One Thing Is Certain: Death
Discussions about death are often avoided in modern society, particularly in Western culture. While those in professions dealing with mortality – such as undertakers and pathologists – may frequently confront the subject, most people shy away from contemplating their own end. However, death is inevitable for all, and Catholic teaching emphasizes that it is only the beginning of a greater reality.
The Four Last Things – Death, Judgment, Heaven, and Hell – remind us that our eternal destiny hinges on the decisions we make in this life. Ignoring this reality is itself a choice, one that carries the gravest of consequences.
Yet amidst this sobering truth, the Catholic Church provides miraculous signs that point toward the glory of the afterlife. Among these are the incorruptible saints. These are men and women whose bodies have been miraculously preserved from decay after death, defying the natural process of decomposition and remaining in an unexplainable state of preservation for years, decades, or even centuries.
Throughout Catholic history, one of the most remarkable and mysterious phenomena associated with sanctity is the existence of incorrupt saints. Their incorruption is viewed by many as a divine sign of their holiness and an affirmation of the supernatural power of God. It serves as a witness to their extraordinary holiness and reminds the faithful of the eternal reward that awaits those who persevere in sanctity by dying in the state of grace.
What Are Incorrupt Saints?
The term “incorruptible” refers to the extraordinary preservation of a deceased person’s body without the use of artificial means such as embalming or mummification. While natural cases of partial preservation can occur due to environmental conditions, the incorruptibles of the Catholic Church stand apart due to the inexplicable nature of their preservation and the frequent association with sanctity and miraculous occurrences. No other religion can boast of such miracles.
Many of these saints’ bodies have been exhumed years after their death, often in the context of their canonization process, only to be discovered in a remarkable state of preservation. In some cases, their skin remains soft, their limbs flexible, and their faces serene, as if they were merely sleeping. While some bodies eventually succumb to decay, others remain in a state of partial or near-complete incorruption even centuries later.
The Church does not consider incorruption to be a requirement for sainthood, nor does it automatically recognize it as an ‘infallible’ proof of sanctity, or even a priori miraculous.[1]
However, when an incorrupt body is truly discovered, it strengthens the case for canonization. Investigations into incorrupt saints involve thorough scientific examination to rule out natural causes of preservation. Despite this, many cases remain unexplained.
Historically, incorruption has been seen as a sign of divine favor, symbolizing the saint’s purity and closeness to God, as rooted in Psalm 15:10: “Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; nor wilt thou give thy holy one to see corruption.” This verse primarily refers to Christ, and secondly to the Immaculate Mother of God, Whose body never suffered corruption, and it has a final fulfillment for all the Blessed at the End of Time. However, it also applies in the present to the phenomenon of incorrupt saints, which is rightly viewed as a foretaste of the resurrection of the body.
Examples of Incorruptible Saints
One of the most famous incorrupt saints, St. Bernadette, was the visionary of Lourdes, France, who received apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary in 1858. She died in 1879, and her body was exhumed multiple times, each time being found remarkably well-preserved. Today, her body lies in the Chapel of St. Gildard in Nevers, France, where pilgrims from around the world visit her remains, which appear almost lifelike.
One of the great mystics in the Church, St. Catherine of Siena’s body was found largely incorrupt decades after her death. Though her body was later divided among several churches – a common practice for relic veneration – her head remains perfectly preserved and is displayed in the Basilica of San Domenico in Siena, Italy.
Known for his charitable work and dedication to the poor, St. Vincent de Paul’s body was exhumed more than 50 years after his death and found to be remarkably preserved. His body is displayed in a reliquary in Paris, though over time it has darkened due to natural causes.
The patron saint of parish priests, St. John Vianney lived a life of intense holiness and mortification. When his body was exhumed, it was discovered to be incorrupt, and it is now displayed in a glass case in Ars, France, where thousands visit each year.
St. Rita of Cascia is one of the most venerated incorrupt saints, known for her devotion to Christ and her ability to intercede in desperate cases. Her body remains in a shrine in Cascia, Italy, where it shows little decay even centuries after her passing.
Another incorrupt saint from the early Church is St. Silvan, believed to have been martyred during the brutal persecution under Emperor Diocletian in the late third or early fourth century. Little is known about his life, but his body, which remains incorrupt, is displayed under glass at the Church of Saint Blaise in Dubrovnik, Croatia. His throat bears a visible wound, indicating the means of his martyrdom. His incorruptibility, lasting over 1,500 years, is a powerful sign of his sanctity.
Not All Incorrupts Are Canonize
Ven. Maria de Jesus
of Ágreda (†1665) was a Franciscan Conceptionist nun who authored what is arguably the greatest biography of Our Blessed Mother (The City of God). She received mystical revelations; and her superiors and confessors approved her work, despite intense scrutiny from the Spanish Inquisition. She also bilocated and brought the Gospel to many natives living along the Rio Grande River. Her incorrupt body lies in a glass sarcophagus and can be venerated by those visiting the chapel in the monastery where she lived.
