this voice, but you alone. I am the one you have just consumed." A short time later, she left the church with the other girls of her age.«Historical notes of the fasc. 16, The Great Book of Apparitions 1-6
Mystical phenomena Gornik's life is connected with unusual mystical phenomena, such as visions, stigmata, the renewal of Christ's suffering, living without physical food for many years, foreseeing events, unusual healings.
According to theologian Martina Kraljič, author of the book Magdalena Gornik, "In the Ljubljana Archdiocesan Archives, all sources about Magdalena Gornik are accessible to everyone, there are 6,800 pages of them" . She also said that her notes and correspondence were kept by the priest Frančišek Lampe, who also took the famous photograph of the stigmata during her ecstasy.
Ecstasy She is said to have experienced her first ecstasy at the age of thirteen, on August 11, 1848. From August 24, 1848 until her death on February 23, 1896, she is said to have az ecstasy every evening, as well as on Fridays during Holy Week and at every mass. The ecstasies were based on the church year. During the ecstasy, her body was insensitive to external stimuli. Gornik was later able to tell everything that happened during the ecstasy, which were associated with visions and suffering; at that time, the stigmata were also said to have opened to her.
Visions Gornik is said to have experiences visions throughout her life, the content of which varied greatly. They corresponded to the course of the Liturgical year. She had her first vision in the spring of 1847, and her last one the day before her death.
In her visions, Magdalena supposedly saw and spoke with angels, saints, Virgin Mary, and the Holy Trinity. According to her, the angels taught her about the worship of Mary and God and wept over the unbelief of people. The Virgin Mary supposedly spoke to her about chastity and prayer, encouraged her to patiently endure suffering, and invited her to contemplate the suffering and death of Jesus; Mary also appeared as an advocate for people with her Son.
On Fridays and during Lent, she witnessed Jesus' suffering. On Maundy Thursday, she also participated in the Last Supper, and on Good Friday, she witnessed Jesus' Stations of the Cross and death. On Easter, she witnessed Jesus' resurrection and then on Ascension, his ascension. Sometimes, through visions, she would follow the Holy Mass in her parish church from home.
Mysterious Communion Magdalene is said to have received both sacramental (the kind that every believer can receive) and mystical Holy Communion (some saints). Both of these occurred most often in trance. She received Mystical Communion only in extasy. At that time, Jesus himself, a priest-saint, or an angel administered it to her. Many people, including priests, are said to have seen the host suddenly appearing in her mouth, and soon after they saw a special chalice. After such an event, Magdalena always gave thanks, and sometimes even admonished those present to do penance.
Stigmata Magdalene is said to have received the marks of the wounds of Jesus or stigmata in November 1848 as a thirteen-year-old girl on her hands, feet and side, about which she herself wrote: That week before Advent 1848 I received the wounds. I had known it for three weeks beforehand. All three: Jesus, Mary and St. Francis told me that I would receive them. On Wednesday at eleven o'clock I received the wounds. From the sky very thin streams of blood flowed into my hands and feet; and a thick stream flowed into my right side. It hurt me terribly. Since then my wounds have bled every Friday; and in 1849 they also bled every Wednesday. Every day they hurt me from three to four in the afternoon.Archdiocesan Archives in Ljubljana: »Historical Notes« fasc. 16, no. 1/1; Great Book of Apparitions I, 292 (transcript)/Nadškofijski arhiv v Ljubljani: »Zgodovinski zapiski« fasc. 16, št. 1/1; Velika knjiga prikazovanj I, 292 (prepis) She hid her wounds so much that for a long time even her family did not know about them; until 1855 she bore visible wounds on her body. When she saw the Savior crowned with thorns or suffering in some other way in a vision, the wounds of the crown of thorns would open on her forehead. During Holy Week, the wounds of the flagellation would also open on her body. The stigmata caused her severe pain, but Magdalena did not complain. The wounds were examined by doctors, priests and visitors, but no one found any fraud.
Inedia Up until the age of thirteen, Magdalena ate like everyone else; from September 25, 1848 until her death, she is said to have no longer needed any earthly food and she lived in inedia; she is said to have lived without any food for 47 years. She could not even bear the smell of ordinary food. Her food was said to have been the Holy Eucharist and a kind of "heavenly food", which she received only in a daze. Her attendants told the priest Lesjak that accordingly she had no bodily secretions. Despite her inedia, she easily performed her daily duties.
Materialization Gornik is said to have received several objects in a state of extasy or materialization, which were visible not only to herself, but also to other people. One of these was an unusual or heavenly food that Gornik received almost every day at the end of the extasy. Most often, she received it in a vision from the Virgin Mary or from an angel. Eyewitnesses reported that this dish was in the form of a small piece or grain, often of different colors.
Another peculiarity was the cross that Gornik supposedly received in the extasy and that remained on her chest even after that. This cross was said to have hung on her body without any string and never fell to the ground. Several priests held this cross in their hands; they described its dimensions and color in detail.
Levitation and weightless Levitation is a mystical phenomenon in which a human body is lifted into the air, floats in the air, or moves without any natural aid. The opposite of this phenomenon is weightless, when even an otherwise weak body becomes so heavy that others cannot move it or can do so only with great difficulty. There are reports of both phenomena in the case of Magdalene.
Magdalene's levitation is said to have occurred most often when she strongly desired to receive Holy Communion; at that time her body rose into the air. She is also said to have levitated when the priest blessed the Most Holy, during the mystical death on Good Friday and the mystical resurrection on Easter morning. The heaviness is said to have occurred when Magdalena was in a extasy.
Xenoglossy In a state of extasy, Magdalena had gift of xenoglossy (speaking of foreign languages or glossolalia); she had understood and spoken languages that she had never learned or heard spoken. She spoke Latin, Greek, Hebrew, Babylonian and other, even non-European, languages. Some of the languages she spoke in trance were not recognized even by the greatest language experts.
Clairvoyance Clairvoyance (cardiognomy) is a mystical phenomenon by which a person recognizes and, so to speak, sees the state of the human soul. Magdalena is also said to have the gift of insight into the inner state of the soul: whether someone is in Sanctifying grace or in Mortal sin; whoever asked her, she also revealed his state of soul to him: not only to believers, but also to many priests. Magdalena also revealed his shortcomings to her spiritual leader, the curate Žagar.
Prophecies