Case file · Apparition / miracle
Padre Reus, the stigmatic Jesuit of São Leopoldo
The German-born Jesuit Johann Baptist Reus (1868–1947) taught in São Leopoldo, Rio Grande do Sul. He wrote that from 1912 he felt the pains of Christ's wounds, and he recorded visions in more than 1,100 drawings. His tomb draws thousands of pilgrims.
1947 CE · -29.78, -51.15 · status: claim
The account
His cause for sainthood opened on 25 June 1953 and a 2017 cure was added to the file. Some students said they saw him levitate at Mass. He himself often doubted his experiences and feared they might come from the Devil.
The sceptical view
The stigmata were felt, not visibly documented, and the levitation reports are second-hand.