A contemporary of Mary of Ágreda and member of the same religious order is Mother Mariana de Jesús Torres, Servant of God.[2] She lived in Quito, Ecuador and Our Lady of Good Success appeared to her with a message that harmonizes well with the Message of Fatima. Not only is her body incorrupt but a total of nine of the founding nuns of that convent of Mary Immaculate remain incorrupt. Despite these prodigious signs and supernatural favors, neither of these Conceptionist nuns has been formally canonized.
A Modern American Miracle Pending?
Recently, an American-born nun has been discovered to be incorrupt: Sister Mary Wilhelmina Lancaster (1924-2019). This St. Louis African-American nun struggled mightily to preserve the traditional form of religious life to which she professed her vows. After many hardships, she was given permission to found the Benedictines of Mary, whose mother house is in Gower, Missouri.
That monastery is now governed by an abbess, who has also started four daughter houses in the past decade (one of them being in England). It may currently be the fastest growing religious order of nuns in the USA. These nuns are perhaps best known for their Gregorian Chant CDs, which have consistently topped the Billboard “Classic” category. (You can hear some of their music on Fatima Center podcasts as they have given us permission to use their hymns.)
Many Catholics have driven out to the monastery to see and venerate Sr. Wilhelmina’s incorrupt body. Members of The Fatima Center Staff have heard personal anecdotes of people claiming her intercession has wrought miracles, including one testimony from a priest. You can read about her life in the book, God’s Will, authored by her community. The diocese of Kansas City – St. Joseph in Kansas is still conducting investigations and has not yet approved the spread of devotion to her.
We encourage you to spend some time learning about the many incorruptible saints on the list: The Incorruptible Saints.
Shortcomings of Scientific Examinations of Incorruptibility
While skeptics attribute incorruptibility to natural causes such as environmental conditions, soil composition, or unknown preservation techniques, many cases defy conventional explanations. Unlike artificially preserved bodies, which undergo embalming or chemical treatments, the incorrupt saints were not subjected to such procedures, yet their bodies remained free from decay for centuries.
Modern scientific investigations have sought to understand these occurrences, yet no single explanation has been able to account for all known cases. Some scientists propose that the unique conditions of the burial sites, humidity levels, and temperature may contribute to the preservation. However, this does not explain why many incorruptibles remain flexible and lifelike, nor why others decay suddenly after exhumation. And it does not explain why holy men and women of the Catholic Faith alone experience this phenomenon.
The Miracle of Incorruptibility Attests to the Truth of Catholicism
The phenomenon of incorruptibility serves as a profound testament to the sanctity of these individuals. While not considered a miracle in itself, it is often accompanied by other signs, such as a sweet fragrance emanating from the body (known as the “odor of sanctity”) and healing miracles associated with their relics.
The mystery of the incorruptibles remains one of the most fascinating aspects of our Catholic tradition. Despite scientific inquiry, many cases of incorrupt saints defy natural explanation. Whether viewed as divine intervention or a supernatural mystery, these saints continue to inspire devotion and awe among the faithful. Their bodies, preserved against the odds, stand as a silent yet powerful testament to the holiness of their lives, the hope of eternal life for all who follow in their footsteps, and that the Catholic Religion is from God.
These saints, untouched by decay, stand as a testament to the words of Scripture: “The just shall live forever, and their reward is with the Lord” (Wisdom 5:16). And we know that they can hear our prayers. May they intercede for us![3]
ENDNOTES:
[1] An incorrupt body is not considered incontrovertible support for canonization because the Church humbly leaves open the possibility that there could be a natural reason (even one of which we do not know) for the preservation of the body. Moreover, ‘incorruption’ is not defined precisely. It has never been determined by eccleisal authority what degree of preservation is necessary, or the amount or parts of the body that must be intact, for a body to be formally declared ‘incorrupt.’
In the article linked here, the section “What is incorruptibility?” associates incorrupt bodies with holy persons but states incorruption is not well-defined: “The Church does not have a cut-and-dried definition of what condition a holy person’s body must be found in to be declared incorrupt …”
And later: “A common objection to incorruptibility is the idea that the body either must have been deliberately preserved, a practice since ancient times, or that the conditions of the grave or tomb allowed for natural preservation. In at least one case, modern scientific examination has found that a saint [Margaret of Cortona] previously believed to be incorrupt was likely not.”)
[2] There are several steps along the path towards formal canonization and being raised to the altars of the Universal Church: Servant of God, Venerable, Blessed, [Canonized] Saint.
[3] How Can the Saints Hear Our Prayers?
The Book of the Apocalypse, written by St. John the Apostle, specifically mentions how the prayers of the saints are presented before God in Heaven: “And when he had opened the book, the four living creatures, and the four and twenty ancients fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odors, which are the prayers of saints” (Apocalypse 5:8).
The saints in Heaven are very much aware of what is happening on earth because God has in His order of the world permitted them to know of prayers addressed to them. In Matthew 17:3-5, the Prophets Moses and Elijah were very much aware of what was taking place on the earth.
The saints themselves are witnesses to what occurs on earth, as the Book of Hebrews specifically states: “Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us rid ourselves of every burden and sin that clings to us and persevere in running the race that lies before us” (Hebrews 12:1). And Our Lord Himself in Luke 15:7-10 describes those in Heaven rejoicing over repentance on earth. How could they do so unless in the mystical order of the universe God has somehow permitted them to know and see what was happening on the earth?